Heading to northern lake michigan next week

pcarp

Member
Aug 26, 2015
59
Grand Haven Mi
Boat Info
Boat less….
Engines
TBD
We are making a loop to the north next week looking for “must see” spots along the way.
Our plan is to visit Frankfort, Charlvoix, Petoskey, Leland and Ludington.
I recently read about south manitou island, plan on checking that out. I really look forward to Charlvoix too.
Looking for suggestions of must see spots.
Thanks
Pat
 
Don't forget Harbor Springs. Nice town, turn of the century neat houses, cool boats and the New York is one of the best steak houses anywhere. Take a ride on the Pointer. It's free and the captain will tell you all about the history of this fantastic natural harbor. Not sure I would stop in Ludington. Not much to do there. Frankfort's best restaurant is the Manitou but you need a ride to get to it. Drop an anchor and stay overnight in Oyster Bay on Lake Charlevoix if they tell you there is no room at the city marina. Chances are they will call you back and tell you they have spot. We generally decline that offer and take them up on it the next day instead. Oyster is quiet, protected anchorage in an otherwise noisy place. Petosky is a nice town with lots of things to do. Great shopping for the admiral. Some good softball tournaments to watch.
 
By next week you shouldn’t have a problem getting into Charlevoix. I suggest you skip Ludington and do 2 nights in Charlevoix or one in CVX and one in Harbor Springs. By far the 2 most desirable ports in northwest Michigan. Petoskey is ok but the marina is not quite as convenient for quick jaunts to town. Nothing to do at South Manitou except hike and swat biting flies (which are very bad this time of year). There are no docks, restaurants, bars, supplies, etc. In any event, say hi if you make it to CVX. Our slip is the B dock t-head. Safe travels.
 
Ludington, Manistee and Frankfort will be in full swing for the Salmon Run.

Also some dredging activity just outside the irons of Manistee. Some say not very well marked during low-light hours
 
We just returned from Beaver Island and south manitou. Both are breathtaking. If you are interested, the cove at south manitou is totally safe for nights on the hook as long as the winds aren’t out of the east. The water is crystal clear to 20 feet. Nothing there but snorkeling and beach combing. Beaver is a step back in time. It’s like Mayberry... Beaver Lodge for dinner, Dalwhinney’s for breakfast. Drop the dinghy and explore the coves outside the harbor. The Shamrock is ok for burgers and beer.

Leland is always fun for the family. Dinner at Bluebird. Wander the shops in fish town. Oyster Bay on the hook in Charlevoix.
 
Thank you for all of the input, Looking forward to seeing all the sites.
I made reservations earlier this year for all the stops so we are set for slips.
The plan is Frankfort on Saturday, Elk Rapids on Sunday, Charlevoix on Monday & Tuesday, Petoskey on Wednesday & Thursday, Leland Friday, Ludington Saturday. Weather Permitting!!!
We are bringing the bikes specifically for Petoskey / Harbor Springs exploring.
Elk Rapids is a favorite of ours from back in the trailer boat days, great town, beautiful location.
Charlevoix is great for the town and I want to explore the lake.
Leland is just such an interesting little town, we figured we have to do it by boat one time.
Ludington.... Okay I will be honest, it is the breweries that we love. My wife and I love the craft beer.
If we can fit it in we want to explore the cove / beach at South Manitou. Phasma's earlier comments and thread have me really interested in checking it out.
Please keep the info coming. I will see if I have the skills to update our travels from my phone while we are traveling.
 
Thank you for all of the input, Looking forward to seeing all the sites.
I made reservations earlier this year for all the stops so we are set for slips.
The plan is Frankfort on Saturday, Elk Rapids on Sunday, Charlevoix on Monday & Tuesday, Petoskey on Wednesday & Thursday, Leland Friday, Ludington Saturday. Weather Permitting!!!
We are bringing the bikes specifically for Petoskey / Harbor Springs exploring.
Elk Rapids is a favorite of ours from back in the trailer boat days, great town, beautiful location.
Charlevoix is great for the town and I want to explore the lake.
Leland is just such an interesting little town, we figured we have to do it by boat one time.
Ludington.... Okay I will be honest, it is the breweries that we love. My wife and I love the craft beer.
If we can fit it in we want to explore the cove / beach at South Manitou. Phasma's earlier comments and thread have me really interested in checking it out.
Please keep the info coming. I will see if I have the skills to update our travels from my phone while we are traveling.
South Manitou for the cove and the beach is not worth the fuel burn. It's about the same as the beach in Leland so save your money. The island is all about the history, the farm houses and great hiking. If that is of no interest and you want to see the island, buy some great food in Fishtown at the sandwich shop in the morning and run out to the island, drop your anchor, have lunch and then circumnavigate the south island at 10 knots or so fairly close to shore and then head back to Leland. You will have gone for a great boat ride, enjoyed a good lunch and seen an interesting part of the world. You could spend 8 hours hiking there and just begin to get a sense of what happened there in the early to mid 1900s. The place has an interesting history including trees that date back to the days of Christopher Columbus.
 
While I agree there is not much man made on south manitou it is far from a waste of fuel IMO. It’s freakin beautiful there. The cove towards the north end is 30 foot deep 30 feet from shore. There is a bird sanctuary on the north end. The water is crystal clear and beaches are pristine. Hiking off of the beach you find old growth forest. If you anchor off by the light house it’s great to walk around and see the history. If you stay over night on the hook it’s absolutely peaceful and totally dark. The stars are amazing. You can see the Milky Way clearly. Anchored in the evening, fixing dinner, and eating a family dinner on the aft deck is great quiet time for us. Sunrise hits in a spectacular way as it splashed across the manitou channel. I guess it comes down to a matter of personal taste. I love quiet serenity. Manitou provides that in an incredible way.
 
Sitting here on the boat day dreaming about next year’s trip. I heard of a historical town called Fayette Michigan. I understand all of the turn of the century buildings and homes have been preserved. I also understand it is a deep water protected harbor on Bay-de-noc. Does anyone have any experience with the left coast of northern lake Michigan?
 
While I agree there is not much man made on south manitou it is far from a waste of fuel IMO. It’s freakin beautiful there. The cove towards the north end is 30 foot deep 30 feet from shore. There is a bird sanctuary on the north end. The water is crystal clear and beaches are pristine. Hiking off of the beach you find old growth forest. If you anchor off by the light house it’s great to walk around and see the history. If you stay over night on the hook it’s absolutely peaceful and totally dark. The stars are amazing. You can see the Milky Way clearly. Anchored in the evening, fixing dinner, and eating a family dinner on the aft deck is great quiet time for us. Sunrise hits in a spectacular way as it splashed across the manitou channel. I guess it comes down to a matter of personal taste. I love quiet serenity. Manitou provides that in an incredible way.
While it is a beautiful place, one of the most interesting parts of the history are the old farm houses and seeing how nature is reclaiming what were once fertile farm fields. It's an experience to sit on the front porches of the old homes and wonder what life was like for the many people who lived and farmed there more than a century ago. The cemetery is interesting as well. The cypress forest is very cool. Visiting the light house, same thing. The rookery that has developed on the ship wreck is worth a look. Staying over night on the hook, maybe is if you keep a really good weather eye out. Almost every year people lose their boats out there thinking it is a safe anchorage. It is unless the weather changes. I remember one year when we wondered if our boat would still be there when we were hiking back to the cove following an unforecasted severe thunderstorm. Fortunately our anchor held and it was. I just believe that recommending an overnight experience to people who have never been there should include disclosure of the potential downsides so the risks can be considered. No one enjoys getting up at three AM to find that the boat is drifting. This is a very deep water cove and without heavy duty ground tackle, it is a risky place to sleep overnight, especially for coastal cruiser style boats. It is after all, the open waters of Lake Michigan. All I meant to say about the beach experience is for the hundred bucks or more of fuel cost to go to South Manitou, you could have as much fun on Van's Beach in Leland.
 
100% agree sbw1. I was just trying to present a different perspective. I hope it didn’t come out too harsh. Each one of us has various reasons for loving boating. I agree with you about any night on the hook anywhere. Paying strict attention to weather forecast and setting a couple of anchors is always a bare minimum. I also recommend an anchor tender app for your onboard technology. That being said, there were probably 10 large cruisers and sailboats in the cove the morning we were there. Maybe we are all flippin nutz but it sure was great ! The water was a flat calm mirror and zero wind. We ran the generator to cook and shower and then dead silence.
 
100% agree sbw1. I was just trying to present a different perspective. I hope it didn’t come out too harsh. Each one of us has various reasons for loving boating. I agree with you about any night on the hook anywhere. Paying strict attention to weather forecast and setting a couple of anchors is always a bare minimum. I also recommend an anchor tender app for your onboard technology. That being said, there were probably 10 large cruisers and sailboats in the cove the morning we were there. Maybe we are all flippin nutz but it sure was great ! The water was a flat calm mirror and zero wind. We ran the generator to cook and shower and then dead silence.
Sounds like a great experience. You mentioned the Milky Way. Boating in Michigan was the first experience we had with seeing it. We moved from Chicago and could see stars on only rare occasions. Northern lights, same thing. That area of our country is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
 
We are very lucky to have it. I didn’t mention the northern lights. We saw those as well. I have only seen them maybe 5 or 6 times in my life. Freakin love Lake Michigan!!!

I would love to try Lake Superior one day as well. I’ve heard tales from other boaters that have made the trip. Spectacular scenery!
 
We are very lucky to have it. I didn’t mention the northern lights. We saw those as well. I have only seen them maybe 5 or 6 times in my life. Freakin love Lake Michigan!!!

I would love to try Lake Superior one day as well. I’ve heard tales from other boaters that have made the trip. Spectacular scenery!
With our style boats Superior is a hard place to cruise. Even with diesel, you need to arrange for tankers to deliver fuel to your boat. The distance to ports after you go through the locks is great and the weather is almost always a question with no place to duck into. It is mostly a shoreline view so a thin black line is what you see. We do love the area and are going to put the top down on the Porsche and do a little road trip up there. This is one case where I believe the area is best explored by car.
 
Jacobson Marina Resort in Frankfort have a wonderful staff and also will cook you a meal and deliver it to your slip.
 
Jacobson Marina Resort in Frankfort have a wonderful staff and also will cook you a meal and deliver it to your slip.
We are staying with them saturday, had a good time there a couple years ago. I hear they have a band on saturday nights?
 
We are staying with them saturday, had a good time there a couple years ago. I hear they have a band on saturday nights?
I was there a few weeks ago on a Saturday and there was not a band.
 
With our style boats Superior is a hard place to cruise. Even with diesel, you need to arrange for tankers to deliver fuel to your boat. The distance to ports after you go through the locks is great and the weather is almost always a question with no place to duck into. It is mostly a shoreline view so a thin black line is what you see. We do love the area and are going to put the top down on the Porsche and do a little road trip up there. This is one case where I believe the area is best explored by car.

Sbw1,
I pulled up my waterway guide and started doing some homework on Lake Superior. I was puzzled by your comment about fuel. Maybe I misunderstood your comment. The waterway guide shows the longest distance between fuel stops is 90 miles. That being the distance from Sault st Marie to Grand Marais (Burt Township Marina). The rest of the fuel stops are only 30-40 miles. Am I missing something? I appreciate your warning and certainly don’t want to get myself into a bad situation. Other than weather I don’t see where a trip to Lake Superior would be a hazard. Can you help me out with more info?
 
The most interesting part of the lake is the north shore. How many fuel stops does your guide list north of the Soo? The western end of the lake has more options for fuel but you have to get there first. The south shore is pretty devoid of interesting places to stop. The harbors of refuge have few services including power so you will need to run the genny a lot. I don't believe the juice is worth the squeeze. Maybe I'm wrong. What trip will you take? Where will you stop? Where will you buy fuel? Maybe you have greater range than our boat. Many who cruise this lake do so on sail boats and trawlers.
 
Sbw1,
I pulled up my waterway guide and started doing some homework on Lake Superior. I was puzzled by your comment about fuel. Maybe I misunderstood your comment. The waterway guide shows the longest distance between fuel stops is 90 miles. That being the distance from Sault st Marie to Grand Marais (Burt Township Marina). The rest of the fuel stops are only 30-40 miles. Am I missing something? I appreciate your warning and certainly don’t want to get myself into a bad situation. Other than weather I don’t see where a trip to Lake Superior would be a hazard. Can you help me out with more info?
Phasma, come on up....things aren't quite like some folks are telling you.:D
 

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