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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