Port Austin, MI

We left Oscada very early at 6:45 on Saturday, September 1 because we didn’t want to spend another day there.  We thought we would have a chance of getting ahead of what was predicted to be very windy conditions later in the day.  Our plan was to get to Port Austin and our back-up plan was Tawas. 

It was breezy but we were able to be relatively comfortable because the waves were on our bow quarter. Three quarters of the way through the morning  we got into the shadow of Michigan’s thumb and the waters calmed down a bit.  We arrived in Port Austin at about 11:15 and tied up at the very nice marina there.  The marina is one of the many state run operations lining the Michigan coast and from what we can see they are all in great shape with wide docks, accessible services and excellent breakwaters.  This one was surrounded by parkland, beaches and attractively maintained grounds. 

Everyone we met encouraged us to go the the farmer’s market that takes place every Saturday and was just a couple of blocks from the marina.  Of course we had to go and it was one of the best we’ve seen this summer.  It was very busy and we bought so much food that both of us had our hands full walking back. 

Upon returning to Zendo, we had delicious native tomato sandwiches for lunch and then set to work on boat cleaning chores including laundry, bike repairs and prepping for our upcoming guests.  Jonny was about to wash the outside of the boat when a big thunderstorm came up. It was pretty fierce and we were glad we were not out on the lake during it!

We had a nice, dinner of fresh perch and corn on the cob that we had purchased at the farmer’s market.  The marina had been quite active all day due to the Labor Day weekend.  There were many boaters and lots of families enjoying the waterfront park with its marina, playing fields and two beaches. 

That evening a band was playing in the park.  The musicians were older guys (like us) apparently all retired from the Detroit area.  They played classic rock and country with a couple of local guest singers from the audience.  They were very entertaining and even introduced us to the crowd after the lead singer worked the crowd during their break and heard our story.  We are realizing that the midwesterners we are meeting are just as warm and friendly as the Canadians were!

Oscoda, MI

We had a long pretty smooth day of cruising on Friday, August 31 starting early at 8 a.m.  We wanted to make a good long run while the weather was good because the next day looked a little iffy. Also, there was no place of interest that we wanted to stop and visit along this part of the coast.  The weather was sunny and clear but cool enough that we ran with the stratoglass closed early on.  The lake was fairly calm for most of the day except for a couple hours of hours when we encountered some rougher waters. The waves got to one foot but the short duration made  it choppy.  Fortunately, the waters calmed down again and Georgio spent most of the day sleeping in his little cardboard box on the flybridge.

We spent most of the day listening to John McCain and Aretha Franklin’s memorial services - both quite moving.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t tune in on Aretha’s live stream which would have been highly recommended entertaining.  We’re sorry that the  poor reception in this part of the world has caused us to miss many of the visual aspects of major news events over the last several weeks.

There were really very few places for us to cruise to.  At first we were going to go to Harrisville but then decided to to push on to Oscoda.  The only marina there - Haglund’s - didn’t even show up on Active Captain.  Jonny had to call the Chamber of Commerce to find one. We would have been happy to anchor out but there was no safe place to do so.  So we pulled into Haglund’s at 5:15 and entered the harbor with its good breakwater.  We passed some modest modular homes along the coast as we entered the marina. 

The marina owner also ran a hunting and gun shop.  He had recently bought the operation and the “marina” part was quite neglected.   There was no water, no restrooms, no WIFI but at least there was a power outlet, though it was just a household outlet!  We tied up at the dock across from the gun shop with a big gazebo right next to us and a busy highway across the street.  

The nearby town held no interest to us but we were grateful to be in a calm and safe harbor.  We were glad to only have to stay one night!.

Presque Harbor, MI

We had a long and uneventful day of travel along the eastern coast of Michigan on Thursday, August 30.  The weather was quite cool and we cruised with the Stratoglass closed for much of the day and wore layers of sweatshirts and jackets.  The lake was fairly calm early in the day but picked up as the afternoon wore on with 1 - 2 foot swells.

We stopped at Presque Island Marina for fuel and were surprised by how few boats were docked at the large and well-maintained marina.   

The friendly dock hand explained that the marinas along the coast are state run and are only allowed to lease 30% of the slips for seasonal rentals so they can act as ports of refuge for any vessels requiring safe harbor in a storm. These marinas are 30 miles apart all along the Michigan coast so a boater would be no further than 15 miles from one of these ports if they ever needed one.  The marinas are all fortified with impressive breakwaters.  This is all very comforting because the waters of the Great Lakes are big and can change quickly.

We fueled up at Presque Island Marina and stretched our legs by walking to the small general store that was going out of business.  We scooped up a few staples including a restocking of our beer reserves!

From there, we cruised to the nearby bay and found a comfortable anchorage for the night.  Surprisingly, it took us three tries to set the anchor but there was no wind and we had a relaxing evening on board.  Just after sunset we had the unique experience of seeing four planets - Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.  It was pretty spectacular!

Cheboygan, MI

We left Drummond Harbor Yacht Haven after a lot of time spent deliberating the forecast on Tuesday, August 28. The winds and seas were projected to be higher particularly for our Great Loop colleagues who were heading to Lake Michigan. Out route seemed like it would be OK as the day progressed so we delayed our departure until noon and then set off.  The lake had one foot waves with short period swells to start which we were taking on the bow so it was relatively comfortable.  We made our way across the top of Lake Huron and as the day wore on the seas calmed because we were in the shadow of the mainland, hugging the east coast of Michigan and passing some of the lighthouses for which the Great Lakes are known.

By 5:30 we made our way into the Cheboygan River following a ferry into the harbor. After waiting for the 9 foot bridge to open we arrived at the municipal marina which was just a wall in the center of town.  We tied up next to that walk and a parking lot and a fellow cruiser mistakenly told us we could stay there for free with power and all!  Apparently he leaves before the attendant arrives the next morning to collect payment.  Jonny thought there might be a nicer place to tie up a bit further up the river and so we moved and found one next to a park and just under the pedestrian walking bridge.  It was a very nice location with an attractive gazebo and historic scenes painted on walls in the park (and the all essential restrooms nearby).

The next day we took a $5 shuttle bus to the ferry to Mackinac Island. On our way we passed under the bridge that when first built was the longest suspension bridge in the world.  The weather was a little cool and rainy but it was expected to clear by noon.  

We had a great time at Mackinac exploring a lot of the island on foot. The downtown area was busy with lots of shops,  restaurants, and horse drawn carriages.

We took one of the historic walks and went by the fort (but didn’t go in as we have seen lots of forts on this journey).  We went on to the Governor of Michigan’s summer home and lucked out.  It is only open on Wednesdays and this was the last Wednesday it would be open for the season.  The governor and his wife actually use it and it felt very much like a lived-in home. It was lovely with comfortably inviting seating areas around a cozy fireplace, a gracious dining room and a lovely sun porch. All these rooms had amazing views of the lake.  It was an 11 bedroom house but it didn’t seem so. Of course we did not get to see any of the second floor but we were assured that the governor and his wife used the rooms we were able to visit.  It’s the first time we had toured an historic home and felt that we could imagine ourselves actually living there. 

From there we took a scenic walk along the shoreline and saw several summer “cottages” with fabulous flower gardens and an amazing natural stone arch.

 As the rain stopped, we found a very nice outdoor restaurant for lunch looking out over the lake. 

Originally, we were going to rent bicycles and bike around the island after lunch but we decided to explore the historic areas on foot.  We walked through the less commercial parts of town, past historic churches, and forested areas.

Then we headed over to the Grand Hotel.  Jonny wasn’t up for spending $10 to walk onto their famous porch but Lynn was so she explored the resorts public spaces and reported back to Jonny.  

Lynn also wanted to walk through the part of town where the 500 or so permanent residents lived (to see how the other 90% lived)! Their homes were much more modest than the huge “cottages” that lined the shores of Mackinac.  We saw lots horses grazing and stables (some nicer than the residents’ homes) where the horses that draw the carriages are kept.  No cars are allowed on the island and surprisingly to us we saw no golf carts either! 

As we walked along a coastal road with some magnificent cottages we came again to the Grand Hotel.  There were no staff keeping people out from that side so we both walked in and Jonny got to see this iconic hotel for free!

At the end of the day, we took the ferry back to the town of Mackinaw where we killed some time waiting for the shuttle back to the marina by indulging in ice cream and coffee and wondering how so many fudge shops can compete and remain operational in two square blocks!  (Note that the town is spelled Mackinaw and the island is Mackinac but they are both pronounced Mackinaw.) We learned the interesting fact that Carl Fisher, one of Miami Beach’s founding fathers, was from this part of the country and was instrumental in building the Dixie Highway built that goes all the way from Mackinaw to Miami!

Once back in Cheboygan, we hit the local brew pub and grocery and had a light dinner before going to bed.

Our trip to Cheboygan and Mackinac Island turned out to be really fun, more so than we ever expected!

 

Drummond Island, MI

We set off for our re-entry to the USA at 8 a.m on Monday August 27.  We were headed for Drummond Island, MI, a popular and convenient place to go through customs. We were anticipating that the weather would be worse the following day and we may not want to make the longer passage on Lake Huron under windy or stormy conditions.  By  9 a.m. we realized that the seas were comfortable enough that we could bypass Drummond Island and make a longer day’s cruise all the way to Cheboygan.  This would save us from the following day being a down day because the weather was expected to deteriorate.  We contacted Cheboygan to see if we could go through Customs there but it wasn’t possible. Jonny had already tried to go through the online process for Customs but because of poor connectivity we couldn’t complete the process.  Though we tried every possible alternative, we had to stay with our original plan of going to Drummond Island.  We arrived at the Drummond Harbor Yacht Haven at 12:15 and tied up next to an amazing vessel (more on that later).  Jonny went up to Customs alone because that’s what is required in Canada.  Shortly after, he called Lynn to join him which is required coming in to the U.S.

Because Lynn had awakened that morning with her eyes more swollen than ever, she decided to call her opthamologist who had offered to call in a prescription for a steroid.  It was a little complicated.  There is no pharmacy on Drummond Island but if the doctor called in the prescription to the off-island pharmacy by 1 p.m., the pharmacy would deliver it to the medical center that is just a mile and a half from the marina.  Dr. Rubin promptly called it in and both the pharmacy and medical center stayed in touch with Lynn all afternoon describing the status of the prescription.  By 4:30, Jonny took Lynn’s bike (having discovered that his had a flat tire) to drive through town to the medical center in this tiny community to pick up the prescription and stop at the grocery store to get a few items.

Our marina experience was enhanced by the discovery of some fellow cruisers who we had first met going through the locks on the Trent-Severn.  We enjoyed hearing about some fun adventures they had in the North Channel including meeting the couple whose boat was boarded by a bear!  

We were docked next to an amazing sailboat called the Huron Jewel.  This newly launched 78 foot gaff-rigged schooner was designed and built by an incredible boat maker named Captain Hugh Covert.  He has extensive experience building boats and this one was based on the design of a 19th century clipper-type Virginia pilot schooner.  He had just launched it with great fanfare and was just finishing up some last minute details.  It is available for day sails, windjammer cruises, weddings and other special events.  It was a very impressive boat!

That evening Jonny made perfectly grilled lamb chops and we ate them with some local corn-on-the cob and salad.  We spent the rest of the evening catching up with friends by phone.  When we were ready to go to bed, we realized that Georgio was missing again.  Lynn went out onto the dock with a flashlight.  Fortunately some boaters had just seen Georgio strolling down the dock and Lynn found him two finger piers down from Zendo sitting next to a similar looking trawler looking as if he wanted to climb back on.  Greatly relieved, she scooped him up in her arms, gently admonished him and brought him home, Yes, we know we have to keep a better eye on him!!

Cockburn Island, Ontario

We had a fairly long travel day planned on Sunday, August 26 and as we left Gore Bay Marina and got out onto Lake Huron at 9 a.m. it got pretty rough for a couple of hours.  Georgio was not at all happy and hid all day under the chair in the saloon nestled snugly between two pairs of shoes.  It finally calmed down and we had a pretty smooth ride the remainder of the day.

We had identified two possible destinations for our last night in Canada; one was among the Grant Islands, small little islands in the middle of the bay and another was on the south shore of a larger island.  Because of the southerly winds, we chose the latter option - Cockburn Island.  It was incorporated in 1881 and was once a thriving community with as many as 1000 residents.   The island attracts a couple of hundred summer residents a year and its full-time population is down to zero! We saw absolutely no signs of civilization from our vantage point.

After a long six and a half hour cruise, we anchored in the large wide bay of Cockburn Island there with no other boats at all. We had seen very few all day as we are in a quite remote part of O, Canada!   Jonny decided to take one last swim in these northern waters.  He didn’t stay in for long -  it was cold!!

Towards the end of the day, a tiny fishing boat entered the bay quite a distance away from us.  We thought for sure it wouldn’t stay overnight because it was so small, but there it was the next morning!

We had a quiet night onboard Zendo eating leftovers for dinner.  Unfortunately, we had to abandon the idea of eating on the aft deck and enjoying the pristine scenery because the flies were so bad. This was our last night in Canada after spending a total of 51 days in this gracious and. beautiful country! We were sad to say good-bye.

Gore Bay, Ontario

As usual, Jonny woke up early on Saturday, August 25 and when Lynn got up first at 6 a.m., her eyes were worse - more swollen and very itchy.  She went back to bed with a cold pack on her eyes and fell asleep until 7:30. Waking up looking like a prize fighter (minus the black and blue), she decided to find a doctor. But since it was Saturday,  no medical clinics were open.  But she called the answering service for the closest clinic in Gore Bay.  Their on- call doctor called back promptly and agreed to see her as soon as we could get to Gore Bay. So we pulled the anchor by 9 a.m. and were relieved that Gore Bay was still heading us in the right direction.

It was a dreary day and drizzled a little as we made the two hour journey across the bay.  Fortunately, the crossing was fairly smooth so Georgio wasn’t traumatized.

Gore Bay is an attractive village (population 900).  We tied up at the dock, checked into the marina and called the doctor who could meet us right away. 

The medical center was only two blocks from the marina (how convenient can you get)? The doctor, who was both professional and personable, confirmed the original diagnosis (allergic reaction) and proscribed stronger antihistamines.  The pharmacy was another block away right around the corner from the “ healthy” restaurant recommended by the doctor as a good place for lunch.  We picked up the prescription and another umbrella  (it was still raining) and headed over another couple of blocks to the  restaurant which was closed.  So we strolled through the small village, bought a few staples at the local grocery store and finally found a restaurant near the marina for a quick lunch.  Jonny relaxed with a couple of Guinness’s. On the way back to the marina we stopped to buy some locally caught  smoked fish.

Back at Zendo, we actually napped after trying to read our books.  Jonny did some extensive trip planning since we would be leaving Canada in a couple of days, sad as that is for us!  Lynn updated the blog and we decided that we weren’t hungry for dinner so we spent the rest of the evening reading and relaxing,  Actually, Lynn couldn’t believe that Jonny didn’t check out the local brew pub that was just down the street from was our marina.  Maybe now he’s coming down with something?!