Route Advice: Sailing from Midland Ontario to Chicago

[Biggin]

Skippers,
I will be heading to Chicago via the North Channel to Mackinaw, at the beginning of August arriving @August 12th. in Chicago.
Can anyone assist with suggested ports of call, (sail route) on the Eastside of Lake Michigan?
Additionally:

• Comments/suggestions on US Customs check in.
• An economical anchorage (ball or dock) once we land in Chicago.
• Good spots for cold beer and good eats enroute (myself and my buddy heading down).
• Vessel is a 37+ Hunter
• @ 8 hour sailing days
• Member of the MBSC (Midland Bay Sailing Club)-Possible reciprical night(s) at other clubs??

Pumped to get going. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[rgranger]

on the third bullet I can say this about Chicago. Every pub has great food and great beer and for a $5 cover charge you can also find a pub (any night of the week) with excellent music. There is also the Second City comedy plus a plethora of other good comedy clubs (https://www.timeout.com/chicago/com...-the-best-places-to-find-the-funny-in-chicago) and the blue man crew also performs in Chicago. The art museum is phenomenal as is the science museum, aquarium and navy pier. You will also have to try Gino's East Pizza while you are there....Have fun!

 

[Biggin]

Thank you Sir! Noted!! Really stoked, the two of us just retired and are looking to kick it up a notch as we now have the time to do it!

 

[jon hansen]

st. james harbor, beaver island is my favorite. its like 1905 there.

 

[jon hansen]

michigan has state docks that are all very nice, eveywhere. all the little towns on both sides of the lake are nice and friendly. happy sailing

 

[williamtl]

4 years ago we stayed at the 31st street dock. They had a 3 for 2 night pricing. I think the same outfit runs the dock down town.

You can get rental bikes there and take the path downtown, or taxis are easy to get there. They highly discouraged us from walking several blocks inland to take the bus or further to catch the train.

The place was immaculately clean at the time. It was also gated and guarded.

Only downside was someone who borrowed his buddies boat for a fling and thought he needed to blast music until done at about 3am.

 

[David in Sandusky]

US Customs: If you do take the North Channel, you will check in at Drummond Island. No big deal, you just need your passports, and (maybe) normal boat docs. Nearby Harbor Island is great anchorage.
8 hour days to do over 500 nm in 12 days sounds unrealistic. You would do very well to average 6 knots, sailing, and motor sailing. But the big problem is the days when the wind and waves are dead set against you. It’s not fun to buck a 25 kt wind, and 6 footers! And, in August, pop-up thunderstorms will shorten your days. And you will get tired if you try to string together 12 8+ hour days of sailing. If your time schedule is immutable, then I suggest a couple of all night runs to give you the flex time reserve you will need.
On the run from Drummond Island to Mackinaw, we have anchored in Government Bay in the Snows (Les Cheneux Islands).
We have not yet sailed Lake Michigan, so I don’t have much advice for harbors there. Joining the Great Lakes Cruising Club is the best way the understand all the harbors and anchorages in the Great Lakes. And all their stuff is online for members.

Fair winds, and following seas for your adventure!

 

[jon hansen]

you can check in to customs at mac island. call them land line at the dock office to confirm. there is a dedicated land phone to customs i believe.

 

[quadrille38]

On the east side of Lake Michigan you have a wide choice of harbors. Except for a few stretches you have a harbor at least every 30 miles.

So from mackinaw as suggested beaver islands St. James harbor is great. There is a public and private marina there.

From Beaver your next logical stop distance wise will be either Leland or South Manitou Island.
Leland has a marina and docks and accepts transient boaters but can be difficult to get into depending on what’s happening (right after Chicago to Mack race some of the ports are filled with boats returning back to Chicago). South Manitou has a great anchorage but you have to watch the weather. Certain directions it can get dicey.

From that area you will transit down through the Manitou passage. Watch the weather as the passage can act like a funnel and get very wooly. We were headed south last summer passage kicked up to 30 knot winds and 8 to 10 foot waves. We chose to wait it out.
Coming through the passage Frankfort is the next logical port as its 35 to 40 miles.
The municipal marina in Frankfort is great. There is a nice anchorage area off the muni as well. The harbor can develop a surge in some wind conditions.

From Frankfort about 10 miles south is Arcadia. It’s a beautiful port. Great marina and nice area to anchor across from the marina. There isn’t much in Arcadia so make sure you have all the groceries you need.

If 10 miles is too short a day the next logical port is Manistee. About 22 miles from Frankfort.
It’s a river port with a brisk current. The muni marina there is great but call ahead as they experienced a Seiche event in the spring and reports are the surge of water up the feet and that it wiped out all the docks. So call to see if they are open.

From Manistee you have to go out around Big Sable Point and will have two choices of harbors. Ludington or 10 miles further Pentwater. Both are great places to visit.

Form there White Lake 30 40 miles south around Little Sable point. Some nice spots to anchor. It’s my home port. Depending on wind direction once inside the channel you can find a good anchorage to the south off the yacht club. Or to the north around the shoal into Indian Bay 30 foot deep up fairly close to shore.

South from white Lake you have Muskegon 10 miles south (good anchoring spots and marinas are plentiful). Grand Haven is about another 12 miles south. Grand haven can be really busy and the river can sometimes appear to be wall to wall boats. Nice town with lots to do but if it’s Coast Guard festival week forget it, there is no way you will get in.

Next south is Holland. Marinas are available and Lake Macatawa is good sized with some coves you may be able to anchor. Watch your depts as there can be shoals. This lake has some seriously “high rent” housing around it so you won’t want to anchor just anywhere. The folks in these Mc Mansions might take issue with that.

From holland saugatuck is next. Quaint town but can be busy too. South Haven is after that and is very nice.
Not sure at what point you will want to jump across the lake to Chicago but from south haven you have choices of Benton Harbor / Saint Joseph, and Michigan City.

Oh and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources web site has information on the various ports with municipal marinas. In fact they have an on line reservation system you can use should you desire to make a marina reservation. You do need to cancel at most at least 24 hours ahead or you will still have to pay.

 

[Biggin]

Thank you John

 

[Biggin]

I am looking it up now William thank you

 

[Biggin]

Thank you David. I (we) are heeding your advice and relooking at our expectations. We obviously want the adventure but do not want to push it....I like the idea of getting in a night sail (conditions permitting).

 

[Biggin]

Thank you Quadrille! I have 'clipped and pasted your, and others advice into a file and am now researching/plotting your suggestions! Outstanding information.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Belmont Harbor or Montrose Harbor are closest to Wrigley (Cubs). 31st St. Harbor is closest to whatever the name of the park where the White Sox play & Burnham Harbor is closest to Soldier Field (Bears) if that makes any difference.

Check out Sailing Soulianis on YouTube for descriptions of a few Michigan harbors from Pentwater to Charlevoix.

 

[quadrille38]

David makes excellent points on your schedule. It might be overly ambitious in planning.
When we travel I tend to use the 6 knot calculation for average speed even though my 38 can do 7 to 7.5 knots. If I figure we run 6 it helps plan the length of passages and days.

By the same token for a long trip like this I use the 5 knot rule in that if we aren’t able to sail at 5 knots we motor sail.

You will definitely need to plan in weather days where conditions won’t allow you to get out. Or will slow you significantly.

The Great Lakes Cruising Club harbor guide and access to it is well worth the price of membership. There is wonderful information on the ports, distance between ports, and customs information too.

 

[Birdman737]

Like others have said, your mileage plan may be a little ambitious to be fun. Without sailing through the night, I plan on 10 days from the North Channel to Milwaukee, and that involves several long days.

Active Captain is an excellent source for marina and anchorage info, but my thoughts:

Harbor Island is a great anchorage, though Drummond Island Yacht Haven is charming (great laundromat!).

Skip Beaver Island. Not worth it to visit, though St James may be a convenient anchorage.

Petosky is a great town, though maybe out of your way.

South Manitou is a great place to anchor (usually) and spend a day hiking to the dunes on the west side of the island.

Frankfort is great, especially if you stay at Jacobsen Resort.

Pentwater is great. Get a Brown Bear Burger at the Brown Bear.

Enjoy! It’s fun out there!