Charlevoix, MI (Round Lake, Municipal Marina)

Far Niente docked (right hand side of the picture with the tallest mast)

45° 18.989’
85° 15.447

We had a fast and great trip up from Frankfort to Charlevoix. We covered the 60.1 nm distance in 8 hours. Now you need to know that we didn’t sail at all today. We used our faithful “Yani” to power us up to Charlevoix. ‘Yani’ is our 62 hp turbodiesel engine that is called upon when 1.) there is absolutely no wind, 2.) our destination lies directly in line with where the wind is coming from, and 3.) when we really, really need to be somewhere and the weather is not cooperating, as in today.

So we crank up Yani and he communes with “Otto” the Raymarine autopilot. I pay close attention to them because they have been known to misbehave at times.

We screamed through the Manitou Passage today with following seas and a 5-15 knot tailwind. At times the GPS indicated we were making almost 9 knots SOG (speed over ground). But a strange thing happened, as soon as we crossed the mouth of Grand Traverse Bay the wind clocked 180° and was right on our nose. This actually worked out quite well for us as the waves calmed and as we hit the opening of the channel, wind speeds were less than 5 knots; perfect for docking.

The folks here at Charlevoix sent 3 people down to assist in docking which was greatly appreciated. Docking Far Niente with only two on board can be challenging to say the least. However I must say that the addition of the bow thruster makes things extremely manageable and we had no trouble pulling deep into this marina.

We are docked at the newly renovate Charlevoix Municipal Marina on Round Lake. Round Lake connects Lake Michigan to Lake Charlevoix. This is a very special and beautiful area of northern Michigan. For example, today, for the first time sice we splashed the boat into Lake Macatawa, I can look over her stern and see her rudder; the water here is that clear. Amazing.

The renovate Charlevoix Municipal Marina sits right across the main drag of Charlevoix and immediately next to the city band shell and park. Tomorrow is some sort of an ‘art’ (I use the term loosely, it is mostly crafts, or as I like to say CRAP) that traveling gypsies peddle across the parks and malls of America. But hey, it is a free country and if that is what makes you happy, so be it. Frankly I am glad we now live on a boat; there is simply no room for anything more.

We are hanging out here until Monday early afternoon when we’ll scoot out of Round Lake and into Lake Charlevoix where Irish Boat shop is located. We plan on pulling into their docks in the afternoon so we are in place for their Fischer Panda generator expert to look at out problem first thing Tuesday morning.

I said it previously, I am much happier waiting for repairs in Charlevoix than in Muskegon.