We made our way up the eastern side of the Michigan “mitten,” otherwise known as Michigan’s “Sunrise Coast.” It was foggy and drizzly this day (Tuesday, July 13) with a brief window of afternoon clearing. I took a nice photo of Reverie at the Harrisville Municipal Marina.
Harrisville is the sixth smallest city in Michigan (0.63 square miles and population estimated at 470) and yet it is the county seat. We used the weather break to discover the town only to be disappointed that the post office closed early, most storefronts were shuttered, and the restaurants (two of them) were more like fast food take out. The grocery had limited produce and a small meat counter, but we returned to the boat with 20 pounds of ice.
Our next stop was Presque Isle for two nights because we anticipated some winds on Thursday, July 15, the second night. Presque Isle means “almost an island” and is French for peninsula. (We already visited a Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania, that had many more amenities. This one was not at all the same.) The restaurant was closed, the gift shop was shared with a convenience store, the marina offered a single washer and dryer but no ice and the town was about three miles away. Although double the population of Harrisville, we only saw a few fishermen. The lack of entertainment offered an opportunity to do three loads of laundry, but only the dark clothing. The iron content of the water would certainly stain the whites. (There was ample warning in large capital letters on the washer.) We enjoyed the company of the crews of Lady Kadey and The Concession. We knew this might be our last visit with them for a while.
Our short journey Friday (June 16) took us to Rogers City for the purpose of reprovisioning for up to three days of anchoring. We wanted our pantry well stocked. We bumped into a “slooper.” (By definition, this is a “slow looper.”) I’m not exactly sure what the time frame is to qualify as a slooper. We didn’t intend on a multi-year trip. Some do. Rex and Juanita on MI Escape did. They are moving clockwise over multiple years. When they landed in Rogers City they said, “We love it here!” and bought a home. They have intentions of completing their loop but on their own slow schedule.
That’s what I love about this group! Each boater sets their course. Each starts at a different location. Each crew meets up with others having varying levels of skill and comfort, and we all help each other.
We learned from Rex, the slooper, that the Les Cheneaux Islands closely replicate the geography of the North Channel in Canada, the section we are missing. We took notes and Pete plotted some course options. Reverie had a new Float Plan!
We left Rogers City heading due north for Drummond Island. We found St. John’s Cove in Whitney Bay with three vessels secured. Four more joined throughout the day. (This was about all it could hold comfortably.) It was idyllic, the kind of scene you’d expect in a movie like “On Golden Pond.”
Pete and I met a couple in Detroit (7/7), and again briefly while in Rogers City (7/16), that had the same intentions. Glen and Julie on Star Dust have traveled the world. They have lived a life of service. They are both pilots, Red Cross volunteers, she’s an author and he’s a fly fisherman. By sheer coincidence we ended up in the same small cove at Drummond Island.
We got in our dinghies and explored a bit of this part of the island. That evening the men tried their luck at fly fishing and swapped stories. We capped the night with a wonderful visit on their boat that included beverages and more stories. We would love to spend more time with them and I’m confident we will, either on this loop trip or after.
Our goal was to navigate the Les Cheneaux Island group. We set out early (Sunday 7/18) to find “Government Bay” for our next anchorage. It was everything that Slooper Rex had described. Peaceful, crystal clear waters, deep green forested land blending with lighter green marshes, small and large waterfront homes with flag poles and Adirondack chairs along the shoreline, classic boathouses and lots of boats! Wooden boats abound but the Boston whaler is by far the favorite up here.
Pete and I launched our dinghy for more exploration. Our first stop was the little town of Cedarville. We walked a few blocks and found this town to be just as sleepy as most we’ve seen this last week, so we cruised the shoreline for a while. We beached the dinghy on Government Island for a walk and found a great trail marked by reflective blue metal rectangles. This island is part of the USFS Hiawatha National Forest. It was a short flat loop hike, no more than two miles, made challenging by the crisscrossing tree roots that required our concentration to avoid stumbling. I’m not sure if it was the humidity or the effort of hiking but we both had wet, clingy T-shirts when we were done. Back at the boat we put on our swimsuits and took a refreshing dip in bay!
Our last stop in this region was at Hessel Harbor, our northernmost point of this year’s Great Loop. The route took us between several islands and through narrow channels that were well marked. We proceeded slowly while enjoying the scenery.
Just before reaching the harbor Pete saw a disabled boat. A woman and two teens in a small skiff hailed us for a tow. With PFDs and headsets on, I was tasked with managing our boat while Pete aided the side tie-up. In our flybridge with a center steering wheel I cannot easily see the little boat nor Pete, without stepping away from the wheel or gauges, but I got a clear description of what was happening and great instructions to “bump the throttle” or “use the thrusters.” Pete knew my plan and our depth as I called it out. The tow was only about a half mile and we were just outside of the channel in almost eight feet of water.
We untied and set them free when we got them as close to shore as was safe for us and they could paddle the rest of the way. We believe in karma and we know that something good is coming our way!
Hessel was a very cute village with several vacation rental cottages right on the waterfront. The harbor staff that met us were so cheerful as they provided tie up. The harbor manager explained that the Les Cheneaux Culinary School was closed (very disappointing) and the only close “food” was from the ice cream shop inside the E.J. Mertaugh Boat Works store. The ambiance at Mertaugh’s was like a trip back in time. An old canoe hung from the rafters, antique boat items adorned the shelves, overstuffed leather chairs provided a lounge for perusing old boating magazines left on the coffee table. This store also served as the UPS Store with several boxes for locals stacked around the room. The Pickle Point Gift Shop, a block away, had a couple of nice souvenirs and postcards that we quickly wrote and addressed since this town post office closed at 2:30 p.m.
Our visit to the Sunshine Coast and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has been just spectacular. We have been awed by the beauty and welcomed by the kind and wonderful people we’ve met along the way. I’d love to share every experience and every photo but that would take a very long time. I can offer a slide show of the highlights.
Tomorrow we start southward. We will hit some bigger towns and cities for a few days. I can’t wait to tell you about Mackinac Island!