Mid August on Lake Michigan
August 13, 2025
Our last night on the anchor in Charlevoix, we discovered that our anchor light was not working. In order to fix it, the flopper stopper poles have to be detached so that we can get the mast down; it’s a bit of an ordeal. We turned on our spreader lights so we weren’t totally unlit in the anchorage. During the night a squall came through; thunder, lightning, downpour and high winds. Thankfully, we had already closed the hatch as we were expecting some rain. It looked like we actually drag a bit, which freaked out Lauren; she thought we were a bit too close to a docked boat. During the night we both got a up a couple of times to make sure we were okay. Sunrise found the anchorage waters calm and all six boats that we shared the anchored with were turned in different directions. Pulled up the anchor and timed the bridge opening almost perfectly; hovered for about 5 minutes before we were allowed to go through. The seas were predicted to be only a foot all day, but it was still a bit choppy, so Brian started the Seakeeper. It was a good call, as it was just sloppy out there. Heidi, again did not handle it well. Thankfully, it was only about a five-hour run. Arrived at our assigned slip at Leland Harbor Marina and docked with no issues. Right away we met Ann and Frank on Piper. Frank jumped right in with helping with the lines along with the dock hand. Ann was smitten with Heidi. After getting settled, we walked to The Cove for lunch. Leland was a fishing town and now it’s a tourist destination with good eats. Lauren felt a migraine coming on; probably from not sleeping well last night due to the squall and worrying about the anchor dragging. We headed back to the boat after lunch. She started a load of laundry, took her meds and rested. Brian caught up on bills and reading. Late afternoon, we took a walk about town and walked through the museum.
It’s been difficult finding slip space for the next two weeks; busy time of the year up here in Michigan. We were told by several boaters, that there are plenty of great anchorages as we travel to our next marina. Our next marina stop will be in about two weeks, as we will be leaving the boat there for about a week and driving back home. Before we leave to drive home, we will take it down the flopper stoppers and mast to get the bulb replaced. The bimini may also have to come down as once we leave that marina, we will be heading to Chicago and there will be low bridges to contend with.
Brian reading: Persuader by Lee Child – A Jack Reacher book
Lauren: Black Cross by Greg Iles
August 14, 2025
Left our slip at Leland a few minutes after 7. The waters were supposed to be one-footers which they were, but really rolly; Heidi was not having a part of it – had to dose her. It was about a 5-hour trip to our next anchorage in Frankfurt. Along the way we passed the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Park. The massive sand dunes reach up to 450 feet high with a scenic shoreline along the Lake Michigan from a few miles south of Leland for 35 miles to just north of Frankfort. The park has more than 50 shipwrecks for divers to explore. Point Betsie Lighthouse is something to see and is reportedly the most photographed lighthouse in Lake Michigan
There are wood ducks swimming nearby. The anchorage is the biggest we’ve been in so far. Watched Piper come in and take a slip across from us. We are the only trawler anchored along with about 10 sailboats with plenty of room to spare. Tomorrow, we travel to Manistee Lake to anchor. We will leave rather early, as the anchorage is small and we want to make sure we get settled in before it gets full. We may hunker down there for a few days, as the forecast for the weekend may hamper our travels.
Brian reading: Dark Hours by Michael Connelly
August 15, 2025
Pulled up anchor early this morning and headed off to Manistee. The waters were choppy with some whitecaps, but on the nose, so not uncomfortable. Did not dose Heidi. The sky was overcast, but eventually cleared and the waters calmed for the better part of our journey. The only thing we saw were numerous fishing boats, near and far. As we were entering the break water entrance, we saw a buck; eight points and all in velvet. There were two does at the waters edge. We opted to get a slip for at least two days as the weather forecast for traveling didn’t seem optimal to us after today. Once docked, it was a parade of all kinds of fishing boats; loaded with no less than 10 fishing rods on each boat. It is now 2:30 and the fishing boats are still arriving to dock. We are parked next to a motor vessel that is for sail. One other trawler did come in and it’s a Looper. On the other side of us is a County Sheriff boat, next to that is a Coast Guard boat and next to that one is a fire boat. Brian went for a haircut while Lauren took Heidi out for a much-needed walk. Then out for a lunch at TJ’s Pub.
This afternoon is catch up on laundry, vacuuming, clean out the fridge for dinner and reading.
Lauren baked brownies while preparing dinner. After dinner, we took Heidi out for about a ¾ mile walk. When we got back to our slip, there was another pleasure craft docked next to us. We met Aaron. He had lots of questions regarding our Loop trip. Even though we reserved this slip for two nights, we are considering moving on tomorrow to Ludington because, as it turns out, the weather will be good for traveling. Sunday through Tuesday’s weather doesn’t look so great. We have to look at several weather apps, they never seem to be in sync.
The fishing boats are non-stop going both ways on the river; must be great fishing out there.
August 16, 2025
Decided to sleep in for a bit (got up about 8); Lauren is still fighting a migraine that’s she had for several days. We decided to stay put for another day here in Manistee. About mid-morning we took a walk and actually browsed a few of the stores on main street. On the way back to the boat, we met Bob and Grace of State of Grace. We had met them back in De Tour. We will get together later with them to discuss weather and next move(s). We are both heading out tomorrow. We had originally decided to anchor in Ludington, but Grace mentioned Pentwater – another 12 miles from Ludington; offers a bit more than Ludington and also has a safe harbor for anchoring during inclement weather.
Met up with Bob and Grace for a late lunch, early dinner at a Mexican restaurant. We all enjoyed our meals – huge portions. We enjoyed our time together talking about people we’ve met along the way and places we stopped at. We’ve decided to head to Pentwater tomorrow.
Brian reading: Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly
Lauren: Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben
August 18, 2025
We ended up staying another day in Manistee as the water conditions would not have made a comfortable travel. Bob and Grace invited us to take the Trolley Tour. After waiting at the designated Trolley stop for almost an hour, we decided it must not run on Sundays though the information indicates that it runs every day and gives the times. So off to a pub for beers for them and a club soda with lime for Lauren. We were enjoying each other’s company so much, that we walked to a restaurant for a pizza. It was an entertaining afternoon with Bob and Grace. After getting back to the boat, Lauren received a text from Grace to take a walk to check out the houses on the historical tour. Early evening we helped a sailor dock his boat; he was single-handling and having a difficult time with the current. He said the conditions on Lake Michigan got worse during the day. He sailed across the lake and encountered 6-8 foot waves; said it was not a pleasant sail.
This morning, we left our slip about 6:45 and headed out the channel. State of Grace was also leaving and we were both headed to the same marina – Snug Harbor Marina in Pentwater; we were both able to get slips. Brian started the Seakeeper knowing it would be choppy out there and it was; the waves were between 1.5 and 3 feet and then it poured for a few hours. Again, Heidi was not liking it and knowing that she wouldn’t, Lauren dosed her when she was fed. About a half hour before reaching the breakwater to Snug Harbor, the waters laid down to about a foot. It is windy and rather chilly.
Pulling into our slip, we had 3 dock hands helping us; two were the owners of the marina; they even hooked up our electric. Later in the afternoon we had thunder and lightning storm with a heavy downpour – Heidi was not a fan of the noise.
August 19, 2025
Slept in again (8:15). It’s not like we are out or even up late; could be the sun isn’t shining as early and it was still overcast this morning. Mid-morning we stopped at a bakery; Lauren chose a lemon cookie and coffee; Brian had a cinnamon roll with tea – we were not impressed with the baked goods. Then it was off for a couple mile walk, through the downtown and neighborhoods. Lauren dubbed this town “sidewalk city”. No matter how many streets back from the main road we walked, every street had nice wide sidewalks that were well maintained. We enjoyed our stroll through the neighborhoods checking out the houses and their yards. There were some sculptural art work throughout the town.
Back on board, there was a message for Brian to contact Bob on State of Grace. Yesterday, we had spotty connections with the VHF radio. Brian suggested that maybe it was a loose wire. Bob did locate a loose wire and wanted to make sure he was coming through loud and clear on the radio – success.
Lauren started a load of laundry while Brian figured out our next anchorage. It looks like we may be anchoring for the next week, because the marinas are already booked and if there are spaces available, they are expensive. Lauren put on her Cinderella dress and went to work on the bathroom and kitchen. She gave her pinky finger a workout cleaning the slatted doors. Every inch of both areas was thoroughly scrubbed and disinfected. She even pulled the drawers out in the galley, sorted each drawer and cleaned both the inside and outside of the draw and also the cabinet they were pulled from. She was thrilled she did not encounter any spiders.
Brian Reading: Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben
Lauren: Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly
August 21, 2025
Yesterday’s travel was uneventful. The waves were about a foot high. There were many fishermen out and about. We anchored in White Lake near Indian Point. State of Grace joined us in the anchorage. We are surrounded by homes and camps. Brian went for a swim around the boat. The day was spent reading and relaxing. Lauren prepared a meatloaf dinner. Early evening we saw two does with their young walking in front of a couple of the camps at the water’s edge. This morning’s ride will only be about 3 hours. We have a slip reservation at Grand Haven for one night before moving on.
We arrived at our slip in Grand Haven Municipal Marina about ll:30. State of Grace got in a few minutes before us. As we were finishing attaching the lines to the dock, an elderly gentleman stopped by. He seemed intrigued with our boat; had all kinds of questions. He said he never seen this type of boat before and seemed enamored with it; he was going to google it. We tidied up the boat, got Heidi out for a walk and had leftovers for lunch. Grace contacted us and we decided to get together early afternoon to walk about town. We left our boats around 1:30 and checked out the stores. We stopped in a pub; Lauren opted for an espresso martini (it was okay) and the rest had beers. We spent a bit of time there just chatting. Grace loves to play miniature golf and found that they had it right in town; so off we went – it was a lot of fun. Bob and Lauren tied for first with a score of 52 (Lauren had 3 holes in 1), Brian’s score was 53 and Grace came in last with a score of 54. By then we were hungry, so off to an Italian restaurant. Everyone’s meal was good. Back to the boat to get Heidi off for a walk and do her business. Tonight at 9:20 there is a light and water show choreographed to music.
Brian Reading: The Relic by Douglas Peston and Lincoln Child
Lauren: Persuader by Lee Child
August 22, 2025
Left our slip in Grand Haven about 6:40; turned on the running lights since it was still dark. Once we got to the mouth of the channel, we were inundated with fishing boats. Lauren poked along trying to get through them; most of these guys do trolling, so she tries to maneuver to the front of the boats so as to not snag their lines. We were about half way through this group when a small skiff kept coming at us from the port side. Since our running lights were on, he should have known that we definitely had the right of way showing our red light. He didn’t seem to care and Lauren had no way to get out of his way. Brian finally stepped out on the port side and raised his arms to him, like HEY? The guy yelled at us, but did finally turn away. The rest of the run was smooth.
After entering the channel to South Haven, we decided to stop and refuel before entering our slip. As we approached the fuel dock, another boater slipped in ahead of us. Lauren took the boat further into the channel, waiting for several boats to travel by her before doing a 180 and hovering near the fuel dock. We stayed there for at least a half hour before being able to dock for fuel. Lauren did a great job keeping the boat positioned in place; there was a lot of boat traffic in both directions. Once fueling was done, we found our slip, pulled in and tied off. State of Grace is two slips down from us. Today, we noticed that our RPM’s dropped quite suddenly and our speed also dropped accordingly. It lasted only a few seconds, but happened three times; made us a bit nervous. Thankfully, we were close to our end point. While hovering, waiting for the fuel dock, Brian called a mechanic. The mechanic actually walked down a dock close to us and they were able to communicate. While refueling, the mechanic came onboard and he and Brian went into the engine room to discuss the issue. The mechanic will do some research and get back to us.
August 24, 2025
The first day here at South Haven Municipal Marina was low-key. We did go out for a Mexican dinner with Bob and Grace. Yesterday, about 4 am we woke to quite a bit of rocking. We knew it wasn’t fishing boats as there is a constant parade of them coming and going all day long. Even though we are a ways into the channel, there was quite a bit of current making all the boats rock and roll. Brian got up and started the Seakeeper. The sailboat next to us was rocking so much so, that it made us Lauren a bit nervous. We made sure our fenders were well secured and back to bed for a bit. When we got up, we watched other boats along the channel on both sides dancing around. So glad we have the Seakeeper, as it kept us flat with just a little bounce. Lauren cooked a hearty breakfast and then we took a walk late morning to find a bakery. Bunde’s Bakery Café did not disappoint. On the walk back to the boat, we discussed getting all the hardware down on the fly deck as it will have to come down once we leave Chicago because of several low bridges we will encounter. Back on board, we started with the flopper stoppers; they came down without any issues, though it takes a while. To take them down, we have to release three lines and pull a clevis pin that holds the bottom of the pole to the side of the boat. Before the clevis pin is pulled, Brian secures a line to it and the other end to the boat so that once it’s pulled it doesn’t go into the drink. Once that is done, Brian lifts the pole up over the side of the boat and then lays it down on the fly deck. These poles are about 15 in length. Then we do the same thing with the second pole. Next the boom was released and laid down on the deck and secured. Then we took off the cover to the upper nav station and again noticed that our hydraulic fluid is still leaking; not as much as it had been, but still… In between all this, we were constantly going after spiders – YUCK! The bimini was pulled apart at all the hinged portions and folded down. Lauren noticed that there were two screws on one section that were almost out of the fiberglass (another fix). Once the bimini was down, then it was time to get the mast down. To take the mast down, we have to release the two side stays and the forestay. The stays are the stainless-steel cables that run from the top of the mast out to the side decks to stabilize the mast. Once the forestay is released, we attached a block to the end of the forestay and another block to the bow pulpit and run a line between them. Lauren uses this line to assist in letting the mast gently down to the deck (the bottom of the mast is attached to a hinge-system) while Brian manually lowers the mast as gently as possible down to the deck, it is rather heavy. Except, now that the dinghy is secured on the fly deck, it was in the way. What to do, what to do??? We used the composite captain’s chair from the fly deck and laid it on its side next to the dinghy and maneuvered it under the mast – a temporary fix until Brian can make a proper mast crutch. The bimini was put back up; new screws replacing the ones that popped. All was secured, extra lines put away, fly deck cleaned. During all of this, the sun was out, the humidity was high and even with a light breeze, we were drenched, slick with sweat and both a bit cranky. On the upside, it’s one less project to do once we leave Chicago.
Showers were next and then a bit of downtime. Since we had worked through lunch, we ate an early dinner. Lauren cooked two chicken thighs, a handful of broccolis and added them to some leftovers from an Italian restaurant. About 6 pm, we got together with Bob and Grace on the marina’s covered pavilion and taught them how to play Liverpool. Don’t know where the name came from, but that’s what Lauren’s family always called it. Originally, we believe the name of the game was May I. There are numerous variations to this game, but we kept it basic for the beginners. Grace loves to play all kinds of games. Bob is not a card player, but was a good sport and played along. We had a fun time teaching them; lots of laughs and a bit of frustration on Bob’s part, but we were rather proud of him, as he was able to go out first on the last hand, which is the most difficult one. We haven’t played this game in a very long time and missed doing so.
Lauren woke with another bad migraine – can’t figure out why she’s getting so many. We know it’s not alcohol or food. Stress?? Usually, she is still able to go about her business even when she’s not feeling well, but this one was a doozy. Brian walked to the bakery and came back with a Danish for her – sweet! She will discuss this issue with her doctor next time we are home.
We still have the Seakeeper running, as the winds haven’t abated and though we are pretty protected here in the marina, but the winds are building the waves outside the channel and are funneling down through. Boats are really rocking, but our boat is not; we are bouncing, but it’s gentle. Just watching the boats next to us can make your stomach churn a bit.
Mid-morning Grace and Bob had errands to do and invited us along for the walk. Bob veered off to the pharmacy, Brian went to the post office and Grace and Lauren continued on to the grocery store. They guys met up at the grocery store. Meijer, the grocery store was huge – reminded us of a Wegman’s or even a Super Walmart, except the food choices were numerous.
Lauren reading: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
Hope all is well and stay safe out there.