Crossing The Mackinaw Bridge to Get to Detour –

One of our favorite places to cruise in the Great Lakes area is Canada’s North Channel. We have traveled there by both cruising and trailering. When we had bigger boats, we would cruise from Charlevoix, off Lake Michigan, to the northern shores of the North Channel to begin our chosen route. We’d cruised all the way to Killarney most times. Since 2012, we have been trailering our Ranger Tugs, both the 27 and the 29 to either Spanish, Ontario, or Little Current to launch and explore.

This year we put in at Detour, Michigan, a first for us. Detour is at the easternmost tip of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was less than a four-hour drive north to DeTour, MI from Traverse City, crossing the Mackinaw Bridge on the way. We had plenty of time to launch the boat, get settled at the marina, and walk downtown to Dinghy’s restaurant. Pretty sleepy town. We didn’t see anyone in town while walking to the restaurant, where we were the only guests for dinner.

We found DeTour to be a tiny village with only about 400 residents, however, DeTour’s marina facilities are very boater friendly. It was easy to launch the boat and store the trailer right there on a grassy lot near the road; the launch is a short walking distance from the marina. The whole process could not have been easier.

One thing we loved about DeTour’s Public Boat Launch is the easy access to trailer storage. You can see the marina from the trailer lot (below). We were also surprised to see a friend’s trailer parked in the lot. We were hoping we’d catch up with them during our trip through the channel.

The post Summer Cruise to Canada’s North Channel – Launching at Detour, MI appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

When we got to Turnbull Island, we were ready to relax –

We left DeTour the morning after we launched the boat without a planned anchorage or any real route in mind for the next three weeks. Sometimes it is just nice to wing it. Jim decided the Turnbull Islands would be our first anchorage in the North Channel. We would revisit our favorite spots all the way to Portage Covered Cove, but we also like to scout out anchorages we’ve only heard about from other cruisers exploring Canada’s pristine cruising grounds.

Good weather and calm water greeted us as we made our way east toward the North Channel’s northeast shore. We still needed to check in with customs and decided Blind River was a good place to take care of that important task. Arriving at about 3:00 pm, we made a quick check-in, I never even got off the boat. Jim and I were ready to anchor somewhere and relax for the rest of the day, so off we went to Turnbull Island, located not very far from Blind River.

Often, at the start of a new cruise, we find the first night on the boat is a time to let down a little from all the activities of planning, packing, cleaning, provisioning, towing, and launching the boat. We also need to make sure all systems are good to go. All the flurry of preparation, in the weeks and days leading up to taking off on the water, can take a toll on us “seasoned” cruisers.

Checking in at Blind River.

Turnbull Island is U-shaped providing protection from all sides.

The post Turnbull Island Marked Our First Anchorage – North Channel 2019 appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.