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!
GLCC News
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!
2/15/2025 Fixed links in summary JM 9/29/19 Corrected link in this article. JM
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: https://www.glcclub.com/us-and-canadian-border-reporting-requirements
If you're heading through the Detroit River, please stop at Gross Ile, Mich. (D-74) and say hello to newly appointed Port Captain Thomas Buckley. He has been boating for over 50 years. His first boat was a 12-foot plywood kit by Montgomery Ward. He moved up from the 12-foot to present 47-foot Bayliner. He has spent time cruising the Great Lakes mostly on Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair, Lake Huron and the North Channel. He is a prior Marine Deputy and Boaters safety instructor, as well as a Boating Accident Investigator. He completed USCG 100-ton Master Licensing Course. Tom and his wife Carol live aboard their 47 Bayliner Motor Yacht from April to November. He is a Past Commodore for the West River Yacht & Cruising Club (2014).