Mother Nature Rules our World

Days on cruise:  153

Distance traveled:  25.2 miles

Travel time: 2 hrs, 56 minutes

Total trip odometer:  3,171 statute miles

After 3 bumpy hours on the lake this morning, we arrived in St. Joseph where we’ll stay for the night and get the oil changed in the engines and generator. With this, we’re nearing the end of our time on Lake Michigan with only one more stop in New Buffalo before arriving in Chicago. There  we’ll meet up with our youngest daughter Adrienne, her fiancée Justin, and his parents Denise and Jeff. After that we’ve planned to leave the boat in a marina for 10 days to return home to Seattle for a week, then 3 days in Houston visiting Cathryn’s parents.

 

When we left to begin our Great Loop journey, we knew the pattern of our days would be ruled by Mother Nature and the things she might throw at us like storms, high wind, big waves, very hot or cold temperatures, and more. Yesterday we came to realize she was throwing another unanticipated obstacle in our path and forcing a change in our plans.

During the last few weeks you've surely seen stories in the news about the dreadful impact this year's massive drought is having on commercial barge traffic, especially on the Mississippi River, due to extraordinarily low water. We've monitored those stories and remained unconcerned because those barges are 9 feet deep below the water, while our boat is only 4 feet , allowing it to safely travel in much shallower water. We learned new information about the rivers in the past two days that affects recreational boaters like us too.

When Loopers travel the 450-mile stretch of the Illinois, Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to arrive at the Tennessee River which ultimately takes us south to the Gulf of Mexico, we plan to stay in marinas and anchorages overnight. The Corps of Engineers dredges the charted channel inside the rivers, aiming to keep its' depth at 12 feet in normal conditions, though they've not succeeded in doing that this year, and more than 100 barges have grounded in shallower water.

This charted and dredged river channel remains sufficiently deep for us to safely travel. However, no one dredges the anchorages or the entrances into marinas, nor the dockside slips at marinas. As a result, it’s now being reported that many of the anchorages are entirely dry, empty of water, and many marinas have only 2  or 3 feet of water at their entrances or in their slips, making them unusable for boats our size. With fewer useable anchorages and marinas, Loopers now have to cover longer distances each day to find a place to stop at night.

Simultaneously, daylight hours are shrinking, and it's not safe to travel the rivers at night as the barges/tugs travel 24/7 and you can't see them or the markers well enough in the dark to avoid collisions. Unless the rains return very soon, the rivers will be un-navigable by recreational boaters because it won't be possible to travel from one useable marina or anchorage to another in a single day.

Above: commercial barges tied up waiting for the Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel so they can proceed.

In the current drought conditions, the rivers are sometimes dropping as much as one foot per week. As we’ve contemplated our approaching trip down the rivers, it became clear to us that we're at risk of having to store our boat on shore for the Fall/Winter and return sometime next year to complete our Loop. This is not a desirable prospect.

So . . . that's a long lead-up to the news that we've decided to cancel our September trips to Seattle and Houston in order to increase the likelihood we'll make it to the Tennessee River (which is not suffering the low levels of the Midwest rivers) so we can complete our Loop this winter. Doing this allows us to leave Chicago on September 5, or 11 days earlier than we would otherwise, and hopefully arrive at the Tennessee River by mid-September instead of the end of the month. We did not make this decision casually or without enormous disappointment. We haven't been home or seen Cathryn's parents and the rest of our family and close friends since March, which is already too long. We’re so sad about canceling the visits we were eagerly anticipating.

But that’s life on the Loop, going with the flow literally and figuratively.

South Haven, MI: Day 2

Days on cruise:   152

Today was a pretty low-key day.  We spent most of the morning trying to resolve upcoming journey logistics (more on this in a post in the next day or two). 

After lunch we went for a walk up the river and out to the beach. Lots of interesting boat traffic travels through here.

There’s a long boardwalk adjacent to the river leading out to the harbor entrance and beach.

The beach was crowded with young couples and young families,  soaking up some rays . . .

and building sand castles.  We walked a long way in the shallow water but found it a little cool to tempt us in for swimming.

South Haven, Michigan

Days on cruise:  151
Distance traveled:  23.4 miles
Travel time:  3 hours, 7 minutes
Total trip odometer:  3,146 statute miles
Though our journey for the day was short, we were awake early so pulled the anchor at Saugatuck and were underway at 7:30. This day brought the most placid water we’ve yet seen on Lake Michigan; it was almost like glass: no wind, no waves, just tiny ripples.  It was nice to see the calm lake instead of the ferocious lake.
Below is the pretty Kalamazoo River as we headed out.

And the harbor entrance into South Haven, yet another nice small town on the Michigan shore. How can one state pile up so many pretty and seemingly prosperous little towns in such a short space?

We’re in the Municipal Marina here, and there are no anchorages. The marina is less than half full. We’re not sure what this means. On arrival we found Looper friends Craig and Barbara on “Blue Heron”, folks who were our slip-mates back in Norfolk, Virginia in early May. We hadn’t seen them since then and were delighted to find them here.

The four of us immediately headed to town for lunch at a riverside pub. The weather, food and company were all excellent, and it was a happy reunion.

The juxtaposition of these two ads on one sign made us chuckle.

As the afternoon wore on, more Loopers pulled into the marina, and by cocktail hour there were 12 Loopers (six boats) in residence. We gathered in the marina lounge for cocktails, then ten of us went on to dinner together where we had excellent perch, a specialty on this part of the Lake. Our crowd included a couple from New Zealand, Ohio, Florida, Ontario and Seattle, a diverse crowd as always.

Saugatuck, MI, Day 3

Days on cruise:  150

Saugatuck is a really nice little town. The anchorage here, though shallow (we have TWO feet of water under our hull) is so well protected that we haven’t worried at all about dragging anchor, being hit with scary wind or waves, and of course there’s no tide or current to worry about.

However, a Sherriff’s boat came by and asked all of us who were anchored to move to a different location to get out of the “Turning Basin” needed for the Cruise Ship “Yorktown” to come in the following morning. Regular readers may recall when we were tied up to the Town Wall in Little Current, Ontario, they cleared all boats for about 500 feet to prepare for the arrival of this same Great Lakes cruising boat. So at 7am we saw it come in again.

There are several tourist boats that make regular trips in Kalamazoo Lake, often within about 50 feet of our boat, so the tourists wave and take photos of our boat, and we get a little rocking from their wake. Below is the Duck Boat.

Below is The Star of Saugatuck, a paddle-wheel-driven tourist boat for day trips which also operates here.

We took the dinghy into town again, tied up at the dinghy dock, and caught the Dial-a-Ride transit service to the grocery store 3 miles away. In Saugatuck there’s no fixed route/schedule bus service, just the mini-bus that you call ahead to arrange a ride. We called and got picked up at the dinghy dock 25 minutes later. After buying our groceries, we called again, and 10 minutes later they picked us up at the grocery store and took us back to the dinghy dock. Wow! All at a one-way cost of 50 cents for Bob (age 62 or over) and $1 for Cathryn.

We also wandered through town again, much less crowded and quieter on a weekday than a weekend when lots of folks are visiting. Again, we were struck by the quantity of public art which makes it so much more interesting. We did a bit of early Christmas shopping.

All the Looper friends with whom we’ve socialized the past two nights left this morning, headed south. We’re the only boat anchored here tonight, so Bob grilled steaks and Cathryn prepared veggies for a quiet and pleasant night on the sundeck by ourselves. Given our regular need for “time to ourselves”, this was perfect, despite how much we enjoy other Loopers.

Saugatuck,Michigan – Day 2

Days on cruise:  149

In many places in the northern regions of the world, cairns or Inukchuks or other similar devices are constructed and used by people to “mark the way”. They began in places where there was lots of ice or tundra, but few trees or other landmarks for making route-finding easy. When we were in Georgian Bay and the North Channel of Lake Huron in Canada, beaches were over-run with these sorts of markers, some small, others very large. Yesterday Christelle of Time and Tide, a fellow Looper whose company we’ve enjoyed along with her husband Gary, gave us an Inukchuk which she made from small rocks collected in the North Channel. We were so touched to receive as a gift a memento of our time in that region. This Inukchuk is about 4 inches tall and is beautiful!

The Kalamazoo River in Saugatuck where we’re anchored for a second night has a “chain ferry” to take people from one side to the other of the river. Boaters like us have to be careful going up or down river, to make sure the chain which pulls the ferry from one side to the other is not on the surface as we cross it.  As the ferry crosses, the chain or cable sinks low enough for boats to pass over.

The shops and streets of Saugatuck are filled with art, both private and public. It’s interesting, whimsical and fun.

Gardens in this town showcase lots of yard art.

An historical garden show-cased LOTS of yard art.

We have a very dear friend, Cathy M, who was also a next-door neighbor on Beaver Lake for 13 years and taught Cathryn the phrase “It is what it is”, suggesting that trying to change other people or circumstances is generally fruitless energy expended, so learn to accept. This phrase has stood us in good stead over the years, so today as we came upon a gallery/shop here in Saugatuck called “It Is What It Is”, of course we thought of Cathy!  Lots of things in the shop contained this iconic phrase and cried out for us to purchase them, but mostly we resisted.

At 5:30 this afternoon, ELEVEN of us Loopers convened on Wild Goose for cocktail hour.  Wild Goose (Florida), Time and Tide (Ontario), Flying Free (Saskatchewan), Teasa (Brazil) and Next To Me (Seattle) make for a very diverse crowd, and we had a ball, sometimes laughing til our sides hurt!

Saugatuck, Michigan

Days on cruise:   148

Distance traveled:  30.4 miles

Travel time: 3 hours, 31 mins

Total trip odometer:  3,122 statute miles

Despite the late night with friends in Grand Haven yesterday, we were up early this morning, partly because of the charter fishing boat “highway” that begins on the river at 4:30 a.m. and travels right past our bedroom window while tied to the downtown Wall. The weather was perfect for a travel day:  wind 5-10 knots, with waves 1 foot or less, so we slipped our lines at 7:30 a.m. and headed south.

Late morning we arrived at the harbor entrance off Lake Michigan and motored a couple miles up the Kalamazoo River to the lake adjacent to the town of Saugatuck. This tiny town only covers 1.5 square miles with about 1,000 year-round residents, but it’s a hoppin’ place, drawing weekend visitors from Chicago, Detroit and Grand Rapids. There are more galleries, restaurants, winery tasting rooms, restaurants and boutiques than in most towns many times its’ size.

We arrived to find Looper friends on Time and Tide (the Canadians), Wild Goose (from Florida), Teasa (the Brazilians) and Flying Free (more Canadians we met yesterday in Grand Haven) were also anchored in the same cove in which we plan to spend some time. Guess what that means for Happy Hour tonight?

We dropped the dinghy after lunch and motored to the town dinghy dock for a quick walk-around tour of the town. We’ll spend more time there tomorrow, at a slower pace.

At 5:30 nine of us converged on Wild Goose for Happy Hour:  eight adult Loopers and one 14-year-old, Erik, traveling with his parents on Flying Free. Conversation and wine both flowed freely, and a good time was had by all! Thank you, Anne and Jim, for hosting another great evening.

Back to Grand Haven

Days on cruise:  147

Mid-day Thursday Cynthia took us back to the Lake Express ferry terminal, and once again we departed for a Lake Michigan crossing, back to the eastern shore.

The mid-lake forecast was for winds 15-20 knots and wave height of 4-6 feet. We were glad to be on a large ferry rather than on Next To Me.

Milwaukee has a huge wall protecting the inner harbor with downtown vistas in the background.

This is the ferry we were on, whose wake we crossed almost a week prior as we headed south on Next To Me. The Lake Express is 191 feet long by 57 feet wide.

The view from the upper deck, which we enjoyed while westbound on Tuesday, was not something we chose to see while eastbound on Thursday. In the Milwaukee departure lounge, announcements were made repeatedly over the PA system about the weather, and passengers who tend to suffer from seasickness were strongly urged to take anti-motion-sickness medication. They sell dramamine at the ticket counter. Several passengers apparently ignored that advice (no photos here, thank you!)

Jim and Sharon picked us up at the Muskegon ferry terminal and took us back to the marina where we’d left Next To Me while we were in Milwaukee. The next morning we moved back to the Town Wall in downtown Grand Haven as it wasn’t a good travel day, and we really hadn’t had a chance to explore the town.  Jim took Bob to West Marine to pick up some things he’d ordered and took a quick tour of our engine room. 

The river coming off the lake into Grand Haven has every imaginable kind of boat operating on it.

Friday afternoon we wandered through downtown and enjoyed a Street Fair. The weather was coolish (high of 68) and sunny.

Friday night we had everybody on our boat: Sherry and Randy, who are in Looper planning mode to begin next year, Jim and Sharon, and Henning and Joanne, who are just two weeks into their Loop on their 41’ sail boat, as well as H&J’s 14-year-old son Erik for awhile. Cocktails were followed by dinner at the American Legion (of which Jim and Randy are members). Fraternal organizations like the American Legion, Eagle and Elks are ubiquitous in the small towns along the Loop.  Many have dinner options several nights week, where both members and non-members are welcome.

Dinner last night was hamburgers at the huge cost of $6.00, for both of us!  If you wanted to, you could probably eat out most every night at these inexpensive venues.  However you’d not likely be eligible for the gourmand of the year award.

After burgers and beer, we  all came back to our boat for more lively conversation, seeing the Musical Fountain again (see post 3 days ago for photos and story), then everyone headed to bed.

We really enjoyed our time in Grand Haven, and Jim and Sharon were great to help us out with transportation, advice and their friendship! We hope to see them again on Kentucky Lake or in Florida this winter.

West Marine

Several people have interpreted our recent comment about leaving West Marine wondering how we could spend so much and leave with so little as a slam on West Marine. It wasn't intended that way.

The price of any item designated as being for boats is generally 50% to 100% more than the equivalent item if you can find it at an auto or hardware store. That's why a stop at the best local hardware to see if we can find the item there is our "standard procedure" before going to any marine store.

But once we head to a marine store, we usually find West Marine can offer as good or better price than most other marine stores. In addition they will match any price you can find for the same item elsewhere, including the internet. So now the Internet is also a stop we make "on the way" to West Marine. Probably 9 out 10 times, we still find the best price to be at West Marine. For example, we will spend $50 less at West Marine tomorrow for the oil transfer pump we are picking up than the best Internet price we could find.

So, our original statement about "so little for so much" remains true, but as long as we own boats we'll be thankful for West Marine and the deep inventory and good customer service we have consistently experienced with them.

Milwaukee

Cathryn and Cynthia have been friends for 16 years. When Cynthia moved to Milwaukee 14 years ago, their visits became infrequent, but the close friendship and pick-up-where-we-left-off nature of the friendship endured. Cynthia was our first on-board visitor on Next To Me for two nights back in February in Florida.

Tuesday morning Looper friends Jim and Sharon in Grand Haven picked us up at the marina and drove us to Muskegon to catch the Lake Express, a high-speed ferry that crosses Lake Michigan in 2 1/2 hours to Milwaukee where we re headed for a two-night stay at Cynthia and Rod's home

Cynthia and her son Jake, home from college for the summer (he was 10 or 11 last time Cathryn saw him), picked us up at the ferry, gave us a quick driving tour of the city, and we had lunch downtown with great food and conversation and on the rooftop deck.

The rest of our stay was JUST what we needed! We went for a run or a walk, swam in their pool, were fed delicious meals, Cynthia helped Cathryn with "hair maintenance", spent time poolside in their lovely yard, went shopping for more polarized sunglasses, took short naps, and talked and talked. Bob read a whole book. Jake and his friends came and went and always interacted with us, and Rod and Cynthia took us to a Supper Club for a really great dinner the second night. We sat out by the pool drinking wine and talking past our bedtimes (Rod's too, as he leaves for work at 6am). They made us feel so welcome, let us do exactly what we wanted (not much), and we had wonderful conversations about anything and everything.

Mid-day today Cynthia will take us back to the ferry, and Jim and Sharon will pick us up on the other side to return to the boat. We're so fortunate to have so many really wonderful friends, both new and old! Now we're re-charged and ready to resume our trip down the Mighty Lake Michigan.

Day 2, Grand Haven, Michigan

Days on cruise:  144
Distance traveled:  2.2 miles
Travel time:  24 minutes
Total trip odometer: 3,090 statute miles

Whenever we’re tied up to a town wall, residents and tourists walk by looking at all the boats. Invariably a few ask questions and engage us in conversation. Cathryn can never resist the kids!  Yesterday a couple from Grand Haven walked by with their grandkids (ages 5, 9 and 10) who were visiting from Grand Rapids, and Cathryn invited the kids tour the boat. She loves their barrage of eager questions and wide-eyed amazement at everything they see! These kids were well-behaved and excited.

For the first time in more than 1,000 miles, we went to a West Marine store, walking a mile to get there. We’ve been to dozens of marine stores in New York, Canada and a few little towns here in Michigan, but rarely did we find the items we wanted in stock and we never stayed long enough for them to order it for us and have it delivered. We have a love-hate relationship with West Marine. They always have, or can order quickly, everything we want for the boat. But most of the time we walk away wondering how we managed to spend so much for so little.
At 5:45 Jim and Sharon A (our Platinum Looper friends who live on their boat “Blue Angel” full-time except when they spend a month or two living on land in Grand Haven each summer) picked us up at the marina in their car. We drove downtown to The Grand, a former theater, now converted to a Sushi restaurant, where we met Gary and Christelle from “Time and Tide”, and the six of us had dinner together. Dinner was delicious and the company was even better!

After dinner Gary and Christelle walked back to their boat on the town wall, and Jim and Sharon gave us a quick driving tour around Grand Haven and stopped to show us Sharon’s sister’s lovely Victorian home where they stay each summer. It’s a magnificent place, inside and out, with a lovely yard equipped with a Tiki Hut out back!