Sunday 072815– in DE Tour Village Marina, Michigan

Weather/Sea   Sunny, little wind, 75 to  80

Captain - John C. Kwak crew Ross Pollard

I changed the plans since the last blog. From Cheboygan we sailed to Mackinac Island Marina to experience this unique resort island. You need reservations to come here because it is always full. In Cheboygan the Harbor Master told us to simply go and hang out in the Mackinac harbor and call their harbor master for a slip. This we did and kept station in the harbor for 45 minutes, when we got a call on the VHF that we could come in to slip 29. By then the wind was blowing across the slip at 20 knots and Dutchess got pushed against the piling away from the dock, I gunned the engine and slid her in along the piling into the slip. I use my extended rub rails this way many times. In fact in the Great lakes most of the docks have 6x6 by 8’ high vertical dock posts that are mounted to the dock. We do not use fenders until stationary; only rub against the posts with the aluminum strip on the rub rail. Then we had a merry time securing her from moving, with 8 dock lines, all this after a dead calm ride from Cheboygan.  The weather in the Great Lakes is very changeable.

Arriving here at 1300 we had a lot of time to roam around. We did a 5 mile hike up hill to  Fort Mackinac and Fort Holmes. Fort Mackinac was the site of the first battle of the War of 1812. The American defenders greatly outnumbered by the Red Coats and their Indian allies, surrendered the Fort to the British. The USA got it back after the peace treaty.

    

Mackinac Street scene no cars only horse and wagon and bicycles but very touristy and soldier firing canon at Fort Mackinac.

We stayed only one night because our slip was reserved for the next day. After a morning walk and the posting of some postcards we left for De Tour Village where we are now.

De Tour is a real backwater with almost no services. We ate dinner in a bar last night that was not air conditioned. The lady bartender was also the cook and the owner had one leg and in a wheel chair.  We were in on a long discussion on his prostatic leg which did not fit right. He went home and brought the leg and laid it on the table next to us, appetizing! One of the bar customers well into his cups used to fit prosthesis and he went into detail why this leg was NO GOOD. He used other words. How is that for local color!

We stay here for 2 days at a cost of $58.00 per day. Michigan has the charges locked in so little places like this cannot charge less to attract customers. This marina was reconstructed with new docks last year; it is in great shape and is a well-protected harbor.