August 22 – 26, 2023 We leave Charlevoix early morning, in the rain. Both Captain and Admiral get a little wet as we untie the boat and depart for Leland. Leland is such a surprise. Petoskey and Charlevoix are lovely towns, but Leland is in a league all its own. This charming resort town has…

August 19 – 22, 2023 The charming city of Charlevoix is self-proclaimed “The City of Beautiful.” It is reached by taking the channel marked by the Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse from Lake Michigan into Round Lake. The population of 2500 increases substantially in the summer as this is a popular tourist destination and summer resort…

August 15 – 19, 2023 We departed Hessel, enroute to Petoskey, Michigan. As Hessel is north of Mackinac Island and we are headed south, we pass through the Straits of Mackinac and under the Mackinac Bridge. The bridge opened in 1957, replacing a series of ferries which had been operating since 1923. The 26,372-foot suspension…

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…

August 8 – 10, 2023 Our friend, Tracy, tells me there are two distinct smells on Mackinac Island – homemade fudge, and horse manure. She is right! August 8 we travel from Drummond Island to Mackinac (pronounced “ma-kuh-naa”) Island. Marina slips at Mackinac are hard to come by, so we feel fortunate to have secured…

Meet Ernest Hemingway Captain Pat has a new nickname. We sent family the photo above, and my sister-in-law Vicki writes back “Pat has the Ernest Hemingway look going on!” Ha! Our friend Tevi says “Captain Pat may need to trim his goatee.” I love their comments. Reminds me of last year on our Looper trip…

July 30 – 31, August 4 – 5 Stop in Killaly – July 29 We travel the St. Joseph Channel to Killaly Bay. It is a peaceful ride with sailboats, lighthouses and islands – lots of islands. We anchor in Killaley – what a view. Across the bay is a home with a Texas flag…

Lots to write about re: our travel stops – but first, we want to share our encounters with three amazing couples in Sault Ste. Marie. The first boater we meet on the docks is John. He notices we are from Boca Raton, Florida. He tells us he and his wife Marty winter in Venice, Florida.…

It will be difficult to retire Sunshine’s Canadian flag. She’s had it on display for over a year. It’s been so enjoyable visiting this wonderful country. Sunday, August 6, was our last day in Canada as we left Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, for Drummond Island, Michigan. We didn’t anticipate spending so much time in Canada…

July 24 – 28 Our Stay at Drummond Island Yacht Haven Size statistics of Drummond Island: On the east side of Drummond Island, the Canada-United States border passes through the Detour Channel. On the other side of that channel, the Canadian Cockburn Island separates Drummond from Manitoulin Island. Drummond Island Yacht Haven is family owned.…