Not For Hire
New member
Just returned from a week long cruise in Northern Lake Michigan. Over 300 miles, two long crossings of seventy plus miles. Had good weather. On one 90 mile day it was so calm there wasn't even a ripple for half the trip. On that stretch I did just over 5 (statute) mpg.
Visited Charlevoix (three good overnight harbors on this gorgeous and ritzy inland lake).
Also Beaver Island, largest island in Lake Michigan. A nice historical site. Served by large ferry. Not near as touristy as many spots. Municpal marina very good accomodation, private marina a little less so. Good bike riding, eating, walking, history, museum, library, beach etc., close to harbor. Beaver Island is part of an archipelago of several islands. Garden Island has several good anchorages for overnight, can wade ashore. Some Indian historica digging going on at Hog island. Good smallie fishiing (in July).
Visited Fayette again. This wonderful little place has Snail Shell Harbor. It is on the west side of the Garden Peninsula. Joinlty operated by the DNR and Michigan Historical Comm. this park is lovely. Many restored buildings from the iron smelting ghost town. There is a campground for motorists about 1/2 mile away but the harbor (with dockage for several boats) is right in the historic town site. A ferry used to come from Washington Island, WI, but not anymore. No electric or water at docks, cheap rates though ($14 for overnight for my 22) and a well protected harbor. Good place to study history, walk the beaches (rocky beaches and slag beaches) great views from the limestone cliffs. Park personnel say that it can be busy on holiday weekends and boats may have to raft up. I have never seen this. Mooring is allowed for free as well. There is no town neaby but a great local bar and diner is a one mile walk. Delciious fresh whitefish every day.
Escanaba is a larger city (10,000) 25 miles west of Fayette. It was the source of the iron ore smelted at Fayette. It is still and iron ore port although not near as busy as it once was and not near as busy as the Superior ports. Great harbor facility, full service, helpful staff. It has a 160 acre park along the lakeshore and the harbor facility is part of it. There are beaches, volleyball, soccer, band shell, walk and bike paths, all part of the park. Downtown is a few blocks away with restaurants and internet cafe and hotels. Good place.
One of my goals was to visit the newly opened harbor in Cedar River. Opened in July 2005. Pay attention to the buoys, shallow approach but now marked on both sides. New harbor with 120 slips, many low slips good for dories as well as the slips for bigger boats. There were eight boats there. They were extremely courteous there. George is the harbormaster and Diane and other college students couldn't help me enough. They loaned me one of the harbor bikes so I could exercise my dog by running down to Wells State Park one mile away. We didn't stay the night. The harbor area needs more shade and trees and grass. I thought with the park nearby this would be a great place. I much preferred Escanaba and Fayette as overnight stops.
Jackson Harbor on Washington Island was as I remembered it. Very shallow, poorly marked. I went in there just to let the dog out before we crossed back to Michigan, some 72 miles to land and then another 10 or so around the corner to Northport Harbor. On this day we did 130 miles in one day. Just the way it worked out. If Rock Island Park had worked our better for overnighting or if I hadn't been a little concerned with the weather I wouldn't have crossed the open water until the next day.
My home ports are Manistee and then all of the Traverse Bay ports and the Charlevoix ports. Patrolled Traverse Bay many years with the Aux, etc, so I have info on those places if interested. On this trip I stopped in Northport overnight. Had been there a couple of nights earlier in this year and every year. Nice harbor, it was full up. Big festival in Traverse City this week, Blue Angels in town, etc. They did have space for me on the wall, inside the harbor. (That same day they had 112 empty slips at Cedar River). Saw Kestrel, sharp, gray 22, docked in the harbor but no people about. Northport is a nice harbor. Fair sized park area near the harbor. (Grass, shade and parks are important for those that travel with dogs). Good grocery story one block away. Barb's bakery with world famous cinnamon twists 1 1/2 blocks away. Not as much vehicle traffic nor as much shopping as Suttons Bay and Elk Rapids. The bathhouse facilities are good, not great (I am not fussy, to me they are great).
No big trips planned now until September. Will try and squeeze in as much fising as I can. In September I intend to motor south from St. Paul on the Mississippi and back. As far as I can in two weeks. This will be about the same time as the Erie Canal cruise. (Which I intend to make some year). However, I named my boat after a Mark Twain expression and the Big Muddy is calling. Anyone else want to go? As the time nears I will be seeking advice. Tentative plans are to launch at Stillwater about 9/17/06.
More boat stuff -my new gas tanks worked great, no leaks. I only got over 5 mpg on the one day. Most bumpy days I seemed to do about 4.2 mpg. I usually travelled 14 to 19.5 statute mph. Longest time between landfalls was 5.5 hours (good dog!). It was never real rough except for about one hour on the whole trip. Ore boats make a real nice signature on Radar! On the crossing to Beaver Island the ferry caught up to me about 1/2 way across. It travels about 16 to 17 mph and I was travelling about 12 in slightly bumpy water. Not being proud I fell in right behind the ferry and finsihed the crossing in its relative smooth wake. I was playing with radar and trying to get my chartplotter back working, they probably thought I just couldn't steer.
The chartplotter was evidently fried by my new radar? This seems to happen with certain Lowrance GPS pucks until they included proper shielding. I await their reply. So for six day I had to rely on paper charts, several compasses, handheld gps, the gps in the radar, and the chartplotter on the laptop (with its own GPS). Not too redundant huh. Still not the same as the bounceproof model right in front of your nose.
The trim sensor on my port engine also quit about an hour into the trip. The same sensor was replaced last year. Apparently others have had the same problem with a plastic part breaking. Engines started and ran great throughout trip and I was very pleased with the mileage. The owner of a 46 foot SeaRay about fell over when I told him I travelled ninety miles today and used 17 gallons. He had lots of questions about my boat, I didn't have any for him.
When I pulled the boat out at Charlevoix at the end of the trip I even provided a little comical relief for the other folks at the ramp. When I pull my boat I have the taigate down and the glass hatch on my truck back down. So after untying the boat I jump on the tailgate from the dock, pull on the bow line until it is well started onto the trailer, then climb onto the trailer and hook up the winch. Good system used all the time. Well for whatever reason this trip I left the glass hatch to the pick up shell open, so it was extended. It was sort of windy so as I untied the boat I moved quickly and leapt from the dock onto the tailgate so I could get her started nice and straight. Wham the corner of the pickup top gate hit me right between the eyes. I went backwards, flat on my back on the dock, glasses broken, nose bleeding. Two guys and their son rushed to see if I was okay, they said I was bleeding (this was kind of obvious even to me). However, my only thought was to pop back up and get Not For Hire on her trailer before she scraped anything. I did so, pulled ahead out of the ramp, then climbed aboard the boat to use the first aid kit. I will have the badges for a few more days.
Regards,
Regards,
Visited Charlevoix (three good overnight harbors on this gorgeous and ritzy inland lake).
Also Beaver Island, largest island in Lake Michigan. A nice historical site. Served by large ferry. Not near as touristy as many spots. Municpal marina very good accomodation, private marina a little less so. Good bike riding, eating, walking, history, museum, library, beach etc., close to harbor. Beaver Island is part of an archipelago of several islands. Garden Island has several good anchorages for overnight, can wade ashore. Some Indian historica digging going on at Hog island. Good smallie fishiing (in July).
Visited Fayette again. This wonderful little place has Snail Shell Harbor. It is on the west side of the Garden Peninsula. Joinlty operated by the DNR and Michigan Historical Comm. this park is lovely. Many restored buildings from the iron smelting ghost town. There is a campground for motorists about 1/2 mile away but the harbor (with dockage for several boats) is right in the historic town site. A ferry used to come from Washington Island, WI, but not anymore. No electric or water at docks, cheap rates though ($14 for overnight for my 22) and a well protected harbor. Good place to study history, walk the beaches (rocky beaches and slag beaches) great views from the limestone cliffs. Park personnel say that it can be busy on holiday weekends and boats may have to raft up. I have never seen this. Mooring is allowed for free as well. There is no town neaby but a great local bar and diner is a one mile walk. Delciious fresh whitefish every day.
Escanaba is a larger city (10,000) 25 miles west of Fayette. It was the source of the iron ore smelted at Fayette. It is still and iron ore port although not near as busy as it once was and not near as busy as the Superior ports. Great harbor facility, full service, helpful staff. It has a 160 acre park along the lakeshore and the harbor facility is part of it. There are beaches, volleyball, soccer, band shell, walk and bike paths, all part of the park. Downtown is a few blocks away with restaurants and internet cafe and hotels. Good place.
One of my goals was to visit the newly opened harbor in Cedar River. Opened in July 2005. Pay attention to the buoys, shallow approach but now marked on both sides. New harbor with 120 slips, many low slips good for dories as well as the slips for bigger boats. There were eight boats there. They were extremely courteous there. George is the harbormaster and Diane and other college students couldn't help me enough. They loaned me one of the harbor bikes so I could exercise my dog by running down to Wells State Park one mile away. We didn't stay the night. The harbor area needs more shade and trees and grass. I thought with the park nearby this would be a great place. I much preferred Escanaba and Fayette as overnight stops.
Jackson Harbor on Washington Island was as I remembered it. Very shallow, poorly marked. I went in there just to let the dog out before we crossed back to Michigan, some 72 miles to land and then another 10 or so around the corner to Northport Harbor. On this day we did 130 miles in one day. Just the way it worked out. If Rock Island Park had worked our better for overnighting or if I hadn't been a little concerned with the weather I wouldn't have crossed the open water until the next day.
My home ports are Manistee and then all of the Traverse Bay ports and the Charlevoix ports. Patrolled Traverse Bay many years with the Aux, etc, so I have info on those places if interested. On this trip I stopped in Northport overnight. Had been there a couple of nights earlier in this year and every year. Nice harbor, it was full up. Big festival in Traverse City this week, Blue Angels in town, etc. They did have space for me on the wall, inside the harbor. (That same day they had 112 empty slips at Cedar River). Saw Kestrel, sharp, gray 22, docked in the harbor but no people about. Northport is a nice harbor. Fair sized park area near the harbor. (Grass, shade and parks are important for those that travel with dogs). Good grocery story one block away. Barb's bakery with world famous cinnamon twists 1 1/2 blocks away. Not as much vehicle traffic nor as much shopping as Suttons Bay and Elk Rapids. The bathhouse facilities are good, not great (I am not fussy, to me they are great).
No big trips planned now until September. Will try and squeeze in as much fising as I can. In September I intend to motor south from St. Paul on the Mississippi and back. As far as I can in two weeks. This will be about the same time as the Erie Canal cruise. (Which I intend to make some year). However, I named my boat after a Mark Twain expression and the Big Muddy is calling. Anyone else want to go? As the time nears I will be seeking advice. Tentative plans are to launch at Stillwater about 9/17/06.
More boat stuff -my new gas tanks worked great, no leaks. I only got over 5 mpg on the one day. Most bumpy days I seemed to do about 4.2 mpg. I usually travelled 14 to 19.5 statute mph. Longest time between landfalls was 5.5 hours (good dog!). It was never real rough except for about one hour on the whole trip. Ore boats make a real nice signature on Radar! On the crossing to Beaver Island the ferry caught up to me about 1/2 way across. It travels about 16 to 17 mph and I was travelling about 12 in slightly bumpy water. Not being proud I fell in right behind the ferry and finsihed the crossing in its relative smooth wake. I was playing with radar and trying to get my chartplotter back working, they probably thought I just couldn't steer.
The chartplotter was evidently fried by my new radar? This seems to happen with certain Lowrance GPS pucks until they included proper shielding. I await their reply. So for six day I had to rely on paper charts, several compasses, handheld gps, the gps in the radar, and the chartplotter on the laptop (with its own GPS). Not too redundant huh. Still not the same as the bounceproof model right in front of your nose.
The trim sensor on my port engine also quit about an hour into the trip. The same sensor was replaced last year. Apparently others have had the same problem with a plastic part breaking. Engines started and ran great throughout trip and I was very pleased with the mileage. The owner of a 46 foot SeaRay about fell over when I told him I travelled ninety miles today and used 17 gallons. He had lots of questions about my boat, I didn't have any for him.
When I pulled the boat out at Charlevoix at the end of the trip I even provided a little comical relief for the other folks at the ramp. When I pull my boat I have the taigate down and the glass hatch on my truck back down. So after untying the boat I jump on the tailgate from the dock, pull on the bow line until it is well started onto the trailer, then climb onto the trailer and hook up the winch. Good system used all the time. Well for whatever reason this trip I left the glass hatch to the pick up shell open, so it was extended. It was sort of windy so as I untied the boat I moved quickly and leapt from the dock onto the tailgate so I could get her started nice and straight. Wham the corner of the pickup top gate hit me right between the eyes. I went backwards, flat on my back on the dock, glasses broken, nose bleeding. Two guys and their son rushed to see if I was okay, they said I was bleeding (this was kind of obvious even to me). However, my only thought was to pop back up and get Not For Hire on her trailer before she scraped anything. I did so, pulled ahead out of the ramp, then climbed aboard the boat to use the first aid kit. I will have the badges for a few more days.
Regards,
Regards,