Tomato, Tomatoe, Potato, Potatoe,

Mackinac, Mackinaw,

After reprovisioning in Mackinaw City (pronounced “Mack-in-aw”)  we made a short, smooth run to the resort-y destination of Mackinac Island (also pronounced “Mack-in-aw”).  Now, this is a VERY interesting place.  It is a seasonal resort island that boasts 400 year-round residents, another 2000 or so seasonal residents, 18 (non-chain only) hotels, 3 dozen (non-chain only) restaurants, one doctor, five churches, three cars, five veterinarians,  600 draft horses (yes, really), and about a bazillion (ok, maybe 2,000) bicycles. 

Wait! Huh? What?

Downtown Mackinac Island

Accessible only by water or air, Mackinac Island (pronounced “Mack-in-aw”), by law, forbids motorized vehicles (the 3 cars mentioned above are one police/EMT truck and two fire trucks).   All ground transit is horse-drawn, peddle powered, or on foot.  And it is blissfully quiet.  No Harley’s rapping their pipes, no diesel Dodge Rams rolling coal, no 18-wheelers with jake brakes, no garbage trucks dropping dumpsters.   Nada.  Zippo, None.  Even UPS delivered by freight wagon.  And garbage is collected early every morning by two-horse, two-man teams.      

The only unnatural sound is from the thousands of tourists who arrive and depart by ferry daily. (Oh, and from the 30 or so Loopers gathered in the Michigan DNR marina, once Docktail hour rolls around.)

Mackinac Island (pronounced “Mack-in-aw”) is also famous for its fudge.   It is creamy and delicious and has been an island mainstay for over 100 years.  They sell it everywhere and free samples are common, as are long lines.   In fact, if you wait patiently for a freebie at every outlet, you can reportedly accumulate over a pound and a half for your trouble.  

The centerpiece of the island's tourism is the Grand Hotel.  America’s largest and oldest summer hotel, it dates from 1887 and boasts 388 rooms, each unique in space and décor.  It offers a golf course, spa, theater, pool/waterpark, high tea,  and several restaurants. It is particularly famed for its long and luxurious front porch, an extension of the lobby really.  The ceiling of the porch is cunningly painted sky blue, which reportedly makes the island's insects think it is the open sky and causes them to go elsewhere for bite-able/sting-able fare.  The hotel was also the scene of the movie Somewhere in Time (1980, Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour.)  And it has a dress code.

Yes, you heard it correctly.  A dress code.

After 6:00 pm, gentlemen are expected to wear a coat and tie and ladies must be in slacks, skirts, or dresses in public areas. No shorts, no denim, no sweats, no bare midriffs, no AC/DC t-shirts, no backward trucker hats, or “pinch ’tween check and gum”.  

Full disclosure:  The foregoing is based on 1) a sign (pictured below) at the entrance to the hotel grounds, 2) the hotel website,  and 3) the range of attire we observed in the hotel lobby before 6:00.  We did not actually observe the staff frog-marching anyone from the premises for their NASCAR sartorial splendor.  (Although it would have been fun to watch!)  But good for the Grand for trying to maintain some standards.  (Plus, they charge $10/person for non-guests to wander their lobby.  Refundable if you eat there. Yes, really.)    

We joined a group of Loopers for a horse carriage tour of the Island.  Our driver, Nathan (a physical therapy student from Romania) gave us a very informative history lesson while urging his team of Percherons through town, up past the Grand Hotel, and through the woods at the top of the island.  

Nathan drives his team.

On the descent, we opted to off-load at Fort Mackinac (pronounced “Mack-in-aw”), a historic 18^th-19th century French/British/American trading and military outpost with well-preserved buildings and displays, and a cadre of reenactors in uniform conducting demonstrations.  Once part of our 2^nd National Park (after Yellowstone), it is now administered by the State of Michigan.

Sadly, our two-night stay at Mackinac Island (pronounced “Mack-in-aw”) passed too quickly and on August 18^th, we set off on glassy seas on a course due west destined for the Mackinac Bridge (pronounced “Mack-in-aw”) and Lake Michigan.   

But as we approached the bridge, we heard an odd  Securitie’ call on the VHF radio warning of construction activity on the bridge and warning boaters to “avoid the North, Center, and South spans” for fear of possible falling debris.    With our binoculars, we could see orange road construction signs, parked trucks and equipment, and slowing traffic.  But the bridge only has three spans, South, Center and North.   So, is it closed?   Can we pass?  What to do?   We hailed a law enforcement boat idling beneath the bridge and were advised to use the North span.  Apparently, the Securitie’ call was a bit, shall we say, overzealous?  Regardless, we sailed through without being bombarded and set a course for St. James Harbor on Beaver Island, Lake Michigan’s largest Island.

But that will have to wait for next time.

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Going UP North!

Cruisin’ wid da Yoopers!

Regular readers may recall that the Canadian border has been closed to recreational boat traffic for almost 2 years.  You may further recall that this has caused us to forego the traditional northernmost portion of the Great Loop involving the Trent Severn Waterway and the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron.  Not to mention the other inconvenience and expense required to work around the stupid, nonsensical,  COVID-fearful,  financial-hostage-taking bullshit in which Canada engaged at the Welland Canal between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Even though the border is now open, we have deemed it too late in the season to backtrack.  So, herein we will describe our own truncated voyage “Up North”.

From our DNR marina at Presque Isle State Park near the top of “The Mitten”, we cruised straight north across Lake Huron toward the St Mary River.  Following in the wake of the William G McKinley (always better to stay behind a 1000’ ore carrier bound for Lake Superior, IMHO), we entered the De Tour Passage, which separated the Upper Peninsula (aka “Da U P”) of Michigan from Drummond Island.   Our destination was the village of De Tour and another nice Michigan DNR marina.  (Nice marina, but not much of a town).  Still, it was here we encountered our new Looper friends Justin and Melissa (and Peggy, the Labrador Retriever) aboard Sabot out of Portland, Maine.  Their boat is a Krogen Manatee 36, as seaworthy of a profile of the wooden shoe as you can find anywhere. ( And with a top speed of 9 kts, its unlikely to be confused with the other form of sabot.)

De Tour Passage at left, Harbor Island anchorage top center

The next day we departed De Tour under foggy conditions, destined for Drummond Yacht Haven on Drummond Island.    The easternmost extension of Da U P, Drummond felt a lot like the Priest Lake area in Idaho.  Many lovely cottages, an economy oriented toward summer visitors, and a core group of hardy year-round residents.  It was there we met Steve and Reetha Lee, friends of  CA banking friend, who summer on the island.  Steve is a Senior Captain with American Airlines.  Reetha prefers to watch sunsets and passing ships on the De Tour Passage.  Their sons both attended West Point and are currently serving as infantry officers. (Thank you, guys!)   They graciously invited us to an authentic U P white fish dinner at their lovely “cottage”.   (We were both caught by surprise how good it felt to have dinner in a home.   Maybe a sign that its time to go home?)

The Lee's Drummond Island Cottage

Our hosts Steve & Reetha Lee 

After two nights at Drummond, we and Sabot made a short trip north to the Harbor Island Wildlife Refuge, an atoll-like anchorage just below the Canadian border.   The shape and terrain of the island make it an ideal “hurricane hole”, sheltered from winds from almost any direction.  We explored the lagoons by dinghy and found a beach and a meadow on which  the dogs could romp.  We passed a delightful evening with Justin and Melissa, and restful night at anchor (rare for us).  

The next morning, we set off early to re-cross Lake Huron to the Michigan Mitten.   Kathleen had a massage therapy appointment in Cheboygan, MI, so we were headed for the Duncan Bay Boat Club, just south of town.   The 40-mile crossing was, in a word, rough.  Winds were 17-20 knots, seas were 3-5 feet on the starboard bow.   It was a rolling, wet ride, regularly drenching the bow in spray and giving our wipers a real workout (and one scary moment when we thought we would lose our kayaks) until we made it into the lee of Lafayette Point on Bois Blanc Island. 

Duncan Bay Boat Club proved to be  well-equipped, well-staffed, and (thankfully) well-sheltered.  But it is a few miles from any other services.  The Cheboygan massage therapist Kathleen contacted about her back graciously picked her up at the marina and returned her two hours later (including a grocery store stop!) in much-improved condition.  Kathleen continues daily stretching followed by cold and heat therapy and continues to improve. 

The next day, we had a short, smooth run up the coast to Mackinac (pronounced “Mack-in-aw”. Yes, really.) City.   Located at the very top of the Michigan Mitten and anchoring the southern end of the 5-mile Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac City serves as the gateway to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (“Da U P”).  Before the bridge was built, there was a big business running ferry boats across the straits.  In the weeks before deer season on “Da U P”, hunter’s cars would line up for miles to get across.  Full-time residents of “Da U P” are known at Yoopers and are a hardy bunch. They possess a fiercely proud culture heavily focused on hunting, fishing, ORV’s and other outdoor activities.   You can get a taste by listening to the  Da Yoopers on YouTube.    

Mackinac City was a welcome provisioning stop.  We cleaned the boat and loaded up on groceries, fuel, and water to last us for several more days.  We even found a Starbucks!  (Albeit the lowest-energy Starbucks we have ever experienced.  Yawn.)

The Mackinac Bridge is the recognized demarcation between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.  But, we had one more stop to make before venturing west onto the waters of the Grand Lac.   Stay tuned for our visit to Mackinac Island………. 

fur-Admiral Maggie at her crusing post

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Up A Not-So-Lazy River

 And cruising the Mitten

With our hearts full, all our new provisions stowed, and the new TV installed, we bid adieu to Lake St Clair and began the trip north on the St Clair River toward Lake Huron.    The St. Clair River stretches some 40 miles with an elevation climb of 4-6 feet northbound and, because of its narrow channel, as much as a 3-knot current.  It also offers three different channels at its mouth.   We (well, really Garmin Navionics)  choose the Middle Channel, which took us past dozens of beautiful, but low-lying “cottages” 

(“Cottage” is Great Lake-ese for what we call a “cabin” and covers an equally wide range of structures.   From “snow-white mansions” to “little shacks”, as the song goes*)  

Observing the cruising speeds of the locals, we set a 9-10 knot pace upriver.  About a mile in, we were “notified” by a pair of locals in a pontoon boat that selected Michigan waters (including the Middle Channel of the St Clair River) have special no-wake rules for vessels more than 26 feet in length.   And that we were clearly in violation.   While they may have been well-meaning and we were clearly in the wrong, the conversation was limited by the fact that they only possessed a single adjective (which they employed repeatedly).  We slowed down, apologized, and wished them well (while quietly bemoaning our lack of a stun grenade. Sheesh!)

Once we joined the main river channel, we  were able to resume a 10-knot cruise and found we could actually get on plane.  Normally, this occurs at 12.5-13 knots, but with the current pushing the water by us at 3-knots, we could hold a 13-knot speed thru the water with a speed over the ground of only 10 knots.  Pretty cool, huh!  (Our friends on the trawler Lady Jane with their 7-knot cruise speed found themselves crawling at 4 knots and being passed by sailboats)

Our voyage ended at Desmond Marine in Port Huron, where we had an appointment for some boat maintenance.   Top of the list was a 200-hour oil and filter change for our Volvo diesel engines.  (Some of you may recall a colorful 2020 post on this topic.  Suffice to say that Commadore Kathleen has not forgotten that experience and has forbidden DIY efforts in this area. )  We also asked Desmond to take a crack and removing a rather embarrassing bend in one wing of our Delta-style anchor.

In a world where more boatyards answer the phone with “We’re booked out (insert number between 3 and 10) weeks”,  Desmond Marine was like a NASCAR pit crew.  We only gave them 5 day’s notice and within an hour of our arrival, they had us moored at their fuel dock, had the anchor off the boat,  and sent a lanky (an important trait!) young man into the engine room with 12 gallons of oil and the required filters.  Within the same afternoon, the anchor was back with the kink removed.   We liked them so much, we also bought 250 gallons of diesel fuel.  Ka CHING!

While at Port Huron, we connected for a dinner with fellow Loopers LadyJane, Happiness Is, Bye George, Liberty Call.   Happiness Is is captained by Rommel Torres.  And yes, he is named for that Rommel.  The one of Afrika Corps fame, that is.  So how does a nice Latino boy from El Paso get named for a WWII German Field Marshal, you may ask?   It seems his mother adored the actor James Mason.  But naming a Mexican kid “James” was not going to cut it.  But James Mason portrayed Erwin Rommel in the 1951 blockbuster, The Desert Fox.  So, Rommel Torres he became and remains.  A character and a great guy who is always ready to help.   

Two friends on LadyJane and Bye George suffered medical emergencies at Port Huron significant enough that they had to store their boats and fly home (FL and TX) for treatment.  In the case of Bye George. Kathleen was instrumental in locating a boatyard that would store a Tollycraft 48 on short notice AND a captain who would deliver the boat to the yard some 450 miles away.  (BIG time heavenly brownie points for her!)   We Loopers are mostly of a “certain age” and thereby prone to medical issues.  Having the Looper community to assist in an emergency makes all the difference in the world. 

Our business at Port Huron complete, we began our voyage on Lake Huron.  And it is, by far, our favorite body of water to date.   Clean blue water,  good (or at least predictable)  weather, interesting ports of call, and, best of all, Michigan DNR marinas.   The state of Michigan, within its own park system and in partnership with municipalities, has established a network of Harbors of Refuge on Lakes Huron and Michigan.    Originally intended to protect the commercial fishing fleet, these now serve as first-rate marinas for recreational boaters and fish charter operators.  Then are well designed (including substantial breakwaters against the storms that can ravage Lake Michigan and Lake Huron), well managed, and reasonably priced.   A refreshing change from the wildly variant commercial marinas we have encountered.   Good goin’, Michigan.

Note the BIG breakwaters in the backgroud

Moving north from Port Huron along the eastern shore of the Michigan "Mitten", we stood into marinas at Port Sanilac, Harbor Beach, Harrisville and Presque Isle State Park.  (A special shout-out to the harbor team at Port Sanilac who drove Commodore Kathleen to a nearby Emergency Room for treatment of a pinched nerve in her hip as a result of a fall on the main cabin steps during a rough, wet passage.   With muscle relaxants, heat, cold, and massage  therapy, she is now on the mend.)

Admiral Maggie like Lake Huron

Presque Isle Lighthouse

View from the top

From Presque Isle, we will make our foray "Up North", via the De Tour Passage to ping a few Canadian cell towers.  But that is for next time……

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Angels Walk the Earth

 And We Met One!

The young man in this picture with Wade is an angel of God. 

His name is Tom McDonald.  He lives in Pickney, MI with his beautiful wife. Ellicette, and his two sons, Christopher and Anthony.  He is an RN at the Ann Arbor VA Hospital, serving in the in-patient mental health unit.  He drove his family 140 miles round trip to met us at the St Clair MetroBeach park.  On Christopher’s birthday, of all things. 

All that makes him out to be a pretty high-quality dude, doesn’t it.    Well, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, bucko.

Tom is also Wade’s genetic sibling.  “Huh?” you say?  Well, Tom’s donated stem cells were transplanted into Wade’s bloodstream in 2010, curing Wade’s acute myeloid leukemia.   Tom’s bone marrow became Wade’s bone marrow.   Tom’s blood type became Wade’s blood type.  So, he and Wade are now more closely related than Wade is to his familial siblings. (Sadly, his hairline did not come across in the transplant.)

We became acquainted with Tom thru the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance several years ago and this trip presented the opportunity to meet in person for the first time.   Among other things, we learned that he only became a registered stem cell donor AFTER Wade’s initial diagnosis in 2009.   To us, that is just another sign of God’s hand in Wade’s treatment and recovery.   AMEN!

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Jeez! You’re STILL behind, aren’t you.

 So, stop dawdling.   Get up and keep up, will you?

Shaking the dust of Port Clinton, OH from our sandals, we headed 14 miles (thru summer Sunday boat traffic)  across to South Bass Island and the port of Put In Bay, OH.  Historic site of Commodore Perry’s final victory over the British in the War of 1812, Put In Bay has re-purposed itself as Lake Erie’s ultimate vacation destination.  Known by some as the Key West of the North, it caters to visiting boaters and ferry passengers with marinas, hotels, vacation homes, restaurants, beaches, wineries, and gift emporiums.   

And golf carts. 

THOUSANDS of golf carts. 

Golf carts in all colors, shapes, and sizes.

Golf carts you can rent for $12/hr or $90/day.

All dutifully licensed and taxed by the state of Ohio for road use.

The guy who fixes golf carts is like the Godfather of the entire island.  

After a small shuffle with a marina that lost our reservation, we happily found moorage in the center of town, right in front of the Put In Bay Winery.   And we discovered our Looper friends Cliff and Maryjane aboard Lady Jane at anchor in the bay.   And, by arriving on Sunday, we watched the party crowd fire up their overpowered  Sea Ray’s and center consoles and head back to the mainland.   Just a whole series of happy accidents.  

We enjoyed a relaxing 2-night stay; shopping, touring the island by golf cart and dinghy, dinner with Cliff and Maryjane, and taking Admiral Maggie swimming.  We were also visited by Sgt Mike Wheeler of the Put In Bay Police Department,  who appeared on our dock in full uniform asking for us.  Turns out he is an aspiring Looper and tries to meet as many visiting Loopers as possible.  To see their boats and pick their brains about the Loop.  (Whew!)

Tuesday morning, we set off NW across Lake Erie for the mouth of the Detroit River and the Motor City.   The Lake was a bit roll-y, with swells off the starboard quarter giving us a “busy” ride.  We extended our course further west so that when we turned into the ship channel for the Detroit River, we had seas on the starboard bow, rather than on the beam.

The Detroit River offers three channels to northbound boaters.  The west channel hugs the populated Michigan coast and offers lots of boater services (but was impassible due to bridge repairs at Grosse Isle.   The east channel follows the forbidden Canadian side.  This left us the center ship channel, with offers consistent depth and navigation aids, but a nasty current (The river drops 5 feet in 28 miles) and the chance to encounter 750’+ cargo ships.   But its fun to try new things, isn’t it?  So up the middle we went.  

The current cost us 2 knots of speed and we did pass a couple of BIG bulk carrier ships and barges.  Once we entered the main channel near Detroit, we found the water calm and enjoyed the contrast between the US side (Detroit) and the Canadian side (Windsor, Ontario).  But the voyage was largely uneventful and we arrived at our Michigan State DNR marina just north of downtown Detroit in good order. 

Detroit’s River Walk offers a delightful place to stroll along the water’s edge, with many new and resorted older buildings (although the neighborhood starts to get sketchy just a few blocks off the river.)  We had a nice view of GM’s Renaissance  Center headquarters but did not venture int the downtown district.  Instead, we hosted Docktails for the 4 or 5 other Looper boats present, including LadyJane, Sea Cottage, and Liberty Call.

Heading north the next morning, we quickly exited the Detroit River Lake St. Clair.   A smaller, shallower cousin to the Great Lakes, St Clair provides the linkage between Erie and Huron.  More importantly, it provides the scenic shoreline for the lovely (and affluent) communities of Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Farms, and St Clair Shores, where the Motor City’s movers and shakers have made their homes since the late 1800s.    At Jefferson Beach Marina, we met Wade’s cousin Reid Kurvink and his lovely wife Julie, who hosted us for dinner ashore.   Furthermore, they offered us the use of a car (YAY!) for three days so that we could do some serious reprovisioning.

From Jefferson Beach, we scooted 12 miles north the St Clair MetroBeach Park, which operates a fine transient marina in the middle of an absolutely gorgeous public park space.   Busy, clean, and well-staffed, the park offers something for everyone. Pool, mini-golf, a nature center, beach, walking and cycling trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, you name it.    But for us, it was the site of two other special activities.

First, we took advantage of Reid’s and Julie’s largesse and made trips to Costco, Krogers,  Walmart, Home Depot, McDonald’s, and Best Buy.   Wine, liquor, groceries, meat, bug repellant, Quarter Pounders w/cheese, dog food, dog treats, dog grooming, and a replacement TV for Irish Lass’s main cabin.   Thanks, Reid and Julie!  (To Loopers, the best come-on line in the world is, “I have a car….”)

Our second special activity involved four VERY special guests aboard Irish Lass.  But that will have to wait until next time……

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Keep UP, Will Ya! (Sheesh)

 Boy, are YOU behind.  

What have YOU been up to?  As WE write this, WE are in Lake Huron, headed up the east coast of Michigan.  By our reckoning, YOU are still somewhere back on Lake Erie.  (heavy sigh)  So, let’s get YOU caught up.  But be warned, you are SO far behind that this may take several blog updates to bring you up to speed.  Just deal with it, OK?

Leaving that wonderful Wolverine marina in Erie, PA, we made a bumpy passage west into Ohio to Geneva State Park’s marina.   North and West winds on Lake Erie are nobody’s friend.   Geneva proved to be a welcome sheltered port after slogging in beam seas for several hours.   We had a pleasant stay, despite more shore power issues and the need to run our generator to keep the AC running. 

ROCK's back 
door.

 The next day, we headed west on lumpy seas, bound for Cleveland.  We had originally   planned to skip the City of the Burning River, but heavy rains and flash flooding   temporarily closed our destination marina in Vermillion, OH.  So, what the heck, we   decided to see is Cleveland does still (per the “chicks with the crimson lips”) ROCK.     We made our way to the Oasis Marina at North Harbor, quite literally in the shadow of   the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and found ourselves surrounded by other Loopers.  A   happy change of plans, to be sure.   

 We invested three nights at Cleveland, allowing time for some Looper socialization   (including meeting C Sea Ryder from the Chicago area, whose captain in tuned out   attended the same Catholic elementary school in Palatine, IL  as Commodore Kathleen.   The Commodore also flexed her well-known negotiating skills to arrange a Looper  dinner for 20 at a Mexican restaurant that swore they could not offer us a reservation for more than 6.  (You go, girl!)  

We also made time for a visit from Mark, a certified marine electrician, who spent 4 hours diagnosing and correcting the shore power ground fault problem that keeps popping up (literally) at random marinas.  He ended up undoing improper work done at the time we bought the Lass.   The shore power problem is fixed, but our inverter has been temporarily decommissioned until we can invest time with another electrician to re-wire it, (properly this time.)   Thank you, Mark and Parker Marine, Inc. We now have a much better understanding of our AC electrical system.

So, it's one
louder, right?

Finally, we invested an afternoon to wander the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a total-immersion, turn-it- up-to-11, experience that left us tired, flushed, and ready to scream, “Long Live Rock!”   The final film of induction ceremony performances was worth the price of admission all by itself.

Long Live Rock!

Departing Cleveland in much-improved spirits and weather, we headed further west to Sandusky Bay, OH.  At this point, things started to get a bit weird.  We had always intended to visit the Sandusky area.  But we met a couple of recently retired Air Force vets, Rick and Jen, on Nauti Jeni, a 34’ American Tug,  back on the Erie Canal and, crossing paths with them on a few subsequent occasions, we enjoyed their company.  They convinced us to join them at the Cedar Point Resort Marina at the entrance to Sandusky Bay.   And as the coaster fans among you know, Cedar Point, while also the site of an excellent marina, is first and foremost the ground zero, high cathedral, top ‘o the heap, ne plus ultra for roller coasters.  And Rick is a lifetime coaster fanatic, anxious to introduce Jen and anyone else around to his passion.  So, good sense cast aside,  off we went to Cedar Point.  Sheesh.

Us with coaster-crazy Loopers Rick and Jen

Now, Cedar Point is a full-scale resort.  (Approaching it by water from the west, it rises on the horizon  from several miles away of a Federation spaceport of some kind.)  

"Spaceport" Cedar Point

 In addition to coasters to test the mettle of the hardiest of souls, they offer a beach, campground, hotel, restaurants, pools, RV Park, and a first-class marina.  All serenaded 12 hours a day with the mechanical clanks of coasters and the maniacal screams of coaster riders.  Right side up, upside down, vertical up, vertical down, smooth or rough, wood or steel, lean to the left, lean to the right, stand up, sit down, ( fight! fight! fight!). You name it, they got it. 

OMG!

From our assigned slip, we had a ring-side seat to watch one of the killer coasters hang riders over the edge before dropping them straight down a hundred feet or more.  At the appointed hour we entered the park to find Rick and Jen in an hour-long line for something call Steel Vengeance (in which we had no interest whatsoever).  Instead, we attempted to offset the cost of our tickets with a few minor rides.   But after our first choice left us both screaming like babies, so we spent the rest of our time on simple carnival rides, beverage stands,  and gift shops.  Suffice to say, the Cedar Point coasters ain’t for us.  But it is a first-class marina with a high-service fuel dock.  Neither to the scoffed at, for sure.  

From Cedar Point, we motored around the point to the OH town of Port Clinton.  Our memories there will center on a lovely Episcopal church and a shit-hole marina. Enough said.  We could hardly wait to set sail for …….

Oh, but just LOOK at the time!  My, My, My.

The rest of this tale will have to wait for next time.  Stay tuned!

 

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