Day 6 of 30 / Cheboygan to Mackinac Island

1/2/2025

Harbor Hopping on the Great Lakes 2024

Wednesday, July 17, 2024: Did I mention that I love this place?! In this particular slip, with nobody behind us, we can sit and watch the world go by. At 8:30 a.m., Larry is well into his morning obligations of tending to work things in his remote office while I just sit and watch the ferry go by, the fisherman heading out into the lake, and other boaters tending to their routines and fueling up at the gas dock. There's so much to see!

Our next destination is Mackinac Island. Similar to checking in at a hotel, we can't check in to our boat slip until after 11:00 a.m. It's going to take us about 30 minutes to get there and we can hear rumblings of thunder in the distance so we're going to wait for a window of clear weather before heading out.

At 10:30 a.m., the rain started pouring down, just as a sailboat pulled up to the gas dock. We assume they are heading home from the race to Mackinac because they had quite a large crew on board. The still, serene water was breathtaking after the rain storm. At 12:05 p.m. we found our window of opportunity to head across. The lake was a little choppy but the spectacular scenery made time pass quickly. There were dramatic cloud formations followed by clear blue skies that were awesome; a pattern that continued all day long. The clearing lasted for our trek across the lake. Just as Larry turned the boat so we can stern into our slip, the rain and wind started again, soaking the young dockhands who were guiding us in. In hopes of keeping the cockpit dry, we rushed to put up the canvas, fighting against the wind. We got a little wet but it wasn't long before our lines were secured and the canvas up.

This slip is in a different location than we're used to. Our first indication became apparent as we sat down to wait for the rain to stop when suddenly we were rocking frontwards and backwards and being slammed against the pilings. We thought it was the wind at first and then realized it was the wake from the ferry boats. Whoa! Back out in the rain we go to add more lines and fenders for protection. We quickly realize this intense rocking occurs frequently; with each ferry that comes and goes. Ugh. This is seriously uncomfortable. The good news is the ferry's stop running through the night so we won't be rocked while we sleep. When Larry went to the office to check us in, he asked if we could relocate to a slip on the side of the marina that we were accustomed to but that wasn't possible this time. Accepting our situation, our spirits lightened as we took extra precautions to protect the boat as best we could and then walked into town. With the clopping of the horses, our stress melted away. We walked for hours, popping in and out of shops and restaurants when the rain started again. We've been longing to return here since our last visit in 2021. The night ended with a large clearing in the sky, long enough to appreciate the nearly full moon reflecting on the water. Bliss.