Crossing our Wake - Lake Michigan Aug 16&17

This will be our last post for a while. Our tentative plans next summer are to head back to Mackinac Island and go north into Canada (being we skipped due to Covid). We will travel the North Channel, Georgian Bay, Trent/Severn Canal, and maybe as far at NY Thousand Island area. We did make it back to Pella with a week to spare for the birth of our Granddaughter. We are back in our house and doing some updates to flooring. We loved the loop and all the wonderful friends we made, some will be for life. Seeing the eastern half of the US from the water was wonderful. 

Not the best picture, but this is leaving Mackinaw City at sunrise heading to Lake Michigan.

Crossing under the Mackinac Bridge. An interesting point is that three years prior we stayed at the same marina and planned the same route back to Sturgeon Bay WI do to wind and wave condition on Lake Michigan. We are heading to Manistique MI to stay on the north shore.

This is White Shoal Light near Grays Reef Passage NE of Beaver Island.

Angie in her standing reading position. She read around 65 books on our Great Loop adventure.

 

A little rain storm and nice sunset at Manistique MI.

Due to winds changing to out of the West we traveled from the U.P. down to Sturgeon Bay out in Lake Michigan (on the East Side of Door County) rather thank traveling on Green Bay. Right where we turn into the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal is where we officially cross our wake and completed the Great Loop.

The canal right after crossing our wake.

The changing of the flags. Removing our battered White Loop Flag
and raising our new Gold Loop Flag.

The next day we had a photo re-shoot with red AGLCA shirts on with some looper friends from Madison WI. Thanks Watermarks.

We made it.

We rented a minivan with stow n' go seating to get our belongings back to Pella IA.

Unloading our gear at home.
The two black bags in the foreground are our bikes.

 

Lake Huron Aug 10-15

Coming into Detroit. The Detroit River was about 24 miles long and had a pretty good current, naturally against us.

The Canadian side of the Detroit River. We could travel in Canadian waters as long as we didn't touch shore.

A few big ships coming out of Detroit.

I think it would be a blast to get launched in there escape/life raft.

Nice sunset behind Maggie Jo. In-Vince-able was traveling with us.

In Saint Clair Shores MI I needed some new hinges for the head (toilet) seat. After two marine stores and two hardware store I bought the whole seat to get the hinges. Cheaper and in-stock. Nice to have E-Bikes when running errands.

After I unpacked the seat Angie wanted to try in out on the bike.

Traveling with In-Vince-Able from Grand Haven MI.

This is how I like to see sunrises and travel on calm seas.

No Buoy bells today.

We stopped in Rogers City MI. This where Angie lived for a year with her cousins 46 years ago.
 She still knows everyone in town (almost). Very nice town and marina.

 

In Mackinaw City MI we spent a few day for the winds and waves to settle on Lake Michigan.
We met-up with some looper friends Laurie & Roger on Reality that we had been with previously in Joe Wheeler AL, and Florida Keys. They sold there Defever boat in Florida and bought a Mainship Pilot 430 in Wisconsin and were heading back East and South.
This marina in Mackinaw City was the first ever marina we stayed in after buying Maggie Jo three years prior. We could have declared that we crossed our wake (completed the loop) but we are waiting  for Sturgeon Bay.

Lake Erie Aug 6-9

The Black Rock Lock will be our last lock. It is on the Niagara River. It raises us about 4-5 feet. 
You can ship the lock if your boat can over come the current on the Niagara River in this area of about 6-7 miles per hour or you will end up going towards the Niagara Falls instead of Lake Erie.
Maggie Jo and the boat we were traveling with (In-Vince-able)(28 ft Sea Ray) could handle the current but error-ed on the safe side.

Right after the lock there were two lift bridges that were opened without a request.
Nice as there wasn't a lot of room to sit there and wait.
+

This is the Peace Bridge that crosses the Niagara River joining the US and Canada at Buffalo NY.

We traveled from Tonawanda NY to Erie PA. We actually crossed thru Canadian Water, which is allowed as long as you don't touch land or anchor.

Angie taking a pose.

Very nice memorial to the Police in Erie PA.

Leaving Erie PA at sunrise.

We were traveling to Mentor OH the next day. Condition were rougher that we would like with 3-4ft seas but we were plugging along. When we were passing Ashtabula OH I (or Otto (pilot)) drop over what we orginally thought was a cardboard box. It fouled the propeller and the drive system started vibrating. We cycled from Fwd to Rev a few times but the vibration did not clear. So we decided to idle into Ashtabula and dive Maggie Jo and see whats up (or down). At the same time we were traveling with Endeavor (Nordic Tug) and they stated they had fuel problems and were also pulling into Ashtabula to change filters. I donned my snorkel gear and didn't find any thing on the prop, but did clean up some barnacles left over from salt water. We took Maggie out for a test run and no vibration, but, when we were coming back in there was the sheet of plastic or nylon that we had driven over floating in the channel. That was our problem but it most have come off the prop right before we docked.
Endeavor and us decided to stay in Ashtabula at the yacht club for the night and let the waves settle down.

Maggie Jo and Endeavor at Ashtabula Yacht Club.

We traveled out to an island called Put-In-Bay north of Sandusky.
This is the Perry Victory and International Peace Memorial which was a significant naval battle win of the War of 1812 on Lake Erie.

Perry Tower.

The island only has a few cars but, hundreds of golf carts.
This was a great tourist stop.

Leaving Put-In-Bay at sunrise heading for the Detroit River.

 

The entrance to the Detroit River.
The crossing was 2-3-4ft partially on the stern beam, so we zigzagged across Erie for a better ride.

Erie Canal July 27 - Aug 4

The first few days on the Erie Canal we traveled with Endeavor, a Nordic Tug,
 heading for the Detroit area.

About the day we were in Ilion NY Remington filed for bankruptcy protection.
I hope they work it out, as they employed a large percent of the people that lived here.

We got fuel in Ilion NY, but not actually at this pump.

We always walk around the town we are in. There is some wonderful old buildings.
This was a church.

This was the sign of the major intersection on the Erie Canal. Take a right and go the Oswego on Lake Ontario or take a left to the Western Erie Canal to Lake Erie. We went left.

To travel on the Western Erie Canal you have to go under some bridges that only have a clearance of 15 feet.  With the radar and antennas up our air draft is 17 feet and out bimini up it is 15 1/2 feet. Both came down for a few days.

There are 35 locks on the Erie Canal, all with signs like these. There is no lock #30, but there are two lock #28 (A & B)

A cloudy day, but still great travelling.

The Erie Lock wall are pretty nasty. Our homemade fender covers, made from Walmart fleece have made the whole trip, but I think they are about done. After the 35 locks on the Erie we only have one more lock on the Niagara River near Buffalo NY.

Maggie Jo and other boats on a free wall. Most towns on the Erie Canal have free dockage and electricity and water.  

350 miles of the Erie Canal

Most of Eire Canal have hanging ropes, no floating bollards or fixed cables.
We had gloves on for all locking.

Another low clearance bridge.

The last two locks on the Erie are a double lock. So after you lock up in the first lock and drive out you are in the second lock, then you lock up again. We are now at the sea level of Lake Erie.

Beginning of the double lock.

We were surprised to be driving thru a big tunnel after Locks 34 & 35.

Here is the sign for the western end of the Erie Canal.

Angie and I decided to take a dinghy ride on the Niagara River. In the background is the Peace Bridge to Canada. We didn't take a wrong turn and go over the falls.