Let’s welcome (M-14) Leland, Michigan’s new Port Captain Dan Cline! Dan has enjoyed cruising Lake Michigan with his wife Linda on their Island Packet 320 sailboat since 2004. They recently moved to Traverse City & their boat Wildwood berths close by at Betsie Bay Marina in Frankfort (M-16), where Linda holds her Port Captain title. Both are devoting time to exploring northern Lake Michigan, Green Bay, and the Great Lakes. Dan serves as a Director on the GLCC Board and is currently the Chair of the GLCCSchool committee, and previously served on the Club's Website committee. Click here to read more.
GLCC News
Let's welcome Bill Bailey as the newly appointed Port Captain for Elk Rapids, Mich. (M-7)! Bill is a retired teacher who spends his summers onboard Cavalier in Elk Rapids while not cruising to the many harbors, and his winters skiing. He started sailing over 30 years ago on a Hobie 16 and enjoyed competing in CRAM (Catamaran Racing Association of Michigan) races for a few years. His current boat is Cavalier, a Freedom 32 that he purchased in Huntington, N.Y. He sailed her from Long Island to Bay City, Mich., and has been cruising the Great Lakes ever since, having sailed all except Superior. Please click here to read more.
Charles' Final Journey (video courtesy of Adam Mastis): Friends and loved ones gather for the release of GLCC Past Commodore Charles W. Brittan Jr's ashes off the bow of fellow Past Commodore James C. Achesons' boat Lady J. GLCC Chaplain Nelson Stone presided with a commending eulogy. Charles served the Great Lakes Cruising Club membership for 17 years, from 1963 until 1984, as a Director, Treasurer, Rear Commodore, Vice Commodore, Commodore (1980-1981), and finally again as Director as well as Past Commodore in 1982-1984. He was a long-time resident of Illinois and retired to Belleview, Fla., where he resided with Sue Meyer. Please click here to view the video on YouTube.
Fall Lifeline — it's here once again, commencing the official end of summer. Soon we'll be stashing our boats and making preparations for the coming of winter. This fall issue of the Lifeline promises some good reads while looking back at the wonderful memories we've made around our Great Lakes. After the Rendezvous article and centerfold, Lifeline boasts the conclusion of Dave & Colleen Wray's Founders Award log. Port Captain Pat Somers wrote an informative book review on The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan. Remember to check out the 2019 Boat Show Schedule on p. 4 and a few save the dates — some fun events to look forward to in the non-boating months! Click here to access the 2018 fall Lifeline magazine, and here for updates and information on GLCC Events.
The Best Great Lakes Anchorages: Five seasoned boaters from the Great Lakes Cruising Club share their favorite getaway spots in this scenic cruiser's paradise. Niels Jensen: When my European friends and family ask me why I sail the Great Lakes — and Lake Superior in particular — I often say that Superior is the size of Austria, and there's nothing like the Great Lakes in the world. They are truly unique. Long recognized as an arm of the ocean, the Great Lakes cover about 95,000 square miles and have enough combined shoreline to span nearly halfway around the world. They can be rough, challenging, and are never to be taken lightly. However, as those of us who are out there know, they provide an enticing playground for summertime boating adventures, provided you keep a close eye on the weather, have a suitable boat for where you plan to go, and know what you're doing. Click here to continue reading at the BoatUS.com.
Patricia (Pat) Somers has been boating with her husband Brad Somers, Rear Commodore SW Ontario (Ret.) and Port Captain for Amherstburg (D-82) and Bob Lo Island (D-86), Ont. since the early 1980s. Now that she is a retired (sort of) health care executive, Brad and she look forward to spending July and August on Somerscape their 37-foot cruiser traveling the Great Lakes. Pat continues to consult internationally for Accreditation Canada (a Canadian health care regulatory body), but is adamant about keeping July and August devoted to their boating passion. Please click here to read more!
An extensive fire in the Perry Sound area of Georgian Bay, Ontario (Parry Sound 33 fire) has grown to over 11,000 hectare (27,000 acres) as of 8/3/2018 and has caused the closing of the Small Craft Route north of Britt/Byng Inlet. Boaters must travel outside of the restriced area beween Byng Inlet and Beaverstone Bay outside the Bustards. Also there is no fuel available between Killarney and Byng Inlet. Please refer to Harbor Reports for Byng Inlet to the Bustards .and Bad River to Killarney.
Joe McKeown has accepted appointment as Port Captain for Point Edward, Ont. (H-2) which is right around the corner from Sarnia, Ont. (D-3) where he has held this same title since June of 2013. Joe came from a boating family, with his great grandfather a founding member of the Detroit Yacht Club and a long line of GLCC members. Growing up, he spent many of his childhood summers around boats (albeit of the power variety) at his family’s cottage in Amherstburg, Ont.; learning about boats, family and the beauty of the Great Lakes. He is a licensed Coast Guard Captain and ran a charter and dive boat in the BVI for a time. Please click here to read more!
Mike Kohut, who spends his winters in the in the Florida Keys and summers aboard his trawler, Blue Chip, has been appointed as the new Port Captain for Mackinaw City, Mich. (H-76.5). Let's give him a cheerful, "welcome aboard"!! Here's a bit about he and his wife's cruising experiences. Please click here to read more!
The US Customs and Border Patrol have announced a new cell phone or tablet app for pleasure boater for reporting their arrival into US. This app, CBP ROAM (Reporting Offsite Arrival - Remote), can be downloaded from Google Play Store or Apple App Store at no cost. One will need to set up an account at login.gov to create profiles about the travelers and conveyances. It can be used by all travelers coming into the US via private vessel no matter the nationality of the traveler or the vessel. Please see https://www.cbp.gov/travel/pleasure-boats-private-flyers/pleasure-boat-…; Also, an article on theboatgalley website has additional information: https://theboatgalley.com/us-check-in-via-roam-app/
For a complete review of check in requirements for both US and Canada, please see the revised article by Brad Somers, Rear Commodore (Ret), US and Canadian Border Reporting Requirements.