The Michigan coast is pockmarked with “safe harbors” – man-made anchorages every 20-30 miles that allow boats to get off the lake in foul weather. These are really necessary – there are very few natural anchorages on the lakes, and the water conditions can change on a dime. Our leisurely stroll into Port Austin, MI on Lake Huron turned into psycho anchoring in gale force winds in a couple of minutes, thanks to a rogue thunderstorm. Can’t take your eyes off the weather for a second!
The best part about the safe harbors are the towns that have grown up around them – almost all are very tolerant and supportive of itinerant travelers. But all very different – landscapes, histories, vibes. We could have spent the entire summer exploring around these stops.
For example Presque Isle had no restaurants and only one shop catering to local fishermen, where we bought some delicious smoked whitefish spread, and a peaceful forest walk ending in a pretty lighthouse and a massive bell – bigger than the Liberty Bell! – that visitors can ring. So of course we did.
Next we had a great time in Rogers City, where Erin’s parents Mary and Russ showed off the world’s largest limestone quarry and fed us an amazing dinner of things they had hunted and gathered. Felix loved cooking bluegills in the outdoor deep-fryer and learning how a bow works. We also got a personal tour of the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum, largely devoted to major shipwrecks, from a retired lifelong mariner.
Around the top of the mitten, Mackinaw City was a whole different story, for example they have a zipline and a Starbucks. From there we took the commercial ferry to Mackinac Island for fudge and horse-drawn carriages and found a Jamaican restaurant!
The winds kicked up again after we crossed under the Mackinac Bridge and we found the safe harbor we needed in Traverse City, where we stayed for 3 nights– trying to embrace fewer travel days and getting to know places more deeply. Also getting to know more of the boaters doing the Great Loop. And docktails.
We’ve learned a bit about how high seas operate on the lake. Lakes are basically big bathtubs – wind at one end kicks up huge waves locally today, but they reverberate up and down and through the lakes for hours and even days afterwards. So it’s not enough to check winds, you kind of have to know how “quiet” the lake will be before heading out.
Well we know how to appreciate what quiet really means now, thanks to our trip leaving Traverse City – relatively light winds and wave heights of 1-3 feet at the nearest buoy sounded like decent conditions, until we left Traverse Bay and headed into Lake Michigan proper. Seas were suddenly more like 6 feet – not pleasant under any conditions – but the swells were coming in from every which direction at once – really hard to find a rhythm and keep your balance. Or keep anything on a table. Thankfully about two hours later we started past North Manitou Island which blocked a lot of the swells, so it was smoother cruising into South Manitou Island after passing the North Manitou Light.
We had learned about the North Manitou Light from Jake at Burritt’s Market in Traverse City. It had been abandoned, and a group of folks got together to rescue it. They just refurbished and installed the historic lead-glass windows -- must be incredible to see the view from inside.
We left South Manitou on a day with more “calm” conditions than the rough passage from Traverse City, but that proved to be rocky as well. After getting banged up for a second long trip, systems started to give up. Our dinghy detached from the davit, so had to secure the boat in 3-foot seas. That was fun. Then minutes later, we lost or received faulty signals from our port engine. And finally, minutes after that, we lost our autopilot. Which seems like a luxury until you have to navigate swells and currents and winds that each want you to go some other destination. So, keeping a lookout for some repairs in the near future but the most important part is that we’re thankfully able to keep moving safely in the meantime.
Our weeks on the Great Lakes have definitely taught us the enormous value of a safe harbor – someplace you can just go and be. Don’t have to do anything when you arrive. Doesn’t have to be fancy. Can even be a bit crowded or a muddy mess on the bottom to anchor in. Being able to stop and relax mind and body and boat when you need to is priceless.