ssloop: Petoskey-Elk Rapids

Sunday morning we attended a church service at the park by the marina after which we pulled our lines and said goodbye to Petoskey. It was a beautiful day to travel 25 miles south to Charlevoix where we took a slip at Charlevoix Municipal Marina. Once settled we dropped the dinghy for a ride out to the big lake where we swam and walked the beach. The clear pretty waters of Lake Michigan never cease to amaze us.

Monday morning after the first mate went a walk and did some shopping in Charlevoix we headed off to cruise across Lake Charlevoix. (13 miles) We anchored out near Boyne City and took the dinghy to a nearby marina to look at a boat for sale. While we are exploring options for our boating future we realize how great the Pura Vida has been for us for this trip. Although we spent the night on the anchor, we did dinghy into Boyne City to the Red Mesa Grill for great Mexican food.

Tuesday dawned to be a cooler windy day. We cruised 12 miles nearly back to Charlevoix and anchored out in Oyster Bay a small protected bay in Lake Charlevoix. Rather than spend the cool, cloudy afternoon on the boat we bundled up and took the dinghy to Charlevoix and picked up 2 badly needed provisions - a bag of ice and a new pair of shoes for the first mate. Captain thinks maybe we should have stayed on the boat!

Wednesday we timed our departure to catch the 8:30am bridge opening in Charlevoix and followed the Beaver Island Ferry out the channel. We had a pretty rough and rocky 37 mile ride to Elk Rapids to the Elk Rapids Marina. What a great marina on the East Arm of the Grand Traverse Bay. A month earlier in looking at Google Earth the captain thought we would be able to dinghy from the marina, through Elk Lake and up to Torch Lake. (sounded like fun!) A week before arrival his hopes were dashed as he looked closer (duh) and found rapids and a dam separating the marina from Elk Lake. But, great news! The marina had a free dinghy shuttle where they trailer your dinghy two blocks to the other side of the dam. Sweet! Of course we had to take advantage of this so off we went. Our 22 mile dinghy adventure took us all the way to the famous Torch Lake sandbar. Even on a Wednesday there were nearly 100 boats anchored out. That evening we met up with Dick & Pat on Dream Catcher from our home marina. Dick and Pat left Keenan Marina just a couple weeks prior to circle Lake Michigan before entering the rivers and heading south along with this years loopers. Elk Rapids had a street festival that evening so we took in some music and enjoyed great ribs.

Thursday was hot and muggy. The heat finally broke early evening when a storm came by. For dinner we cooked out at the marina with Dick & Pat and had fun discussing their upcoming adventures.

Church in the park by Petoskey Marina.