On Lake Powell November 2011

Sunset from our campsite in Oak Canyon. The rocks along the shoreline of Lake Powell are primarily Navajo Sandstone. P.S. Sorry the pictures are in reverse order, take a look at the narrative below.

Me breaking up some wood to feed the campfire. Ticaboo is behind me, with Navajo Mountain in the background. The temperature today was around 60 degrees, just a perfect day to go boating.

Mary tending the campfire, before dinner, in Oak Canyon. Oak Canyon is approximately 60 miles uplake from the Glen Canyon Dam.

Snow capped Navajo Mountain, sits on the Utah/Arizona border. The mountain is entirely on the Navajo Nation and stands 10,300 ft. above sea level.

The morning view from our first campsite near Castle Rock.

Ticaboo launched from the Wahweap Marina on Nov. 14th for a week long trip on Lake Powell.

This is a very special trip because I have a first mate named Mary. We spent the first night at Castle Rock, which is between Wahweap & Warm Creek Bays.

Today we traveled, in beautiful weather from Castle Rock to Oak Canyon. Oak Canyon is very close to the Utah/Arizona state line and is at the base of, snow covered, Navajo Mountain. Tonight before dinner we built a campfire. After dinner we went out on the foredeck of Ticaboo and star gazed, at an unbelievable sky. Then we went inside and Mary skunked me at cribbage!

The attached pictures were taken over the past two days and we will continue to keep you posted on this Lake Powell trip, over the next week.

Ephraim Bay & Menominee Marina

Before leaving Door County and the Door County Peninsula, I took Ticaboo into Ephraim Bay to see the huge limestone caves, in the bluffs, around the bay.

The Menominee Marina is large with 265 slips and all of the facilities are beautiful.

The old Menominee city water plant has been completely renovated, into a first class boater's lounge.

This is a picture of the entrance hallway in the boater's lounge. Art, artifacts and photographs decorate the walls.

This is one of the "bathroom suites" with sink, toilet and shower all in one private room. If you can look behind the photographer, you can see the shower and toilet. Sorry about the flash.

This is a view of the card room. The windows to the right look out onto the marina. A telescope is provided, in the card room, for boat watching.

This is something I haven't seen in any other boating facility. This is a map table with a complete set of charts of the Great Lakes and some excellent cruising guides. There are rolled and flat charts in the drawers and cabinets under the table.

This is one of the sitting areas, with a beautiful salt water aquarium, boating magazines and comfortable couches & chairs.

This is the eating area, with coffee, tea, juice and hot oatmeal. There is a suggested donation and a donation box if you want to help keep the drinks & food available. The lighthouse in the background is made of cut, stained, glass.

This is a view of the sitting area, taken from the vicinity of the fish tank. Notice the boat models, T.V., furnishings and art. This is such a nice place to meet other boaters and discuss your adventures and get some local knowledge of the waters nearby.

Yesterday morning I left Fish Creek, Wisconsin, at 6:30 a.m. for Menominee, Michigan which is on the west coast of Green Bay. The winds were to increase all day, with waves to nine feet, so I wanted to get a very early start, for the 2.5 hr. crossing of Green Bay. I missed the worst of the winds but I still encountered some waves in the 5-6 ft. category.

When I arrived at Menominee Marina I couldn't believe my eyes. This marina should be rated in the top three in the United States (I've seen lots of marinas and actually evaluated marinas, as part of my work with the Corps of Engineers). The pictures I've attached will show you what I'm talking about. This is a municipal marina, run by a Board of Directors, who contract out the day to day operation of the marina and what a job they have done.

The boater's lounge was created, in what was the cities water plant. The building is approximately 4000 sq. ft. and contains: Bathroom suites with shower, toilet and sink in one private room. These bathrooms are much nicer than those in most homes. The living room is huge with sitting areas, computer tables, giant fish tank, book shelves, a chart table, and T.V. There is a card room with a dozen tables, a refreshment lounge with free coffee, juice and hot oatmeal and there are several tables, where you can sit down to eat or have a cup of coffee.

The art work in the boater's lounge is beautiful, with cut glass, paintings, photographs and artifacts. The pictures above paint a thousand words. The marina itself is first class also, with 230 slips and a fuel dock. Even the dock hands were very nice uniforms including white shirts, navy shorts and applets on the shoulder.

Prior to leaving Door County I took one short trip to Ephraim Bay, a place I hadn't visited previously. The bay is large, with the small town of Ephraim located on the east end of the bay. There are several high limestone bluffs around the bay and I took a picture of several caves, that had formed in the limestone.

If all goes well tomorrow and the forecast is correct, I should be able to continue north to Cedar River Marina. The facility at Cedar River is called a "marina of last resort." Along the Michigan coast of Lake Michigan, the Dept. of Natural Resources, wanted a marina every 25 miles, so if the weather got bad, or someone needed assistance, they wouldn't have to travel more than 12.5 miles to a marina. A number of boaters have told me that Cedar River is beautiful but very under utilized. There's no city at Cedar River and the best food is at the British Petroleum Station. It should be interesting.

Fish Creek & Peninsula State Park

People like to party up here in Wisconsin. This is a typical scene on all the marinas in Door County. I don't drink but folk up here DO, anytime, anywhere! This party was on the Alibi Marina in Fish Creek.

The Wisconsin Peninsula State Park, south entrance, is just outside of Fish Creek.

This is a view, from the Sunset Bike Trail, of Green Bay and the islands that dot the bay.

The historic Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, is along the Sunset Bike Trail.

The Sunset Bike Trail winds through some heavily wooded areas and along the west shoreline of the Door County Peninsula. This is a two way trail that keeps you on your toes, as some riders don't heed the "Keep Single File And To The Right" signs along the trail.

Ticaboo tied to the seawall at Alibi Marina, in Fish Creek. Again, there are some fantastic power and sail boats, at all the marinas, on the peninsula.

This is a view of Horseshoe Island. The opening in the "horseshoe" faces to the south, so the island offers excellent protection from a north wind. The island was privately owned, at one time, but is now a part of the Wisconsin Peninsula State Park. The water is four feet deep almost to the beach. Some boaters tied a stern line to a cedar tree, on the island and dropped an anchor off the bow. I used a Lake Powell anchoring technique and put the bow up on the beach, with two lines off my stern cleats.

I'm back to civilization after several nights anchored out in Nicolet Bay. On my last night in Nicolet Bay the wind shifted to the north, which is the only direction Nicolet Bay isn't protected from. Everyone had told me, that if the wind shifted to the north don't stay in Nicolet Bay, move to Horseshoe Island.

I was awakened at 3 a.m. by the rolling of Ticaboo, as the wind shifted to the north. I immediately readied Ticaboo for the short one mile passage from Nicolet Bay to Horseshoe Island. As I was pulling my two anchors, the water was getting very choppy.

When I arrived at Horseshoe Island I got a very pleasant surprise and found the water almost four feet deep, right up to the beach. Before leaving Arizona I had sorted through everything on board Ticaboo. I debated if I should take my anchoring gear, I use on Lake Powell (sledge hammer, four 36" spikes and two lines I run off my stern cleats to the beach). I decided to keep this gear aboard. Horseshoe Island was the perfect place to use this gear and with the sun just rising I anchored to the beach.

Horseshoe Island is very small but as everyone had told me it offered excellent protection from a north wind. After a week on the hook, I was ready to get to a marina and town and have some good restaurant food and ice cream. I had cell phone service on Horseshoe Island and called Alibi Marina, in Fish Creek, on the Door County Peninsula and arranged for a slip. At around noon I headed out for a short ride, south, down the west coast of the peninsula, to Fish Creek.

All the boaters had told me that Fish Creek is the center of activity on the peninsula and it is. This is a quaint little town but bustling with traffic and tourism. Fish Creek is also at the south end of the Wisconsin Peninsula State Park. Yesterday afternoon, I walked the mile, to the State Park entrance and rented another bicycle and did a 10 mile bike ride. The trail went along the peninsula shoreline and into thick wooded areas, where the trees shaded me from the sun but not the humidity.

Tonight I am going to the American Folklore Theatre, in the State Park, to see two spoofs, on men, in northern Wisconsin. The early show is called Lumberjacks In Love and is about four burly lumberjacks and one mail order bride. The late show is called Guys & Does and is a "hunting" musical. The entire state of Wisconsin literally closes down the first few weeks of hunting season and I have heard a hilarious story of how the Navy pulled a contract, from a boat builder, when they showed up unannounced, to inspect a rush job and found the establishment shut down, with a sign on the door "Gone Hunting."

Seriously, this is a huge boat building area and many of the mine sweepers, the Navy uses, are built here on Green Bay. The Staten Island ferries, used in New York, are also built here in Green Bay. It would seem like a Twilight Zone episode to see a ferry with Staten Island, on the side, in big letters, doing sea trails, in Green Bay. You might think you had been transported several hundred miles, in an instant, and would start looking around for the Statue of Liberty.

Ticaboo is doing fine and has been a great summer "floating condo" for me. As mentioned, by other Albin 25 owners, everyone at the marinas wants to know what kind of boat it is. When I give a very short tour of Ticaboo and people find out I'm a single-handler, I get invitations to come aboard their boats and sometimes an invitation to go out to dinner with them. I've met dozens of very nice, interesting people. Everyone has interesting boating stories and I've met several people who are about half-way around the "Great Loop." From what they have told me, they go right into downtown Chicago and go through the Navy Lock and eventually end up southbound, on the Mississippi River. I've only met one northbound boat, on the loop, and they were headed to the North Channel and the Trent Severn waterway.

I hope you enjoy today's pictures.

Egg Harbor & Nicolet Bay

Communities on the Door County Peninsula depend on tourism and provide free concerts and art shows to attract visitors. The Harbor View Park in Egg Harbor has a beautiful view of the the marina and Green Bay. I attended a great acoustic guitar concert in the park.




The entrance to the Harbor View Park is spectacular with hundreds of beautiful flowers. After a short hike (uphill) from the marina to the park, you are right in the middle of the Village of Egg Harbor business district.




Two sailboats approach the Egg Harbor Marina at sunset.




This was my first encounter with a midwestern thunderstorm. Thank goodness I was in Nicolet Bay, which is well protected from the south and southwest, the direction this thunderstorm rolled in from.

Tonight I'll be on the hook in Nicolet Bay, after spending two nights in Egg Harbor. Egg Harbor has a beautiful new marina, with an amazing breakwater, made out of HUGE granite boulders.

The Village of Egg Harbor is very small but supports a large tourist population this time of year. I had a very nice crossing from Sister Bay to Egg Harbor and Ticaboo chugged along at 6.5 kts. at 2800 rpm, into a light wind and 1 ft. seas.

I knew that sooner, or later, I'd be at the wrong place at the wrong time and would have to button up Ticaboo, for a big blow. I left Egg Harbor at 10 a.m. this morning for the 2.1 hr. cruise to Nicolet Bay. I wanted to arrive early in the afternoon, in order to get a good place to anchor and beat the predicted thunderstorms.

When I left Egg Harbor there was a good breeze, out of the west, with a beam sea, so I put up a small steadying sail and ran along at between 6.8 and 7.0 kts. at 2800 rpm. When I arrived in Nicolet Bay it was busy. Nicolet Bay is part of the Door County Peninsula State Park and there are hiking trails, swim beach and other facilities in the bay.

Because of the forecast for thunderstorms I put out bow and stern anchors, with the bow pointed to the southwest, where the storms were to come from. I was monitoring channel 16 and the weather on channel 4. One announcement on channel 4 got my attention: A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for Door County, soon to be followed by a severe thunderstorm warning. Winds could gust to 50 kts. and there was the possibility of large hail.

I closed up Ticaboo and got ready for the blow and right on schedule it hit. The picture above shows how the leading edge of the thunderstorm looked as it crossed Nicolet Bay. The sky turned very dark and the wind started blowing very hard.

Ticaboo didn't move as the 22 lb. Delta, plow anchor, off the bow dug into the sandy bottom. Nicolet Bay was recommended to me by several boaters, because of the excellent holding ground. I was glad I had put out the stern anchor, as it kept Ticaboo from swinging, which wouldn't have been good, as other boats were anchored nearby.

Channel 16 came awake and boat, after boat, called the Coast Guard for assistance. In the open waters of Green Bay the waves must have built quickly and most of the radio traffic was from boats taking on water. It sounded like everyone made it safely to port but one boat with five people on board was disabled and took some time for the Coast Guard to locate.

Nicolet Bay is a well protected anchorage, except from the north. There is a little island, called Horseshoe Island, that is close by, and offers protection from a north wind, if the wind should shift from the north. I hope to get a good nights sleep.

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.