Day 2 (cont): How have we gone 4 years without going to the Benjamin Islands??

Day 2: Saturday, July 16 - Depart Spanish Marina 11:30am, Arrive Bay of the Benjamins 12:30pm

That's right, this was our 4th trip to the North Channel, and we STILL HAD NOT anchored in the fabled Benjamin Islands!  So this time, it was our first priority.  And luckily, although the Bay of the Benjamins was a little crowded when we arrived, there was still plenty of space in the anchorage. We met our friends Kurt and Beth outside the bay, and Ben and I went in first to try to find a spot. 

Checking out anchorages - this is actually the South anchorage on South Benjamin

Meeting friends from Indiana in the North Channel!

Help tying up from some friendly local boaters

A group of local boaters who were rafted together saw us looking for a spot, and zoomed over in their dinghys to help us out.  We're always so grateful when people take the time to help, especially in a place we've never been before!  In the N.C., you never know where underwater rocks or shallow spots are lurking, and it just makes it soooo much easier to have help!

We anchored and tied to the rocks behind us, and just took some time to celebrate, relax, and take it all in.  One of our favorite things about our North Channel vacations is that it does not take long at all to settle in and just let the relaxation start.  A big part of that comes from taking our little home-away-from-home or our "floating hotel room" with us when we travel!  No matter where we go to sleep or wake up and have our coffee, we're already feeling like we're at home.

So, first order of business once we are anchored and feeling good about things... lunch!  And for lunch in the Bay of the Benjamins for the first time?  Can't top grilled pizza!

Captain RJ had us securely anchored in no time!

The best pizza is on a grill (the scenery doesn't hurt either).

Kurt and Beth on their dinghy out exploring

Seapickle and Petry's Pet at anchor in the Bay of the Benjamins

After lunch we set out to explore the area behind where we anchored first, and then took the dinghy over to the area referred to as the ski slope due to its steep incline and smooth pink granite.  It was definitely different and a little tricky loading RJ and all our gear into the dinghy just to travel ashore, but so amazing to experience it with him.  And yes!  I did say "dinghy" this time... we decided that the kayak may be too difficult with a baby, so Kurt and Beth generously loaned us their old dinghy for the trip!  We missed the quiet of the kayak, but the dinghy was much more convenient.

We agreed that the Benjamins are regarded as the best anchorage in the North Channel for a good reason! It was absolutely breathtaking.

Having a little picnic and playtime on the rocks

Ben and baby in his Osprey pack doing some exploring

The days are long in the North Channel, and we still had time for some playtime in the boat with RJ before he went down for bed, and we met up with the crew of Orca - fellow GLCC member Paul, and his friends Jamie and Sara, on the rocks for a few beers.  The quintessential North Channel day... and this was just the beginning!

RJ catching up on some Beach Baby reading

Watching Orca anchor - Ben "met" Paul on Instagram and we met for drinks with Paul, Jamie, and Sara that evening

Baby RJ hanging out in his baby piano gym in the V-berth

Bay of the Benjamins from the "ski slope" area

Day 2: Enjoying the views at the Spanish Marina, Ontario

Looking out into the Whalesback Channel, North Channel, Ontario

Seapickle at dock in the Spanish Marina

Hanging out at the overlook at the Spanish Marina

View of the Whalesback and North Channel from the Spanish Marina trail and overlook

Day 1: Trailer Boating to the North Channel, Ontario! (aka A 16 Hour Tow with a 6 month old)

Rj's first roadtrip!

Ahhhh... the North Channel. It's early January as I'm writing this, and we're watching a North Channel DVD (and drinking wine) for inspiration as we finally start writing about our July 2016 summer trip. There were so many differences to this trip from previous years (obviously), and one of them was NOT taking detailed notes on our daily activities and weather conditions! I guess you could say we had other top priorities, aka keeping a 6 month old alive and fed. :-) So, we're sorry this is coming so late and may not be as detailed as previous trip blogs! Hope you still enjoy reading about our sometimes crazy, sometimes relaxing, 2 week boating trip with our baby RJ.

On this trip we had friends and fellow GLCC members, Kurt and Beth, also from Indiana traveling with us once we reached the North Channel. They boated all the way up from Michigan City, Indiana in their Sea Ray Sundancer 340. Last year they accomplished an amazing trip of traveling all the around Lake Michigan and enjoyed it so much they decided to retire early and push further North this summer into the North Channel!! 

Day 1 is going to cover our travels from leaving home Thursday night at approx 8:45 CST to arriving at Spanish Marina Friday afternoon at approx 2:00 EST.

All tucked in (with bunny and binky) and ready to go!

Thursday, July 14th - 8:45pm -  For our first trip with a baby, we decided to try out leaving Thursday night when Ben got home from work and driving overnight. We figured this would be the best bet for RJ sleeping the majority of the trip and hopefully not crying too much! In order to do this, we had to have the boat packed, washed, and on the trailer in advance so that Thursday we could head out right around RJ's usual bedtime.  Overall, we didn't do too bad!  We pulled the boat out Sunday morning and spent the day getting it washed, packed with our clothes and non-perishable goods, and canvas down and ready for towing.   On Thursday, we left the house a little later than we wanted to, stopped at the bank and gas station, and spent way too much time at the marina hooking the trailer up to the truck, but we were on the road to the NC by 10:30pm.

Friday morning and still on the road!

Our first gas stop was in Grandville, MI (exit 67 - just "ok"), followed by a nap stop from 3:30-5:45am EST at a rest area.  Our second gas stop was in Houghten Lake, where we also had breakfast at the Burger King next door around 7am.  Our third gas stop was the Mackinaw City Citgo (kinda small/busy - full service), and final stop right before the border at the 3 mile road exit (the Admiral, our usual).  At every gas station stop, RJ would wake up for a few minutes while we pumped gas and stretched our legs, but as we got back on the road I would stick a bottle in his mouth and he'd be back to sleep in no time!  He did wake up around his normal time of 7am, so we took the opportunity to stop for breakfast and take him out of his seat for awhile.  He did great though getting back on the road, and took his morning nap as usual.  Once he woke up from that though, we had to stop for a side-of-the-road diaper change and he wasn't too happy for awhile.  He napped on and off the rest of the way though.  Traveling overnight and stopping for a "nap" and then breakfast extended our drive by about 4 or 5 (long) hours.  Looking back, though, we think it was the right call and we plan to drive overnight again for our next trip.

Arriving to Spanish Marina, Ontario

Unpacking the truck and packing the boat! RJ shows off our supplies in the mid-cabin (his bunk)

Trailer boat launch at Spanish Marina, Ontario

We arrived at the Spanish Marina around 2pm EST to a chilly, overcast, windy day and got to work getting ready to launch.  Our original plans were to meet our friends Kurt and Beth in Gore Bay, but after our long drive and seeing the windy conditions, we decided instead to secure a slip in Spanish for the night.  We were able to make contact with Kurt and Beth to update them with our change in plans and decided to meet in the Benjamin's in the morning instead. 

Tying up in Spanish for the night

We made the best of the rest of the afternoon and tried to catch up on sleep and just prepare ourselves and the boat for the weeks ahead!  Spanish has a beautiful marina, and we always enjoy spending time there at the beginning or end of our trips.

Excited and nervous for our first trip together!

2 Weeks Boating in the North Channel, Ontario - With a 6 Month Old!

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Not as scary as it sounds. ;-)  In fact, it was our best trip yet!

Posts coming soon....

Wonderful Weekend at the 1st Annual GLCC Trailer Boat Rally in White Lake, Michigan!

Baby Seapickle (and daddy) with Seapickle II on the trailer ready to launch in White Lake

This past weekend was the 1st Annual Great Lakes Cruising Club Trailer Boaters' Rally in White Lake / Whitehall, Michigan.  We've been to a few GLCC events before, but this was our 1st full rally and we really enjoyed the weekend.  We arrived Friday evening to a pizza party at the pavilion in front of the White Lake Municipal Marina.  We've stayed there twice before, and enjoy the low-key vibe and quiet of the town and marina.

Driving through the town of Whitehall on the way to the launch

Launch ramp in Montague, Michigan (docks are a little short for our 26ft cruiser)

We enjoyed a walk on the little trail next to the launch

Ready to launch

Saturday morning we joined the group for a nice breakfast at Crosswinds on the Lake Restaurant in Whitehall.  They don't usually open until lunch, so it was very nice of them to host us that morning for a pancake and sausage breakfast.  After breakfast, we went back to the boat for RJ's morning nap and spent some time playing with our new toy while we waited for him to wake up.  After naptime, the plan for the day was Michigan's Adventure Park!  We couldn't take the baby on rides quite yet, but he LOVED petting the animals at the farm exhibit / petting zoo.  Saturday ended with a cocktail party on the dock with new friends and boating stories - our kind of night. :-)

Ben and RJ at breakfast with GLCC friends

Ben's new toy! Aka our new dinghy - deserves it's own blog post :-)

RJ meets Llama

RJ learning how to hang out on the dock

Sunday morning RJ and I slept in while breakfast was being prepared up at the pavilion.  When we finally stumbled up, we enjoyed donuts and great conversation (and RJ enjoyed being carried around by a new friend).  We wanted to head back home early so we could beat traffic, but finally got on the road around 2:30pm.  We arrived back at our marina around 6pm spent a little time unwinding on our dock.  All in all, a great weekend and another successful GLCC event!

Trailer Boat Committee Chair, Chris, making breakfast at the pavilion

GLCC breakfast in White Lake

Seapickle II in White Lake Municipal Marina

Trailer Boaters - Join us on White Lake, Michigan!

The weekend of August 12-14 will be an exciting one for Boater's who join us on White Lake in Whitehall, Michigan! We'll be trailering to the 1st annual Great Lakes Cruising Club Trailer Boater Rally! And the best news is you don't have to be a member to join us for the weekend!

The GLCC Trailer Boating Committee is planning a weekend full of family-fun, with a special visit to Michigan Adventure Park on Saturday. The tentative schedule is:

Friday, August 12

Pizza Party in front of Municipal Marina/Goodrich Park Pavilion, 100 S. Lake St. - Pizza, pop/water provided with salad/dessert potluck. Craft supplies/project guidance provided for kids by Whitehall Arts Council.

Saturday, August 13

Pancake/Sausage breakfast at Crosswinds Marina

Michigan Adventure Park (tickets included w/registration).

Consider carpooling w/other boaters to save on parking fee charged at gate. Optional social gathering; bring drinks/snacks to share - Location TBD
Either return to Michigan Adventure Park, go to dinner in the town with new-found friends, or make your way out into Lake Michigan for a sunset cruise!

Sunday, August 14
Continental Breakfast at Goodrich Park Pavilion
Afternoon Choose to: Meet and anchor out at beach • Go dune buggy riding at nearby Silver Lake Sand Dunes (23 miles north of Whitehall - tickets not included in registration) • Take a walk/bike using paths right in front of the marinas that lead to the beaches, break walls and a lighthouse museum near Lake Michigan Bike/Kayak/Paddle Board rentals available in town • Shopping - antiques/boutique stores. Contact Kait (Lake Area Chamber) 281-893-4585 for more info.

Please download application form here http://www.glcclub.com/files/2016TrailerBoatersRally_web.pdf

Or contact Committee Chair - Chair Christine Moore Skrocki at (989) 245-3343 or skrocknest@aol.com, or email us at boatinglakemichigan@gmail.com

Hope you can make it!! :-)

Ben and Dana

Seapickle II

Our Christmas Baby

Our Christmas Baby, and "Best Gift Ever," is now 6 weeks old and cute as can be! We can't wait to show RJ the boating life this summer... he has no idea what a fun life is in store for him! :-)