Sunday Summary #83

250 Nautical Miles in 4 Days

Hi ,

Welcome to Scho & Jo’s 83rd Sunday Summary. This edition of the Sunday Summary was written on a Sunday but was sent on a Monday aboard PIVOT who is docked in Douglass, Michigan.

Last Week.

Last week we were unsure of our exact plans going forward due to weather and the tricky 90-degree turn we needed to make. We ended our eight days waiting for our weather window in Mackinaw City by throwing axes, bowling, and playing laser tag with some loopers who were also waiting for the weather. It was such a fun night out and was really nice to spice up typical docktails!

The next day we left Mackinaw City not bright and very early to begin our 4 long days of cruising south on Lake Michigan. Here’s how it went…

Day 1: Mackinaw City to CharlevoixDistance 47.8 nautical milesTime 7:18

Our morning started out in pure darkness, passing some of the police boats that were forming a security zone around the Mackinac Bridge for the Labor Day Bridge Walk. Once we passed under the bridge, we saw… I really want to say it, but we’re going to save it for the vlog! It was one of the most incredible and unexpected experiences we’ve ever had aboard PIVOT. The beginning of the cruise was a little rolly, so Elliot put on Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds song on repeat, which we sang along to for the next 7 hours 😁

Once we arrived in Charlevoix, we had the pleasure of meeting two of our viewers; Ed from Michigan and Scott from Wisconsin. I know we’ve said this before, but it’s so special for us to meet the people who watch our videos. We love getting to hear a piece of their stories!

Day 2: Charlevoix to South Manitou Island, with an afternoon stop in LelandDistance 46.0 nautical milesTime 6:40

The following day we left Charlevoix at 8 am and had a fabulous cruise down to Leland where we stopped to see the Fishtown. Fishtown's used to be popular around Lake Michigan, but due to invasive species, pollution, and climate change, are a rarity today. We’ve been listening to the book The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan as we cruise in the Great Lakes region, and it’s been a phenomenal resource to learn about the history, geology, and current challenges that face the Great Lakes region. (Thanks Debi for the recommendation!) Visiting Fishtown was a visual of what the past local fishing economy looked like in this region, which was really neat to see. Following our midday stop, we continued our cruise to South Manitou Island where we took a sunset dinghy ride to try and find shipwrecks and anchored for the night. If you were to tell me 2 months ago, after our Atlantic Ocean experience, that we would be anchoring on Lake Michigan, I would have thought you were crazy. Lo and behold, we anchored on Lake Michigan and had an extraordinarily calm night.

Day 3: South Manitou Island to LudingtonDistance 70.7 nautical milesTime 10:20

The next morning we pulled up our anchor at 7 am and continued our journey south. South Manitou Island is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore which began the giant sand dune landscape that we would see for the next 150+ nautical miles. These sand dunes are so prominent a mile off shore that people walking past look like ants. We were completely enamored by their scale and beauty.

Day 4: Ludington to SaugatuckDistance 84.2 nautical milesTime 12:00

We arrived to Saugatuck and were welcomed by our viewers Bruce and Cindy who are graciously letting us use their dock! It’s been a huge time saver as it allows us to get to shore to take Ollie out and go for evening walks without needing to take the dinghy to shore, which requires an extra 15-20 minutes each way. That night we enjoyed having dinner with Bruce and Cindy around their table and got to know them as we chatted about boats, the Great Loop, and so much more. We’re constantly surprised by people’s generosity and kindness.

During our time here, two of our viewers, Kris and Wally, stopped by and gave us some homemade salsa because we love tacos so much. We really felt loved here in Saugatuck and it’s certainly had a lasting impression on us.

While we’ve been in Saugatuck, we’ve had our heads down doing computer work the entire time. It’s not glamorous or exciting by any means, but it’s the real life that goes on behind the cameras and the screens. I recently asked on Instagram if anyone is interested in seeing more of our daily life, specifically work-related tasks. I was surprised to see that the overwhelming percentage of people who responded said yes. We don’t want to bore anyone, but we also want to keep it real; it’s a balance.

Here’s a quick glance at what work days look like for us when we’re not filming:

• 7 am: Wake up, make coffee and tea, eat breakfast, and check the weather forecast.

• 8 am: Computer work (answering emails and messages, editing videos, editing photos, scheduling videos, scheduling social media posts, writing our weekly email, route planning, creating a broad itinerary for places to see and what to do in various towns, etc.)

• 1 pm: Elliot starts fiddling in the fridge looking for something to eat until I put together some leftovers for lunch. Check the weather forecast, again.

• 2 pm: Computer work (same as above)

• 5 pm: Jen starts to cook dinner while Elliot continues working.

• 6 pm: Eat dinner while reviewing video edits, catch up watching some of our favorite YouTubers, then Elliot washes dishes while Jen works.

• 7 pm: Computer work (same as above)

• 11 pm: Get ready to go to bed. Check the weather forecast, again.

The Next Day: Do it all over again 😊 That’s been our Friday through Sunday.

This Week.

Surprise, we are waiting for a weather window again! In the meantime will be exploring the cute towns of Saugatuck and Douglass. We have a fun day planned and are looking forward to exploring many of the recommended stops here. Later this week, we’ll be cruising south to one or two more destinations on Lake Michigan (maybe Benton Harbor/St. Joseph or Michigan City) and then heading to Chicago! I actually can’t believe I’m writing that we’re cruising to Chicago this week. It’s been such a far-fetched destination for us with many hurdles in the past year and a half of trying to complete the Great Loop. Champagne might be had when we arrive 🍾

"Don’t worry about a thing'cause every little thingis gonna be alright."-Bob Marley & The Wailers

 Videos. 

In case you missed it, here are all the vlogs we’ve released since our last Sunday Summary:

Cruising to New York City and Anchoring at the Statue of Liberty!

Cruising up the Hudson from Lower Manhattan and our Anchorage in Ellis Island

Conquering Mountains on the Great Loop - Bear Mountain State Park to Bannerman Castle

 Other. 

We were recently featured in Passagemaker Magazine's Classic Cruisers Club! We talk about the beginning of our boating journey, the lifestyle aboard, our wishlist, the next boat, and much more. 

 Question for YOU. 

After having a fabulous experience at the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA) Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk, Virginia this May, we’ll be attending the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous in Paris Landing State Park in Tennessee this October! We’ll be giving a presentation on Anchoring and Loving It! and are so excited to share our love of anchoring with prospective loopers. Some of our favorite days on the loop have been spent on anchor.In preparation for our presentation, we would love to hear your questions about anchoring. Email us your anchoring questions to [email protected]. 

 Great Loop Recommendations. 

We are looking for recommendations for destinations and spots along our Great Loop to go see, visit, and enjoy. It's been a real challenge for us to keep track and stay organized with the many wonderful recommendations we've received thus far. So we've created a Google Form to help us stay organized. Thank you to everyone sending us recommendations so far! We really appreciate it.

 Gratitudes. 

There is so much that we’re grateful for this week! Grateful for good weather on Lake Michigan. Grateful to have met so many of our wonderful viewers this week. Grateful to have met Bruce and Cindy who have blown us away by their kindness and generosity to share their dock with us. When we decided to buy a boat, do the Great Loop, and put it all on YouTube, we never imagined we would have met so many incredible people along the way. Thank you for making this trip so memorable.

Peace and love,Jenn + Elliot