Moor $tuff

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

85°15.454’ W

45°18.996’ N

Charlevoix City Marina (Lake Michigan)

Charlevoix, Michigan

Leaving Rogers City

Forty Mile Point Lighthouse

What a day we had today! We started heading north to Mackinaw City with a little chop under us when all of the sudden the sea laid down and turned to glass! As the time passed we started discussing the possibility of going further. If the cruise day was extended we would have to pass through the Mackinaw Straits which we had done six times before! The straits have never been kind to us and extending a long day to enter the Mackinaw Straits didn’t make the most sense.

Poe Reef Light

Our first view of the
Mackinaw bridge

As we got within an hour of the Mackinaw Bridge the water was still glass and the possibility of doing the straits started looking better and better! We called ahead and put our name on a waiting list at Charlevoix Harbor and agreed that if we had no guaranteed slip that we would stay in Mackinaw City. As I was making our approach to the mouth of the marina at Mackinaw City, the phone rang and we were guaranteed a slip in Charlevoix so I changed coarse and headed into the straits. We still had the choice of turning back if the straits were to rough but they were like glass! The water conditions stayed glass like until we reached Charlevoix 52 miles later or a total of 110 miles from Rogers City to Charlevoix our longest day this season!

Fourteen ft Shoal Light

Red/White Bell buoy

The weather prediction is not looking good for the next three to four days so we will stay in port and enjoy Charlevoix to its fullest. This is a beautiful city and port to get weathered in!

Considering the 18,000 or 19,000 miles Barb and I have cruised since we left on this adventure in 2008, Lake Michigan is our home waters and there’s comfort in being close to home!