August 30-September 14, 2018
Departing Mackinac Island, we’re island hopping to Beaver Island. Beaver Island is only accessible by boat (personal or ferry) or plane. No bridges to this island. We plan on spending one night, but weather keeps us here several. We relax and take things on island time, fitting since this was our last island of the trip. We rented bikes and toured just a small part of the large island. We got a chance to hang out with the locals at one of two pubs on the island. We had an amazing meal at Circle M, a very unique restaurant recommended by Howell friends Jim and Kelly, who sail out of Frankfort.
As the weather cleared up, we sailed across to the mainland in Charlevoix. We were lucky enough to spend several days here as well, since we had many visitors! Chad’s sister and brother-in-law live nearby, so we got to hang out with Kristin and Matt. We also met up with Todd, a friend we met at the beginning of our trip last fall. We traveled a large portion of the rivers together and even shared Thanksgiving on a small creek in the middle of nowhere Alabama. Chad’s mom and boyfriend also came to visit us, so we had a great time and had plenty to do to keep us busy! We also met up with a large group of Loopers. Finding out we were near the end of our loop, the congratulations started flying. As nice as that was, both Chad and I wanted to yell, but we’re not done yet! But in reality, in just a few short stops, we would be done. The reality of which was only beginning to set in.
Departing Charlevoix, we head for Leland. Leland is the last port I haven’t been to by boat on the west Michigan coast. Since we got our first sailboat in 2014, we’ve explored every other port south at least once on our summer vacations and weekend getaways. Leland is a small but cute town, full of fish which is why they call it fishtown! There are more Loopers in Leland, and we even got to meet up with Best Day Ever, who we hadn’t seen since the rivers.
We are excited to get to Frankfort, one of our favorite stops in west Michigan. On the way, we pass the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes. We arrive to town, ready to have another group of visitors! My parents drive up, as does Scott, who helped bring our new to us boat from Bayfield, WI to Frankfort last summer with Chad. We have a fun dinner at the brewery, discussing the last days of our trip and what’s to come next. Scott is all too familiar with the flurry of emotions we are feeling these days, as he completed a similar biking adventure a few years ago.
The next day we have a short travel day, as we head to Manistee due to building wind and waves. We had heard that the municipal marina was closed, but luckily it was open. It’s a great stop right in downtown. Sadly, much of the marina is still in disrepair after the meteotsunami this spring. A meteotsunami is a type of tsunami caused by meteorology, in this case a thunderstorm. The short, extreme bursts of wind and pressure caused a rapid rise in Lake Michigan, which caused extreme damage to the docks in Manistee. We got to enjoy the new brewery in town, and a walk through town.
The next day is a much calmer day on the lake. Arriving in Pentwater after the end of tourist season, we find most of the town closed up on this weekday. We head to the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather. It’s been awhile since we had the dinghy down, so we launch it and take a cruise around Pentwater Lake.
Heading out from Pentwater, we pass the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. It’s very calm on a late season weekday, we only see one truck on the dunes. We arrive to a very busy Grand Haven. This weekend is the Salmon Festival, and most of the marina is already booked. We are lucky to get a slip for the night. My parents stop out to share a beer on our last night on the loop. We met a couple just a few days into their loop. It felt like a passing of the baton, as we shared all of tips and tricks we had learned along the way. I remember being so nervously excited as we left Holland last year, so much to learn!
We get a late start from Grand Haven, as we are completely fogged in. I can’t even see the other side of the river. Late morning the fog lifts, and we depart. It’s still a very hazy day, and Lake Michigan is eerily like glass. As we near Port Sheldon, we know we are half way. Chad gets out our gold loop flag, hoisting it up as he removes our worn, dingy white one. The gold flag is a badge of honor you get to fly once you complete your first loop. We have a hard time spotting Big Red, as the locals affectionately call the big red lighthouse that marks the entrance to Holland harbor. And then out of the haze, we spot it. The places, the faces, the memories of the last 354 days rush past all at once. I’m so very excited to see those faces we have missed dearly. Yet I can’t help but feel a bit sad that this adventure is coming to a close as we “cross our wake” today.
As we enter the channel, we are greeted by many of those faces we have missed. What a wonderful welcome home, complete with noise makers and a beautiful, bright homemade welcome home poster! We love you guys! Nothing could have made our arrival home better than this welcoming committee! We continue on into Lake Mac (Macatawa), that old familiar path “home” to Anchorage Marina. As we near the marina, we are greeted by more familiar faces. How fun to see you all! We are so glad you followed along on our journey!
We tie up the boat, ready to celebrate with family and friends. Luckily we have a busy weekend ahead, complete with a wedding at the marina. All of the activity delays the reality of the end of our trip just a little bit. The reality of it all sets in when our friends on Wander stop by. After a fun night reminiscing on our time together, it’s time to say goodbye. We won’t be moving on with them any longer. As they finish up their trip, ours has come to an end.
As this adventure comes to a close, the promise of another adventure helps us move on. In the words of Mr. Rogers, “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”
As we exit the Erie Canal, we make a left turn and head up the Niagara River. Making a right turn would send us over the Niagara Falls! It’s a busy Sunday on the water, and the wind is increasing. We start to get a little uneasy with all the wake and waves, since our mast is still strapped on the top of our boat. We fight the current for a few miles, and then finally enter the Black Rock Canal, which allows us to bypass the strongest of the current. One last lock raises us about five final feet. We exit the canal, and are released into the beautiful blue waters of our first Great Lake, Lake Erie! There is something so familiar about being back on the Great Lakes, even though our adventure is still quite a ways from over! We make our way towards Buffalo, NY, where we have our mast put back on. We catch up with our friends from Wander, and we wait for a nice day to head out on the lake.
We get our break, or so we thought. We head out early, boating along the southern (US) shore of the lake. We make it as far Dunkirk, NY before the wind and waves pick up, and we decide to head in for harbor. Dunkirk is a small, small town, with not much to do. We spent 4 nights in this tiny town, the best part of which was a surprise concert in the rain on Thursday night. The weather finally breaks, and we make a run for it.
We didn’t get very far before the wind and waves picked up again, much higher than forecasted. We duck in and hide at the even smaller town of Barcelona. After checking the weather again later that afternoon, we decide to make a run for it that evening, aiming for Erie, PA. The wind and waves had calmed down, and were supposed to remain that way all night. We had a beautiful sunset sail before dark set in. As the sun sank below the horizon, the wind picked up. Luckily the wind was coming off the land, so there weren’t huge waves, but Rilee was not happy with our crazy idea to run at night. As we approached the harbor at Erie around midnight, several boats appeared on radar. Apparently we weren’t the only crazy ones making a night run. We were happy to get tied up for the night and get some much needed sleep.
Lake Erie kept us in Erie for another 4 nights. Erie was our only stop in Pennsylvania, and a fun town with a pier, restaurants, and a museum. My parents drove out for a short visit too! The lake finally let up, and we were able to make it to Ohio, stopping for a night in Geneva at the state park. We would have gladly stayed another night here, but as the weather would have it, it was a good day to move so we headed on to Cleveland.
As we entered the harbor at Cleveland, we noticed a sailboat motoring near the rocks. That’s when we noticed a mast from the other side of the rock wall, outside the harbor. Then we heard a mayday call on the radio about a boat on the rocks. We motored up to the other sailboat, and learned they had called mayday because they thought the sailboat outside of the harbor was on the rocks, and they were unable to make contact with anyone on the boat (not exactly a cause for a mayday call in my book, but anyways). They had to get back in for some time constraint, so we said we would motor back out around the harbor rock wall to see if there was someone in distress on the boat, while we attempted to hail the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard responded to our call, and reached the vessel just after we did. We were unable make contact with anyone on the boat either, but the boat was anchored, from the stern, in a very dangerous place. The companionway doors were left open, and the swim ladder was in the water. Something seemed off, but we never did see anyone in the water or on the rocks. The Coast Guard boarded the boat and there was no one aboard. We never did find out what happened to the boat, we think about it often and hope the story turned out okay in the end.
After all of the heart racing events of the afternoon, we head back in to Cleveland harbor and make our way to the fuel dock. At the fuel dock, we have a bit of a fender bender when the boat next to us at the fuel dock forgot to untie a stern line before reversing, causing their boat to pivot into ours, leaving a small boo-boo. Hey, accidents happen, we exchange info with the Cleveland cop and go on about our day. Good thing tempers were cool, because we ended up being dock neighbors for the night!
The next day we make our way to Vermillion. We had driven by this exit several times on our way to visit Chad’s sister and brother-in-law, but we had never stopped. We loved the adorable neighborhood surrounding the yacht club we stopped at, and there was a charming downtown as well. We also got to visit with Craic, who had recently crossed their wake, when we passed their boat on the water taxi we took to town!
Although it would be fun to stay longer and visit, we are ready to hit the islands, Lake Erie style! We stop at Middle Bass Island, where we spend the next few days exploring. We took the ferry over to Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island, where we explored by golf cart, just like I had done many years ago as a teenager. It’s funny how some things look so different over time, yet some things remain exactly the same. Both Chad and I have felt that way many times as we explored places on this adventure that we had visited as kids. On the ferry ride home, we made new friends and were invited over to their cottage for dinner. They were eager to hear all the details about our trip.
Lake Erie was finally kind enough to allow a passage across the lake, back to our home state of Michigan! Our first stop is for a quick night’s rest in LaSalle. The next morning, we are delayed by the start of some kind of junior sailing championship. We don’t have a long day ahead of us, we stop in Wyandotte for the night to stage for our trip up the Detroit River. We spend a wonderful evening catching up with my Aunt Margie, Uncle Tom, Aunt Barbara, and Uncle Ken. It’s so great to see family I haven’t seen in many months! It’s fun to learn we docked our boat where my Uncle Ken used to keep his boat.
We leave early the next morning for our trip up the Detroit River. We know there will be some current against us, so we aren’t sure how long of a trip we will have to Lake St. Clair. It’s an interesting trip through downtown, so much very active industry surrounds downtown Detroit. We pass the old Boblo Island ferry dock. Chad and I share fond childhood stories from the now abandoned amusement park. Chad had read about the JW Westcott II, the only boat in the country that has its own zip code. The Westcott will deliver mail to any boat that passes by. Chad saw the boat on the banks of the Detroit River, and hailed them on the radio, asking if he could get a hat or something. To my surprise, two super nice guys jumped in the mail boat and delivered Chad a hat. They were just as excited to give Chad the hat as he was to get it. We all took pictures of the fun occasion. We motored on through downtown, and passed by Belle Isle, before finally exiting into Lake St. Clair.
On a beautiful Friday afternoon, the lake is already busy with boats everywhere. We make our way to Harrison Township, where we meet our friends from back home in Howell, Jeff and Lori. We hide out at their marina for the weekend, catching up. For the first time in a long time, we get to be passengers while we cruise up the Clinton River on their boat, Attitude Adjustment. Jeff and Lori join us on their boat for part of our trip up the St. Clair River. Heading through the absolutely stunning waters of the St. Clair Flats, we stop in the charming town of Saint Clair. After a fun afternoon at the brewery and dinner on the river, we head out the next day to Port Huron, where we also meet up again with our friends on Wander. After a fun evening of storytelling over pizza, Jeff and Lori head home the next morning, and we head on to tackle the dreaded current of the St. Clair River.
We know the current will be the strongest at the Bluewater Bridge, just before the river meets Lake Huron, so we heed local advice and get as close to the Canadian shore as we can. At first it didn’t seem too bad, but we could see the rapid current on the other side of the river. Then, all of a sudden, it felt like we weren’t making forward motion at all. It seemed the sunbathers on the beach were stopped next to us. I couldn’t watch, and Chad told me later that at our slowest, we were only moving forward at ¾ of a knot at one point. Yikes!
We stopped for the night in Lexington, then headed on the next day to Harbor Beach. We spent 4 nights here waiting out weather, and were joined by our friends on Wander. Caba kept us well fed with her delicious cooking! We all departed at our first chance for Harrisville. Knowing the weather was going to turn bad again, we came up with a plan to get up super early in the morning and make a run for it. But even before dawn’s early light the next morning, the waves still weren’t great so we decided to go back to bed and wait it out a little longer. A few hours later, we decided to go for it, and made it to Alpena before the weather turned on us. We spent 3 nights checking out the town. We went to the shipwreck museum, sampled wine, and took in a movie on a rainy afternoon. It is amazing how many shipwrecks there are in Anchor Bay. It is apparently amazing diving on the wrecks, as many are in shallow water and can even be seen just snorkeling!
We head north, and the water just keeps getting clearer and clearer! We stop at Presque Isle and take the courtesy bikes to check out both the Old and “new” lighthouse. As soon as we stop pedaling we are attacked by flies, so we pedal as fast as we can to get back to the boat before dusk. These flies bite and they hurt! Our next stop is Rogers City, where we find another museum and a meat store (Chad is happy!).
I have to say that the clearest water I have seen outside of the keys is in Hammond Bay! This is such a remote stop in the middle of nowhere, and Chad and I were the only boaters there. We watched a beautiful sunset from the cockpit, before we disappeared below before the bugs carried us off into the night.
The next day, we head across the Straits of Mackinac to Mackinac Island. It has been years since I have been to the island, though Chad was there just last year as he and Scott brought our boat home from Bayfield, WI where we bought it. This is my first overnight trip, and I’m pretty excited. Something about growing up in Michigan, the island is a special place for many of us. Aside from all of the touristy things to do on the main street, a bike ride around the island is absolutely beautiful. We rented a horse and carriage and got to tour the island on our own (don’t worry, our horse Ace was the slowest guy around!). After realizing the weather would keep us here for a few days, Chad’s sister and brother-in-law took the ferry over to spend the day with us. We had so much fun on the horse and carriage we decided to do it again with them, and we got Ace again! We toured the Grand Hotel and their beautiful historic carriages, still in use today.
We make the left to hit the Erie Canal, and our first stop on the canal is Waterford, NY. With the 4th of July tomorrow, we decide to spend two nights here. Our travel on the canal will be unlike any of the other waterways we have traveled. Instead of picking a marina or anchorage for the night, many towns along the way offer some sort of free or cheap place to tie up to. Waterford has a great facility and it is a great first stop. We get a chance to explore the town, and learn more about the New York Canal System. This year is the 100th anniversary of the NYSCS, so there are no fees to travel on the system. Once an essential transportation path to quickly and cheaply get goods to the Midwest, today the canal is mainly used by pleasure boats.
Setting out at a different pace than we have the entire trip, we will travel short days so we have time to stop and enjoy the towns on the way. We transit the Waterford Flight, a series of five locks that raise the boat 169 feet in less than two miles. Transiting under our first of many low bridges, we quickly understand the lyrics of “Low Bridge – The Erie Canal Song.” Google it, you’ll thank me when you’re still singing it several weeks from now. I had never heard it before this trip, and now I’ll never forget it! We stopped in Scotia for the night, and we were so excited the town had a small theater still showing the sailing movie Adrift. We caught the last showing with another couple transiting the canal. We weren’t disappointed, I highly recommend seeing it! The other couple joked with us that at least they didn’t have to go to sleep in a sailboat that night (they were in a trawler).
We had a short travel day and landed at Amsterdam for the night. Once home to Mohawk Carpet Mills, the now abandoned mill buildings and loss of jobs took its toll on this town. We set out the next day for Canajoharie. On the way, we spot an 80 foot smoke stack with a Volkswagen car sitting on top of it. I’m still not sure why it was there, but it was definitely unique. Add it to the list of random things we’ve seen along the way!
The next day, we head off towards Little Falls. Before we arrive at the dock, we enter Lock 17. With a 40 foot lift, Lock 17 is the highest lift lock on the Erie Canal and it is also unique because the entrance gate is lifted above the boat, as opposed to doors that swing open. We attempted to contact the lockmaster on the radio upon arrival. Without a response, we go ahead and enter the open lock chamber. Still unable to hail anyone, we decide to back out of the lock. It was very eerie staring up at over 40ft of concrete, knowing that all of that water is waiting on the other side. Finally the lockmaster appeared and we entered the lock. Little Falls was definitely a highlight of the Erie Canal. Besides having excellent boater’s facilities, the town was beautiful, sprawled out across the river and carved into the hillside. We enjoyed walking through the town, though most was closed on this Sunday.
The next day we make our way to Utica, followed by a stop the next day in Sylvan Beach. Sylvan Beach was a cute little vacation town, complete with a beach on Oneida Lake, restaurants, and an amusement park. I question if the park was still open, and actually hope it isn’t considering it looked like a place where old traveling carnivals go to die. As we were tied up to the free wall, go figure Chad starting talking with a local news crew who had just arrived, hoping to interview boaters about boating safety in light of a recent tragedy on a local lake. What first was to be a recorded interview with just Chad, somehow turned into me being on camera as well. What a sad reminder to always be vigilant about boat safety.
The Erie Canal is divided into an Eastern and Western portion. Finding ourselves at another fork in the road, we decide to take the road less traveled and continue on to the Western Erie Canal. Most Loopers head north here and take the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario and the Canadian treasures that lie north. Most take this route for two reasons, the first being because it’s a beautiful and very worthwhile trip. The second being because most Looper boats cannot transit the Western Erie Canal, because this section of the canal requires you to clear several 15’6” bridges. Since we have our mast down already, we decide to take advantage and continue on the Erie Canal. (Also we got a gig updating the Skipper Bob guide for the entire Erie Canal!)
Our first stop on this portion of the canal is in Baldwinsville. We finally catch up with the Corning Museum of Glass GlassBarge and the replica Canal boat Lois McClure. They are traveling the New York State Canal System this season to mark the 150th anniversary of Corning Incorporated’s move to Corning, NY via the Hudson River and New York’s Canals, and the 100th anniversary of the opening of the New York State Barge Canal. We were able to get tickets to the glass blowing demonstration, and it was amazing. If you are ever near Corning, NY, I highly recommend you go to the museum. Note: Glass blowing demonstrations are really hot, and you can only imagine how hot when you are on a barge outside and it is 98 degrees!
The weather was heating up again, and we had a hot but scenic cruise to Clyde. We traveled through the countryside today, seeing cows drinking from the canal and hilly farm terrain. We passed by the remains of the Montezuma Aqueduct, where the canal of 1862 crossed the Seneca River. We have seen several rental canal boats, it seems they mostly travel the Western canal. If you are looking for a fun vacation, check out a rental! We saw several families and couples making the trip. We also passed the canal junction where the Cayuga-Seneca canal splits from the Erie Canal. It is on my bucket list to make it back to the finger lakes to tour wine country!
We celebrated my birthday in Newark, and met two other couples bringing their boat back to Michigan. They are preparing to do the Loop in a few years. Our advice, do it now! They invited us over for drinks, and after they sung me happy birthday, we discovered they had relatives from Three Oaks, MI where Chad’s dad grew up. It really is a small world! We move on down the canal to Fairport, where we spend a few days. I even found a tailor to fix my favorite hat! We found Fairport to be another favorite stop, with much to see and do around town. We encounter our first lift bridge on the canal, the first of many more to come. This bridge is an engineering marvel as no two angles on it are the same! We talk with the bridge tender inquiring about her first morning opening, when we find out she already knows the name of our boat from the previous lock.
Our next stop is in Brockport, a small college town. We have dinner at the local brewery, and then enjoy a surprise concert in the park, right next to the boat. Rilee is not a fan, and we quickly retreat below when she decides to bark! The next day, we cross over Culvert Road on an aqueduct, very different to see cars drive under the canal! This is the first and only time on the loop that a car drives under the boat! We arrive in Medina, and find a charming town going through quite a revival. Medina Sandstone was shipped worldwide and several local buildings are built from it. Chad found a meadery, and we enjoyed sampling all of their unique cocktails and meads. The next morning, we are happy to find a great local farmers market, and we restock the fridge and freezer!
We departed early from Lewes, DE, ready to hit the Atlantic Ocean. There is an Intracoastal Waterway in New Jersey, but it is notoriously awful. Besides being shallow and poorly maintained, there are also several sections we could not do because of our mast height. We also had to choose a good weather window, as the usable inlets were few and far between. Picking what was forecasted to be a decent day to head out into the ocean, we rounded Cape May and quickly learned it was going to be a long lumpy ride to Atlantic City, NJ. As we approached the inlet, it was a relief to see the buzz of activity on the beach, the ferris wheel, and boardwalk. We spent a quiet night at a hole in the wall marina, across from the bright lights of the marina at the Golden Nugget casino where our friends on Wander stopped.
Up and at ‘em early, we head north and hope for a smoother day. The beautiful sunrise is misleading, as we have another lumpy day ahead of us, once again surfing down confused seas. The plan is to anchor around Sandy Hook, to prepare for the following day’s journey through New York Harbor and onto the Hudson River. As we approach Sandy Hook, we are having engine problems again. We pull into a protected cove and join our friends on Wander. It seems we both have kicked up some junk from the fuel tank, and we all change the fuel filters. This seems to have done the trick for us. Checking the weather once more, we also see the forecast tomorrow has changed for the worse, and the harbor will be another day of lumpy travel. We bite the bullet and head to the super expensive Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, NJ. The views heading into New York City are awesome, as we cruise past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Arriving to the marina, we are just across the river from NYC. The skyline views do not disappoint.
Eager to head out the next morning, we are greeted with a foggy skyline view of downtown. As the sun rises, the fog quickly burns off. As we head up the Hudson River, we need to plan each day’s travel to take advantage of the tidal current. The river is tidal all the way up to the lock at Troy, NY. Leaving downtown behind us, the scenery changes dramatically and we are treated to beautiful hillsides. We stop at Croton-on-Hudson, to spend a few days to explore the rich history in the area. We spent a day exploring Sleepy Hollow, the inspiration for Washington Irving’s “The “Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” We even toured the cemetery and while we did not see the Headless Horseman, we did see the gravesites of many familiar names such as Andrew Carnegie, Walter P. Chrysler, William Rockefeller, Elizabeth Arden, and Washington Irving himself. Chad toured the Kykuit, the Rockefeller mansion, while I waited with Rilee, since it was no dogs allowed. We had passed a vet in town, so I took Rilee in to get checked out. Since they book up months in advance, I’d been struggling to get her in to a specialist vet for a follow up, but luckily she had been doing well. Once again, we were in the right place at the right time, meeting the necessary people to help us on our journey. The Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital was able to arrange us an appointment the same day to with a specialist. It was a relief to find out the stones appeared to have dissolved.
The weather has turned extremely hot and humid, temperatures reaching into the high 90’s. It’s beautiful but stifling traveling on the river. We cruise past West Point, originally a fort overlooking the Hudson River, and now home to the US Military Academy. We watch commuter trains buzz past on the east side of the river, often appearing out of a tunnel dug into the hilly riverside. We make a quick stop in Marlboro for the night, nothing here except a freight train every 30 minutes! In the morning we’re off to Catskill, where we will have our mast taken down one final time. Today’s travel takes us through the beautiful Catskill Mountains. I can’t help but think about Dirty Dancing again…I really need to watch that movie now! After another suffocating day, we arrive to the marina. We wait until dusk to begin work preparing for our mast to come off in the morning. It will be 100 degrees today, and the crane is broken at the yard, so they have to hand crank the crane. We are fortunate enough to locate a pre-assembled stand to hold our mast on top of the boat. With a few modifications, Chad has it fit perfectly. We will carry our mast with us this time, instead of shipping it like we did down the rivers. This section of the journey will be much shorter and calmer. We just have 35 locks to go through, what could go wrong?
With our mast off, we are now a motor boat again. We transit the Troy Lock, and are now officially out of tides and salt water. As we hit a fork in the river, it is decision time. How will we get home? Will we go up the Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain and the St Lawrence River, or make a left to hit the Erie Canal?
We were excited to get to the Chesapeake Bay, where we hear there is amazing sailing (and seafood) to be found! After passing through the busy port at Norfolk, we arrived to Portsmouth, VA. Norfolk is officially “Mile 0” of the Atlantic ICW.
Cruising back across the bay and up the Rappahannock River, we arrived to the Tides Inn in Irvington, VA. The Tides Inn reminded me of the lodge from Dirty Dancing. It was a sleepy little resort tucked into the woods. I was very excited to find a fire pit to relax by at night. The fire dancing off the water was so peaceful. The next day, we meet up with my parents, and we spent the next few days checking out the nearby towns and wineries. It was the perfect combination of relaxation with family!
As my parents headed home, we headed north to Ingram Bay in Heathsville, VA. A sleepy little family owned marina, we hid here for a few days waiting out some weather. A few days later, we headed out across the bay to Tangier Island, VA. This was a place quite unlike any other. Being here was like stepping back in time, with no cell signal or WI-FI. The locals had a special dialect all their own, and we observed them turning it on or off, depending on who they were talking to. The bikes and golf carts far outnumbered cars on the island. The island is only accessible by boat or plane. The local economy is dependent on fishing and tourists. At only three feet above sea level, it is slowly disappearing back into the bay. Hurrying to check things out before everything closed at 5pm, we got a chance to get some famous crab cakes, take the $5 golf cart tour of the island, and explore the museum.
Planning to depart Tangier Island and head across the bay north to Solomons, MD, the unexpected wind and building waves instead diverted us to stop at Reedville, VA. We found an amazing anchorage just off the town, and took the dinghy ashore to explore downtown and enjoy some ice cream. As we were walking back to the dinghy, I noticed a huge 400ft fishing vessel cruising in right past our boat. We hurried back, and stopped to chat with a neighboring boat at anchor. The fishing vessel had told them they were fine, but we would need to move to be out of their way when they departed that night after unloading their fresh catch. We gladly moved further north, out of the way!
With the weather settled, we headed north to the Patuxent River and Solomons, MD. The weather would keep us here for several days, but it was a fantastic place. We ran into looper friends from First Forty and State of Bliss and enjoyed a fun evening of dinner and docktails. We also made new looper friends on Island Time. Spring Cove Marina had a fantastic pool and courtesy car, so we had no problem keeping ourselves busy. I also had my first Orange Crush, which, depending on who you ask, is some combination of fresh squeezed oranges, vodka, orange liqueur, and lemon-lime soda. It is delicious and perfect for a hot afternoon at the pool or beach. I know you want one now, and so do I!!
When the weather broke, we set off across the bay to the Choptank River and Oxford, MD. Oxford was an adorable town, full of history. We also found out the marina we were staying at was where many of the boatyard scenes from one of our favorite movies (from our first date) “Failure to Launch” was filmed. Many of the town locals got background roles in the movie.
Off across the bay, we headed to the sailing mecca of Annapolis. We arrived just in time to see Wednesday night race night. It was really cool to see all the boats sailing into harbor, inches from each other, motors off, tacking into the light wind. Cool but also terrifying. The next day we walked around the town, and took in the rich history. We loved the tour of the beautiful Maryland State House, the first Capitol of the United States, where General George Washington resigned his commission before the Continental Congress.
We departed and headed across the bay to Rock Hall, MD. A fun and lively stop, we spent the evening enjoying seafood at a fun outside restaurant, taking in the sunset and live music with a couple we had met at the dock. Definitely a highlight of the trip is all of the different people we have met. Heading north once again, we crossed the bay and spent the weekend in Havre De Grace, or HdG as the locals call it. Another adorable town on the bay, we enjoyed walking the tree lined streets, taking in the old homes. Chad even talked the local antique shop owner into giving him a personal tour of the historic town!
We depart on a rising tide, headed for Delaware City, DE. The marina there holds a daily briefing to prepare cruisers for the unique weather on the Delaware Bay. This bay is characterized by swift currents, exposed waters, and few places for a sailboat to duck out if weather turns poor. Weather looked good enough for an early morning departure down the bay. What started out as dead calm winds and water, turned quickly into a washing machine of nasty chop and strong winds. With no other option but to continue on, we decided instead of heading for Cape May, NJ we would shoot to the southern side of the bay and head towards Lewes, DE. Chad had identified some shoals we hoped to “hide” behind, reducing some of the chop. Ducking behind anchored freighters also helped calm things down, if only for a short time. Had we continued to Cape May, we would have had to head out into the Atlantic Ocean to approach, as our mast height was questionable for fitting under a fixed bridge on the canal side heading to Cape May from the Delaware Bay.
Lewes, DE turned out to be a very charming town full of great shops and restaurants, and one awesome farmers market that allowed us to restock our fridge and freezer. We spent several days here as we were waiting for the best weather possible before heading to the ocean. Lewes was also a town full of history, with several museums we got to check out. We took the bus to Rehoboth Beach, where we visited the Dogfish Head Brewery, complete with delicious beer and great eats!
We had an amazing few days catching up with Kristin and Matt. We also did a bit of traveling while they were here. We used one early morning’s tides to get us through the Cape Fear River and Snow’s Cut, and docked at Carolina Beach. Matt and Kristin even got to join us for our trip from Carolina Beach to Wrightsville Beach. While we were with Matt and Kristin, we got the call that all of Rilee’s tests came back fine, so we were very relieved. We had so much fun checking out the aquarium and butterfly garden, Fort Fisher, and of course enjoying some good BBQ and brews! Oh yeah, remind me to tell you something later…;)
The next day, we headed out towards Camp LeJeune, only to find that there was an emergency on one of the islands, so the Figure Eight Island Bridge was closed indefinitely. It could not be lifted until the emergency was resolved. We dropped anchor for a while, but after hearing it would be several hours, we decided to head back to Wrightsville Beach, since it looked like a storm was headed our way anyways. The next morning, we departed again, this time making it to Sneads Ferry. We could not go any further, as the firing range over the ICW at Camp LeJeune was active, meaning the ICW was closed. I called and found out that the ICW would be closed until dusk, but that it was scheduled to be open all day tomorrow. I confirmed the ICW was open in the morning, and we headed out. The wind picked up as we cruised across Bogue Sound, and we raised our sails as we headed into Morehead City.
The next day we continued on, snaking our way through inland creeks. We stopped in Hobucken for the night, at the RE Mayo Co, a commercial seafood dock with cheap dockage. Little more than a place to tie up to for the night, we appreciated the stop, as anchorages with shore access for the dog were few and far between. We spent a few hours chatting with the locals, and Chad got some crab for dinner. We departed early the next morning, headed across the Neuse River. The wind was really picking up, and we decided to duck into Belhaven before crossing the Pamlico Sound, where we would have been very exposed to the wind and waves. Belhaven was a charming town, and we found a gem of a marina. Dowry Creek Marina was a great family run place where we relaxed, caught up on laundry and shopping, and lounged in the salt water pool.
We waited out weather for two days in Belhaven before moving across the Pamlico Sound. We then found ourselves in more protected inland waters. We stopped for the night at a marina in Columbia, which also doubled as a gas station. Reviews shared they had some amazing fried chicken, so we had some for dinner. Not the most questionable meal I’ve had on the trip, and it was surprisingly pretty good! We departed the next morning across the Albermarle Sound. If not timed properly with wind and waves, this part of the journey has been worse for many loopers than the Gulf of Mexico crossing. Lucky for us, we timed it right, and had a great day of sailing the waters once hunted by Blackbeard! We had picked Coinjock as a place to hide out for Memorial Day weekend. Once we arrived, we realized how close we were to the Outer Banks, and we didn’t want to miss it! So just before closing, we got a rental car and spent the rest of the day exploring the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Roanoake Island.
The weather wasn’t looking great for Memorial Day weekend, so we moved on, thankful to avoid a crazy busy day of boat traffic. We passed from North Carolina into Virginia, and found a great free wall in Chesapeake, VA. The only thing missing was electric, which wouldn’t have been a problem except for the 90 degree heat and lack of any type of breeze whatsoever. Awaking early before the heat, we crossed through the Great Bridge Lock, dropping 6 inches. This was our first lock in several months and several thousand miles.
We had heard from other loopers how beautiful Beaufort was, and we weren’t disappointed! Have you ever heard of First Fridays? Neither had we, but they are amazing, and Beaufort does them right! All of the shops in town stay open late on the first Friday of each month AND they all put out some snacks, and have FREE wine! You heard me right, free wine! We strolled through the adorable downtown, and stopped to eat and drink at each store. And as a bonus, we arrived in time to catch the Taste of Beaufort event that night, where we got to sample all of the amazing food the town has to offer! We could have spent more time here, walking the streets of beautiful old homes with gorgeous southern charm.
In between time at the vet, Chad and I managed to do a quick tour through Charleston. However, we decided the rest of our time here would be best spent doing more dog friendly activities. So instead of heading back to town, we explored lowcountry and the Sea Islands. We visited the Charleston Tea Plantation, where the only tea is grown in America. We found a muscadine vineyard, and sampled their wines and distillery. Chad really loved the cows grazing in the vineyard, but thankfully Rilee did not see them! We toured a plantation home that really focused on the tough life the slaves had, rather than glorified the plantation owner and life they had. Although this home was not as lavish as the other homes and gardens you could tour in the area, we appreciated the story they told here. The marina we stayed at was great, and we made new friends.
Still waiting on test results from Rilee, we decided to move on. Departing the Stono River, we had timed our departure for slack tide, so we could more easily pass through Elliott Cut. It is a short, narrow cut, lined with rocks. It can have up to a 4 knot current, which for us would significantly slow us down and could be unsafe due to decreased maneuverability. Luckily we passed through easily and did not meet any other boats in the cut. Passing by downtown Charleston and Fort Sumter, the rest of our day was spent traveling through salt water marshes, while avoiding the shoaled spots in the ICW . We arrived to McClellanville, and followed the creek through the marshes back to our stop for the night. We found the “marina” or fisherman’s wharf that we tied to, squeezed in between the fishing boats. We spent some time walking the live oak lined streets, and watching the beautiful sunset. Chad made friends with the local fisherman, and got to taste the freshest Mahi Mahi he has ever had!!
Awaking early the next morning, we plan our departure with the tides. South Carolina also has many notoriously shallow spots. We use the tide to our advantage, and have no issues transiting the tricky passes. Not a long day today, but we make it to Myrtle Beach. We are greeted at the marina by a resident alligator, one of the few we have seen on this trip. Tomorrow is also a short travel day, heading just up the waterway to Little River. This stretch is only about the tides and what time high and low tide is. We transit the Rockpile, a stretch of channel line with rocks. The yacht club we stop at has a great pool, and we spent the afternoon floating around in the cool water.
Now out of Florida after spending the winter there, our first stop in Georgia is Cumberland Island. We find an awesome anchorage just off the island, where we can easily dingy to shore to check out all that the island has to offer. It’s a very warm day, and the sun is fierce. We put on sunscreen and bug spray, and our bug repellant shirts and head out. I made Rilee a special bandana sprayed with bug spray to help her too. The mosquitos and flies were fierce. We hiked through the island to get to the Dungeness ruins. On the way, we spot our first armadillo crossing the road, and evidence of the wild ponies that roam the island. The Dungeness mansion and 90% of the island was once owned by Thomas Carnegie, brother of Andrew Carnegie. The mansion was abandoned in the 20’s, and was destroyed by fire in the 50’s. While exploring the ruins, we see our first wild horses, grazing on the field. We continue our hike towards the ocean, and along the way we encounter a wild turkey. While exploring the surf on the beach, we see jellyfish, horseshoe crabs, and plenty of sea shells. We look up from the sand to see a group of horses in the distance. As we get closer, we see one is a baby, reportedly days old. We head back to the dock to take the dingy back to the boat. It’s pretty cool to spend the afternoon on an island only accessible by boat. We stayed on the island until dusk, after the ferries leave the island. The only ones left are those who had come by private boat, or who had planned to camp on the island for the night. Back on the boat, enjoying the last bit of daylight, we once again see the horses, walking along the shoreline. This was an amazing stop, and we wished we could stay longer. We needed to move on, we had visitors headed our way!
We leave Cumberland Island and head to Jekyll Island. Here, we are meeting Chad’s mom and boyfriend, Mike. It’s been nearly four months since we have seen them, so it is a happy reunion! We are fortunate to be able to spend several days with them, exploring the island. Jekyll Island was such a neat spot, full of history as well. We visit the Jekyll Island Club, now a member of the Historic Hotels of America, but once a private club with members from the world’s wealthiest families such as the Morgans, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts. We were able to tour some of the private cottages and church, complete with Tiffany stained glass. Chad and I head out early in the morning to move on to St. Simons Island, where Jean and Mike will meet us. We spend the day touring a light house and checking out the fun tourist town. We drive to Brunswick and find a fun evening art fair. Mike found out about an amazing little restaurant, and we ate until we were so stuffed…and the no-see-ums attacked! The next day we had an interesting tour at Fort Frederica, and attempted to get onto the apparently guarded Sea Island. Jean and Mike depart that night, headed back to Michigan.
The next morning, we get moving again. We stop for the night on Kilkenny Creek, in Richmond Hill. The isolation of the town reminds me of many of our river stops. However, this time it is much warmer, and also very buggy! As dark sets in, we depart down below, but first I hear the noise of the dolphins surfacing around the boat. Unable to see them, we hear them coming up for a breath while they hunt for dinner. So very cool!
We depart at first light the next morning, to be able to traverse some very shallow spots on a rising tide, as near to high tide as we dare. We are now in nearly nine foot tides, so the water height will change by nine feet every six hours. This is very significant for our boat, especially with a 4.5 foot draft (the distance from the water line to the bottom of our keel), and with some sections of the Georgia Intracoastal as shallow as only two feet deep at low tide. We must transit these areas near high tide. One such section is aptly named “Hell Gate” (one of several sections on the Atlantic named this) because of strong currents and notorious shoaling. We pass through Hell Gate without issue, and soon enough are on the Savannah River, headed for downtown Savannah.
We are staying at the Westin, right on the river. We are sad to learn the city docks and most other hotel docks, which were destroyed by Hurricane Matthew (2016), have not been rebuilt. It seems like so much potential for such a cool city. Regardless, we are happy to be staying at the Westin docks, and even happier we get to use the great Westin facilities! With just a short free ferry ride across the river, we are in downtown Savannah, checking out all that the amazing city has to offer!
From the peaceful, laid back days in the Keys, we were thrown into the new reality of a sunny, warm, busy Sunday afternoon in Miami. Boat after boat sped by us, almost as if in competition of who could go the fastest and throw the most wake. We were heading for what we had heard was an amazing, protected anchorage. On the way, we see new friends Jim and Gloria. Sadly, they are stopped and waiting for a tow, they picked up a large line wrapped around their prop. Not able to help, we continue on to the anchorage. We pull into No Name Harbor, only to find the anchorage very busy, with boats anchored uncomfortably close. We find a small spot we think will work and drop anchor, knowing most of the boats here are not staying the night, and if we can hang in for a few hours we will have the place to ourselves. Not able to let out much scope, in a surprisingly deep anchorage, we are not able to set the hook. We pull up the anchor and retreat. We find out Chad’s friend Scott is in town to visit his son Matthew (recall Chad and Scott’s great adventure to get our new boat from Bayfield, WI to Frankfort, MI 
Ready to move on from the craziness that is Miami, we head to Hollywood. Calmer than Miami, but still a very active town, we spend some time walking the beach and doing some boat maintenance. We found a fun brewery on the beach, and got to meet up with Scott and Matthew again before Scott heads back to Michigan. Ready for a peaceful night, we move on and find an anchorage outside of the little town of Lantana. Our next stop is Palm Beach Gardens, on our journey out of southern Florida. People often ask how we do our grocery shopping. Truthfully, most of the time we have been lucky enough to have access to a vehicle or a shuttle when we have to do bigger restocking trips. This time, we did not. So we made the most of it and loaded up our backpacks and even one for Rilee, and we went to the grocery store three times. We got the groceries we needed, and some extra exercise. We rewarded ourselves with a cold brew at a fun little brewery we found.
The next day we arrive at Port Salerno, at the Eastern end of the Okeechobee Waterway. Many loopers take the Okeechobee Waterway instead of going down to the Keys like we did. We waited out some strong wind and waves, and checked out Port Salerno and Stuart. Heading north again, we find a great anchorage near Fort Pierce. It is an extremely protected spot, surrounded by homes. The only problem is there is no great place to take Rilee to shore. This is not an uncommon problem we have found in Florida, and one of the main reasons we haven’t anchored more. We take a long, bumpy, wet dingy ride to Fort Pierce. We have a great time checking out the brewery and ciderworks, and completely tired Rilee out in the process, a successful afternoon! The dingy ride back is not as bad, but we are happy to pull anchor in the morning and head on.
We arrive to Melbourne, docking in 25 knot winds, and are happy to find two other looper boats. We spend the evening telling docktales over docktails. Heading out the next day, we arrive to Cocoa. We are happy to meet up with Chad’s cousin Leyda and her daughter Marissa. We haven’t seen them in a few years, and are glad we get to spend two evenings together catching up. At Cocoa we also find other loopers, and together we all watch a SpaceX launch for a resupply mission to the International Space Station. We also spent some time at Cocoa Beach, and also spent a day at NASA, where we saw our first alligator on the trip!
Heading on north, we pass through the Haulover Canal. Apparently it is manatee mating season, and there tons of manatee all over! We have to be really careful to navigate around the mating rituals. Ready for a good anchorage, we anchor in Mosquito Lagoon. While it is a fairly open body of water, the direction the wind is predicted to come from should give us some protection. It’s a beautiful spot, near the ocean and a great spot to take Rilee to shore. We spend the afternoon walking the beach, careful not to turn to the south, towards the senior nude beach…not a pretty picture. Rilee finds some turtles in the brush (don’t worry we didn’t let her get them!). We head back to the boat for the evening, where we spent the early hours getting rocked, and not gently to sleep. The wind shifted and the waves increased to 3 plus feet, not at all what was forecasted for the night. We left at first light and headed straight to New Smyrna Beach, where they had a free dock. We tied up to the dock and all three of us took a long nap. Waking up, there were fishermen on the dock, fishing over the boat. Afraid for our canvas, we decided to look for a marina for the night. Down at the city marina, while Chad is inside checking on availability, Rilee and I notice a boat drifting towards the marina. Someone on an adjacent fishing dock had tried to move a boat using a book hook, and it broke free. I let Chad know and he and some others ran down to avoid a collision. After all the commotion, we got a spot at the marina for the night.
We make a stop at Daytona Beach, hiding out from some bad weather. Not once the spring break hotspot it used to be, the small downtown was struggling to survive. Heading north, the tides are gradually increasing. From a one foot tide at Daytona Beach, we arrive in St. Augustine, where we first encounter a five foot tide. Every six hours, the tide goes from high to low, or low to high. Thankfully most docks are floating, as it is very difficult to tie the boat in properly with a tide that extreme! St. Augustine, the Nation’s Oldest City, is beautiful and rich in history. We make sure to take in a history tour, visit the Fountain of Life, have lunch in a swimming pool, visit a distillery and winery, and take a ghost tour on Friday the 13th! We are also lucky enough to have family to visit in the area. We head out to Penney Farms, where we spend a wonderful afternoon with Chad’s second cousins Kay and Paul. They live in such a cool retirement community, originally founded by J.C. Penney. Kay is an amazing cook, and we have such a feast for lunch! She sends us home loaded up with leftovers and all other kinds of goodies! We enjoyed the much too short visit, learning all about family history and hearing all about Kay and Paul’s adventures.
Time to move on, we set our sights on a free dock on Sisters Creek. Checking in with some fellow loopers, we learn the free dock is pretty full. Instead, we decide to head for the nearest marina in Mayport. The marina is on the very fast moving St. Johns River, which empties directly into the Atlantic. Through some herculean effort, Chad manages to dock the boat against a 6 knot current (note our normal forward speed is about 6.2 knots, almost leaving us at a stand still) and 20 knot wind, without so much as bumping the dock. We get in contact with our friends on First Forty and State of Bliss, and find out they have had some trouble at the free dock, and are heading our way. We help them dock in the crazy conditions, and we all head out for dinner and drinks, ready to put the day behind us.
Planning our departure the next day, we use the current to our advantage. Now facing seven foot tides, we have to time our travels according to the tides. We had really hoped to anchor out, but Rilee gave us a scare, and we decided we needed to get to a marina with a car and near a vet (turns out she had a kidney stone, and is doing just fine now). We found an awesome spot at Amelia Island Marina, where we spend some time so we can keep an eye on Rilee. We tour Fernandina Beach and Fort Clinch State Park. Sadly, we find the dock at Fernandina Beach has not recovered from Hurricane Matthew (2016), and in fact is so shallow at low tide that even shallow draft boats are on the bottom. Chad found a really cool restaurant on the beach, complete with swings to sit on at the bar…I love it!!!
As we departed the Everglades, headed for Marathon on Boot Key, land slowly disappeared out of sight. We were hoping the forecast would hold, so we would be able to do some sailing. The wind was actually lower than predicted, and eventually died entirely, leaving us all very hot as we motored on. We occasionally saw another boat, but other than that, it was just miles and miles of crystal clear water…CRAB POT! Oh yes, we were also surrounded by hundreds and thousands of crab pots! What started out as organized lines of colorful floating markers designating the crab pot below quickly turned into a difficult to navigate mess of haphazardly placed pots. The closer we got to Marathon, the shallower the water got, and the more crab pots we saw.
Besides looking for crab pots, we were also entertained by what we called “flying fish.” They would jump out of the water and appear to fly across the water by skimming the surface. Eventually the Seven Mile Bridge appeared, just a spec on the horizon for a very long time. Finally, as the sun began to set, we could see land! We arrived safely in Marathon, just as the sun set and the dark set in.
We awoke the next morning, and truly felt like we were in paradise. The marina had amazing views of Florida Bay, just off our cockpit! Refreshed after a long, hot trip the day before, we set out to explore Marathon. Crossing A1A was a bit of a challenge, much like a game of frogger. Unsure what to expect after last season’s hurricanes, we were happy to see that much of the island was in great repair. We arrived just in time to see a large group of loopers off. We may be a bit behind the pack, but we are enjoying living on island time in this beautiful scenery!
After a few days, we have a good weather day to head south under the Seven Mile Bridge, and then head west to Key West. We will take the Hawk Channel, a relatively deep and wide channel between the keys and a line of barrier reefs. We are able to take advantage of the wind and do some amazing sailing in the gorgeous clear blue water. The salty ocean air and the wind in our hair, we see dolphins and a turtle, and lots of fish. We arrive on Stock Island, right next to Key West. We have peace and quiet on this island, but there is a shuttle to take us to the fun and excitement of Key West. After hearing Kenny Chesney may be in Key West, I quickly drag Chad off the boat and we begin checking out the island town. Although we did not find Kenny, we still got a chance to soak up some of the night life on the island. Duval Street has quite the bar scene!
We spent the next few days taking in all the sights of Key West and indulging on Cuban food and coffee (I miss the yummy Cuban coffee!), Key Lime Pie, and so much seafood! We checked out so many cool places like Hemingway’s house (we just had to see the six-toed cats!), Mel Fisher’s treasure museum, and even a ghost tour (if you don’t know what Robert the Doll is, look it up, it’s creepy!). Since the weather was not cooperating for us to sail to the Dry Tortugas National Park (and even the ferry was booked), instead we got to check out Fort Zachary Taylor, and spent some time on the gorgeous beach there. Apparently some even decided it was a topless beach, so Chad really enjoyed that!
We spent nearly two weeks on Stock Island, as the winds were strong and created rough waters. We made friends with our neighbors at the marina, and they invited us out for a ride on their skiff to “their island.” Not knowing what to expect, we had an amazing day with new friends Jim and Mary. They took us out to a beautiful, secluded island where we spent the afternoon sipping margaritas and playing in the warm, clear water. After attempting some fishing, we headed back to the marina. This day was definitely a highlight of our trip!
We left Marathon on a beautiful morning, and fell in line behind S/V Holiday and S/V Radio Waves. We followed the sailboat parade all the way to an amazing anchorage near Long Key. After setting anchor, we finally got to meet the sailors we had been following all day. We shared a fun dinner onshore at Lobster Crawl, then spent the evening under the stars aboard S/V Holiday. Zach from S/V played his ukulele as we all sang along and had a great time. It was so great to meet other sailors who were our age!
We departed the next morning, making our way through mangrove lined channels. Slowly, the channels opened up as we entered Barnes Sound and then Card Sound. Finally, as we entered Biscayne Bay, the keys disappeared behind us. Just like that, Miami appeared in the horizon. Wow, what a dramatic difference between the beauty and nature of the keys, and the large looming buildings of Miami. We couldn’t help but have mixed emotions as we rounded the tip of Florida and slowly started heading north again. The keys were such a highlight of our trip, one that we had both looked forward to, and despite not making the Dry Tortugas, also exceeded our expectations in ways we would have never guessed. We also knew we were now on our way north, closer and closer towards Michigan, and the end of our Great Loop adventure.