CSR Rendezvous 2010: North Channel (Lake Huron)

[sb in gp]

I am planning a trip to the North Channel summer 2010 at the end of July for 10-14 days. Would love to have some other CSRers join me for all or part.

My preliminary plan is to leave the 24th of July from Grosse Pointe, up the St. Clair river and head up the West side of the lake. We are planning to return on the Canadian side. Wife wants to spend a couple of nights on shore along the way, so we'll probably look for B&B type accomodations.

Potential stops:
Lexington (have family there)
Port Austin
Harrisville
Presque Isle
Meldrum Bay (North Channel)
Gore Bay
Little Current
Killarney
Tobermory

We are not in a rush to get up there and back. We want to enjoy the ports along the way.

I have never been to the North Channel and I want to do the trip before my girls (13 & 15) get too old to spend 2 weeks on the boat with Dad and Mom.

Looking for advice on itinerary and where to stay, and any general advice from long-time cruisers on planning a big lake cruise.

My initial thoughts are to have several bad-weather options planned along the way. To cover most of the big-lake distance in the early mornings. To leave a couple of days at the tail end in order to wait out bad weather.

I plan to have the boat equipped with Radar, and XM Weather. I will have the trip planned on both paper and in chartplotter, and have my iPhone as a backup GPS (Navx or similar). I will bring my 8.5' dinghy with 2HP motor. I plan to bag the dinghy on the way up and back and inflate it when we get to the North Channel.

Any advice or comments are welcome. Thanks.

 

[Jaws]

SB,

Sounds like a good trip and a nice one to take before the kids don't want to travel with you during those late teen years. We know those ports fairly well having been through the North Channel to Mackinac a number of times. Presque Isle has great docks and a nice restaurant on site. A couple of lighthouses to tour. Rogers City is another good stop with good services. From either you can take False Detour Channel or Mississagi Strait. We almost ran over a black bear swimming between US and Canada in False Detour.

I have never liked Meldrum Bay. The docks are crude (unless they have improved recently). Gore Bay is far better with a couple of nice dining places. You could scoot across the North Channel for an overnight anchorage in the Benjamins or Croker Island, but that's their busiest time in July. Little Current has new town docks or Spider Bay Marina works well too.

Killarney is a gem and we usually preferred the Mountain Lodge over the Sportsman Inn but I heard that a lot of money was recently spent on the latter. If Baie Fine's "pool" is not choked with weeds, it is breathtaking and totally secure for an overnight. Tobermory is very pretty with crystal clear water. Port Elgin and Goderich both have decent harbours but you're on the east side of a big lake with prevailing westerlies. Pick your day and run down Lake Huron.

I would suggest going "on the hook" for a couple of nights. It's quite a feeling to wake up (with the loons) in the morning in a mirror-like bay in Northen Ontario. Your port list looks good but bear in mind that Canadian marinas are not consistent like those in Michigan. I have not visited Harrisville but we go to Lexington a couple of weekends each season and it's a favourite. Have fun and PM me if you need more specific information.

 

[sbw1]

Here are three good trips that will each take 7 days and provide lots of great boating.

Killarney to Mill Lake to Bad River to Killarney (for supplies) to the Pool to Heywood Island to Covered Portage Cove to Killarney.

Gore Bay to South Benamin to Croker Island to Sturgeon Cove to Little Current (for supplies) to Fox Island to John Harbour to Gore Bay.

Little Current to Crocker Island to South Benjamin to Gore Bay (supplies) to Fox Island to Oak Bay to Sturgeon Cove to Little Current.

Make sure you have a good heavy anchor and three 100 foot morring lines for tying off to trees. A second anchor is also a good idea.

 

[sb in gp]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I may check back in with you when the weather breaks for more advice.

Looks like very few people are interested in this trip right now. I'll poke it again in a month and see.

Scott

 

[Blueone]

We have done the North Channel a few times. We always rent a trawler out of Gore bay. One of our favorite spots is the Benjamin Islands pictured here. You will have a great time one of the best cruising areas anywhere

 

[Tim]

North Channel is for sure our favorite destination. We have some info you may find useful for planning on our website, complete with log, charts, video, etc. Have a great time!!!

http://www.timandgina.net/cruise06_prologue.htm (2006 trip)

http://www.timandgina.net/cruise04_logindex.htm (2004 trip)

 

[Jackie J V]

It would be great to be able to connect. We do the North Channel each year at about that time. You can check out our '09 trip on this thread... http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22890

We had planned on doing the North Channel at that time in 2010 as well, however I may need to move my vacation around due to business commitments. If I can stick to it, I'll reach out.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[sb in gp]

North Channel is for sure our favorite destination. We have some info you may find useful for planning on our website, complete with log, charts, video, etc. Have a great time!!!

http://www.timandgina.net/cruise06_prologue.htm (2006 trip)

http://www.timandgina.net/cruise04_logindex.htm (2004 trip)

Thanks Tim, I have reviewed your cruise log many times, in fact your log is part of what has motivated me to do the cruise. I have also sent your log to many friends. It is very well done.

Was sorry to see you leave the Searay family, but glad to see you're still hanging around. I saw your boat this past summer at Put-in-bay, docked at the yacht club. She is a beauty. I tried to find you to say hi, but you weren't onboard.

Let me know if you are going this year and what your plans look like.

Scott

 

[sb in gp]

It would be great to be able to connect. We do the North Channel each year at about that time. You can check out our '09 trip on this thread... http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22890

We had planned on doing the North Channel at that time in 2010 as well, however I may need to move my vacation around due to business commitments. If I can stick to it, I'll reach out.

Cheers,
Paul

Thanks Paul. I'll check out your thread tonight. Let me know if you can make it at that time and maybe we can line up a few others and have a pop or two in the most beautiful place on earth.

 

[Sum Escape]

Here is a link to our trip to the North Channel last summer. We came from West Michigan so our trip has more western N Channel spots but we did make it to Baie Fine....be sure to anchor out in Mary Ann Cove there! You will love the trip, but do plan to stay on the hook at least a few nights. We spent 8 of the 11 nights on the hook....there are beautiful anchorages everywhere!
http://sumescape.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html
http://sumescape.blogspot.com/2009/08/north-channel-chapter-2.html
Have a great time!!

 

[Tim]

Mary Ann Cove is our favorite anchorage (besides the Benjamins').

Sum Escape you may recognize the Cruisers rafted off of us here.... Rich and Paula and clan from Andiamo.

 

[Sum Escape]

Mary Ann Cove is our favorite anchorage (besides the Benjamins').

Sum Escape you may recognize the Cruisers rafted off of us here.... Rich and Paula and clan from Andiamo.

That is them! Good folks. Had a lot of fun travelling with them to Chicago for the air show last August. Small world!

 

[sb in gp]

Here is a link to our trip to the North Channel last summer. We came from West Michigan so our trip has more western N Channel spots but we did make it to Baie Fine....be sure to anchor out in Mary Ann Cove there! You will love the trip, but do plan to stay on the hook at least a few nights. We spent 8 of the 11 nights on the hook....there are beautiful anchorages everywhere!
http://sumescape.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html
http://sumescape.blogspot.com/2009/08/north-channel-chapter-2.html
Have a great time!!

Thanks. We will definitely be on the hook for a few nights at least. First longer trip with the girls so I don't want to overdo it.

 

[sb in gp]

Here is a link to our trip to the North Channel last summer. We came from West Michigan so our trip has more western N Channel spots but we did make it to Baie Fine....be sure to anchor out in Mary Ann Cove there! You will love the trip, but do plan to stay on the hook at least a few nights. We spent 8 of the 11 nights on the hook....there are beautiful anchorages everywhere!
http://sumescape.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html
http://sumescape.blogspot.com/2009/08/north-channel-chapter-2.html
Have a great time!!

Enjoyed your blog. Sounds like a great trip. Thanks.

 

[Sum Escape]

Enjoyed your blog. Sounds like a great trip. Thanks.

Please be sure to update us all on your trip once it is complete next summer as I am sure your trip will be a great one too!
Feel free to PM me with any questions on ports, anchorage spots, etc. We cannot wait to go back some time!
Have fun planning and more improtantly on the actual trip next summer!

 

[GP_Blank]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I may check back in with you when the weather breaks for more advice.

Looks like very few people are interested in this trip right now. I'll poke it again in a month and see.

Scott

gotta love the google! I randomly stumbled across the TickTockToo's and Sum Escape's cruise logs (great resource btw...thanks!) recently and then this topic on the forum over the weekend. Our little warm weather spell here got us thinking about summer trips. Figured I had to finally log in here and post, seeing as we are neighbors SB.

Last year was our first with a boat capable of making extended trips. We (and our friends) have aged out of tubing and skiing.. and the various injuries that come with them....preferring more sedate cruising lifestyle now. haha. So we bumped up from a 240 bowrider to an '07 Sundancer 310 (Elizabeth).

We did manage to squeeze in one extended trip up to Tawas over the 4th of July where my family has a cottage. But, as 09 was so hit-and-miss with the weather, and as we were still getting used to the boat, we pretty much stayed local the rest of the season.

Anyway, just wanted to pop in and say hello. I'm not sure if we're going to be able to string together the chunk of time needed to make a North Channel trip this summer, but the planning is half the fun so keep those posts coming!

 

[sb in gp]

gotta love the google! I randomly stumbled across the TickTockToo's and Sum Escape's cruise logs (great resource btw...thanks!) recently and then this topic on the forum over the weekend. Our little warm weather spell here got us thinking about summer trips. Figured I had to finally log in here and post, seeing as we are neighbors SB.

Last year was our first with a boat capable of making extended trips. We (and our friends) have aged out of tubing and skiing.. and the various injuries that come with them....preferring more sedate cruising lifestyle now. haha. So we bumped up from a 240 bowrider to an '07 Sundancer 310 (Elizabeth).

We did manage to squeeze in one extended trip up to Tawas over the 4th of July where my family has a cottage. But, as 09 was so hit-and-miss with the weather, and as we were still getting used to the boat, we pretty much stayed local the rest of the season.

Anyway, just wanted to pop in and say hello. I'm not sure if we're going to be able to string together the chunk of time needed to make a North Channel trip this summer, but the planning is half the fun so keep those posts coming!

PM me on where are you locate in the park? We went from a 260 to the 320 at the end of '08.

 

[Petep]

Scott, great trip you guys will enjoy the N.C.& Georgian Bay. I have been reading this thread and they have all given great suggestions- My $.02 - Don't spend too much of your vacation on the MI side- Hit Lexington and PresqIsle and then shoot for the N.C. at Detour and get into the best cruising grounds for some relaxation- Arid Island, "Detroit Cut", The Benjamin's, The Pool, Mary Anne Cove & our Favorite-Covered Portage Cove and then digny into Killarney. Keep us informed on your progress! (will we see you Sat @ the Colony thing)?

 

[sb in gp]

Thanks pete. I'll use your advice. I did stop by the colony party. Quite busy considering the economy. Take care.

 

[Cruisinguy]

We are typically in the North Channel around those dates as well so when it gets closer post something and I will know for sure. Plan to spend some time in Door County Wisconsin this year as well but will probably do that earlier in the summer. With teenagers, you may want to make your way to Mackinac Island and than back down through the North Channel. Not that you are in a hurry but we can make it from Lake St. Clair to the Island in a long day getting fuel in Harrison, weather permitting of course. If we meet up in Kilarney I can put your kids to work babysitting a 4 and 7 year old while we have cocktails in the piano bar!