Suttons Bay, MI to South Haven, MI

July 25 & 26, 2017

Suttons Bay, MI

Suttons Bay Marina is a great first stop for us.  This cozy village has unique stores and lots of good restaurants.  It has taken us about five hours to get here from Boyne City.  After docking we take a walk through the village and choose a pub for dinner.  Dave sees lots of motorcycles in front of the bar and tells me that bikers always know where the good food is.  We are not disappointed.  After dinner we walk a bit more and then return to the boat.  

Funky flower shop in town

We have forgotten how tiring a day on the water can be.  Dave checks the weather forecast and it looks as if we might be staying for another day.  Rain and high winds are in the picture for tomorrow.  Sure enough, we awaken to heavy rain and some wind.  We spend the day planning our itinerary for the next few stops, continue to organize the boat, and we get a little exercise when it finally begins to clear.  

A gray day

The forecast for tomorrow is a bit “iffy”.  We’ll wait until morning to make a decision as to whether or not we will leave.

July 27, 2017

Northport, MI

The skies are bright and sunny when we wake up.  Dave checks the weather and although the sun is shining, wind and bumpy seas  (2-3 ft. waves) are in the forecast.  We decide to head back down Grand Traverse Bay to Northport so that we are closer to Lake Michigan.  Before leaving, we take a walk to town for coffee.  We leave the dock, get our first pump out, and head down the bay.  It is a quick ride, only an hour and a half.  There are no slips available at the Northport Municipal Marina so we anchor.  This gives Dave the opportunity to try out his new 200 ft. anchor chain that he recently marked.  (No, we don’t need to use all 200 ft.)  After settling in at the anchorage, our first swim in Lake Michigan is in order.  (It’s actually Grand Traverse Bay.)  I brave the water first, using our new whale tails.  It is cool and refreshing.  At this point, I must confess.  This really isn’t my first swim since we got back to Michigan.  Last Sunday, we took the dinghy for a ride to try out the 15 HP motor we had bought in 2015.  It was a bit rainy and I had my rain jacket on with the hood up….blocking  my line of vision.  Upon returning to the boat, I missed my mark and instead of going around to land at the back of the boat as we usually do, I told Dave I would get off on the dock.  So remember, I haven’t been in a dinghy in 22 months, and I broke the cardinal rule of dinghy riding…..keep your center of gravity low.  As Dave pulled up to the dock, I stood up straight and tall, and sure enough, next thing I knew, I was in the water.  After surfacing, totally embarrassed, I climbed up the swim ladder back into the boat and took a nice hot shower.  Luckily, I didn’t have my cell phone in my pocket.  But I digress.  Back in the bay, Dave finally jumps in, but he doesn’t last long.  He thinks it’s a little chilly.  I worry he’s becoming a Floridian.  We have a relaxing evening and grill a spice-rubbed pork tenderloin for dinner with caprese and kale salad.  Delicious…..ah, the boating life.

July 28, 2017

Frankfort, MI

The weather gods are smiling on us.  Today’s forecast is excellent with little wind and smooth waters (at least until mid-afternoon).  We haul our anchor by 6:15 am and head towards Lake Michigan.  The morning sunrise is magnificent.  

Sunrise, leaving Northport anchorage

We have not set our destination for the day.  Instead, we decide to let the weather determine where we will end up tonight.  We are headed south.  Leland, South Manitou Island, and Frankfort are all possibilities.  As we near Leland, the weather continues to be beautiful, with low wind and little wave action, so we continue on.  The shoreline from Leland to Frankfort is part of Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore Park.  With its massive sand dunes, 480 ft. tall, its white beaches and a backdrop of forests, views from the lake are simply breathtaking.  According to the Waterway Guide, viewers of the ABC “Good Morning America” TV show voted Sleeping Bear Dunes as one of the Top Ten “Most Beautiful Places in America” in 2014 and in 2011.  As we continue along the Lake, we see beautiful houses built on the dunes with steep staircases leading to the lakeshore.  Using our binoculars, we can also make out dune buggies and ATVs scurrying around on the dunes.  

Massive Sand Dunes

Activity on the Dunes

Around 1:30, the wind picks up and the lake is beginning to get sloppy.  We have already been traveling for almost 7 hours so we head into Frankfort, on Betsie Lake, for the night.  

Betsie Lighthouse

What a great stop!  The marina is at the base of the town with the public library at the end of the park.  The town has everything you need….beaches, pubs, restaurants, hardware store, pharmacy, deli, and much more.  After securing the boat , I notice another boat that is waiting to dock is also flying the AGLCA flag.  This is the first fellow looper we have seen since we left Boyne City.  We say a quick “hello”, but, unfortunately, do not get to chat about our experiences.  We head into town for dinner and choose an Asian restaurant, Fusion.  After a cup of wonton soup and splitting an entrée, we head to the hardware store for a few items.  This True Value hardware store is a blast out of the past.  The aisles are less than 2 feet wide and every thing you can imagine is somewhere on the shelves.  Amazingly, the store clerks know exactly where everything is.  Then it is back to the boat.  In the park, directly in front of us, there is a Friday evening concert.  The group is excellent and it is fun to sit on the bow of “At Last” and enjoy the free entertainment.

July 29, 2017

White Lake:  Whitehall, Montague, MI

Although we love Frankfort and could easily stay here for a few more days, the weather window we now have is too good to pass up. Little wind and flat water are forecast for the next two days. Although there are some stops along the Lake that we had planned to make, Manistee and Ludington, for example, we feel we need to continue.  Again, we leave the slip by 6:15 am.  I believe we are the only ones awake in the marina, except, of course, for the fishermen.  Boats are everywhere, heading out onto the Lake Michigan. On land, people are fishing from the base of the lighthouse at the entrance to the channel.  Once again, the sunrise is gorgeous. 

Fishermen at work

Dawn on Lake Michigan

Pentwater is a possible destination for the night, but the Lake is like glass and the wind is almost non-existent, so we decide to make White Lake our next stop. It is located about 32 miles south of Pentwater.  We are going to dock at White Lake Municipal Harbor, located at the end of the 5-mile long, 1-mile across (at its widest point) lake. The entrance to the channel is extremely busy.  Boats are everywhere and the sides of the channel are lined with people watching the boating action.  Dave navigates us through and we head toward our marina for the night.  The lake is very pretty and extremely active.  We see jet skis, pontoon boats, sailboats, small cruisers, large cruisers, everything you can think of.  

Lighthouse on White Lake

We dock and secure the boat.  Across the dock from us, we notice that slip 34 is filled with sea grass.  I jokingly say to Dave, “Imagine if you went out this morning and when you came back you found your slip filled with that!”  I no sooner finish my sentence and the dockhands come running down the dock to explain to the captain of a 30 ft. O’Day that while they were gone, the grass had been blown into their slip.  The captain is able to get the bow of the boat into the slip and he and Dave use boat hooks to push the plants aside so that the sailboat can be docked.  However, as soon as they are in their slip, the wind blows the grass back into the boat.  Oh, well, another job for the dockhands. 

Oh, oh....lake grass in Slip #34

Success....for a little while!

The town of Whitehall is on one side of the lake and the town of Montague is on the other. We are exhausted after a 10-hour day.  We do not venture into either town.  Instead, we spend a quiet evening on “At Last”. 

Luxury homes on Montague side of White Lake

July 30, 2017

South Haven, MI

It is going to be another perfect cruising day on Lake Michigan.  We are up at 5:00 am again and prepare for our 6:15 am departure.  We head back down White Lake to the channel and enter Lake Michigan with the fishing boats.  Another splendid day with even flatter water than yesterday.  We must have done something right, because wind and high waves have been a non-issue for us.  We continue south and pass up the opportunity to stop in Grand Haven, Holland or Saugatuck, MI.  Along the way we grill burgers for lunch.  Nothing smells better than grilling on a boat.  We have a reservation in South Haven, located on the Black River, and we arrive in about 7 ½ hours.  There is a beach on either side of the channel entrance, and the boat activity is non-stop.  Our marina is located at the end of the channel and is just perfect.  According to the Waterway Guide, South Haven was recognized in 2012, by Yachting Magazine, as one of the “Top Ten Ports in the World.”   The marina is located in Riverfront Park and there is a scenic boardwalk—Harbor Walk—that winds along the riverfront.  

Channel entrance in South Haven

South Haven has a rich maritime history and the Michigan Maritime Museum is located here.  
After checking in, we chat with several people on the dock.  They have noticed our AGLCA flag and want to know about our trip.  I check out the laundry facilities, as I need to do a load or two before we leave.  Dave and I walk into town which has a bustling main street, filled with activity.  We take a walk along the river front and as we are passing the South Haven Yacht Club, Dave notices

Marina

another Pacific Trawler.  Since purchasing “At Last”, we have only seen one other, “Harbor Reach” which belongs to Bill and Mary Russell from Wickford, RI.  The name of this boat is “Terrapin”.  We approach two gentlemen on the porch of the Club and ask if the captain of the boat is around. 

Rich Maritime History

He is not, but they say that they will tell him we are docked at South Haven Marina if they see him.  We return to the boat to enjoy a QAC (quiet afternoon cocktail) on the back of the boat.  About an hour later Cam and Lisa stop by our boat.  Cam is the owner of “Terrapin”.  His father purchased it in the 70’s.  He and Lisa come aboard and we talk about our boats and the differences between them.  Cam is very impressed with our new decking as well as other upgrades we have made to "At Last" and takes some photos as he is looking to make a few changes on his boat.  We have a very pleasant visit.  It is fun to meet another Pacific Trawler owner as there are not too many of us around.  Unfortunately, neither Dave nor I took a picture of Terrapin.  I spend the rest of the evening doing laundry, cleaning up, and getting ready for tomorrow.  We plan to cross the lake to Chicago as the weather is going to great again! 

Square Top Sail Sloop:  under sail and passing by marina entrance