Sandusky to Manitowoc 2009

Three Big Bridges
Sandusky Bay to Manitowoc
William T Boehm

The 800 nautical mile trip from Sandusky Bay in western Lake Erie to Manitowoc, WI had been made many times; in my mind, of course. This trip would be easier, certainly less stressful, than the trip we had taken in 2008. That 1000 nm circumnavigation of Lake Ontario from, and back to, Sandusky Bay, had been our first extended voyage. And, we did that trip with a “new” boat, La Tasse, our 2000 Island Packet 380. (That trip is summarized on our blog at: http://latassesailing.blogspot.com/ ). For sure, this would be a more relaxing trip. And, this time, we were coming home!

My sailing partner, best friend and wife of 37 years and I left home on June 8th. Yup, just the two of us. Deb’s all those things bundled into one terrific package! We arrived in Sandusky that evening and moved aboard. La Tasse would be home for much of the summer.

The trip north to the Straits of Mackinac, then south along Lake Michigan’s eastern shore to Ludington and then across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc would take about 10 weeks. Along the way, we’d travel under three of the seven bridges that span the connecting waters of the Great lakes; The Ambassador Bridge crossing the Detroit River, the Blue Water Bridge crossing the St Clair at Port Huron and the Mackinac Bridge crossing the Straits. (The other bridges span the Niagara River connecting Ontario and New York state and the St Mary's connecting Michigan and Ontario at the Soo.) We’d visit 29 harbors including four in Ontario. We’d sail three of the five Great lakes, cross Lake St Clair and transit both the Detroit and the St Clair rivers.

Western Lake Erie

We left Sandusky for South Bass Island and Put In Bay harbor on June 12th. Son Andrew, his wife Emily and their friend Rachael were aboard. Passing Cedar Point amusement park brought a flood of memories. Lake Erie had been our first "big water." Vezina, our 37.5 Hunter Legend, had been our first "big boat." We cut our cruising teeth leaving and coming back into Sandusky Bay with the Marblehead Light ("Mabel" to us) and Cedar Point on either side of the narrow, often rough, channel. South Passage, the water between Catawba Island and Kelly's Island, was, as usual, a confused sea. We tried to sail but eventually the wind died and we settled for "iron Mike," our 56hp Yanmar diesel.


Over the years, we’d fallen in love with Put In Bay harbor. It was, of course, the harbor used by Commodore Perry before his decisive victory over the British in the War of 1812. That alone makes it a special place. It was, we thought, an appropriate “first stop” as we prepared to leave our sailing grounds of 11 years. We had learned a lot about sailing and each other while sailing in western Lake Erie. Despite her occasional "outbursts," we would miss her.

Some claim that western Lake Erie is among the very best sailboat cruising grounds in the world. From Sandusky Bay one can reach five ports within 2-3 hours of sailing, covering 180 degrees on the compass (Huron and Vermillion, Kelly's Island, Put In Bay and Port Clinton). Leamington and Pelee Island in Ontario, Lorain, Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio are an easy one day sail. The Lake Erie Islands, including Pelee Island in Canadian waters, are wonderful with modern marina facilities in each port. If you're a Great Lakes sailor, you need to spend time in western Lake Erie.

The Rivers


The trip up the Detroit and St Clair rivers to Port Huron was enjoyable, uneventful and familiar. We’d made that trip before. We entered the Detroit River, spent a night at the Wyandotte Yacht Club and then headed for the Ambassador Bridge and Lake St. Clair.

The Ambassador Bridge is a product of the roaring 20s. The idea for a bridge connecting Detroit and Canada began to take shape following a conversation in New York City between John W Austin and Detroit financier Joseph Bower. From the start, the bridge was envisioned as a commercial enterprise. After several years of discussion and debate, the citizens of Detroit passed a referendum on June 28th, 1927, allowing the bridge to be built. When the bridge opened for business on November 15th, 1929, its 1,850 foot center span made it the longest suspension bridge in the world. Today, after 80 years of operation, there is a plan underway to "re-make" this very significant U.S./Canada connection.

The St Clair River is a lazy and laid back 40 nm long. It stretches from Lake St Clair to Port Huron. We took the Middle Channel out of Lake St Clair, southwest of the main shipping channel and south of Goose Bay. The channel entrance was well marked but the water was only 6-7 feet deep until we were in the river. La Tasse draws about 5 feet. Needless to say, we held our breath a bit trusting that the charts were correct. They were.

The trip up to Algonac along that channel was very scenic; mostly flora and fauna until we joined the North Channel just west of Algonac. Little did we realize then that the overnight stop in Algonac was to be a trip highlight. Algonac, Michigan is, of course, original home of the Chris Craft boat company. Today, the boat factory property is a marina with a series of canals providing boat access to the river for the residents in the area. Two swan families provided the afternoon entertainment as we took a long and leisurely dinghy tour of the area.

We arrived in Port Huron’s Black River a day later, celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary and did some provisioning. The weather in Port Huron was nasty. Lots of heavy rain. Spoiled the sightseeing to be sure. But, the folks at the Port Huron Yacht Club were welcoming and helpful. With the generous use of a club member's car, we were able to provision and do some laundry.

On June 19th, about 8:30 am, we sailed under the Blue Water Bridge. We were in Lake Huron!

The Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international link between Port Huron and Sarnia, Ontario. The first bridge opened for traffic on October 10,1938. It is a cantilever truss with a total length of 6,178 feet. The second bridge opened in July 1997 amid controversy about its design as the continuous-tied arch design was a distant third in the design polls. Most wanted the second bridge to mirror the first, of course. The Bridge Authority rejected that design believing it would give the bridge a false sense of history. The design selected, they thought, would give the best combination of low maintenance and its own sense of history. In my mind, the arch on the new bridge dominates and has become the visible symbol of the bridge. That may have been the plan all along .....

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is big water, roughly 200 nm wide by 200 nm long. She's sometimes thought of as two lakes with the very large Georgian Bay (100 miles long by 50 miles wide) and the cruisers paradise, The North Channel, off to her west and north. One enters and leaves the southern end of Lake Huron through the narrows that begin at Saginaw Bay, almost 100 nm north of Port Huron. In the golden age of shipping on the Lakes, this southern end was a concentration point as schooners and steamers came together here for their trips from, or to, the St Clair and Detroit rivers. In the "Greatest Storm in Inland Navigation," the great storm of November 1913, 251 sailors died and 19 commercial vessels were totally destroyed on the Great Lakes. The southern end of Lake Huron claimed at least 6 of those vessels and 143 of those 251 lives.


The ten "lower" Lake Huron ports we visited, including Grand Bend, Bayfield and Goderich in Ontario, were all very remote and mostly small villages. Goderich, Ontario and Alpena, Mi were the exceptions and even they were of modest size. The maritime history in this area, though, is incredible. Most of these small towns owe their very existence to Lake Huron and the importance of water transport during the early settlement years (roughly 1830 - 1945). Those days are largely gone now and they all struggle to attract tourists.

The Ontario Coast

Meeting people and making new friends is an important part of trips like this.

As we entered Grand Bend, Ontario, a river harbor, we were asked to dock up-river and in front of a smallish sailboat. The turning radius was small and the current was not helping. Deb was not a happy camper but, after offering a little verbal abuse, she got La Tasse into position and docked. The smallish sailboat, turns out, was occupied by four guys from Toledo, OH that have been trailer-sailing the Great Lakes for about 30 years! Great guys and even better story tellers! They knew all the "right" restaurants and gave us some great advice about Mackinac Island. We took their restaurant advice in Grand Bend and then joined them for dinner in Bayfield at a really great restaurant; the Red Pump. These guys even provided the Bayfield transportation!

Goderich, Ontario is a history buffs dream. The city rests on a towering ledge more than 100 feet above the harbor. What a view one has from that bluff! Of course, catching that view is only possible if you're willing to climb the steep stairs along the bluff and walk into town. The town is built around an octagon with the court house in the middle. The "square" is the center of commerce and recreation for the area and this town of about 7,500. Goderich boasts two wonderful history museums, the Huron Historic Gaol and the large Huron County museum. The Gaol (jail) was built between 1839 and 1842 and is a "must see." The large, mostly industrial harbor is the home of Sifco Salt, producer of 45% of the rock salt mined in Canada. Goderich is also a major grain port for western Ontario. The beach is developed and well used by the locals. Goderich boasts some of the most beautiful sunsets on Lake Huron.

Michigan's Forgotten Coast

We crossed Lake Huron for Harbor Beach, Mi on June 26th with a mostly sunny sky and a Northwest breeze. The wind picked up offshore and we were able to motorsail with a full jib. The 40 nm trip took us just 5 1/2 hours, averaging 7.2 knots for the trip.

We'll remember Harbor Beach for the tractor pull. It was mostly souped up riding lawn mowers but it was fun just the same. As would be the case for the entire trip up this "forgotten coast," the marina was mostly empty. The economic recession wasn't helping, of course, but our guess is that these small towns are mostly by-passed by cruisers.

We loved Port Austin! This little port on the tip of Michigan's "mitt." had everything a cruiser could ask for; an accommodating marina, easy provisioning, excellent restaurants and good biking. The coastline along the south side of Saginaw Bay reminded us of the sandstone bluffs in Door County, Wi. All these good things to say and, honestly, while we were in Port Austin, the weather sucked!

We headed across Saginaw Bay to East Tawas in a fog, mostly. The weather cleared sufficiently for me to get a glimpse of Charity Island, so named long ago by lake mariners for its location; placed there "through the charity of God," at the entrance to Saginaw Bay midway between the city of Au Gres, Michigan and "the thumb." The light on Charity Island guided sailors into and out of the relatively shallow Saginaw Bay from 1857-1930 when it was replaced by Gravelly Shoal Light. Thankfully, the lightkeepers house on Charity Island, which suffered a serious decline after the light was extinguished, has been rebuilt by private owners and is available for touring.

For us, East Tawas was a "tale of two cities." We loved the town and enjoyed watching their Independence Day parade. There must have been 4,000 people lining the streets of this small town! A bike trip to Tawas Point Lighthouse was rewarded by the opportunity to visit one of the best restored lighthouses yet. The marina in East Tawas is very good. The facilities are a long walk from the docks but, marina staff actually picked up the trash at our boat! "Just put your trash out in the morning," we were told. And, we did. On the other hand, our dining experiences in this place were awful. We didn't try the motel on the lakeshore, choosing instead to eat in town at the local pubs. A huge mistake. Our advice is to give the motel a try but plan to eat aboard!

Harrisville and Alpena were our next ports of call. Harrisville boasts a new marina, one of the best along this coast, and is an"active" town for its small size. Alpena is a stark contrast in many ways. It's a relatively large city for this coast, about 11,000. The marina facilities are adequate but the harbor was nearly empty. Alpena, it seems, is struggling to find its purpose in an era when lake transport is no longer "needed." They are, after all, an 8 nm trip up the bay from North Point. You need to want to go there. That said, the city continues to invest in its river walk and the NOAA museum is worth the walk from the marina, even in nasty, cold weather!

While in Alpena we met a cruising couple that gave us hope for our own sailing future. Well, maybe. Upon arrival, we were told by the marina staff that another Wisconsin sailboat was in the harbor. Sure enough, a couple was making the trip north up Lake Huron and then west on Lake Superior to Bayfield, Wisconsin. Catch was, they were coming from the British Virgin Islands! They had started their trip from Tortola about the same time we started our trip from Sandusky. And, they caught up with us! They stopped in Alpena for some repairs, fuel and to pick up crew. Their intent was to sail that night and clear the Soo locks the next day. Oh, did I mention that the Captain, Wayne, was in his 80s? While we didn't ask, we guessed his wife, Edy, was perhaps five years younger. A friend once told me that age was "between the ears." He was very much alive and in his late 80s at the time. Now, I know for certain what he meant. Godspeed, Wayne and Edy. May you sail together forever!

The trip north from Alpena to Presque Isle Harbor was one of the more interesting passages along this coast. The waters around Thunder Bay Island were confused, particularly with a north wind blowing, as they got "pinched" by the islands in the area. It's no wonder there were so many shipwrecks in the area. In a departure from our normal practice, we took the "inside" route, staying well west of the shipping lane, and only a mile or so off the coast. The trip was rough with the wind mostly on our nose in this confused waterway. In the end, we found that we had to head more offshore as we passed Middle Island due to the wind and wave action. On this day, the shipping lane may have been the better bet. Maybe it was put there, several miles offshore, for a reason. Hmmmm

Don't miss Presque Isle Harbor! This is one of the prettiest small harbors we've ever visited, anywhere. The marina facilities and the staff are excellent. Not much to do in the area except enjoy nature but its well worth an extra day or two. We were treated to a morning wake-up call by the loons in the area on a clear sunny day. What could be better?

Rogers City was a highlight for me. Passing the massive and still active Calcite dock just south of the city brought back memories of some of the great Lakers. Rogers City, of course, was home to many of the sailors lost on the Carl Bradley and the Cedarville. Lots of history (and ghosts?) in this town. In fact, their local museum is dedicated to the lake sailors and commercial shipping on the Great Lakes. Indeed, one of the Cedarville survivors was working in the museum the day we visited. You don't find that in every harbor town.

I find it interesting that the Cedarville tragedy gets so little attention, particularly relative to the Edmund Fitzgerald, the Bradley or the Morrell. After all, ten seamen died needlessly on that vessel on May 7, 1965. The Cedarville sank just east of the Mackinac Bridge after being struck in dense fog by a Norwegian flagged freighter, the Topdalsfjord. This story has intrigue. It's a story of poor judgements by sailors and management and a warning about the human and commercial dangers that sometimes accompany the drive (need?) to make money. For the full account of this Great Lakes tragedy read L Stephen Cox's "The Cedarville Conspiracy."

There were many wrecks along this lonely Lake Huron coast. Some are marked for divers to explore. Many were never found and have been forgotten. Most occurred at a time when water was the primary mode of transport in this area. When, in the late 1800s, creative people like Captain James Reid and Captain Ben Boutell struggled to keep the sawmills along this coast operating even as they ran out of local timber. (see: Barge Wahnapitae (US 8115) by Dr James M Reid in the Fall 2009 issue of Inland Seas for more information about this interesting time on Lake Huron). Today, freighters still run the middle of the lake from Port Huron to the Straits of Mackinac. The harbors, though, are now mostly for recreational cruisers. And the towns that support them are mostly struggling.

The pace of life along Lake Huron’s Michigan coast is laid back and slow. But don’t let that discourage you. Michigan’s “forgotten coast” is worth the trip if only for its history and undeveloped natural beauty. The water is clear and the people are friendly. And, we can almost promise that you won't need a harbor reservation.


The Straits of Mackinac

Things changed as we entered the storied Straits region. Cheboygan, Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island and St Ignace were busy with boaters and tourists, despite the unseasonably cool weather. (Are you getting the picture on the weather, yet?) We were excited and thankful to have dear friends and family, Julie and Lee Zebro, along for this portion of the trip.

Mackinac Island, in particular, was a treat for me because of its history. From the west, from Mackinaw City, she does indeed look like a turtle. Much of the island's European history is complements of the early French explorers, fur traders and the Jesuit fathers who came to “New France” to convert and "save" the Native Americans. The British history, which seems to be the focus in the area these days is much more recent and less interesting. Why, the Brits even screwed up the spelling of Mackinaw City so that it would coincide with the proper French pronunciation. But for the artifacts on display at St Anne de Michilimackinac on Mackinac Island (a must see!) and Father Marquette's gravesite at Marquette Mission Park in St Ignace, I found little of the early French history on display in the entire Straits region. That was disappointing. In the end, and despite their transgressions, I wish the French had won Canada....

European history in this area is both amazing and sad. The Mackinac Straits were, of course, the gateway to European settlement of the upper Great Lakes region. The French Jesuits had established a mission at La Pointe on Madeline Island in far western Lake Superior in the early 1660s. And that was 50 years after Etienne Brule had made his early exploratory trips across the region at the bequest of Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer who founded Quebec in 1608. These Europeans came to Lake Superior and Lake Michigan via the Straits. For decades, this area has a been gathering place; first for the Native Americans and then for the French, English and American fur traders. Battles were fought here between and among the Native Americans, the French, The English and, eventually, the upstart Americans. Along the way, an entire civilization was destroyed. No one, not even the Jesuit Brothers, stopped long enough to ask why so many of their "converts" were destined to early graves. While commercial shipping remains important to the area, this is now mostly a place for tourists to gather; a place to buy (and consume) fudge!


We crossed under the Mackinac Bridge and into Lake Michigan on July 21st shortly after sunrise. What a sight that was. What a thrill it was to be sailing in our new “home” waters.

The bridge does make a statement. It dominates the region just as, I imagine, Mackinac Island once did. She opened to traffic on November 1, 1957. Her history, though, traces to the late 1880s! (Recall that the Brooklyn Bridge was dedicated in 1883) The Directors of the Grand Hotel even spoke of a bridge in 1888. It would be a long time before circumstances and finances would be made available for the project. In 1953, investors came to the table and provided the almost $100 million needed for the project. She's big, over 5 miles long. And, she weighs over 1 million tons! Big Mac, as she is sometimes called, is the world's longest suspension bridge.

As we sailed under the bridge, we were met by about a dozen sailboats completing the 101st Chicago to Mackinac Island sailboat race. Little did we know then that in a few short hours we’d meet up with the rest of the fleet, over 100 boats, in the rather tight confines of Grey’s Reef passage. Most had spinnakers flying in a light southerly breeze. We did our best to stay out of their way as we were headed south through the passage and then west to Beaver Island. They were headed north and east to the bridge. We sailed the Mac race in the summer of 2009. The fact that we were headed the wrong way is just unnecessary detail. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it!

The Beaver Archipelago includes a number of islands in northeastern Lake Michigan. The largest are Hog Island, Garden Island, High Island and Beaver Island. Only Beaver Island has a permanent and year-round population.

Beaver Island is a special place. Located some 40 nm north and west of Charlevoix, Mi, it's also an isolated place; the most isolated of the populated islands in the entire Great Lakes.

Beaver Island is perhaps most remembered for the King Strang era, a time in the mid 1800s when Mormon leader James Jesse Strang was literally King on the island. The only monarch to ever govern in the United States, we're told. Strang's Mormon band was an off-shoot of the main group who followed Brigham Young west over the Rocky Mountains to the Great Salt Lake. Strang, claiming he had a letter from Mormon founder Joseph Smith, broke from Young's band and got himself declared Monarch on Beaver Island. From that perch, he sought, through established political institutions, to have all the Great Lakes islands declared for Mormon settlement. He ruled with an iron fist and believed in polygamy, but only for himself. His rein ended when he was murdered by two dissatisfied followers. It was clear who they were. Navy Officers even escorted them off the island and back to Mackinac Island where they were promptly released. They were never prosecuted. Imagine that.

The harbor on Beaver Island, sometimes called "Paradise Bay," is one of the most naturally beautiful on the Great Lakes. Almost Caribbean, but colder. It is well protected from all but southeast. The harbor has two perfectly adequate marinas and a large anchorage area. Its a place to push back and relax; read and ride bike if you must. There's not a lot more to do on the island. And, that's a good thing.

Lake Michigan's Northeastern Coast

We now understand why Great Lakes boaters love the harbors on the northwestern side of Michigan’s lower peninsula. Petoskey, Charlevoix, Northport, Leland, Frankfort, Arcadia, Manistee and Ludington are all terrific. (Well, okay, being prone to exaggeration when it comes to the Great Lakes, including Arcadia in this list might be a bit of a stretch.) The marinas are well maintained and have all the amenities. Unlike Michigan's Lake Huron coast, some of the "best" marinas in this region are privately owned and operated.

Deb even found it possible to shop some along this coast, particularly in Petoskey. (“Little Cincinnati” she called it…) Complements of friends from Cincinnati, we had a home cooked meal in Charlevoix and were even treated to a little culture on this leg of the trip. Don't miss the quaint Victorian community of Bay View just minutes from downtown Petoskey. The community sponsors a summer long program of educational and religious activities with a focus on the performing arts. We were treated to an outstanding concert delivered by a string trio (Time for Three) destined to make it "big."

We skipped Grand Traverse Bay on this trip. Can't do it all! At least, not the way we cruise! But, we did make a stop at Northport, on the northwest side of the Bay. We're glad we did. We had a delightful lunch with friends from Cincinnati upon arrival. It was quiet in Northport. The people there seem to like it that way. The harbor itself is wonderful. We'll go back....

The Lake Michigan coastline from Leland to Ludington is quite a treat. Sandy beaches and impressive dunes captivate one on this leg. Sleeping Bear dunes, just south of Leland and the Manitou Islands has to be 450 feet above the lake and more than a mile long on the coast. This coast is a must see and you must see it from the water!

Our final stop on the Michigan coast was Ludington, Mi. Great Lakes history buffs will recall that it was near present day Ludington that Father Marquette died at age 38 enroute to St Ignace following his 1674 trip to the Illinois Territory. This was just one year after his historic trip from Green Bay via the Fox and Wisconsin rivers to the Mississippi with Louis Joliet. When he died, his traveling companions buried him along the Lake Michigan coast and marked the grave. Two years later, they returned to that exact spot in the wilderness, said a prayer or two (I suppose), and then recovered Marquette's bones. (Honestly, Deb, they really did!) Those bones, Father Marquette's bones, were then re-buried at the St Ignace Mission Site where they rest peacefully to this day. And, I've got the pictures to prove it!

Ludington, like many of the ports along this coast, got its commercial start as a lumber port in the late 1800s. In 1897, the Flint & Pere Marquette (that name again!) Railroad constructed the first steel carferry to ship rail cargo across the lake to Manitowoc, WI. By the mid-1950s, Ludington had become the world’s largest carferry port. Interestingly, our home town of Kewaunee, Wisconsin, and our home port of Manitowoc, each about 50 nm across the lake, were the primary cross-lake destinations for carferries from Ludington and Frankfort, Mi.

Today, only the Badger remains in service. She's 410 feet long and was built in 1953. Her sister ship, the Spartan, built a year later, is moored in the Ludington harbor but has not operated for thirty years! The Badger still makes the run from Ludington to Manitowoc, WI, twice each day in season. She is a sight; something out of the past really, with her coal heated boilers and black smoke. People gather every day on both coasts to watch her arrive and leave. I am passionate about cleaning up our environment but more than willing to make this one exception! How about you? If so, write your Congressman!

We crossed Lake Michigan from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, 52 nautical miles, on August 14th. We followed the Badger, actually. Well, sort of ... We did the trip in 7 ½ hours (the Badger does the trip in a little over 4 hours) in a 15-20 knot breeze out of the south; couldn’t have asked for more. It was fun to have my brother Steve along on this leg. He helps me with boat chores in the spring and fall but seldom gets to sail with us.

It was good to be home, of course. Ten weeks and 800 nm is a "summer trip" by almost any definition. But living aboard and traveling for an extended time in “new” and big water is special. There is a sense of adventure and accomplishment that isn’t easy to capture in other ways.

Besides, I knew we weren't finished for the season. We'd be sailing to/from Milwaukee with our good friends, Cindy and Paul Blase, in a few short weeks.

So, we’ll do it again.

We’re already making plans for the summer of 2010. I’ll make that trip from Manitowoc to Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands and back many times during the upcoming cold winter months.

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William Boehm is a recently retired business executive. He and his wife, Debbie, live in their timber frame home, Seul Choix, on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. They spend their summers aboard La Tasse, their Island Packet 380, exploring the Great Lakes. They are members of the Green Bay Yacht Club, the Great Lakes Cruising Club and Boat US