September 25: Left Mackinac City early morning with wind on the bow and choppy seas. Motored along the Michigan coast about 2 miles from shore heading west then south. The coast line had beaches, bluffs, and houses most of the way. About an hour from Harbor Springs, the west wind was pushing larger swells and the sky was darkening. I decided to divert to the Harbor Springs Municipal City Marina and wait out the pending gale winds forecasted for the next few days. I was motoring along, when I noticed the sandy bottom of Lake Michigan. I immediately became alarmed thinking I was off course in shallow water. A quick glance at the depth gauge indicated thirty feet of water below the hull; that’s how clear the water is on Lake Michigan. Here is an aerial photo of Harbor Springs, Michigan. The municipal marina is over in the left hand corner of the harbor.
Harbor Springs is an affluent summer resort town. The main streets in town are lined with upscale boutiques.
One of the local art galleries featured bronze figurative sculptures by George Lundeen. George is a nationally known sculptor of realistic figures. Google his name and see some of the incredible bronze sculptures he has created.
Hanging out with some of the local boaters, I took a ride over to the town of Petoskey, MI. Turns out, Ernest Hemingway hung out in Petoskey, MI at this location:
We also stopped at a an old church and burial ground near Cross Village, MI.
While in Cross Village, MI, we stopped at a restaurant called “THE LEGS INN”. The wood decor inside the restaurant can be seen in the photo.
Back at Harbor Village Municipal Dock:
This sailboat is the “Trois Vignes: from Naples, Florida. The yacht was built in France, put on a ship to the United States, commissioned, and now being delivered to Chicago. It’s about 80 feet long. The LED lighting is elegant at night.
September 27, Thursday: gale warnings were posted for Thursday, September 27 and I spent the day securing Katrina to the dock and hunkering down after a little window shopping in town.
September 28, Friday: I had hoped to leave today for the port of Leland, Michigan about forty-nine miles south of Harbor Springs. Wind and wave forecasts were not favorable. A south or west wind is not particularly fun when heading south on the east coast of Lake Michigan. I expect to leave Saturday morning. Here’s my sailboat, Katrina II, waiting for favorable weather for departure to Leland, MI. The yellow cord is for connecting to shore power.
Please obey the signs around marinas that say, “No swimming”. Besides being run over by a boat, you might receive an electrical shock in the water that incapacitates you and causes you to drown. Boats that are not properly grounded could send electrical current through the water.
Roblgreatloop 