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What We Do

We help each other.

The GLCC was founded in 1934 to share cruising information among its members. It is still our core purpose. Our famous Log Book and Harbor Reports contains decades of detailed observations by our members, who have personally visited the areas, anchorages, harbors or waterways described in the individual reports.

Not all places have restaurants, grocery stores, medical facilities, and fuel docks. Just as when the club was founded, there are still wilderness and uncharted areas of the Great Lakes. Our reports are sometimes the only ones available for a particular location, including this anchorage in the Whalesback Channel, and this harbor in the Bay of Islands.

The harbor reports are viewable, printable, and saveable to your computer for off-line use while cruising.

Unlike commercial products, our harbor reports are constantly updated. They are maintained by our members in this "wiki" format on the Web. All GLCC members are, of course, encouraged to contribute their own observations, so we can continue to keep the reports up-to-date and state-of-the-art.

About 200 harbors have GLCC Port Captains. These dedicated individuals take special care of visiting members, and represent the club in a variety of ways. They are a great resource, especially when you are cruising outside your normal area.

Our collective experiences on the vast Inland Seas also provide great material for boating discussions and stories, wherever we get together. Besides our annual Rendezvous, we have rallies, flotilla cruises, and social events. However, most GLCC meetings just happen, because several members just find themselves in the same anchorage at the same time. We like having fun together.

Over 1000 Harbor Reports

Harbor Report screenshot

One of the great member benefits of joining the Great Lakes Cruising Club is access to our detailed Cruising Guides for over 1000 harbors of the five Great Lakes as well as Lake St. Clair. Our Harbor Reports are continually updated by fellow GLCC members, and the latest versions are immediately available on this website.

The GLCCSchool Has a Webinar for You

As the GLCCSchool heads into its final four weeks of this year’s school session, there is still plenty of time to check out the upcoming live webinars and to peruse the school’s Recording library. From radar to solar, from cruising hot spots to navigating locks the GLCCSchool has something for every Great Lakes Cruiser. All of the GLCCSchool’s webinars are reasonably priced and as a GLCC member you automatically qualify for a $5.00 discount on each and every webinar you tune in for.

Want to learn more? Click below to see what’s in store for you at the GLCCSchool.

March 2023 Lifeline is now available for a good read!

As the flowers come up from being nestled underground, it seems the boats begin to emerge from underneath their wrappers! Soon we’ll be out by the dock or in that special area where we do our fitting out. This issue of Lifeline yields a fresh perspective on one of our Michigan harbors in northern Lake Huron; Presque Isle (H-70). Read about it and you may consider a stop this summer!

2023 Spring Launch Weekend

Join us for our Annual Spring Launch Meeting May 5–7 at the beautiful Marriott Fallsview Hotel and Spa in Niagara Falls, Ont. (Click to book! Code: GRL), perfectly situated with stunning views of the falls. Every room has a view of either the falls or the river. Niagara Falls is a wonderful destination with hundreds of things to see and do.

2022 Harbor Report Updates

Consolidation of the 2022 Harbor Reports with significant changes during the year. And now we start on 2023 - Happy New Year!

Port Captain Introductions: Dan Kerpelman

Our newly appointed Port Captain, Dan Kerpelman, for Rochester, N.Y. (O-6) was introduced to sailing at five years old on his father’s 14-foot wooden dinghy. He was immediately hooked and progressed through many phases of sailing from there. He learned to solo on a Sunfish at seven.

Port Captain Introductions: Craig & Jeanne Shantz

Let's send a warm welcome and learn a little about Craig and Jeanne Schantz, our Northport, Mich. (M-13) newly appointed Port Captains!
    Craig and Jeanne grew up in northern Michigan and have always had a love of the water and boating. When careers took them to Southern California in January 1994, they expanded their boating experience by joining the Santa Barbara Sailing Center.