Sault Ste. Marie

Kemp Marina in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

The thunderstorm passed through Wednesday night and Thursday morning we left Lime Island headed to Sault Ste. Marie.  A light rain accompanied us the first half of the 45 mile journey and then fog set in.  At times it was so thick that we could see the channel markers only as we passed them.  Again we are thankful for good radar.  Goig slowly, we passed within 20 feet of a small boat with four men aboard fishing in the middle of the channel.  A small object like that does not show up on radar  and again we did not see them until we were upon them.  We were sounding our fog horn, but they did not seem disposed to move.  I hope they moved out of the channel before the Great Lakes freighter following us came through.

Red channel marking appearing out of the mist

The first thing we noticed upon entering Sault Ste. Marie was the International Bridge and the huge freighters waiting to go through the locks.

International Bridge connecting US and Canada

We fueled and then docked at George Kemp Marina on the US side.  At check-in we learned we had arrived during Engineer's Week and all sorts of events were planned.  The first was Thursday evening  when the bridge was lit--a once a year event.  We watched from the Soo Locks observation deck.

American side lit red, white and blue

Canadian side lit red and white

Friday the American lock grounds were open all day, so we visited the government buildings and had a chance to observe the enormous freighters close up as they passed  through the locks.  There are four locks on the American side--two of which are presently operational.  The Poe Lock is the largest at  1200 ft. by 110 ft. and was completed in 1968.  We watched a freighter enter that was 105 ft. by 1000 ft.  It moved  VERY SLOWLY with only a few feet to spare on each side.

View of Poe Lock as we crossed over the
bridge over the lock door.

Huge freighter entering Poe Lock

The lock closest to shore, the MacArthur Lock, is "smaller" at only 80 ft by 800 ft.  It was built in a record time of 15 months being completed in July 1943.  The construction proceeded on a 24/7 schedule even during -30 degree winter weather.  Ocean going vessels use this.  They are smaller than the great lakes freighters due to the limiting size of the locks on the St, Lawrence.  The other two locks are in the planning stages to be combined into one lock that will be the size of the Poe.  A spokesman at the locks explained that this would give two operational locks for the large freighters in the event one lock had a mechanical failure.  As it is now, if the Poe Lock goes down, shipping on the great lakes is halted by 75%.

The government buildings, open only this one day during the year, were gleaming with polished brass railings and marble floors.  There was a post office in the building that was used by the freighters, so I mailed my post cards there.

Administration building at locks

Interior of building

Fascinating chart relating the
carrying capacity of a freighter to
train and semi capacity
(click to enlarge)

Photo of building the locks

Coming back from the locks (on bicycles loaned by the marina) we stopped at the Coast Guard station and toured a buoy tender and a cutter.  The young seaman who was our tour guide was from Nebraska.  Talk about being away from home!

Katwai Bay Cutter

A tug boat parade was scheduled Friday evening and we went to view it from the breakwater near the marina.  A chilly breeze was blowing (thought I'd add that for those of you in St. Louis heat:) and the whole event seemed a bit disorganized so we did not stay long.

Tugboat parade???

Tiki tugboat

Tugboat Missouri!!!!

Today we learned that several of the fuel stops we were depending on in north Lake Superior are shut down at least temporarily.   So we are now looking at a clockwise approach, hoping that the fuel situation resolves by the time we reach Isle Royale.  Flexibility!!!  Since this change would not require us to clear Canadian customs until later in the trip, we chose to stay on at Kemp Marina a bit longer rather than move to Bondar Marina on the Canadian side.

Saturday one lane of the bridge was closed for the once a year bridge walk.  Since we had walked Mackinac Bridge with Pat and Jim on Labor Day 2012, we decided we must do this walk also.  The bridge spans 2.3 miles with the international border in the center. I'd estimate 2,000+ made the walk which ended up being about 3 miles.  We had to clear customs when we reached the Canadian side and again when we were ferried by bus back to the American side.  It was interesting to see the locks and rapids from directly above.

Border at the center of the bridge

This little guy, an Irish Wolfhound,
wasn't allowed to participate
but he was in attendance.  I think
you could have ridden him!

Sweet Adelines performing for the crowd prior to walk.
This one's for you, Shelley!

Arriving on the Canadian side

American  locks as viewed from bridge

Canadian lock
This is the main lock used for pleasure craft.
It is smaller and has less wait than the
large American locks used for freighters,

Think these people might be Canadian, eh?

St. Mary's Rapids
The locks were built to bypass these.

After the bridge walk, we walked back to the marina (another mile) in time to catch the tugboat races.  Again, these seemed a bit disorganized so we did not stay long.

One of the winners

Later that day,  the pancake barge pulled into a slip two down from us.  They served pancake breakfasts Sunday and Monday raising money for local children's charities.  We enjoyed delicious pancakes and sausages Sunday morning.

Small tug delivering the pancake barge

Sunday afternoon Tom installed a new fuel sender and we are now getting an accurate fuel reading.  Prior to this we had to guess how much fuel was in the tank based on speed and average fuel consumption since the last fueling.  This is a great improvement!  I don't know how he knows how to do all this stuff, but I'm surely glad he does!

Later Sunday we toured the Valley Camp museum ship located next to the marina.  It seems huge when standing on the deck, yet it is about half the size of  present day freighters.  It houses other maritime exhibits including lifeboats from the Edmond Fitzgerald.  Very interesting.

Crew's mess hall

officer's dining room

crew's living quarters
I''m glad I'm sleeping with the captain
on Raydiance!

Valley Camp freighter

View from the stern of Valley Camp

Tom in the pilot house

Lifeboat from Edmond Fitzgerald
found  the following day twelve miles
away from where the ship sunk.

Monday, July 1st, was Canada Day.  Tom celebrated by buying cables to connect to the amplifier to solve some problem with the bass speaker and I bought the Nevada Barr book,  A Superior Death , set in Isle Royale.  That night we sat on the front deck and were treated to a 30 minute fireworks display.  What a fine send-off.  Tuesday we leave Sault Ste. Marie and enter Lake Superior.

Itinerary

Several people have requested an itinerary of our trip this summer.  Tom and I have attempted to put one together as follows.  Please remember this is very fluid as it is highly dependent on weather.  We learned early on that one of the most disasterous things to do is try to meet an itinerary.  That tends to cause people to go out in weather when they should stay put. With that in mind, here goes:

July 1 or 2      Go through the Canadian Sault locks and begin Lake Superior adventure counterclockwise

July 15           Arrive Thunder Bay

July 18-25       Isle Royale

July 28-August 4           Apostle Island and Bayfield area

August 6-13           Houghton and Keweenaw Penninsula

August   16          Munising  (Tom wants to dive here)

August 21            Grand Marais

August 25           Sault Ste. Marie

August  28           Hessell, MI or St. Ignace

Sept. 1              Washington, Island  in  Door County

Sept. 6            Sheboygan, Manitowac area

Sept.  9           Milwaukee

Sept. 12            Chicago

Sept. 15-16     leave Chicago and head down the Illinois

Sept.  22         Hoppies at Kimmswick

Sept.  28-29       Arrive Kenlake  on Kentucky Lake and CELEBRATE THE GOLD FLAG

St. Mary's River

We left the comforts of Duncan Bay Boat Club on Wednesday morning, June 26th.   Our destination was Lime Island in the St. Mary's River.   We crossed  the upper stretches of Lake Huron, which was as calm as its sister Lake Michigan had been,  passing several lighthouses.

Beautiful but lonely lighthouse in midst of Lake Huron

DeTour Lighthouse at entrance to St. Mary's River

Lime Island is now a state park run by Michigan DNR.   In the past it hosted a lime mining operation and a coal, later bunker fuel, fueling station for freighters.  Recreational boaters can now tie up to the old cement fuel dock.

Raydiance tied up at the old fuel dock.
Freighter passing on the outside.

Rental cabins on the hillside behind Raydiance and Tom.

Two freighters passing.

Rental cabins and camping are also available on the island.  The campground host told us that campers are only allowed to have campfires within designated iron rings because the leftover coal was spread throughout the island and fires anywhere else would start the ground afire!

We toured the Big House and the schoolhouse.  The Big House was the superintendent's house which was pulled across the ice from the mainland in the 1800's.  At one time 50 families lived on the island.

The Big House

Had to see the schoolhouse!

Lime Kiln

Sled used to carry ice blocks from the river.

Our only other companions for the evening were some very noisy common terns.  The far end of the old fuel dock is a protected nesting area and we were told about 50 mated pairs were in residence.  Seemed more like 500!  We watched as a crow perched on the light stand, waited patiently and swooped down  attempting to steal an egg.  This would lead to all sorts of squawking and chasing.  Tom got his fair share of scolding just by going close enough to inspect some stored channel markers.

Tom making the terns nervous.

Tern sanctuary.
Resident crow temporarily absent.

The sunset that evening was not spectacular as rain was forecast and clouds formed at the horizon.  A thunderstorm awakened us about 4:30 a.m., but we were very securely tied to rings in the cement wall so no worries.  

Sunset through the coal buckets

Mackinac City to Cheboygan

Now we are on our own for quite a while.  After fueling and pumping out at Petoskey,  we headed to Mackinac City--about a 52 mile run.  Lake Michigan was still behaving with less than one foot waves,  though the temperature was a bit cooler.  Along the way we passed several freighters.  With AIS on the new radio we are able to check the ship's name, speed and destination.  Very cool.
 Looper friends, John and Mary Morgan,  had contacted us a week ago to say they were going to be at their cottage at Mackinac the first three weeks in June.  So we made plans to stay at their marina, Mackinac City Marina, and meet up with them.

This freighter was headed to Chicago

The lighthouse marking Gray's Reef--a shallow passage near Mackinac

We had last seen the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day 2012 when we walked it with my sister, Pat, and husband, Jim.  It was a thrill to see it come into view from the opposite direction.

Approaching the Mackinac Bridge

Shortly after leaving Petoskey we received a phone call from looper friends Fred and Julaine Eddy aboard Borias. We had last seen them at Little Current, Ontario in August 2012.   They had read our blog and realized we were heading to Mackinac.  At the time they were 45 miles away from Mackinac heading northwest and we were 45 miles away heading northeast.  We arrived at Mackinac a few minutes after they arrived and decided to stay at the marina they had chosen--Straits State Marina--next door to Mackinac City Marina.  This marina is only a few years old and has all floating docks.  We had a good visit with them that evening.  They left the following morning as their grandson who was traveling with them for the week was departing in Charlevoix the next day.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture while they were here!

Straits State Marina, as you can see, not crowded!!

Saturday, John and Mary aboard Passport returned from Mackinac Island and called to invite us to a potluck dinner at their marina.  We had last seen them in Virginia, May 2012, after going through the Dismal Swamp  together.  Before dinner, we joined them aboard the Mary Frances, a gold loop boat belonging to another John and Mary Leatherman who completed the loop last year.  After dinner we all went to the Morgan's turn of the century cottage which started out as John's grandmother's cottage in the 1920's.  It is west of Mackinac City right on Lake Michigan with a great view of the bridge.  Great fun to catch up and swap loop stories.

John and Mary Leatherman (Mary Frances)

John and Mary Morgan  (Passport)

View from the Morgan's cottage

Tom and I both now have his cold,  so we are a hacking duo.  As a result we spent most of Sunday at the boat inside doing small chores and resting.  Our only outing was to a nearby mini-golf course for a challenge. I won't mention the score!

Notice the arrogant winning grin!

Labor Day last year we met some boaters from the Duncan Bay Boat Club in Cheboygan, Michigan.  They told us about their boat club and urged us to visit if we were in the area.   We decided to give it a try and headed there on Wednesday, June 19^th.  

This family of swans greeted us as we entered Duncan Bay

The members were certainly correct in their assessment.  The harbor is very protected and the facilities were first class.  We even had cable hook-up dockside.  As you can see, the interior of the clubhouse was beautiful.   A good sized swimming pool with a deck area was outside the clubhouse. 

                

 

 Beautiful clubhouse at Duncan Bay Boat Club

Thursday evening Tom was watching the news and heard that the space station was going directly over us.  So we hopped on the front deck and had a great view of it as it passed overhead looking like a very bright, fast moving planet.   The following Monday we enjoyed the super moon.  Quite a show up there in the sky

!While at Duncan Bay, Deb Swindlehurst aboard Foray came by to say hello.  Their boat had been the one right next to us in Carabelle as we waited for the Gulf crossing last December.   Charlie and Linda Thomas, gold loopers aboard Freedom’s Turn and the members who had invited us to their club’s potluck at St. Ignace last year, returned to their boat later in the week.

As we all know, sometimes life interferes with our plans and such happened to us in Cheboygan.   Tom’s right eye started giving him some trouble.  He was taking medication for  a  staff infection that had developed prior to leaving on the trip,  but now there seemed to be more problems.  So after a text to his doctor, a Friday, June 21^st , appointment was set in Farmington.  This required a rental car which could reasonably be obtained only in Petoskey.  Problem was that we were in Cheboygan.  So Thursday morning we took the county service van from Cheboygan to Petoskey—a 45 mile trip that took 2 and ½ hours!  Besides taking care of Tom’s eye and catching up with friends and finding necessary items at home that we thought we had with us on the boat,  the trip introduced us to Wolf’s Marine in Benton Harbor.   This is an amazing store that takes up an entire city block.  We found a replacement oar for the one I lost out of the dinghy last summer and a depth gauge that is no longer manufactured.  We had been told repeatedly that neither item would ever be found and we should give up the search.  Tom was delighted because using this depth gauge he did not need to change transducers, and I was thrilled to find the oar so I no longer have to hear about losing the old one!!!  

We arrived back at the boat on Monday evening late.  Tuesday, a mechanic replaced the back cabin air conditioner, Tom changed out the house batteries and installed a new charging system, and I returned the rental car and once again rode the county van back to Cheboygan.  With everything ship shape, we departed Cheboygan Wednesday morning to begin our journey to Superior.

Petoskey

Leaving Charlevoix on Wednesday, June 12, we found ourselves in fog so thick we could not see the lift bridge until we were almost next to it.  We arrived right at 10:30 a.m. and it opened within a few minutes to one long/one short blast from our horn.   Alice and I took the first watch and failed miserably as we got to talking and missed a waypoint turn.  Luckily we were going out and not toward land.  We corrected and got back on course, but not without stern looks and headshakes from the men-folk.

David has found his new career in Petoskey

The fog cleared late morning and we arrived in Petoskey to bright sunshine around 1:00 p.m.  Alice and I had heard about Petoskey stones and had seen a few that had been collected in Charlevoix, so we were determined to find some of our own.  We hopped on loaner bikes provided by the marina and peddled along a flat bike path that followed the lake to a state park five miles away.  There we found a beautiful sand beach with hardly any stones.  That did not dissuade us, however, and we walked a mile along the beach until we came to an area that showed some possibility.  We intently searched for over an hour and found not a one.  About halfway back to the marina, we met a man coming up a path from the beach carrying stones.  He showed us his Petoskey stones and told us he had found them in about 15 minutes.  Assuring ourselves that this was the spot,  we hunted again and again did not find any.  We came to the conclusion that we really did not know what we were looking for.  We consoled ourselves by reminding each other that collectors told us the pattern was very hard to spot unless the stone was wet.
A little farther toward the marina is a section of town called Bay View Association.  This area began as a Methodist camp that featured speakers, educational opportunities, music, etc.  It grew to over 400 "cottages" most of which were built in the late 1800's or early 1900's --Victorian architecture with  beautiful woodwork, stained glass windows, and wrap around porches.  Today the cottagers, many at least 4th generation,  can only live there April through October.  Daily speakers, music and activities are still offered. Alice and I had a great time riding our bikes through the area and visiting with a few locals.
Meanwhile Tom and David walked to the West Marine store (surprise, surprise!) and David came across the shop advertising his new profession as a hairdresser.  Tom has managed to come down with a dandy cold, so he is not too inclined to sightsee--but West Marine is always a siren song!

Last sunset with Alice and David aboard

Thursday morning David and Alice rented a car and we all rode back to Muskegon.  Our intention had been to play a round of golf before leaving them to return to Farmington with our car as we headed back to the boat.  But with Tom's head cold, a windy day and a longer ride than anticipated, that did not happen.  Instead we took a long lunch break at the Antler Bar in Pentwater before we had to say good-bye.  Such good friends and so easy to have on board.  We will miss them.  Thank heavens for internet and cell phones!

Good ol' Antler Bar in Pentwater

Charlevoix

Tuesday we awoke to DENSE fog!  With the help of radar, chart plotters and a fog horn,  we ventured off to Charlevoix.   The sun was shining but apparently not enough to clear the fog.  Every now and then it would clear enough to see the shoreline, but soon it blanketed the boat and we were again at the mercy of radar. Just before we arrived at the Charlevoix harbor entrance, the fog lifted.

Entering Charlevoix harbor

Leaving Leland

Charlevoix is a beautiful town that has been summer host to many wealthy families since the late 1800's.  After a quick harbor tour including a turn around inner Lake Charlevoix boasting many gorgeous homes and the Belvedere and Chicago Associations,  we tied up at the municipal marina on Round Lake.  By now the sun was shining brightly and it was a fine day to take a walk.  So we headed off in search of the "mushroom houses", whimsical houses built in the early 1900's by Earl Young.  The houses look like something out of a fairy tale with wavy roof-lines, irregular stonework and "snowy" chimneys.             (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Alice with chart covered bear at Charlevoix Library

Mushroom house as viewed from Round Lake

Check out the chimney on this one.

Loved the windows here.  Kept expecting Snow White to appear.

 

Not sure this was a mushroom house, but it was
definitely something out of a fairy tale.  Seen from Round Lake.

This little guy was one of the smallest mushroom houses.

The guys quickly tired of mushroom houses and went off to our chosen dinner spot by the channel.  Alice and I kept walking and found a path to the beach which naturally lead to more rock hunting.  We arrived at dinner late and with bulging pockets.   Along the way we viewed lovely gardens and wildflowers.

Smooth and colorful rocks on the shore.

Beautiful blue and white wildflowers

Tree peony bloom

Judy Sheets, now I understand

why you wanted one of these!

The Charlevoix Municipal Marina has very nice  accomodations both at  the pier and the boaters' lounge.  Just outside the office building is this fountain that during the day is a playground for children and overheated boaters and at night entertains with sprays of colored water synced to music.