Dee Light Website

Georgian Bay ONT to Sturgeon Bay WI

Monday – August 04 – Sportsman’s Inn – Killarney Ontario .. 705-287-2411 .. ( $1.50 – Canadian .. i.e. .. times 65 % .. equals .. $0.98/ foot US ) .. this is ‘DAY 100’ of our trip and it is Canada’s Civic Day’ .. thus many Canadian Boaters are here celebrating our 100th with us .. overnight the fog from yesterday turned into rain .. when we got up there was still a light rain sooo we enjoyed watching Canadian TV as there is Cable TV on the Docks .. the Docks on the West side ( George Island ) of the Canal / Marina were built by the Marina a few years ago but paid for by two Viking Dealers so they could host Viking Rendezvous here .. thus they are now referred to as the Viking Docks .. there are many boats with Burgees that have a CYC on them .. they are ‘rentals’ from the Canadian Yacht Company .. their Home port is about 40 miles West of Killarney .. Killarney is a town with it's own personality .. there are several Marinas and with good facilities here .. the Killarney Mountain Lodge and the Sportsman's Inn are good places to dock .. they are both owned by the same family .. after taking the Water Taxi to the East Side ( Main Land ) we took a walk out towards the Lighthouse but the misquotes got to us before we made it to the Lighthouse .. later when the sun came out we made a second attempt to walk to the Lighthouse and we made it .. it was well worth the second trip .. when we returned to the Marina a 60 Viking ( 1999 ) called PATTI WAGON from Appleton Wisconsin was at the Fuel Dock .. the owner was on Dee Light when we were in La Crosse Wisconsin in 1993 for Contractors meeting .. a small world .. for dinner today we had fish and chips at "Mr. Perch" ( next to the public dock ) .. it was GREAT .. and so as the sunset !! .. when we made it back to Dee Light we watched part of the Hall of Fame Game ( Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs ) .. in the third quarter it was called due to the bad weather in Canton Ohio ..

Tuesday – August 05 – Sportsman’s Inn – Killarney Ontario .. we got up to very overcast / fog skies .. ( soup ) .. we knew that we were looking at a short day at Sea today and we wanted to wait until the weather cleared a little sooo we worked around Dee Light a little and then took the Water Taxi to the Main Land .. we checked out of the Marina with Heather and we looked at a 37 foot Carver that was docked next to us .. when they headed out the West Entrance they hit ROCKS and now they were pulled .. looked like both Props and Rudders plus their Starboard Shaft .. UGH .. they said that they had 52 feet of water and within seconds they were hung up on a large rock .. when the fog started to lift we decided to head out .. we left the Marina at 11:00 am .. ( the Marinas checkout time ) .. we went out of the Killarney Channel at the West or North End into the Killarney Bay .. once we went around Partridge Island we entered the North Channel .. we made it to the Little Current Swing Bridge for its 01:00 pm opening .. when we passed the City Dock ( an 1800 foot long Wall that boats can tie off on ) we saw a large Burger Boat on the Wall .. the wall was full of boats .. and we pulled up to the Outside Wall at the Marina at 01:30 am .. after checking into the Marina we took a short walk into Town .. we did find the Dock Side Ice Cream Shop and it was great .. we walked down the Warf to a large Burger that we passed on our way to the Marina .. we talked to the Captain Junior and the First Mate Rick Chapman .. we found out that it was the Evinrude Boat .. a 1973 110 foot Burger called CHANTICLEER .. with a home port of Jensen Beach Florida .. the owner Mrs. Evinrude ( Francis Langford .. all you old folks know who she is and she was married to Mr. Evinrude ) just arrived yesterday for their annual stay at her Cottage .. after Mrs. Evinrude ( at 90 and her husband at 91 ) .. and two of her quests left the boat Rick invited Marv to the Pilot House and Rick showed Marv the route to go to make our way up the Baie Fine ( pronounced Bay Finn ) to the .. Evinrude Island .. he also said that they would be going back to the Island in the morning .. Betty made it to the Grocery Store and came back with many ‘local deelights’ later we walked back to Town and had dinner at the Anchor Bar & Grill on Water Street .. we had dinner outside .. the service was so so but the food was great ..

Travel – Killarney Ontario to Little Current Ontario – 44 Locks To Date – 26 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3067

Wednesday – August 06 – Boyle Marina – Little Current Ontario .. 705-368-2239 .. ( $1.45 – Canadian .. i.e. .. times 65 % .. equals .. $0.95/ foot US ) .. when we made it up the Skies were grey and the Seas were flat .. we left the Marina at 08:30 am and once tied off to the City Wall we talked to Rick .. he said that they have had a number of changes ( their Microwave went out .. etc .. ) and would not be heading out until they get a few things done and then they will be leaving .. “when she ( the Lady ) gets up and ‘gits’ us going” .. soo we decided to wait for ‘her’ and to still follow them to Baie Finn .. we took advantage of the time and cleaned ( Spiders ) the exterior of Dee Light .. we also did some shopping .. ( Bug Spray ) .. at 10:30 am Captain Junior said that the Lady had questioned ‘why they were still there’ so he walked her dog and got ready to head out .. at 11:45 am we pulled off the City Wall and followed CHANTICLEER thru the Swing Bridge .. they traveled at about 12 knots .. after we went by Frazer Point we entered the Baie Finn and went by the Okeechobee Lodge was on our right .. it was abandon a few years ago but someone has reopened it but there is no dockage as its all private .. it is a great looking place .. once past the Lodge there was a Marked Channel for a ways .. ( very skinny ) .. once past the skinny area we had good depth for the next 8 miles .. long and narrow with mountains on both sides .. when we went thru the ‘Narrows’ the white rock walls mark the Channel .. it is very .. very skinny .. the last Bay is about 7 miles long and about 100 to 150 feet wide in much of the Bay .. and terminates at the "Pool" at the far East End of the Bay .. we watched as Captain Junior backed CHANTICLEER into their Private Dock next to their small Cabin .. we saw a Propane Tank painted green and a Red Tide Detergent container that marked the Channel to their Dock .. once docked they plug their boat electrical power into the Cabin to provide the Cabin with some limited power .. Baie Finn is the only inland Fjord in the WORLD !! .. we ow have no reason to go to Norway .. it was another highlight of our trip .. there were some beautiful anchorages but we elected to return to Little Current for the night .. due to the lack of swinging room most boaters drop a Bow Anchor and tie the Stern to Shore as there is deep water very close to shore .. we made it to the Swing Bridge for its 04:00 pm opening .. after a short wait for a couple of boats to pull off the Wall we pulled up to the City Wall at 04:30 pm .. Little Wally’s Dock Service manages the City Wall .. I this area they have current direction Buoys .. they are shaped like little boats .. so you can judge the current .. and they switch direction often .. we cleaned up and headed into town for dinner .. we walked to The Shaftesburg Inn only to find out that they were not serving dinner tonight .. sooo we went to The Old English Pantry for a fantastic dinner and they gave us the ‘bowl’ that our dinner was served in .. we then took Autumn for a long walk to 3 Cows & a Cone for ice cream .. from the Back Deck of Dee Light we could watch the sunset on the Swing Bridge ..

Travel – Little Current Ontario to the Evinrude Island and back to Little Current Ontario – 44 Locks To Date – 68 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3190

Thursday – August 07 – Little Wally’s Dock Service – Little Current Ontario .. 705-368-2370 .. ( $1.00 – Canadian .. i.e. .. times 65 % .. equals .. $0.65/ foot US ) .. we woke up to a great sunrise .. the City Dock is located right in the center of town .. yesterday Betty found a place for Autumn to get an overdue hair cut .. her last hair cut was in Florida .. Autumns appointment with the Beautician was at 01:00 pm soooo we enjoyed the morning in Little Current .. Betty did Laundry and we were both able to get on the Internet .. etc .. when we got to the Beautician she said that it would take her all afternoon to cut Autumn .. sooo we changed our plans again and decided to spend another night at Little Current .. shortly after we made it back to the Marina the Beautician pulled up with the look of terror in her eyes .. she said that she could NOT cut Autumns hair because she could not get her of of her Condo and she tried to bite her .. soooo Marv returned with the Beautician and helped her with the Centennial Harbour Princess .. and Autumn looks GREAT !! .. the things we do for our dogs !! .. if you have a dog that needs grooming this is a great place ( Bow Wow & Meow Pet Supply .. 705-368-2104 ) .. with the extra time and since we were right next to the Fuel Dock we topped off our Fuel Tans …

Engine Hours – Port Engine .. 2030.9 – Starboard Engine .. 2041.0

.. the locals told us that last Winter it got down to 35 below zero without a wind chill factor .. we cleaned up and went back to The Old English Pantry for another fantastic dinner and we had an ice cream treat on the Warf on our way back to Dee Light .. later we met David and Brooke ( Sail Boaters ) from Chicago and had them aboard Dee Light ..

Friday – August 08 – Little Wally’s Dock Service – Little Current Ontario .. we pulled off the Warf at 08:00 am .. we made it thru the Narrows and past Narrow Island .. we soon left the La Cloche Mountains behind us .. last night David said that this was the oldest Mountain Range in the WORLD .. in the West Bay we had 2 to 3 footers .. since we had such a short distance today we went real slow .. the only Chart for this area dates back to the mid 1800s and it has not been updated except for the Harbors .. the ‘locals’ say that the Rocks have not moved so why update the Chart .. once we were in Mudge Bay we called ahead to the Marina .. after another boater left we entered the Marina between a Break Wall on our Starboard and a Green Swimming ‘Noodle’ on our Port side .. it was a very tight fit to get into the Harbor and a challenge getting into our Slip but we made it and we were tied off to the Dock at 10:30 am .. we used our 50 Amp Splitter when we hooked up our Shore Power to two 30 Amp Power Lines .. we used the same Splitter that we have been using and this time we had a small electrical fire very near Marv’s left leg .. he will not have to shave that area of his leg for awhile .. this Marina was the site for a AGLCA Regatta two weeks ago .. the owner of the Marina met us on the Dock and said that they had 24 Loopers for the Regatta .. after checking in at the Marina Office we took a short walk to the Church next to the Marina .. it is a ‘boaters’ Church as it is constructed out of many Boat parts including its Alter .. see photo .. after lunch we walked to the Bridal Veil Water Falls .. from the Bay we followed the Kagawong River to the Falls and when we returned we went down on the other side of the River .. it was well worth the trip / stop .. Betty spent part of the afternoon on the Beach that is next to the Marina .. we had dinner at the Needles Stonehouse Restaurant just a short walk from Dee Light .. the Whitefish and Chips were great and so was the ice cream back on the Warf where e ended up chatting with a couple from Michigan ..

Travel – Little Current Ontario to Kagawong Ontario – 44 Locks To Date – 22 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3212

Saturday – August 09 – Northern Marina of Kagawong – Kagawong Ontario .. 705-282-3330 .. ( $1.20 – Canadian .. i.e. .. times 65 % .. equals .. $0.78/ foot US ) .. the skies were overcast when we got up with a mild breeze from the North .. this is a small Marina with a very friendly Staff that is really helpful as they are all boaters too .. with all the boats that moved into the Marina after we did yesterday Dee Light was really wedged in .. after calling ahead to the Gore Bay Marina for dockage we pulled out of our Slip at 09:00 am .. it was more of a challenge to get out of our Slip due to the add obstructions ( Sailboats ) that surrounded us and a large Tour Boat that also docked just before we headed out .. we have another short day on the water today sooo we took the long route and we went thru the Benjamin Islands that other boaters have told us about .. it was well worth the little extra time .. we have been told that these are the ‘Oldest Rocks in the World’ .. ( Prop marks all over them ) .. Gore Bay is beautiful and the Marina is very easy to access .. we were at the Marina and docked by 11:30 am .. the Marina is next to the CYC Canadian Yacht Charters home Office soooo it is a very busy Port and has a great Ships Store .. there was a Viking .. ( a 2001 .. 65 foot Princess Series ) .. named VIAGGIO docked directly behind us .. we talked to the Captain ( Chris ) .. he said that his Owner and quests will be hear on Monday and they will be heading out at that time .. the Owner has a place in Naples and the Captain took the boat from there up the River System this Spring .. they will be returning via the East Coast this Fall .. just the opposite of what we are doing .. they do charters both up here as well as in the Fort Lauderdale area .. they gave us one of their brochures .. we also picked up a CYC Charter packet of information on their charter rates .. we went past the date of our permit to be in Canada so we called CANPASS ( 1-888-CANPASS ) to extend our stay in Canada .. after lunch we took off and explored the town .. we had dinner at a German restaurant Bayside Restaurant & Café and watched the sunset in the Harbor .. Bill from the Sailboat AIRWAVE that we met a number of days ago stopped by .. he said that this was their second day at the Marina and that they would be heading out in the morning also for Drummond Island MI .. but that it would take them two days to get to there .. he helped us with our Charts and pointed out the route that he would be using to get into the Marina .. he also said that the excitement for the area yesterday was when a new ( unnamed ) 65 foot Viking came into Gore Bay from the United States .. when they cleared thru the Canadian Customs they declared that they had a ‘Firearm’ and that it was an AK type Machine Gun .. WOW did that get the attention of the officials .. three hours later they had the new boat ripped apart and they were cleared to enter Canada .. without their gun !! .. in a preseason game the Green Bay Packers beat the Atlanta Falcons 27 to 21 ..

Travel – Kagawong Ontario to Gore Bay Ontario – 44 Locks To Date – 27 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3239

Sunday – August 10 – Gore Bay Municipal Marina ( Town Docks ) – Gore Bay Ontario .. 705-282-2906 .. ( $1.50 – Canadian .. i.e. .. times 65 % .. equals .. $0.98/ foot US ) .. the skies were mostly CLEAR this morning but there is a weather front headed our way from Northern Minnesota .. we pulled off the Dock at 07:15 am .. once out of the Bay we had Seas of 2 to 3 footers from the Northwest .. our Charts are real ‘iffy’ for this area at best .. we have been using Canadian Charts the last number of days and there is an area between Canada and the United States that is like a ‘no mans’ area Chart wise .. ( the Drummond Island MI area ) .. yesterday we explored the idea of not going into the Drummond Island Yacht Haven due to the lack of Charts but we found out that we will have to clear Customs there .. ( the ‘rules’ were changed on July 1st ) .. soooo that’s where we headed .. ( the East Passage Way ) .. and what an adventure it was .. Betty went on the Bow and we used our Two-Way Radios .. for over an hour we went from Marker to Marker using our Autopilot most all the way in to maintain our course .. when we made it to the Harbor it got real ‘skinny’ and did we kick up the mud all the way to our Slip .. UFDA !! .. but we did make it into the Slip at 12:30 pm .. after docking we found an 8 inch Perch stuck between our Anchor and Bow Pulpit .. must have picked it up in some ‘bumpy’ seas .. it did not smell to good so we returned it to the seas .. after lunch we walked to the Marina Office and checked in for the night and went thru Customs .. at Drummond Island MI the owners are Custom Agents .. this avoids the complication of the I-68 dilemma .. you can present your self in person to the Agents and not be required to have the I-68 .. all that we needed was our CAPASS Number as well as our US Customs Number .. in the afternoon Betty and Autumn got some sun .. we watched a boat that was heading for the Marina go aground / ‘a-rock’ .. HARD .. ( LOU LOU II from Leland MI a 54 foot Hatteras ) .. right in the East Passage that Dee Light just came thru .. it went right on its side until another small boat was able to pull it off the rocks .. they went on the wrong side of one of the Islands and got in 2 foot of water .. UGH !! .. once in the Marina ( $5.00 / day ) it went right into the Lift Well .. the Marina got very quiet as all know that it could happen to them next .. we took one of the Marinas cars to the Drummond Island Resort & Conference Center and had dinner at the Bayside Restaurant .. this Resort was developed by the owners of Domino Pizza and was later sold to the current owners .. we met Lou and his wife .. the owners of the Hatteras as they were seated next to us at the Restaurant .. we talked boating with them but nothing about the Rocks .. they have boated these waters for years and today just made a wrong turn .. it is huge and is all first class .. including our gourmet meal .. after dinner e toured the grounds .. ‘The Rock’ is the name of the Golf Course that part of the development is built around ..

Travel – Gore Bay Ontario to Drummond Island MI – 44 Locks To Date – 76 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3315

Monday – August 11 – Drummond Island Yacht Haven Inc – Drummond Island MI .. 800-543-4743 .. $1.55 / foot US .. during the night the winds picked up and changed direction ..from the North at 20 to 25 knots .. sooo we decided to stay right here and wait for the front to move thru .. the Marinas first order of business was to pull the Hatteras .. they have ended up with extensive fiberglass damage as well as damage to their Props, Rudders, etc .. sooo they elected to get the repairs done here and go back home to Leland Michigan until after Labor Day .. we met Dave and Jan Robinson aboard their 49 foot DeFever doing the Loop also .. they are from the state of Washington and will be leaving their boat someplace on Lake Michigan for the Winter .. they plan to complete the Loop next year .. the winds ( 25 knots ) were right on our Port Side all day and into the night .. we used another one of the Marinas cars and drove to The Northwoods Restaurant and Bar for dinner .. this Northwoods is much more laid back than the Northwoods that is in Eau Claire .. but the Perch is second to none anyplace .. Betty tried her baking skills out again .. she made Corn Bread with a ‘Salsa’ twist .. at least the fish loved it ..

Tuesday – August 12 – Drummond Island Yacht Haven Inc – Drummond Island MI .. 800-543-4743 .. we checked out with the Marina Office and headed out at 08:00 am .. it was a challenge just to get out of our Slip with the wind at our Port Side and a large Carver on our Starboard Side and then they put their Dinghy between us .. so we asked one of the other boaters on the Dock to assist us with the lines .. once out of the Harbor we took the West Passage Way thru Sturgeon Bay to De Tour Passage into the Straits of Mackinac .. once out in the Straits we had 5 to 8 foot Rollers from our Aft plus the waves from the winds .. we did not use the Autopilot at all today .. the winds were from the East Northeast at about 15 knots .. by 10:15 am we could see the Mackinac Bridge .. it was in the 80s with clear skies and sunny all day .. we had tried to get into the Mackinac Island Marina but they had a Hatteras Regatta there and thus the Marina was well booked .. as we approached the Marina we called ahead .. somehow they lost our reservation that we made some time ago thru the Michigan State Marina Service .. at the time that we made our reservation we did confirm the reservation directly with the Marina also .. but all was somehow lost .. soooo we made it to the Marina and pulled into a Slip at 12:00 pm .. after lunch we walked to the Marina Office and after the Harbor Master and Marv spent an hour on the phone with the Michigan State Marina Service and they got it all straighten out .. UGH !! .. it seams like the State has really goofed up the system for the Marinas big time .. and we boater is at a loss as what we should do .. we got the bikes off the boat and explored the town / area and we did find a number of shops and an Ice Cream Parlor .. we took our bikes to The Galley Restaurant & Bar for dinner .. Betty had the Pastie ( an area staple ) and Marv had the ‘Senior’ Perch and they were great .. we talked with two other couples from boats in the Marina and got ideas for Michigan Ports that we should plan to stop at ..

Travel – Drummond Island MI to St Ignace MI – 44 Locks To Date – 64 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3379

Wednesday – August 13 – St Ignace Public Dock / Municipal Harbor – St Ignace MI .. (906) 643-8131 .. $1.50 / foot US .. this Marina just opened up a few weeks ago .. the old Marina at this site was about one third the size of the new Marina .. the Break Wall was extended out into the Lake to get the added size .. and its all brand new and the latest state of the art .. the Docks look like they have never been walked on .. but the May Flies have found the Marina also as they are all over .. including all over Dee Light .. we took our bikes on the Water Ferry to Mackinac Island .. there was an added cost of $6.50 each but it was well worth it .. we checked out the Mackinac Island Marina and saw that it was about one fourth full ( later in the day it was about one half full ) .. we also noted that the boats in the Marina really rocked and rolled from the Ferry traffic .. after doing the perimeter (Ring Road ) of the Island ( 9 miles ) we had lunch at the Mission Point Resort .. we were seated on their Outside Deck that overlooked the Harbor .. after lunch we took the bikes to the interior of the Island .. on our trip back to the downtown area we wert past the Grand Hotel .. at Mackinac there are no cars and lots of horses and LOTS of people .. and lots of shopping .. and LOTS of fudge .. it was sunny with near record high temps when we were on the Island so when we took the Ferry back to Dee Light we were tired .. after dinner at the Bay Side Restaurant we talked with a number of other boaters that came into the Marina with AGLCA Burgees on their boats including ASHANT that was at the Drummond Island Yacht Haven when we were there .. one of the boaters ( DICKS DINGHY .. a Harbor Master Houseboat ) started the Loop from Manitowoc Wisconsin so they will soon be completing the Loop ..

Thursday – August 14 – St Ignace Public Dock / Municipal Harbor – St Ignace MI .. (906) 643-8131 .. we spent the morning in the Harbor .. i.e. laundry and cleaning the May Flies off Dee Light .. we did get some rocking from the Water Ferry’s in this Marina but nothing like the Mackinac Marina .. Bill and Maria from the Sailboat AIRWAVE pulled into the Marina in the afternoon .. they gave us advice on Marinas and restaurants ahead of us .. the local have been catching King Salmon the last few days .. many have been coming in with 6 to 10 King Salmon that range from 15 to 25 pounds each .. Headlines – BLACKOUT 2003 - Power Outage in New York and other parts of the Northeast part of the United States .. the power was out Northwest, North, Northeast, East, and Southeast of Dee Light .. it was the largest power outage in North America ever leaving over 50 million people in the dark .. the City of St Ignace has entertainment every Thursday evening on the Warf at the Marina .. even Autumn enjoyed the evening on the Warf ..

Friday – August 15 – St Ignace Public Dock / Municipal Harbor – St Ignace MI .. (906) 643-8131 .. the Marina was less than half full the entire time that we were there .. we left the Marina at 07:45 am into a ‘haze / fog’ .. the Mackinac Bridge was first opened on November 1st 1957 after four years of construction .. the span between the two Towers is 3,800 feet long .. it is the longest span Bridge in the World .. after we passed under the Bridge we headed mostly West into an East-Southeast wind of about 10 knots .. sooo we had 4 to 6 footers mostly on our Bow in the Straits of Mackinac .. there was a cold front moving into the area from the West .. as we turned South and headed thru the Grays Reef the wind was on our Starboard Side .. we passed the Grays Reef Lighthouse in the haze / fog and we could clearly hear its Fog Horn before we could see it .. there are more Lighthouses in the state of Michigan than any other state in the Country and we are sure seeing a lot of them .. once past the Lighthouse we were in Lake Michigan for the first time .. the haze started to lift as we entered the St James Harbor .. when we called the Marina we found out that our Slip was given away to a larger boat and they had us dock in a Slip that we felt was too short for Dee Light but we did get docked despite the wind .. after we were docked they said that we could dock at the end of the Warf but the water there is a little ‘skinny’ .. we looked it over and at 12:30 pm we had Dee Light re-docked for a second time .. the winds picked up all afternoon .. about 02:00 the larger boat arrived and tried to dock in our original Slip but was unsuccessful due to the wind and they ended up going into the Slip that we had left earlier .. the entertainment for the afternoon was watching other boaters attempt to dock their boats in the wind .. we took Autumn for a walk into the downtown area and we checked out Beaver Island tours that are set up on the Island .. we talked to Dick and Diane from SOUVENIR on the Cell Phone .. they are back on their boat after taking a trip back to Afton Minnesota .. they were going to be heading to Beaver Island today also but decided to not challenge the Seas and ended up staying in the Marina at Mackinac City Michigan .. we had dinner on the Back Deck and watched the sunset and the Green Bay Packers game .. they played the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland .. the Pack won 38 to 31 ..

Travel – St Ignace MI to St James Harbor MI – 44 Locks To Date – 60 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3439

Saturday – August 16 – Beaver Island Marina – St James Harbor MI .. 231-448-2300 .. this Marina could use some TLC .. the Docks are in a need of repairs and there is a Shoal along the front edge of the Fingers / Docks that should be dredged out .. it is a soft bottom but it will not get any better on its own .. but they do have Cable TV on the Warf .. only a few channels but much better than none at all .. after checking out the availability of transportation ( almost none ) .. we found that there are Tours offered at 09:00 am ( 90 minutes ) and at 01:00 pm ( 3 hours ) and they do have a few cars for renal but all are rented out or are in various states of repair .. sooo we decided to get our Bikes down and explore the Island .. we tried to make it to the Lighthouse on the South end of the Island ( 17 miles – one way ) but ran out of paved roads and the Biting Flies got us .. so we turned around and headed back .. we did find the new Bike Trail and that was very well done .. it led us to the other side of the Island and a great view of the open waters and a number of the other Beaver Islands .. when we were having lunch on Dee Light Dick and Diane from SOUVENIR called us on the Marine Radio .. they are heading to Washington Island today and will be going to Green Bay on Sunday .. after lunch we did some shopping and Betty spent some quality time on the Beaver Island Beach .. about 20 years ago Marv and Sandy were here aboard Dick and Mary Piltz’s boat the MARY LOU .. the Island has not changed much at all .. the Beaver Island Lodge picked us up at the Marina and brought us to the Lodge for dinner .. we wet to the Lodge with Sterling and Jan off of a Sailboat in the Marina .. they had their daughter and a friend of hers along also .. they are from Harbor Springs and they gave us many tips / local knowledge about Marinas ahead of us .. we had a very deelightfull dinner at Nina’s Restaurant that is part of the Beaver Island Lodge .. once back to the Marina we spent some time talking with Ron and Laura that are on a 38 foot Sea Ray ..

Sunday – August 17 – Beaver Island Marina – St James Harbor MI .. 231-448-2300 .. during the night the winds picked up and something moved thru .. but by 06:00 am the winds started to calm down some .. after we checked the weather out and decided to head out .. we ‘trenched’ Dee Light out of the Marina at 08:15 am .. the wind was from the Northeast ( with4 to 6 foot waves ) .. so it was on our Port Bow until we were about 6 miles off the Michigan shore line .. when we were about 18 miles out we tried to call the Marina .. they did not answer but AIRWAVES did respond .. Bill said that they were heading from St Ignace Michigan to the Marina at Petoskey Michigan .. you cannot reserve a Slip in advance at this Marina .. it is on a first come basis and you must be within sight of the Harbour Master .. so once we were getting close to the Harbor Point we called again to the Marina on the Marine Radio .. Sterling and Jan said to ‘use’ their name so we did .. we were not within sight but they told us that they would have a Slip waiting for us .. Zack ( one of the Dock Boys ) met us at the Dock and assisted us with getting into the Slip .. we were docked by 11:15 am .. we were told that they have ‘Baubles’ at Harbor Springs .. Marv did not have a clue as to what Baubles are but Betty knows all about Baubles .. ( Baubles is not a nautical term ) .. after lunch Betty did ‘Baubles’ window shopping .. and Marv was able to get on-line at the Marina Office .. Dee Light is back in the world of big boats again .. there was a 92 foot Burger right across the Dock from Dee Light and many Hatters were also in the Harbor .. we talked with the couple on the boat that came in next to us .. ( JUST GREAT III a 426 Catalina Chris Craft ) .. they had their AGLCA Burge flying so we knew that they were Loopers .. their Home Port is New Bern North Carolina and they will also be heading down the River System .. we had diner at Stafford’s Pier that overlooks the Marina Harbor .. Whitefish is a local fish sooo that’s what we had and it was very good .. later we took our PCs to an Internet Café and hooked up .. Betty’s PC worked great but Marv’s was unable to connect with their high speed connection ..

Travel – St James Harbor MI to Harbor Springs MI – 44 Locks To Date – 40 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3479

Monday – August 18 – Harbor Springs Municipal Marina – Harbor Springs MI .. 231-526-5355 .. $1.50 / foot US .. another great day on the Lake .. clear skies and the mid 80s .. the Shore Lines in this area are lined with multi-million dollar homes and summer homes .. many of the homes have never been sold they just stay in ‘the family’ and have for generations .. they are only known by their family names .. i.e. The Lewis Home The Fisher Summer Home, The Wilson Home, etc .. after Betty and Autumn took a walk to the Post Office and the Bread Store we decided to head out .. we pulled out of our Slip at 09:30 am .. once out of the Harbor we called AIRWAVES on the Marine Radio and ended up with more ‘tips’ from Bill .. the Little Traverse Bay was ‘flatter than a flitter’ .. once out of the Bay we headed into2 to 3 footers .. we entered the Inlet / River at 11:15 am and went thru the Draw Bridge at its 11:30 am opening .. Dee Light had a tight fit but we had her backed into the Slip and tied off by 12:00 pm and the Marina proceeded to fill right up .. the people next to us on their 31 foot Sea Ray said that they had tried to get dockage here yesterday at 11:00 am but they were filled up so they ended up at a very out of the way Marina .. after lunch we explored town and did some shopping .. we also found an Ice Cream Shop .. the Marina is on Round Lake and is right in the heart of town .. just a great place to spend some time .. the perimeter of the Lake is lined with ‘to die for’ Homes and Summer Places .. some of the Boat Houses are big enough for Dee Light to pull right into with the antennas up .. we took our Bikes off Dee Light and did some exploring .. we went from the Inlet and around Round Lake on the South Side .. we also bikes thru an exclusive area called Belvedere where there are 200 Clapboard Summer Homes .. they have their own Country Club, Beach, Yacht Club, etc right on Lake Charlevoix .. we walked to the Weathervane Restaurant that overlooks the Inlet and Lake for dinner .. the Lake Perch was great !! .. on our way back to Dee Light we walked past a Real Estate Office they had listings in their windows from one to five million dollars ..

Travel – Harbor Springs MI to Charlevoix MI – 44 Locks To Date – 25 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3504

Tuesday – August 19 – Charlevoix Municipal Marina – Charlevoix MI .. 231-547-3272 .. another great day in Charlevoix but some weather is headed our way from Northern Minnesota / Wisconsin .. many Fishing Boats use the Inlet to access the Lake from this area .. all day and into the evening they are going in and out .. they range in size from 14 to 40 foot .. the Lakes are also Summer Ports for many large boats that migrate to the South for the Winter .. this morning we saw LAD MADEYN ( 90 Burger ) heading out to Lake Michigan from Lake Charlevoix .. the Marina is on Round Lake .. at the East end of Round Lake is a narrow cut that leads to another larger Lake .. Lake Charlevoix has two arms .. the South one goes down to East Jordan and the East arm goes to Boyne City .. Boyne City has a big marina but not too much else .. except a real neat boat shop with some big time restoration projects .. Betty went to the Grocery Store that is very close to the Marina and picked up a number of supplies and then she got some sun on the Front Deck .. after lunch we headed out on our Bikes and went across the Draw Bridge to explore the North side of Charlevoix . we drove thru countless Homes and Summer Homes .. a wooden Chris-Craft ( about 50 foot ) named ELEGANTE from Naples Florida was harbored at one of the Summer Homes .. the Ferry Boat EMERALD ISLE harbors here and the Cruse Boat GRAND MARINER ( American Canadian Caribbean Line ) was also in the Harbor for the night .. we took our Bikes to The Grey Gables Inn for dinner .. the Crab Cakes were good but not like Maryland Crab Cakes .. every Tuesday night they have a Concert in the Band Shelter that was less than 100 feet from Dee Light so we took Autumn and enjoyed the Music ..

Wednesday – August 20 – Charlevoix Municipal Marina – Charlevoix MI .. 231-547-3272 .. when we backed Dee Light into the Slip two days ago the people in the boat next to us had that look of terror / fear on their faces as they thought that we were going to ‘crunch’ them .. so today we headed out before they were up .. we headed out of the Marina at 07:15 am .. we were docked in so tight with other boats that we were unable to get our Dinghy down to explore the two Lakes in the area so when we left the Marina we had thought of going from Round Lake to Lake Charlevoix but decided to head out into Lake Michigan to beat the 15 to 20 knot winds .. we went thru the 07:30 am Bridge opening and we started out with 2 to 3 footers with Rollers .. then when we crossed the Grand Traverse Bay we had 5 to 8 footers on our Port Side .. it was a little bumpy .. once past the Bay the South Southwest winds were right on our Bow with 4 to 6 footers sooo the final leg of our trip was very pleasant .. we had Dee Light docked at 10:00 am .. after checking with the Marina Office we spotted WAIT A WHILE ( Ed and Norine ) that we crossed paths with back at Georgetown South Carolina .. they were traveling with the LAZY J’s .. they went thru the Trent-Sevrn Waterway with the LAZY J’s and when they went out of the last Lock they went aground on ROCK .. there boat was laid up getting repaired for five weeks .. they had tried to cross the Lake yesterday but came back because it was too rough .. after checking notes with them we took a walk and explored the town .. Leland is quite a contrast from Charlevoix .. this is a real fishing community .. the area is called ‘Leland Historic District ( Fishtown )’ .. and it is a ‘Fishtown’ .. Fishing Boats buzz in and out of the Marina all day .. and you can get ‘fresh fish’ and ‘smoked fish’ right on the Warf .. after some shopping we spent the afternoon on the Beach .. the Beach has a very fine sand .. we had dinner ( Whitefish ) at The Cove .. we had the restaurants one corner table that overlooks the Inlet leading out to Lake Michigan .. we have noticed that Whitefish is offered in a variety of different ways by all of the restaurants that we have been to on the Lake .. we were told that the Perch has become scarce due to being overtaken by the Commerent Birds .. there were Tornado Warnings and Severe Weather going on in Wisconsin and heading in our direction .. sooo we added a couple of lines and checked all the other lines on Dee Light .. the sunset over the Lake was priceless ..

Travel – Charlevoix MI to Leland MI – 44 Locks To Date – 40 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3544

Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse - Sturgeon Bay WI North Pierhead Lighthouse - Sturgeon Bay WI Al Johnson Restaurant - Sister Bay WI

FOUR WISHES - Palmer Johnson Yachts - Sturgeon Bay WI Fish Boil - Fish Creek WI

Thursday – August 21 – Leland Township Municipal Harbor – Leland MI ( Fishtown ) .. 231-256-9132 .. $1.35 / foot .. the Severe Weather started at about 12:15 am and really got strong at 03:30 am .. and then at 05:15 am it got much stronger .. first winds with lightning .. then a wind of 40 mph and more lightning .. and then the rain but by 06:30 it died down to just a wind of 10 to 20 mph .. a number of Fishing Boats went out even before the weather settled down .. we walked to the Early Bird for breakfast where Marv had an Leland Everything Omelet with the Farmers Daughter and it was deelightfull .. we spent the morning working around Dee Light .. in the afternoon we went to the Cyber Espress-O Coffee Bar & E-Services where we were able to get hooked up to do our e-mail .. we also spent some time talking with Ed and Norine .. later after a walk we had dinner at The Bluebird of Leland Restaurant & Bar .. the restaurant is along the Leland River that leads to the Marina .. the winds calmed down and there was another great sunset ..

Friday – August 22 – Leland Township Municipal Harbor – Leland MI ( Fishtown ) .. 231-256-9132 .. another Storm came thru during the night ( 12:30 to 04:00 am ) but not as bad as the night before .. by 07:00 am the sun was out the skies were clear but still windy now from the Northwest .. a 626 Chris Craft Catalina that came in two days ago got a line caught on its Port Engine as they started to pull out .. they pulled up to the Fuel Dock to cut the line off sooo when they left we pulled up to the Fuel Dock and took on Fuel ..

Engine Hours – Port Engine .. 2055.9 – Starboard Engine .. 2065.9

.. when done with fueling we back into our Slip and had a late breakfast .. we took the County Bus with Ed and Norine and another couple from the Marina into Traverse City .. the bus ride cost $1.00 per person and was about 45 miles one way .. the bus ride proved to be a good way to see the area and the Driver made the trip to town very interesting .. once there we did some shopping and Betty found many ‘Baubles’ for sale but we just window shopped .. later we had lunch with Ed and Norine at the Amical where we were seated at an outside table .. our Bus Driver had recommended the Amical for lunch and it was a great place .. the return trip to Leland proved to be most interesting also as traveled with the Bus Drivers 6 month old baby and the County’s Mentally Handicapped group that had gone to town for the day .. Dick and Diane from SOUVENIR called us and said that there repair work has been completed and that they will be leaving Green Bay Wisconsin in the morning .. they may be spending Saturday night in Sturgeon Bay WI also .. once back at the Marina we did a quick check on the weather and found that Saturday sounds like a good day to cross the Lake .. we had dinner at The Cove’s Lower Level right next to the Water Falls .. and then took a good long walk before we had our ice cream .. at the ice cream shop Betty found an area stone that she purchased .. its called a Petosky Stone .. we also walked to the Leland Yacht Club .. when we found it the Club open but there was not anyone around .. Marv found a Yacht Club shirt that he liked and left $20.00 on the table for it .. once back to Dee Light we enjoyed the best sunset since we were there .. the people in the boat next to us back at Charlevoix that had that look of terror on their faces as they thought that we were going to ‘crunch’ them when we docked Dee Light next to them stopped by for awhile and later Bill from AIRWAVE also stopped by and we caught up on their boating since we last saw them ..

Saturday – August 23 – Leland Township Municipal Harbor – Leland MI ( Fishtown ) .. 231-256-9132 .. Ed and Norine left the Harbor at 06:45 am and we pulled out of the Marina at 07:20 am .. once out of the Harbor we were in Manitou Passage where we had 4 footers ( Rollers ) on our Starboard Side .. we headed West and South and soon were protected ( a little ) by the Manitou Islands .. we soon Ed and Norine .. once past the Islands we set our course at about 265 degrees and for the most part we had a following Sea of 5 to 7 foot Rollers .. the winds picked up to about 10 to 15 knots but we had a very good trip across the Lake .. we saw two Lakers one heading North and the other heading South .. we could see the Michigan Shore for a long time due to its height .. since Door County is flatter we had to get quite close to the Wisconsin side before seeing land .. with the Following Seas we did not use our Autopilot much at all .. we also noted that our Depth Finder did not work correctly once we were in waters over 400 feet .. as we approached the outer most Marker we could see a bright Red Lighthouse that marks the Channel / River at the Sturgeon Bay Inlet .. we also noted that the water this much further South is getting very cloudy .. when we called the Marina and got directions another boater that has been following us via our Website contacted us on the Marine Radio .. he said that he got our Website Address from another boater / friend Bob Shaw .. when we got to the Marina they had us try to get into a Slip on B Dock .. we tried to get in but it was too narrow for Dee Light so they had us dock on the end of C Dock with a Laker right across the Channel from us .. since we are now in CDT it was 12:00 pm when we had Dee Light docked .. when Marv checked in at the Marina he also got a large package of mail .. Dick and Diane from SOUVENIR made it from Green Bay just after the 03:00 pm Bridge opening .. we helped them with their lines .. the four of us had dinner at the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club .. the Yacht Club had their Year End Party for their members .. it was a Hawaiian Luau theme with the Jimmy Buffet Washboard Zydeco Band .. we had a great dinner and then headed back to Dee Light to watch the balance of the Green Bay Packers vs. Carolina Panthers – (Midwest Shrine Game) pre-season game .. the game was at Green Bay WI at the Packers new Stadium ..

Travel – Leland MI ( Fishtown ) to Sturgeon Bay WI – 44 Locks To Date – 85 Miles Today – Cumulative Miles 3629

Sunday – August 24 – Sturgeon Bay Yacht Harbor Inc – Sturgeon Bay WI .. 920-743-3311 .. $0.85 / Foot .. it started to rain / thunder at about 04:00 am soo it was a great day to ‘pay bills’ and finish going thru our stack of mail .. we spotted the 60 foot Viking PATTI WAGON ( we saw them in Killarney Ontario ) heading in from the Lake .. they said that they had headed out on the Lake to do some fishing but with the weather / lightning decided to head back .. their Home Port is Sturgeon Bay WI .. we rented a car from AVIS .. after lunch Betty and Diane took the car shopping .. later the four of us drove up the West Side of Door County Wisconsin to Sister Bay WI where we stopped for dinner at Al Johnson’s Restaurant .. the roof of the restaurant is covered with long grass and they have Goats that ‘cut’ the grass .. it’s a Swedish Restaurant so we all had Sweden dinners .. on our return trip we went down the East Side of Door County where the Gals found a Dairy Queen ..

Monday – August 25 thru Friday – August 29 – Sturgeon Bay Yacht Harbor Inc – Sturgeon Bay WI .. 920-743-3311 .. Monday morning Dick and Diane pulled out of the Marina and headed South down Lake Michigan .. Betty worked on the interior of Dee Light and Marv met with Bill and Randy that head up the Service Department at the Marina .. they will be doing an Oil Change and a few other things on Dee Light when we are here .. Sturgeon Bay used to be a big time ship building town .. but now Palmer Johnson has filed for Bankruptcy .. they are not out of business but have laid off many of their employs leaving a huge void in the local community .. Marv talked with ‘Dan’ from Palmer Johnson and he said that the courts haven them 30 days to seal out a new Owner to take over the business .. on September 05th they will be launching a boat ( about 100 footer ) that they are currently working on .. it should be finished in the month of September .. a second boat ( a 142 footer ) should be finished in May of 2004 and a third boat ( a 144 footer ) is in the Shop but is not being worked on at this time .. Sturgeon Bay is a neat town because you can go out into Lake Michigan on one side and into Green Bay on the other side .. a run up one side of Door County and down the other is a very scenic day trip and you can end up back in Sturgeon Bay .. Green Bay Packers final preseason game was Thursday night when they played the Tennessee Titans in the Bishop's Charities Game .. a huge storm hit te Green Bay / Sturgeon Bay WI area and the game was delayed for hours .. we spent our time here doing many of the things that ‘tourists’ do .. we explored Door County by car .. we made it to Egg Harbor for site seeing, Sister Bay for dinner with the Goats, Fish Creek for a Fish Boil and much shopping, Bailey’s Harbor for shopping, Gills Rock for a Ferry ride to Washington Island, and much more .. we also spent much time cleaning the exterior of Dee Light .. on Friday we drove to Green Bay and visited the Green Bay Packers new Stadium .. Betty noted that it was evident by the looks on the peoples faces that we were indeed in a Hallowed Shrine and they all left the Pro Shop with large packages of Green Bay Packer memorabilia .. after our stop in Green Bay we headed to Eau Claire .. we stopped for lunch at Shannon WI at the Home Town Café right downtown .. it was an eairly 50s place with posters of The Beatles and Sonny and Sheri on the walls .. we will be spending next week in the Eau Claire WI, Barron WI, Hayward WI and Wabasha MN area ..

Saturday – August 30 thru Sunday - September 08 – Eau Claire WI area .. 239-560-1166 .. HEADLINES – ‘MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) - Hogs on parade for 100th anniversary - Ten thousand Harley riders wearing anything from Hog masks and feather boas to black leather roared through the city Saturday on an 8-Mile Parade celebrating Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary .. there were over one million Harleys in Milwaukee for the celebration and there was a constant roar in the air the entire time’ .. we had a ‘world-wind’ number of days in the Eau Claire area .. we spent time with Marv’s mother in Eau Claire .. we took trips to Barron WI to see Marv’s grandson Marcus and to Hayward WI to see Jewel and Bob’s finished Log Cabin .. Jewel took Marcus for a good run the day that we were there and they saw two large Bears in the woods .. we also made our way to Wabasha MN / Lake City MN to connect with many of our boating friends and we had two boat outings on the Mississippi River that brought back many great ‘River’ memories .. we also were able to get together with many friends from the Eau Claire WI and Hayward WI area to get caught up with what’s going on in their lives .. and we had ‘Popovers’ at the new ‘Fishers on the Green’ restaurant that is located at the Hillcrest Golf Course in Eau Claire .. HEADLINES – Indianapolis IN – ( INDYSTAR.COM ) - Monday, September 1, 2003 .. ‘100 year record rains hit the Indianapolis area on Sunday the 31st causing much flooding in the northern sections of the city’ .. when we were in Eau Claire Marv also had some business and dental work to take care of .. UGH .. on Friday we got together with Marv’s sister and family from Arizona .. on Saturday the 09th we attended Heidi Market and Ryan Bullis Wedding in Eau Claire WI .. and on Sunday in place of the Wedding Gift Opening the wedding couple had a Tailgate Party as it was the opening day of the Football Season .. and the Green Bay Packers were hosting the Vikings for their first game in their recently completed Stadium .. we left the party before halftime and headed back to Sturgeon Bay WI .. as we headed East on Highway 29 we met many loyal / proud Packer Fans heading back home after the game with their Packer Flags waving in the air .. we also met a few Viking fans heading to Minnesota .. it was Great to get back to Dee Light again ..

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