Sister Bay, Door County Peninsula

I'm exhausted after a rough crossing from Escanaba to Sister Bay. Some nice tourists took this picture of me with Ticaboo, at Sister Bay City Marina, after dinner.

There are some beautiful boats (ships) here in Door County. This is a vacation destination for many wealthy Chicago residents, who boat up to the peninsula for their vacation. That yacht in the background is a Hatteras.

This is Sister Bay, looking out from the marina breakwater.

Al Johnson's Restaurant, with the goats grazing on the grass roof is a famous landmark in Sister Bay. The food was excellent!

This is the entrance channel to the Sister Bay City Marina.

WOW! What a sunset, over Green Bay.

Today Ticaboo and I crossed from Escanaba, Michigan to the Door County Peninsula and Sister Bay, Wisconsin. I waited in Escanaba for a "good" marine weather forecast. Today sounded perfect for the 40 mile crossing. Light winds and waves two feet or less. Unfortunately this was another adventure in waves two meters or more!

It was a very rough crossing to say the least but our Albin 25s are up to the task. The interior of Ticaboo did get rearranged by the time I arrived in Sister Bay. These waves in Green Bay have a very short period, so most of the time you just smoothly ride from one crest to the next, even the four & five footers.

Sometimes I got a set of waves much higher, with a longer period between them and things got interesting. When Ticaboo came off the crest of one wave Ticaboo's bow would hit the next wave, head on, with spray hitting the windshield and going over the top of the boat. When this happened the visibility dropped to zero for a second, or two but I didn't have to wash the windows when I got into Sister Bay. Thank you guy, whoever you are, who invented RAIN-X.

For those of you who have boated in the Caribbean, you know that every morning you have to clean the foredeck of Flying Fish, that have grounded themselves during the previous night. I'm not pulling your leg but when I got into Sister Bay, I found two small (3" long) Shiner looking fish on Ticaboo's deck. When I told another boater this story, he said that this wasn't unusual and that these fish are an exotic, that has gotten into the Great Lakes and have become a favorite dinner for salmon in the lakes.

Sister Bay is beautiful and has some interesting attractions. Everyone I've met at the marinas, has told me that I had to eat at Al Johnson's Restaurant, in Sister Bay. They said the food is fantastic and the goats grazing, on the grass roof, are famous. So tonight I had dinner there and the Swedish pancakes were delicious.

Sister Bay is also famous for the sunsets and droves of people arrived at the marina breakwater to watch what was a beautiful sunset. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Escanaba, Michigan

Ticaboo in her slip at the Escanaba, Michigan Marina. This is a well protected, man-made harbor, with a narrow entrance, off of the Little Bay De Noc, in Lake Michigan. I never have a smaller boat next to me but I've found everyone, on the marinas, to be very friendly, even the bigger boat owners.

Well I've been in Escanaba for several days and have enjoyed the rest & relaxation. There is very nice Marina Manager here and he has let me use a bicycle for free. This is "Swedish & Finnish country and the food in the local restaurants is fantastic. I have taken a liking to the Swiss Pantry Restaurant, about six blocks from the Escanaba Marina. They make fresh bread every morning and the smell is wonderful.

I have decided to depart Escanaba Marina this Saturday (July 23rd) and start south, towards the Door County Peninsula. The first night out I'll spend in the Cedar River Marina, which is brand new. Everyone I've met on the marina says you have to stay there and that the facilities are the best you will find on the Great Lakes.

From Cedar River I'll head east to the Peninsula and Sister Bay, on the north end, which again everyone says is a great place to anchor out, or spend a day, or two at the marina.

Ticaboo Crosses Lake Michigan

After leaving St. Ignace, MI. the Mackinaw Bridge soon came into sight. The straight below the bridge separates Lake Huron and the east side of Lake Michigan.

Ticaboo getting ready to travel below the bridge and enter Lake Michigan.

If you need an emergency tiller for your A-25 or A-27 this might be what you are looking for and the rudder comes with the tiller for free.

These two Mute Swans were right at the entrance to St. James Harbor. The color of the water reminds me of the Caribbean.

This is the St. James Harbor lighthouse and to the right the entrance to the harbor.

St. James Harbor, on Beaver Island, is a busy place, as boats crossing Lake Michigan use the harbor as stop over port. Beaver Island is also a vacation destination for visitors coming from locations around the Great Lakes, by private boats, or the ferry service.

Ticaboo tied to the marina at the St. James State Marina. If you visit St. James Harbor, I suggest staying in the State Marina. The facilities are much nicer, the marina is in excellent condition and the help were very friendly. The opposite can be said of the other marina. Telephone ahead for a slip at the State Marina, as they do not monitor the VHF radio, on a regular basis.

I got a surprise when I entered the Fayette, MI harbor. Two tall ships were rafted together at the wharf. In this picture one of the tall ships is entering the harbor, after an environmental education program tour, on Lake Michigan.

This is Fayette Harbor, with the white limestone cliffs, on the right, marking the entrance to the harbor. The limestone, in the area, was used to smelter iron ore, in the 1860s, at the historic Fayette town site. The "snail shell" harbor is protected 360 degrees.

The wharf at Fayette Harbor doesn't have electric, or water, hook-ups, so be prepared for a primitive boat camping experience. Fees for staying on the wharf are on the honor system. Fee envelopes, provided by the Michigan State Parks Dept. are available, at a bulletin board, near the wharf.

The two tall ships were, rafted together, at the wharf, surprised me when I entered the harbor. Beyond and to the left of the tall ships are some of the buildings preserved in the historic town of Fayette. Some of the buildings, that date to the 1860s, are in amazing condition, with original siding still in tact.

Ticaboo is tied to the wharf in Fayette Harbor. In the mid 1800s, ships carrying iron ore came into this harbor. After smelting the iron ore, ship carried the resulting pig iron, from Fayette, to cities around the Great Lakes.

As a single-handler, the crossing of Lake Michigan, from east to west, was one of my most ambitious trips. I have attached pictures of the trip starting with the crossing from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan, under the Mackinaw Bridge.


I then went through the Grays Reef Passage to Beaver Island and St. James Harbor. What a beautiful place St. James Harbor is. It reminded me of some of the islands in the Caribbean. Even the water colors reminded me of St. Martin.

From St. James Harbor I entered the longest, single day, passage I have done. The tach. time was 10.9 hrs. from St. James Harbor to Fayette, MI.. Fayette is a Michigan State Park, that preserves a smelter town, dating from the 1860s. The harbor is small but is protected 360 degrees and it is referred to as a "snail shell" because of the way it winds in on itself.


From Fayette I finished the trip across Lake Michigan by crossing Big Bay De Noc and entered Little Bay De Noc, where Escanaba, MI marina is located. I will spend several days here in Escanaba, resting, re-provisioning, cleaning and maintaining Ticaboo.


The next leg of the trip will take me south to the Door County Peninsula, in the "protected" waters of Green Bay. Door County is famous for several beautiful bays including: Sister Bay, Fish Creek Bay, Egg Harbor and Sturgeon Bay. After the Ontario, Canada part of this trip, the Door Peninsula will be much more developed and civilized.

July 4th in Government Bay

I anchored out in Government Bay for the July 4th fireworks in Cedarville & Hessel, Michigan. The fireworks weren't the man-made kind but a magnificent sunset, that turned the water a golden hue. This is why I love cruising and boating and just being outside. In Phoenix, this time of year, I would have been inside, with the air conditioning running full blast. I've attached a picture of the sunset. Oh, the human fireworks were excellent too.

Yesterday I got a ride in a Hacker "woodie" for those of you who like old wooden boats. The Les Cheneaux Islands are famous for "woodies" and the Hessel Wooden Boat Show is one of the largest on the Great Lakes. I've attached a picture but it doesn't do the boat justice, it is a beautiful restoration.

I'm going to hang out in the Les Cheneaux Islands until there is a good weather window, for me to move south to St. Ignace, near Mackinac Island. I was told you can reserve an overnight slip on Mackinac and I might try to stay there for a night before moving on to St. Ignace. I have a sweet tooth and the Mackinac FUDGE is some of the best I've ever tasted. The locals call the tourists "Fudgies" because everyone has to buy some. If you fly into Mackinac you're a "Flying Fudgie, if you boat into Mackinac you're a "Boating Fudgie."

This morning there were thunderstorm warnings for the Les Cheneaux Islands and I put out my 22 lb. Delta plow anchor for the first time and took in the Danforth I use most of the time. The Delta held and Ticaboo didn't move an inch, in some strong gusts, as a thunderstorm past by, with heavy rains. I like the security of this new Delta, with 25' of heavy chain and strong rode, that I purchased for this trip. Weeds and rocky anchorages up here make the Danforth a second choice to the plow, in the North Channel and many parts of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

Les Cheneaux Islands

It's July 3rd but you would think it is July 4th here in the Les Cheneaux Islands, on the north shore of Lake Huron. I can hear fireworks in all directions.

The Les Cheneaux (Snow Islands) are beautiful with channels running between the islands. There are excellent, protected anchorages around a number of the islands. In 2009 I anchored out in Government Bay, on Government Island, which is a favorite for many boaters, who stop over in the Les Cheneaux Islands.

Tonight I'm staying docked, at a friends boathouse on Island #8, one of only two islands, out of a total of 36 islands, in the Les Cheneauxs, you can drive to. The other island that has road access is Hill Island. Access to the other 34 islands is by boat only. Cedarville & Hessel, Michigan are the two main towns in the Les Cheneauxs.

I've attached a few pictures. The first is of Ticaboo docked on Island #8 and looking across the channel to Coryell Island and a number of boat houses along the shoreline. The second picture is of a family kayaking in the channel between Island #8 and Coryell Island.

Lake Huron 2011

Ticaboo was launched from De Tour Village, Michigan on June 25th in the St Marys River. So far I have visited Meldrum Bay, Gore Bay, The Whales Back and Blind River. I need to return to De Tour and will then decide if I will travel east to Georgian Bay, or head west to the Door County area, near Green Bay, Wisconsin. I'd like to boat on Lake Michigan, which would be a first for me. I've attached a few pictures: The first is Ticaboo in the Meldrum Bay Marina near a "BIG BROTHER" The second is of Ticaboo in the Gore Bay Marina and the third is a picture of a "Glassy" North Channel (a rare sight). The channel was flat all the way from Meldrum Bay to Gore Bay.

Photos by Gary Ladd of Lake Powell trip

Professional landscape photographer Gary Ladd took the following pictures of our January 2011, week long trip, on Lake Powell. The lake is located on the Utah/Arizona state line. The colors and lighting caught in this photograph are an example of what makes Gary a very special photographer.

That's me on the stern of Ticaboo, taking pictures, while floating on an orange lake. On Lake Powell this is how you beach a boat. Two lines off the stern cleats, at a 45 degree angle, are attached to long spikes, driven into the gravel & sand beach. When winds were expected, during the night, we put out a 40 lb. Danforth anchor and buried it on the beach, tied off to a center, forward, cleat, or the bow eye.

I dropped Gary off on an island in Padre Bay, so he could take a picture of Ticaboo, on her first journey under sail. Ticaboo came from the factory as a trawler and I converted her into a motor-sailor. The large butte in the background is Dominquez Rock, named for a padre, who crossed the Colorado River, near this location, with padre Escalante in 1776.

Ticaboo at our campsite in Oak Bay. The glow of a light in the forward cabin adds a cozy feeling to a very cool January evening. Night time temperatures dropped into the upper 20s, while daytime temps ranged from the upper 40s to low 50s.

Ticaboo dwarfed by 400' cliffs in Annie's Canyon. The seeps in the canyon wall support "hanging gardens" containing plants not usually found in a high desert environment.

The sky and clouds are reflected in a glassy lake, near the Rincon, on the main channel of Lake Powell. The main channel of the lake follows the old course of the Colorado River through Glen Canyon.