DeTour Village

Waiting out the weather in Little Current paid off as the next three days brought us calm waters and sunny skies. We anchored in the Benjamin Islands, a North Channel favorite. The sparkling blue water, pink granite rocks and wind swept pines were picture perfect.

We found a tiny secluded cove and had it all to ourselves.

The wind had kicked up in the afternoon, as it often does here, so we restricted our dinghy exploring to the immediate area. The water was incredibly clear as you can see here.

We found a rocky beach, took a stroll and collected a few rocks.

The small rock island across from the boats was beautifully reflected in the water the next morning.

Leaving the Benjamins, we passed the "Sow and Pigs" rock formations at the entry.

The next day we cruised through Whaleback Channel, off the northern side of the North Channel. Again, spectacular beauty ...

and pristine shoreline.

This is Whaleback Island.

There are hundreds of anchorages in the North Channel and we only got to sample a few, but after one more night's stay in Canada, we set off to re-enter the US. The water was totally calm for our 45 mile crossing of the North Channel, which brought us through islands on the American side. The water had turquoise hues that didn't really show up on the camera. Looks like a palm tree on the shore of this island.

Boats returning from Canada are required to report in at the US Customs Office at the Drummond Island Yacht Haven. Our papers were all in order, so they let us back in ...

... and as we cruised away, I took down the Canadian courtesy flag.

We anchored for the night in a large cove on Harbor Island, part of the UP (upper penisula) of Michigan. It felt good to be back in the USA and in the midwest.

A big blow came through in the night and our anchor, holding both Shingebiss and Eschaton, dragged us back a ways during the night. Good thing there was plenty of room and no boats anchored behind us. After a night of banging and bouncing, we were ready for some quiet at DeTour Village Marina. The marina is located in the DeTour Passage, which connects the North Channel to Lake Huron proper. The Michigan DNR harbor system runs 83 marinas that span all 3000 miles of Michigan Great Lake shoreline. Our slip here was only $35, and that included everything, so we think it's a pretty good deal they have going here in Michigan.

We've toured the entire town, it's small, but charming and hospitable. We've met all sorts of other cruisers here, including this creative bunch of locals who built their craft, powered it with an outboat, and included a wood fired hot tub to provide maximum comfort for the crew. It was dusk when they came by last night, so the picture is fuzzy, but you can clearly see the heads and shoulders of the four in the hot tub. American ingenuity at its best.