Mike and Beth's Adventures

The Steam Ship Badger Departs Ludington for Manitowoc Wisconsin Our stay in Leland was truncated, as we saw our weather window was closing for being able to continue south on Lake Michigan.  Determine to achieve a port as far south as possible, we planned for an early start the next morning with Frankfort as our initial destination and Ludington as a stretch goal if the weather cooperated. Fortunately it did.  We had plenty of fuel remaining as we passed Frankfort, and more importantly, the wind waves were 2' or less and winds were less than 15 knots.  So we pressed on.  In total, we travelled 90 miles for the day.  This is twice our typical distance.  But we made it to a port much closer to Grand Haven.  This was important as my daughter Katie was going to be in Grand Rapids for the upcoming weekend and we hoped to see her.   The Big Sable Point light house is located just north of Ludington One of the prominent landmarks along the way The L...

Lake Michigan Weather Resources I built this page to give better access to weather resources for planning our boating trip south, down the east side of Lake Michigan. Seagull :  Great Lakes Observation System Wind Speed - Lake Michigan North Manitou Island Sleeping Bear Dunes Buoy  - near Leland Point Bestie Buoy  - near Frankfort Muskegon Buoy - near Muskegon Port Sheldon Buoy - Between Grand Haven and Holland National Weather Service - Great Lakes Great Lakes Portal  Great Lakes Forecast by Zone Great Lakes Marine Forecast Summary Lake Michigan Open Lake Forecast (Beyond 5 miles from shore) NWS Forecast Office Gaylord Michigan NWS Forecast Office Grand Rapids Michigan NWS Forecast Office Chicago Illinois Other Resources  NOAA Significant Wave Height and Direction Model Great Lakes Water Levels Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Lake Michigan Boating 2022 Harbor Operations and Fee Schedule Windy Predict Wind Waterways Guide   Additional  G...

Clouds at sunrise Leland Michigan Boaters travel south on Lake Michigan in about 40 mile hops.  That is the average distance between harbors.  You have one additional decision to make, and that is do we travel the western or eastern shore.  We chose to travel the eastern shore.  Consequently, our first hop was from Charlevoix to Leland.  It is built on the site of one of the oldest and largest Ottawa Indian villages on the Leelanau peninsula.  Early settlers began a profitable fishing trade.  This along with forest products sustained the local economy.   A dam was build on the Carp River to power the first sawmill.  The fishing village eventually became known as "Fishtown".  This historic fishing village has been preserved and the quaint buildings now house shops and eateries.  Commercial charter fishing boats still operate from the area and the Leland Marina is just across the street.  We ate at the Cove Restaurant and ha...

Charlevoix Michigan A double leaf Bascule Bridge spans Pine River channel As you enter town via the short Pine River canal, the first thing you see is the the Charlevoix Bridge.  It is a double leaf bascule bridge which provides access to Round Lake, where the municipal marina is located.  It opens on a schedule, at the top of the hour and the half hour.  The marina, located in the heart of Charlevoix,  is well sheltered and would provide good storm protection.   From the marina you will have excellent access to stores, the library, restaurants, bakeries, and pubs.  Michigan Beach, a good swimming location, on the shore of Lake Michigan, is an easy walk from the marina.   John Cross Fisheries, a local seafood market, is also located nearby, and is a good spot to purchase seafood.   https://www.facebook.com/johncrossfisheries The yacht "Enticer" We also saw her in Clayton New York at the beginning of summer Amy Marie in the Charlevoi...