Michigan is a boater's playground.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Charlevoix is a wonderful surprise.  We left Mackinac Island for a pretty long run down to Charlevoix the Straits of Mackinac.  Lake Michigan was a bitch.  6-10 footers for almost 6 hours.  Again Blue Moon showed her strongest attribute by taming those waves and giving us as smooth a ride as possible.  Our former boat, the Sea Ray DCONBLZ would not have handled the conditions so well.  Besides the bumpy ride there was a drama at sea ahead of us.

John just happened to be taking a picture of a lighthouse out in the big waves when  he spotted something in the water.  It looked like a small craft upside down!  Oh no!  Are their people in the water looking for rescue?  Could we even help them in the rough water without endangering ourselves?  John kept watch and determined that it was an inflatable dingy upside down.  We HOPED that it fell off of a boat and people were not actually crazy enough to be way out there in those dangerous seas.

Dave hailed the Coast Guard on the radio.  They took the lat and long location and told us that a vessel had reported that their dinghy fell off their boat but it was too dangerous to try and retrieve.  Whew! No people aboard!  The boat that lost it was a large Viking, Lady KK.  They had been docked right next to us the night before in Mackinac Island.  We found out later that a bolt broke off their davit and the dinghy broke free.

So, we were happy that all that was lost was a replacable dingy and not  and irreplacable life.

The bumpy trip finally ended.  Those were the roughest seas that Blue Moon has been in so far.  We pulled into Charlevoix Harbor and were pleasantly surprised.  it is a gorgeous little town and the state run marina is dead center in town where there are shops-restaurants-shops!  It is meticiously maintained and Hal the dockmaster greeted us.  After securing the all important Wi-Fi codes we had some lunch and walked around a bit.

We met five other looper couples and they invited us for docktails at 5 o/clock.  We met them and we exchanged boating stories.  They were from Seattle, Kentucky and Ohio.  Some are near the end of the loop and some are mid-loop.  Apparently I am flying the incorrect AGLCA burgee.  Mine states that we have completed multi loops and not in process loopers.  Have to order the correct one.

We took the dinghy for a spin around the lovely harbor.

 

We were dazzled by the houses and boathouses.

 

 

 

 

 

Later I found a cute little children's boutique and Lili, Carmen and Cooper all scored of course.  We had dinner at a Thai restaurant and that was a nice change.

 

Tomorrow we hope the lake has calmed down on route to our anchorage near Leland, Michigan in a cove off of Manitou Island.

 

We can't say enough about how Michigan has its act together for the boating community.  A few years back they formed a Master Plan to create safe, well maintained, reasonably priced marinas every 30 miles or so down the lake.  They have done an excellent job.  Are you listening New York State???