We’re back.
All in, our trip was comprised of 16 wonderful days. 12 of which were spend sailing on Lake Michigan, with a 4 day break on a mooring ball on Round Lake in Charlevoix, MI. We pushed it with some pretty long days heading north so that we could arrive in time to see my family and enjoy Charlevoix Venetian Festival, but were able to take our time sailing back which was lovely.
I documented the sailing days on my Instagram, the posts are compiled below. We had some flexibility in our schedule as we opted, as always, to anchor for free in designated anchorage areas rather than reserving dock slips – which tend to fill up very quickly in the summer.
Day 1
Departure day! Lake crossing days are always long ones, and this was no exception. Of course it didn’t help that we got a late start, but both Eric and I were both exhausted from wrapping up work heading into this trip, so welcomed an hour or two of extra sleep that first morning. Eric worked so hard to get the boat ready for the trip and, since this lake crossing day was so calm, managed to finish up a few of those projects en route. We experienced some battery/alternator issues in the middle of the crossing, so having those big solar panels ready to go was a huge win.
We were tired coming into Holland after midnight, and very nearly missed HITTING A BOAT that was anchored without a light, right in our path. That made for a rather stressful finish to day 1.
Day 2
It was not intentional, but since we crossed from Chicago to Holland again, it put us on the same path as our 2022 trip to Charlevoix. In fact, on the way up, we ended up stopping and sleeping at all of the same anchorages. Of all of those stops, White Lake was the one I was hoping we would get a chance to stop at again. After a chill sailing day (Eric caught a salmon!) we entered the familiar channel into White Lake. Happily, we got in early enough to go for a swim before making dinner and enjoying it with a drink on the stern as the sun set and the full moon rose. Another memorable night spent on White Lake – I hope it isn’t the last!
Day 3
We had no intention of logging another 80 mile day on the the third day of our trip, but one has to be flexible when on a sailing trip. We spent most of the day aiming for Arcadia, excited to check out a new anchorage, but as we got closer Eric did a bit of research and we were concerned that the channel there may not be deep enough for our keel. Red Pill’s draft is close to 7 feet, so the few reports of only 4-5 feet in the channel were more than a little concerning, especially since we’d be getting in after dark. So we took advantage of the nearly full moon and powered on another 20 or so miles to familiar Frankfurt.
Day 4
We knew when we went to sleep the night before that there was a chance that some rain may delay our departure in the morning, but when we woke up it became pretty clear that it may be best to stay put for the day. While I would much rather be sailing, I was getting a bit stressed about keeping up with work while I was gone and welcomed a day of catch up. Eric fired up the Star Link and I was able to check a bunch of tasks off my list for the week. Only trouble was – the thing about solar, you actually need the sun to shine in order to keep the batteries charged. Still, I was able to get a good amount done as the rain relentlessly fell and we watched storm cells travel across the lake on the weather apps.
Day 5
The lake was still pretty stirred up from the previous days’ storms, but we pushed forward. The first couple of hours were a challenge, as both the wind and waves were from the north – exactly the direction in which we were heading. But eventually we rounded Point Betsie, changing our heading ever so slightly, and managed to use the wind to our advantage. The day grew clearer and calmer and we ended up sailing into Charlevoix just as the sun was setting – a picturesque finish to the first leg of our trip!
Days 6 -9
While the dock at my parents’ house was occupied, we were able to tie up to their mooring ball in Round Lake and use the dinghy to get to and from shore from 7/25 – 7/30. The long weekend with my family in Charlevoix was full of walks to town, fireworks, good food, bonfires, laughter and more. Each morning we packed our shore bag, hopped in the dinghy and went to land. And each night we returned to the comfort and privacy of Red Pill, our floating home.
Day 10
Rather than heading south, we opted for one more half day sail north to Beaver Island, the largest island in Lake Michigan. I’d been there before, years prior, as a day trip from Charlevoix but Eric had never seen it before. We sailed over, crossing the car ferry that goes between Charlevoix and Beaver Island, and arriving just around sunset. There was a bit of drama with the anchor not holding initially and when we pulled it up we quickly saw why – I’ve never seen so much grass on an anchor in all my life! We worked hard to clean it off with boat hooks before dropping again, just as it was getting dark. Then we rowed the dinghy (well, Eric rowed it) to shore so we could grab a dinner and a drink on shore and get the vibe of Beaver Island.
Day 11
This marked the first day of our the daily work and sail combo that we’d employ for the remainder of the trip. We worked at anchor for a couple of hours in the morning (thank you, Star Link!) before pulling the anchor and starting south toward South Manitou Island. Once we were underway, we took turns driving and working, coordinating our calls and schedules so that we could alternate. 11 hours is still a long day, but we were able to arrive before it got dark which made a world of difference.
Day 12
In my book, any day that starts with a swim in a good day. I left Eric snoozing in bed and took advantage of the quiet morning to take a dip in the refreshing Lake Michigan water. I swam around the boat and to the nearby island beach where I walked around and explored a bit before swimming back. By the time I returned, Eric had made me a cup of coffee and we set to working for a couple of hours before continuing south to Portage Lake. Portage was a new stop for us, and we were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful anchorage. Another jump in the water, this time Eric joined me, and we made a nice little boat dinner and watch the sunset as we listened to a nearby beach party on the shore.
Day 13
Another morning swim to start the day! We worked until after lunch and then continued south down the coast. A little light rain and some bigger swells kept things interesting, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle as we clocked a short 7-hour day to Pentwater. My friend, Sarah, has been spending summer vacations in Pentwater for years so of course I texted her to let her know that we were staying the night there, never imagining that I’d look up in the channel to see my dear friend waving at us! She had just arrived a few days earlier and it was so fun to see a familiar face – someone I grew up sailing with at Clearwater! This, of course, called for a row into shore where Sarah met up with us for a quick drink and a few laughs.
Day 14
A little morning rain kept us working at anchor longer than anticipated and the waves of the day before seemed to grow with the wind over night. Getting the sail up was an adventure, to say the least, and more than once did I hold on to the boom to keep from rolling into the water! Despite that excitement, it was a pretty chill, albeit wavy, journey down to Muskegon. By far this was the most commercial and urban anchorage we’ve stopped at, with big car ferries and tour boats going in and out of the channel and lots of boat traffic on Lake Muskegon past our anchorage, which was right by the sand dunes of a State Park. We dropped anchor and jumped in the water (of course) before putting together a little snack plate that served as dinner and enjoyed it watching the sun set from the bow. We provisioned for about 5 days, which is how long it took us to get up to Charlevoix, and on this day we started to run a little low on food. No worries, we just got creative!
Day 15
Nothing gets Eric more excited than seeing a fleet of fishing boats and there were no shortage of them leaving the channel alongside us in Muskegon. Once we got to the right depth he dropped a couple of lines and we trolled for a while before he finally got a bite. He worked hard to reel in a large steelhead until I swooped in, net in hand, and accidentally unhooked the fish. My net duties had been pretty spot on up to this point, and I felt terrible that this one got away – especially after he worked so hard to reel him in. Lucky day for the fish, I guess.
It was lake crossing day and, since it was Saturday, we didn’t have to get any work done and could leave early. Of the four lake crossings Eric and I have done on Red Pill, this one was, by far, the most enjoyable. It was only 70 miles from Muskegon to Racine, compared to the 82 miles we sailed from Chicago to Holland. And, continuing with the theme of the trip south, we managed to arrive well before dark.
Day 16
Seeing the Chicago skyline start to take shape on the horizon is a bittersweet sight after such a long yet wonderful trip. It’s crazy how long you can see the city before arriving, and we soaked up the final hours of the trip (and the sun!) as we watched the buildings slowly grow bigger and more pronounced. While we managed to catch little windows of decent sailing each day, the majority of the trip was more of a motor-sailing experience. But, as we got closer to Chicago, the wind was in our favor and we were able to kill the motor and sail most of the day. A great way to end the trip.
Jenn Winter 
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