Benton Harbor & St. Joseph

Each day and each destination on this Great Loop adventure is different. All are good. Some are GREAT!

Our experiences at West Basin/Benton Harbor and Pier 33/St. Joseph have forged deep friendships and long-lasting memories.

We arrived to West Basin Marina in Benton Harbor, Michigan, late in the afternoon Thursday (8/12). That is because of the wicked storm and wild waves we experienced at South Haven. We wanted the sea to calm down before setting out, so it was nearly closing time as we motored in but the West Basin office manager sent staff to our slip to assist us with tie-up and then he waited until we checked in. This was a nice municipal marina of mostly sailboats that seemed to accommodate a few (10) transient boats.

I only briefly mentioned Benton Harbor in a recent post. I met the crews of Just a Toy and Boyle-N-Water that departed early the following morning. They were anxious to take advantage of a good weather window. I also think that they could “smell the barn.” As of this post, both have successfully completed their loops.

On Friday, we planned a bicycle tour of St. Joseph, across the river. We were preparing the bikes when a gentleman approached us and started asking questions. He noticed our AGLCA burgee, always a conversation starter! We talked a while about our adventure before we asked him for a recommendation for a good breakfast café. “Well, right here!”, he said, sweeping his arm around to the private St. Joseph River Yacht Club. “They’ve got the best breakfast and lunch in town! My wife loves the lobster rolls.” He was a member of the club and he keeps his sailboat at West Basin. Before we could resist, our new friend, with insistence, quickly walked away, into the SJRYC, and told the host that his “family” was visiting and would be in shortly for breakfast. This was the beginning of our friendship with Gary.

The hostess escorted us past a large group of well-coifed ladies in a private alcove playing cards, then by a sparkling four-lane swimming pool, to a patio table shaded by a bright red umbrella. Just outside the seating area was a sailing class gathered around their instructor. I could hear clapping and cheering for what I imagined to be accolades and awards for good seamanship. Across the channel was another small private marina at the base of some high-end, high-rise condominiums. There was a steady stream of boats motoring out to the lake. The uniformed staff were plentiful and very polite. The scene was surreal. I ordered the recommended Lobster Roll and Pete chose the Salmon BLT. Both were delicious! We felt blessed to have encountered Gary and to have enjoyed this wonderful meal in a beautiful setting before starting our exploration.

The “Social District” on the bluff overlooks the Amtrak station, the Compass Fountain, Silver Beach County Park and Lake Michigan. We rode down to the beach, admired the sculptures and lakefront properties, then rode out to the south pier before ascending the hill to window shop. I was in search of some sweet and savory treats to share at social hour that evening.

SIDE NOTE: Pier 33, St. Joseph, MI, is the home port for Lady Kadey. We saw this crew originally in Cleveland, met officially in Port Austin, worked together in Presque Isle, MI, to raise their radar mast, and we reconnected while we were slipped at West Basin. We made the effort to cycle the short distance to visit our friends. We learned that Pier 33 was on the calm Morrison Channel, off of the St. Joseph River, and it offers full marina services. (This knowledge paid dividends the very next day.)

At 5:00 pm Pete and I joined the crews of Church Retreat (planning stages) and SeaBatical (mid-loop) for cocktails and hors d’ouvres. We shared stories and laughed until our bellies hurt! This is exactly what looping is all about; testing your mettle and meeting strangers that become friends in a few minutes over shared dreams and experiences.

On Saturday morning I wrote a short thank-you note, sealed it in a ziplock sandwich bag, and left it on Gary’s boat. We got underway at 8:00 am. Our goal was to make Michigan City. Less than an hour out of Benton Harbor the high temperature alarm sounded. This fourth episode of overheating, despite several attempts to resolve it, told us to stop and turn around. Pete notified BoatUS, a tow service, should it be necessary. (It wasn’t.) He also contacted Pier 33. They could accommodate our boat for a month. I then called Colleen on Lady Kadey to share our bad luck and to look for us in a couple of hours.

Colleen met us at Slip #17 to assist with tie-up. Pete spoke to the Pier 33 staff. They had a mechanic on board that afternoon. Ultimately, a decision was made to have us connect with a specialized Caterpillar mechanic, which we did on Monday morning. Tuesday, the CAT mechanic from Grand Rapids diagnosed a couple of issues that would be mitigated while we were home in California.

Fast-Forward to our return.

I have been in contact with Colleen and Tony who reported that Reverie made it through a big storm just fine. We knew when the mechanics were on board thanks to their keen eyes. We were notified of our boat listing slightly to port, which I assured them was normal for our boat and most Mainship 390s. (The water tank and appliances are port side.) They graciously offered to pick us up at the Amtrak station on Saturday (9/18) at 9:30 pm and see us safely back to our boat.

Sunday morning Tony drove us to the local market for groceries. Sunday afternoon, with great weather and calm water, we took Reverie out for a spin. Lady Kadey soon followed with guests on board. We took time to take photos of each other’s boats. Colleen ordered new boat cards and I updated my Facebook cover. Our three-hour test run that included high RPM trials showed no evidence of engine overheating indicated that Reverie is ready. Again. We hope!

I also have been exchanging emails and text messages with Gary. He, too, offered to assist with any errands on our return. We have found the boating community to be so kind and generous!

Being a sailor all his life, Gary was curious about the features of our trawler. I told him to go take a look! The key was hidden and available for the mechanic; he should have no trouble finding it. He and his wife, May, did tour our boat! They especially appreciated the stairs and rails that make our boat easy and safe to quickly get from bow to stern and to upper helm.

We met for dinner on Tuesday. Gary and May picked us up and drove us to Tosi’s, an Italian restaurant of great acclaim. After our outstanding meal we were treated to a tour of the local Frank Lloyd Wright properties and Al Capone’s infamous establishments. The evening ended with pie at their home on the waterfront. Wow! This kind of hospitality is rare, let alone from someone we just met!

I do not know how to describe our luck, our great fortune, our serendipity, other than to say that it was destined. God had a hand in when our engine failed, to place us here, with wonderful and generous and gracious people to make us feel at home, at peace, and comfortable to accept what needs to happen.

Inclement weather for a week or more.

We decided to rent a car. That allowed us to explore a few places we otherwise would not have seen. By boat we bypassed the cute town of Saugatuck, on the Kalamazoo River, that reminded us of a small Carmel by the Sea, or Sausalito just north of San Francisco. There were many cute and funky shops, art galleries, restaurants and brewhouses. We drove to Grand Haven since we missed it during Coast Guard Week and loved our beachfront lunch at Noto’s at the Bil-Mar. We also ventured inland to enjoy a couple of wineries. One day we drove south to preview the marinas at New Buffalo and Michigan City.

Having a rental car gave us more freedom, extended our range, and offered flexibility and peace of mind. We could launder, shop, and explore with ease.

The storm and big waves have passed. We are watching all the forecasts. We loved our summer on the Great Lakes and now we are anxious to begin the Rivers of Middle America.

A great man or woman may not be seen in the pages of history, but they are always found in the hearts of people they have touched.

Terry Mark