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Foggy



Joined: 01 Aug 2013
Posts: 1518
City/Region: Traverse City; Northern Lake Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2014
C-Dory Model: 26 Venture
Vessel Name: Boatless in Boating Paradise
Photos: W B Nod
PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2020 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The annual Chicago to Mackinac Race has been cancelled for 2020. Yup.
COVID.

Despite wide open spaces on the Lake, seems masses of jubilant (perhaps
asymptomatic COVID-19 carrying) post-race sailors elbow to elbow bellying up
to the bar in The Pink Pony, Mackinac Island (a tradition) is an image the race
committee did not wish to accept responsibility for. Just a guess.

Maybe reason and logic will triumph after all... Yea boaters!

Aye.

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little wing



Joined: 21 Sep 2016
Posts: 110
City/Region: Oakland
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Toots
Photos: Toots
PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2020 11:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Bayview Mac race finished earlier this past week. This link shows where the boats are now. https://www.bycmack.com/main_tracking.cfm

With any luck you will run into some of them as they make their way home. Several years ago we were in the area and got to watch the big boys come in to the finish. Beautiful. I dearly miss my sailing days.
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colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4523
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2020 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Back in Cheboygan so thought I'd update this thread a bit. We started out at the Cheboygan County Marina. Nice marina, $30/night. For nights not in the marina, it's $5/day for parking. We decided to go over to Mackinac Island first. I've never seen the marina with so many slips. Usually it's busy and hard to get a slip unless you arrive early. However, due to high water levels, they do not have electricity. That and COVID-19 has probably made it the quieter. Still a lot of folks in town from the ferries however. Returned to Cheboygan and immediately headed up river. Slow no wake the entire length of the Cheboygan River. Cheboygan Lock was $6 each way. Turned and went down the Black River a ways, before turning back around and returning to the Cheboygan channel.First night we anchored in the shallows of Mullett Lake just outside the Cheboygan River channel. Winds came up a bit later at night, so was a little wavy. Would have preferred to been somewhere else, but nothing terrible. While I would have loved to check out the Hackmatac restaurant, none of us really wanted to increase our risk for COVID. The only dining we did was mostly Ice Cream, and all was outside. Michigan is under Mask rules, although there are a few that don't believe in wearing them...

Next day we took our time cruising down the east shore of Mullett, and entered the Indian River. Enjoyed stopping for Ice Cream at the Dairy Mart, docking under one of the fixed bridges. Continued on, to enter into Burt Lake. Worked our way over to Maple Bay to anchor there for the night. Pleasant night with good anchorage.

Following day we went back around the bay's corner to enter the Crooked River. Some beautiful scenery, and one very nice community on the river. Also, just before the Swinging Bridge, stopped for some more ice cream and bakery goods at a local bakery in Alanson. Through the swinging bridge, then on to the Crooked River Lock. $10/day for this one... Took a turn into Pickeral lake, then back to Crooked River and on to Crooked Lake. Cruised around it, then headed back thru the lock so we wouldn't have to pay again on another day. Returned to our anchorage at Maple Bay on Burt Lake. Buzzed too many times by two irresponsible skiiers, the last one getting my ire after dark when they threw their wake right between Ms. Jill and us. Lets just say they didn't appreciate the spot light shun upon them as much as I disliked their disrespectful waking! After that, the rest of the night was again pleasant.

Next day we continued around the rest of Burt Lake, back into the Indian River, and stopped again at the bridge near Dairy Mart. Enjoyed an outside lunch at the Inn Between. Well before that Ms. Jill got clipped a bit by a pontoon boat docking in front of her. Had the entire rest of the dock available, and for whatever reason decided to park right in front of Ms. Jill! Shortly after that another pontoon attempted to come in and almost took out our two boats, the docked pontoon, and another pontoon in front of me. They left in shame rather than attempting to dock again. (Glad they didn't try again...) (I've said it a few times at Hontoon, and other places. Slow and steady works better than gunning the engine between forward and reverse!) There is a pretty good current running there, but it's parallel to the docks, and it's not like the docks were crowded... Enjoyed our burgers, then back up the block to the Dairy Mart for some more ice cream. (You get the feeling the three of us like ice cream?) Continued into Mullett Lake, and found a nice place to anchor just east of where the river enters Mullett, near the Pigeon River Bridge. Mike and I took our Kayaks to explore on the other side of the bridge, finding beaver dams, fast flowing currents, very shallow places and eventually a really nice what looked to be a private camping spot. Back to the boats then for another quiet night.

Today ran the rest of the way back up the Cheboygan River, thru the lock, and back to the Cheboygan County Marina. Tomorrow, depending upon weather, we'll go back to Mackinac Island, or go check out the Les Cheneaux Islands. (We'll do both, just not sure which order.)

Colby
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colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4523
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Back in Cheboygan for our last night in the area. Mackinac Island is always a fun and interesting place to visit. We spent last night there again, and as last week, while this was a weekend and during the day most slips were full, most were day boaters. Over night there were probably only 15-20 boats. Still very unusual compared to my past experience with Mackinac Island. Most likely due to the lack of electric service at the marina due to the high water levels.
The Les Cheneaux Islands were beautiful. Great boating paradise as quite protected within the channels between the islands. Plenty of good anchoring places with scenic sunsets. (Perhaps sunrises too, but those happen before I get up. lol) Several good restaurants at Hessel and Cederville, but due to COVID-19, we really didn't do much else than the ice cream stops. We did eat an early dinner at the Islander in Hessel. Good food and most the staff were following mask rules. In fact, most all business require masks to enter. (Due to COVID-19 and local temporary laws.) Lots of old wooden boats in the Islands! And while canceled this year, they appear to have a large annual boat show in August.
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