Author: Jackie Schanz

While we were hoping to leave Chicago under bright blue sunny skies showcasing the skyscrapers in all their glory as we cruise the Chicago River, such was not the case. It is overcast, but at least no storms or rain. Before we can cruise down the Chicago River, we must go through the Chicago Harbor…

We spent a few days at North Shore Marina in Grand Haven cleaning and outfitting the boat. We drove a rental car from Cincinnati, which we used for several days to make the necessary grocery trip runs. North Shore, while a great marina, is across the river from Grand Haven proper and definitely scores a…

As our boating season ended last year, I must admit I was a quite negligent in wrapping up the blog! From Ludington, we made a pit stop along the way at Muskegon and headed back to North Shore Marina in Grand Haven. There the boat was put away for the winter at North Shore Marina….

Carlson’s Fishery, established in 1904, is a 5th generation family run business. They have built the business over the years by helping to create an environment conducive to a sustainable business. They strive to educate others in the industry about the importance of structure and planning to enhance stability…“not just for what we can catch…

We leave Charlevoix on a sunny morning. Beautiful homes surround Round Lake. Finally we are at the drawbridge taking us back out to Lake Michigan. This time we wait for the opening. Elk Rapids is a small village of 1,529 people. It is nestled in the area called the Chain of Lakes, which is a…

It is a day after Labor Day, and what do you know? Summer arrived to Northern Michigan. A little late to the party, but we are happy to finally experience warm sunshine and 80 degree temperatures, if even for just a day. We take advantage of the calm waters of Little Traverse Bay, the blue…

Petoskey, while larger than Harbor Springs, is still a small quaint town with a charming downtown area and lovely walking paths. Petoskey is “famous” for its Petoskey rock, which happens to be the Michigan state stone since 1965. The Petoskey stone is a fossilized coral rock that was formed over 350 million years ago in…

While the dew still covers the seats and tables in the cockpit, we wind up the anchor. With U.S. soil and diesel fuel on our to do list, we head to St. Ignace, MI. As we leave St. Ignace, we have one more trip under the Big Mac Bridge. As we cross under the Big…

Gore Bay is a small town on Manitoulin Island. They take pride in their town’s close knit community comprised of 900 friendly residents. We are relieved to dock at their town’s marina this day and gladly add an additional two happy residents to their count! We explore the town, which also is very quiet! We…

As the beautiful day ends, storm clouds, wind and rain begin. The stronger waves combine force with the howling winds and wage war against the hull of Prime 11. We “button down the hatches” as things are bounced off of shelves and countertops. The anchor holds, but the fear of it not, keeps us alert…