Hygge Adventures: 084: If I had a Boat, If I had a Pony: wake crossed

On August 11, 2024 we left De Tour Village for a twenty-seven n/m run over to Hessel.MI to rendezvous with a buddy of mine, Dan Garland, who has a great house/property in the Les Cheneaux Islands area of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The seas started out about three footers on the nose but gradually settled down and we had a nice run. The last eight n/m’s were through a winding channel with lots of vacation homes on the shore. This was a very interesting and eclectic place on its own island:

We thought about anchoring out, but it was still a bit “saucy” so we pulled into the Hessel Township Marina and Dan came over in his boat to pick us up and take us back to his place. Dan and two of his siblings own the place and have a great setup, complete with their own little private beach. We had a nice visit and met Dan’s nephew who is an Academy Award winning documentary film maker. He has production deal with Ron Howard’s company and Nancy and I were relieved to hear that Ron Howard is a truly a nice of a guy as he presents. (I’d have been crushed if Opie/Richie Cunningham was really a jerk.)

Hessel:

That night we went over to the Les Cheneaux Culinary School Restaurant with Dan and had a great meal.

On the 12^th we left Hessel for the fifty-two n/m run to Beaver Island by way of Mackinac Island.

Sunrise at Hessel:

Again, we had three footers on the nose for about half the trip, and then it calmed down a bit. Off Mackinac Island we spotted this super yacht, formerly owned by the billionaire Robert Maxwell, who fell (or was he pushed?) off it and drowned off the Canary Islands. Now owned by one of Robert Murdoch’s ex-wives.

The Grand Hotel:

Mackinac Straights Bridge:

We pulled into Beaver Island and docked next to fellow Loopers Moree and Dennis of the good ship “Gypsea” and joined them for a potluck dinner. Afterwards Nancy rode over to the lighthouse while I did “work work” for my part time gig. The water around Beaver Island is crystal clear, like Bahama’s clear. Amazing. We had a weather window to cross the rest of Lake Michigan the next day, so unfortunately, we couldn’t hang around Beaver Island, but it is on a future “must do again” list.

Beaver Island Lighthouse:

On the 13^th the plan was to go seventy-two n/m’s across the Lake to Washington Island, Wisconsin, a place we know well from prior trip. We cast of the dock lines by 6:45 a.m as it was projected to take us approximately elven hours to complete the crossing. As we left the harbor, I played “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” for “good luck” (see earlier posts). We had a great crossing.

Sunrise at Beaver Island:

Crossing:

About halfway across the winds shifted and for the last third of the trip we had “half-footers” on the nose and our speed slowed from 7.2 knots to 6.2 knots, but “no bid deal.” It was a great crossing, and we pulled into Washington Island (back in the Central Time Zone) after eleven hours.

After getting the boat all tied up we took the marina’s courtesy car with the crew of Gypsea to the Albatross burger place for one of their “world famous” burgers, and then we went over to School House Beach (a favorite place of ours) for a swim. Full disclosure: Nancy was the only one who went in the water as it was a bit cold, and the sun was setting. School House Beach is one of the five beaches in the world without sand, but rather polished smooth rocks. It’s a “geological thing.”

The Beach:

The rocks:

Norwegian chapel:

The next morning (August 14th) Gypsea left early for Fish Creek, WI and we hung around for a return trip to School House Beach for another swim. I wimped out, but Nancy was in her element swimming in clear (but cold for me) water. We had lunch and cast off the lines around 1:00 pm for the twenty n/m run to Fish Creek where we joined the Gypsea crew for an après-dinner cocktail.

To Fish Creek:

Fish Creek:

On the 15th we did a short seven n/m run down to Egg Harbor. Unfortunately, it rained all day so we didn’t do much but hang around the boat and read/watch videos.

Action Shot leaving Fish Creek: