Gold Loopers

Our loop isn't over until Mary, John and Mary Frances are all back in Mackinaw City together.  Kris, Paul, Jess, and Jackie keep John company and they all go out to dinner at the Keyhole, a Mackinaw City institution.

Tuesday, August 14, John starts to unload the boat.  Last year we brought things to the boat for 4 months before we started the loop.  How long will it take to unload?

He stopped in Houghton Lake to visit the tank that was assigned to him when he was commander of Michigan's tank battalion:

We met at home in Shepherd on Tuesday, Mary with a cold, and hung around there doing maintenance (4 trees had fallen in our yard, our resident mole is still active, and some of the lawn could use a quick going-over), laundry-how nice to have our own washer and dryer and be able to do something else while they ran!-mail, unloading both cars (Mary's had both things she'd need in Chicago and items no longer needed on the boat that made room for Paul to use the aft berth).  We headed up to Mackinaw City on Sunday, August 19.  After many hugs-my how Shannon has grown!-we unloaded the car and settled in.  Jim, Paul, Mary, and Noreen on Jim and Noreen's new boat in the slip next to ours:

John scrubbed the deck carpets and the deck on Monday.  John and Mary came to invite us to their cottage for dinner on Tuesday:

We have been enjoying the view vicariously from their cottage for over a year by following their blog, now we get to appreciate it in person.  The Mackinac Bridge is in the upper left.  Molly the beagle is between the 2 Marys-John will expend a lot of energy throwing her rubber chicken.

After John's wonderful coq a vin, we retire to the gorgeous sunset:

John and Mary tell us that their grandchildren know it's time to go to bed when the bridge lights come on.  We agree to save the blueberry pie and ice cream for tomorrow back at the marina and head back to our boat.

"Hello, we're John and Mary from Mackinaw City.  Hello, we're John and Mary from Mackinaw City".  "Fast" and "Slow", we're all here together now.  Mary Frances and Passport are in the background.

After a year and 2 weeks, about 6,000 miles, almost 100 locks, 16 states, one province, rivers, currents, tides, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean; lots of fresh seafood and many wonderful people, we triumphantly raise the gold flag.  We did it!

Right after Mary and Mary sadly decide that our dinner together the night before was probably our last looper get-together, some loopers who are staying at the state dock invite us to join the 5 loop boats that are there for snacks and drinks.  We receive an e-mail from Boreas and they should be in Mackinaw City shortly.  We hear looper boats on the marine radio calling St. Ignace and Mackinac Island.  So the adventure hasn't ended completely, we'll relive our trip as we meet new loopers and greet again some we met along the route.

Home!

Monday, August 13, we were at the gas dock when it opened, fueled then headed for Michigan.

Following the ferry:

The lake was supposed to be pretty flat, but nobody told her.  As we made the turn, we had 3-4 footers so decided to go out a little way and see if it calmed.

It did, so we kept going, arriving at Rogers City, MI about noon, filled up with gas, reported to US Customs, and headed for Mackinaw City.

Our home territory-Poe Reef Light near Cheboygan:

Mackinac Island:

The bridge:

 Home at 2:30:

Our welcoming party of John's sister Jackie and our niece Kris and great-niece Jess cheered us on and Kris took pictures.

Hurray, we did it!

Midland to Tobermory

Wednesday, August 15, Paul drove Mary's car from home to Midland, Ontario so she could go to Chicago, where her brother, Bill, was in hospice.  John and Paul hoped to leave the next day for Tobermory, but spent 3 days in Midland in the rain.  They installed a new hard drive in the nav computer.  We considered finishing the trip with paper charts, but the depth sounder is tied into the nav system and we sure didn't want to travel Georgian Bay without one.  Between rain showers, Paul and John walked around Midland to view the 34 murals:

Rest in peace, Bill.  Mary's brother died Thursday, August 9.

This sculpture was in the park on front of the Midland marina:

Saturday's forecast was good so Mary Frances headed out:

3/4 of the trip was fine, then the waves built to 2-3 feet and became 3-4 footers when we made the turn toward Tobermory.  At rest in Tobermory:

There are a lot of tour and dive boats here:

Waiting for the ferry to Manitoulin Island:

The ferry:

Cars are parked on 2 levels,

The ramp is lowered when the cars on the first level are out of the way:

We moved the boat to the end of the dock Sunday, as Monday's forecast was good and we wanted to be at the gas dock when it opened:

Another walk in Tobermory:

On the Rocks

It's amazing how these homes are built into, on top of, and around the rocks:

Georgian Bay

A beautiful run again today:

Swift Rapids Lock, the highest lift lock on the waterway-47 feet.  You are told not to cleat your lines off, just hook them around the cleat and hang on to them, as they cannot stop once they start filling or emptying the lock:

Approaching the Big Chute Marine Railway, there are boats coming down on our side:

We are able to watch as the next group of boats enters,

Begins their ride,

And starts down the other side:

After watching another group come our way, we think we have a pretty good idea what to expect:

Our turn:

John doesn't often get to sit on the bow in locks:

Wow!

We continue on to Port Severn for the night:

We spent the night in Port Severn, only 1 more lock to go.  We forgot to take a picture, but Mary's credit card wouldn't go through so she checked online and, sure enough, it had been compromised. Which one of you stole her number and made 11 $200.00 purchases/withdrawals at Wal-Mart in Boca Raton?!

While we were registering, another couple, also on a 380 SeaRay Sundancer, was in the office inquiring about electrical service at the docks.  There was only 1 50 amp service where he was. John had checked and there were 2 30's at our dock so he offered the use of our 50 amp splitter (they cost $300.00).  They gratefully agreed and we went back to hook up our power.  You guessed it-only one plug worked.  We laughed and got out our 30 amp splitter, turned off one air conditioner and went out for dinner, as we can't run the ac and the stove on one 30 (what a tough choice!).

Through the last lock and into Georgian Bay:

Approaching Midland, Ontario and the largest outdoor mural in the world:

Mary Frances at her dock in Midland: