Sunday Sept 7- Tuesday Sept 9, 2025
Sunday
Did one more load of laundry and tidied up the boat in preparation for heading out tomorrow.
Monday
The forecast called for 11 mph winds with gusts in the 20s, and 2’ waves gradually increasing throughout the day. We left Charlevoix Harbor along with 18 other boats, all bound for Leland.
The first half of the trip wasn’t too bad — until we got to the bays leading down toward Traverse City. That’s when things turned into a washing machine! We were hit with wind waves and swell waves from two directions, with some waves reaching at least 4 feet. Not fun at all!
I thought I had secured everything before we left… well, turns out I was wrong! The clock came off the wall, the fridge popped open, and various items decided to go flying. That chaos lasted about an hour (though it felt much longer 😳). There was no way I could even take a video then either!
Things settled a bit after that, though it was still far from what you’d call “pleasure boating.” We eventually arrived — safe and kind of sound — at the Leland marina. Naturally, everyone swapped stories at the dock, and it turned out we weren’t the only ones with flying objects.
Looks like we’ll be here for at least two days, waiting for a good weather window to cross. Lots of conversations today about Mother Nature and the respect she demands!
Once we got the boat put back together, we took a stroll through the cute touristy town. Plenty of fun shops to explore — and yes, we found ice cream! Later on, we gathered with fellow Loopers for docktails and story-swapping. Then we wrapped up the night with dinner at The Cove. It was packed, and the food was absolutely delicious! We shared seafood chowder, walleye fish & chips and a piece of homemade cherry pie! YUM!
Tuesday
Not too exciting of a day, but sweet news: we found out the kitty went home with one of the office gals — she named him Skipper! The dockmaster decided he wasn’t quite ready yet, having just lost their dog a few days ago. All in all, still a great ending to that story.
Today was pretty low-key in the morning — as it should be after yesterday’s chaos! We eased into the day, then headed back out to explore more of the local shops, pick up a few provisions, and finally try one of the sandwiches at the famous sandwich shop here. It did not disappoint!
We tackled a few boat chores, but mostly took it easy, knowing we’ve got a long travel day ahead tomorrow. The plan is to head straight to Fayette, MI, located just north of Door County, but on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Fayette is an old smelting town that dates back to 1861 and was in operation until 1891. After that, it became a ghost town, but today it’s preserved as a state park. You can still see many of the original buildings and explore the area. We’re really looking forward to it.
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