We are experiencing a Michigan we never knew existed. After Mackinac Island, we head over to the small town of Hessel, located at the end of Hessel Bay and the west entrance to Les Cheneaux Islands on northern Lake Huron. (Hessel is not on the map below. It is just north of Mackinac Island.)

Captain Patrick charted our stops for our journey along the west coast of Lake Michigan (the east coast of the state of Michigan.) This will take us into Chicago.

As previously mentioned, the Chicago locks will not open until the end of September. We plan to be in Chicago by mid-September. We have some time to enjoy these beautiful coastal towns along Lake Michigan.

Following the map is a legend for the numbered stops on the Navionics chart below:

1. Mackinac Island
2. Hessel
3. Petoskey
4. Charlevoix
5. Northport
6. Leland
7. Frankfort
8. Sturgeon Bay – from Frankfort we travel across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin
9. Kewaynee
10. Manitowoc
11. Ludington – from Manitowoc we travel across Lake Michigan to Michigan
12. Grand Haven
13. Saugatuck
14. Benton Harbor/St. Joseph

That’s our plan. There are always deviations due to weather, marina accommodations, etc.

Hessel, Michigan

August 10 – 14, 2023

Our visit to Hessel is magical and memorable. We dock Sunshine in the marina slip David and Charlotte Gray graciously donated to us for the weekend. We met them in Sault Ste. Marie. The focal point of the marina is the Mertaugh Boat Works facility. Mertaugh had the first Chris-Craft franchise in the United States and continues to thrive.

What fascinates me about the Mertaugh facility is the coffee shop inside their building, open 8 to 8 daily! They serve the best Liberty Bay “breakfast” cookies, fudge, cafe miel (a latte with cinnamon and honey) and ice cream!  Each morning we see the young workers boat up to the docks on their jet skis and smaller Boston Whalers ready to report to their summer job.

Highlights of the weekend include the Les Cheneaux Culinary  School; the antique boat show; anchoring out in Liberty Bay; and Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Snows.

History of Hessel

Hessel was founded by two Swedes, John and Carl Hessel, and a Norwegian, John A. Johnson. A post office was built in 1888, creating the center of town.

In the 1880s Hessel grew from a loose settlement of Indian fishermen into a lumber port where logs were brought to be loaded onto boats in the spring. Today the busiest place is the Hessel Marina and docks.

A neighbor of Cedarville and the Les Cheneaux Islands, Hessel is known for its great fishing – whether it’s from a dock, boat or through the ice – perch, walleye and pike are among the most sought-after fish.

As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,917.

Les Cheneaux Culinary School

In the fall of 2011, driven by needs for their community, a small group of both summer and year-round residents develop a unique concept in culinary education for the Les Cheneaux Islands area and the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. David Gray and his wife, Charlotte, are founding members of this benevolent institution.

LCCS has made a notable difference in not only the lives of 50-some students, but in bringing attention to the Les Cheneaux area and the farmers of Eastern Upper Peninsula. The school’s restaurant is making a mark in the growing popularity of farm-to-table in the culinary world.

We can attest to the culinary expertise of these budding chefs at the school. David and Charlotte treated us to a delectable dinner at the school’s restaurant on Thursday evening. The menu features creative dishes using local foods from the area.

Annual Antique Wooden Boat Show

The Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show is held annually in Hessel. The first one was in 1978. Some of the country’s finest boats call the rustic Les Cheneaux Islands home. Most of these boats are used daily during the summer months as a primary mode of transportation to and from the cottages dotting the area’s 36 sheltered islands.

Les Cheneaux has a rich heritage in boat building and repair. Their craftsmen continue to offer some of the finest restoration and repair services available.

The boat show attracts about 150 antique and classic boats and has more than 300 volunteers. This is the annual fundraiser for the community.

Entries in the boat show arrive each August from as far as California and Florida and include dinghies, rowboats, canoes, launches, sailboats, utilities, runabouts, large cruisers, racers, and classic non-wood. Awards are given in all the above categories.

A Festival of Arts is also held, with over 65 of the Midwest’s finest artists participating in this juried show. Artists display and sell a variety of artwork, including photographs, paintings, pottery, stained glass, textiles and jewelry.

We came home with a set of Great Lakes dishes for our boat. And two huge bags of kettle corn! We waited in line for 25 minutes for the corn – that’s how good it is!

We luck out with the weather. The previous day is a rainy one. The day of the show is cold and windy, but the rain held off until later in the afternoon.

Here are some of the boats viewed at the show.

Anchoring Out in Liberty Bay

All boats are to be out of the marina by 5 p.m. Friday night to make way for the boats to arrive for the Saturday show. We take Sunshine from her slip and anchor out in Liberty Bay, not far from the marina.

We take the dinghy to a nature preserve with a hiking trail. It’s a fun trail with lots of foliage and interesting plants. All is well until the mosquitos launch an attack on Captain Pat. The Admiral is unscathed. Guess they know who is in charge. -:) Of course we have bottles of mosquito repellant – back on the boat.

I bring home some wildflowers for an arrangement. It’s nice to have flowers on the boat.

The winds kick up as we prepare for bedtime. The waves are rocking and rolling. We are in a safe harbor but Captain Pat, for added measure, puts out a second anchor.

We wake up and Sunshine has held her anchor. Later that day we see a boat who wasn’t that lucky. His boat lost its anchor and almost hit a sailboat.

We bundle up for the show – it’s chilly but at least not raining. There’s no way to take the dinghy to the marina. We are lucky there is a ferry service that picks us up and brings us back.

Later that night, after the show ends, we take Sunshine back to her slip at the marina. We underestimate the winds. Thank goodness two men on the dock see our plight and come to help us secure her. That was a harrowing experience!

Our Lady of the Snows

Sunday we walk to the Our Lady of the Snows church, that overlooks the water. What a view.

I’ve never seen architecture like this. It’s northern and wintery. I can just imagine it covered in snow.

The Mass service was inspirational. A young priest gave the Mass solo. His sermon centered on the gospel reading of Peter and the apostles and their fear on the boat pummeled by rough seas.

As long as they kept their eyes on Jesus they would be all right. When they didn’t they would falter. The priest made the analogy that any time you try something new that you are unfamiliar with, you become fearful. Stop, focus, and have faith.

That was an appropriate message for Captain Pat and me!

Here are more photos from our visit to Hessel.