Summer cruising is in full swing, but are you finding your cruising skills need a little boost? Our GLCCSchool Recording Library is packed with cruising skill recordings designed to help make your summer cruising go smoother.
If you’re getting ready to transit the Soo or Welland? Planning an all-night passage? Got a hungry crew to feed? Feel like a klutz when you talk on your radio? Click below and take a look at all the cruising skill webinars available in the GLCCSchool Recording Library.
Have you been expecting an email from the GLCC and can't find it? Do you use GMail as your email provider? The Club has had an issue with GMail putting its emails in the member's Spam folder.
Have you had a fun / exceptional / learning cruising experience on the Great Lakes that you would like to share with other GLCC members? The Founders Award is a great way to take other cruisers along with you during that memorable time on the water
Start planning now to attend the 2025 Annual Rendezvous in Little Current, Ont. Debby and Jib Turner are pleased to chair this year’s Rendezvous. It is a homecoming of sorts, marking the 60th anniversary of GLCC’s first modern Rendezvous also held in Little Current.
For many Great Lakes Cruising Club members, the Toronto International Boat Show is a welcome winter tradition. It’s a chance to escape the cold, see the latest in boating, and maybe pick up some new gear. But beyond the boats and gadgets, the show is also an important opportunity for the GLCC to connect with prospective members who are looking to expand their Great Lakes cruising experiences.
Director/Port Captain Dee McClure: Each month Lifeline interviews a GLCC member to gain insight into their favorite cruising grounds and perspectives. We caught up with Steve Reinecke, liveaboard, active cruiser and Port Captain of Bad River, Ont. (GB-46). Steve, his wife, Brenda, and their two children, Trevor (now in the Canadian Navy) and Emily have cruised Georgian Bay extensively. Steve shares with us some insights into boat requirements for liveaboards, some unique “must haves” and a side gig connecting boaters in an anchorage.
Roy Eaton literally is the voice of the North Channel through his internationally known Cruiser’s Net. He will attend the 2025 GLCC Annual Rendezvous in Little Current. We visited with Roy recently to understand his background, a little history of Manitoulin Island and the genesis for the world-famous Cruiser’s Net.
It is a privilege for us and the Little Current, Ont., boating community to host this year’s GLCC Diamond Rendezvous, marking the 60th event since the first gathering in 1965.
Lifeline is connecting with a few of GLCC’s active cruisers to gain insight into their favorite cruising grounds and perspectives. Here, we talk to Bill and Sandi Matley, active cruisers and Port Captains of Harbor Island (NC-2) and learn a bit about their boating background.
The Great Lakes Foundation received a grant request from PBS Wisconsin to help fund the development of a documentary program entitled Wisconsin Lighthouses. We granted this request in early 2024
If you haven’t tuned into a Great Lakes Cruising Podcast on YouTube lately, podcast hosts Rob and Kelly Hillman invite you to take a fresh look.
Introduction of Electrical Safety article by Mark Lifter
Most of us boaters are aware of the dangers of boating electrical systems. Sometimes we learn things the "hard way". Those occasional shocks can hurt, and at times be dangerous.
PORT OF LITTLE CURRENT—The esteemed Great Lakes Cruising Club is hosting its 60th anniversary Rendezvous in the Port of Little Current (Ont.) from July 13-17, 2025. The prestigious event is being organized by chairs Jib and Debby Turner of Little Current.
With winter fast approaching in the Great Lakes, we’ve all probably had “wild” thoughts of selling the house and moving to a full-time exploration on our boats - oh the adventures we’ll have and the people we’ll meet! But what type of cruising are you really thinking about and are suited for? GLCC member Dick Stevenson walks us through the realities of cruising “as a lifestyle”.
Charlie and Esther Graves are the new Port Captains at Toledo Beach, Mich. (E.21.8). Esther and I live in the Toledo, Ohio area. We have both boated since we were young, on the lakes and rivers of upstate New York. We have had several different boats over the years – both power and sail. We dock our Bayliner 4388 at Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in La Salle, Mich.
John P. Siwicki is the new Port Captain for Lexington, Mich. (H-54), and Deputy Port Captain for Port Sanilac, Mich. (H-55). His hometown and berth site is Port Sanilac. He joined the GLCC in 2023. He owns a 1988 Catalina 30 MK II that he doesn’t use nearly as often as he’d like. As a Certified Professional Yacht Broker, his busy season is the boating season.
Port Clinton, Ohio (E-20): Denny Schurdell has been a life-long teacher. He is retired as a visual arts teacher, K-12 and college. He coached for many years in wrestling, cross country and soccer. Denny has degrees from Kent State University, La Verne College, and Cleveland State University. He belongs to the Sandusky Yacht Club, and is a former member of Bay Point Yacht Club and Harbor Bay Yacht Club. He is a founder of the former Catalina sailboat association-LECOA (Lake Erie Catalina Owners Association).
I bet you didn’t know the GLCC has a YouTube channel. We’ve had one for several years but it hasn’t been very active. Until now. Kelly Hillman and Rear Commodore Rob Hillman have reinvigorated our channel with fresh new videos mainly aimed at providing a sneak peek into upcoming classes in the GLCC School. They intend to keep making and posting new videos throughout the season to keep members and non-members up to date on items of interest to our club and upcoming GLCC School classes and activities.
We have big news in this winter Lifeline! From FREE webinars for members, summer activities well into the planning stages and all the boat show info. It’s a very exciting time to be a GLCC member. Rochester, N.Y. (O-6), is our featured harbor, and it has lots of interesting attributes.
Fall is coming but GLCC's Summer was a summary of adventures around the Great Lakes as GLCC’s numerous events were quite lively and entertaining. Inside the covers of this fall’s Lifeline, are full reports of all that happened, what’s happening and what’s coming up!
Summer is finally here, and so is this June issue of Lifeline! First we say goodbye to our long-time member, Past Commodore, Jim Acheson. He will fondly be missed. But carrying on his vision, we have a boatload to report!
Let's welcome newly appointed Port Captains Brian Jacobs & Sharon Hing Jacobs for Bay City, Mich. (H-61)! They have been boating since about 1976, starting with a Pierson Renegade 27-foot sailboat.
Past Commodore James C. Acheson, 86, of Port Huron passed away on April 2, 2023. He had been a member for 56 years. Commodore Acheson joined in 1968 and became a member-at-large of the board of directors in 1981. He was elected Vice Commodore in 1986 serving under David Landry until becoming Commodore in 1988. Subsequent to his watch he was elected fleet captain, an office he held for 25 years.
As the flowers come up from being nestled underground, it seems the boats begin to emerge from underneath their wrappers!
Our newly appointed Port Captain, Dan Kerpelman, for Rochester, N.Y.
Let's send a warm welcome and learn a little about Craig and Jeanne Schantz, our Northport, Mich. (M-13) newly appointed Port Captains!
We hope you are having a cozy holiday season. It won’t be long before the earth tilts us back into spring mode!
Let's give a warm welcome to newly appointed Port Captains for St.
Mike already sits as Port Captain for Florida Keys, Fla. & Mackinaw City, Mich.
We’ve had an exceptional boating season after bouncing back from the pandemic. We were able to hold our annual summer Rendezvous again! This time in beautiful Mackinaw City, Mich. (H-76.5).
One of the highlights of this past summer's Great Lakes Cruising Club Rendezvous was a Coast Guard Helicopter rescue demonstration. Impressive seamanship and piloting by the USCG! This great video taken, edited and narrated by GLCC Treasurer and Past Commodore Niels Jensen captures it well.
Lou Bruska, our newly appointed Port Captain for Holland Harbor & Lake Macatawa, Mich.
ALL Great Lakes Cruising Club members, This email to the Foundation, which we've forwarded, is from one of our recently approved Grant applications. The original request was for funds to purchase a couple of 'header,' docks to launch the creation of a marina at the Silver Islet Harbour (S-128) on Lake Superior. Fortunately, our "seed," money helped spark an abundance of interest and financial support, to this worthy project. Their success so far has even exceeded their expectations, and they are now well ahead of schedule with their development of this harbour.
Newly appointed Port Captains Rob Hillman and his wife Kelly took up sailing as a retirement adventure.
Effective April 20, 2022, the USCG has updated its requirements for marine fire extinguishers to required that they be replaced 12 years after manufacture. The number of fire extinguishers needed is determined by the size of your boat.
The GLCC is happy to report that effective May 20
Bob Allenick has quite the range of boating experience. Let's read a little about our newly appointed Port Captain for Cleveland, Ohio (East, E-10) and wish him a hearty welcome...
Have you ever been chatting with a fellow boater about the GLCC who is potentially interested in joining? Many of us do so while we’re cruising or strolling the docks. So why should this potential member have to wait until a boat show to get a discount?
Spring is just around the corner! Be sure to read the spring issue of Lifeline so you can make your cruising plans for this year’s summer events! Center stage is our annual Rendezvous, to be held in Mackinaw City, Mich.
The Great Lakes Foundation received the following thank you for the grant approved for Nature Conservancy of Canad
Let's welcome newly appointed Port Captain Stephen T. Freitas for Grosse Pointe, Mich. (D-50)! Steve has been a competitive sailor for over 35 years, and a cruising power boater for 24 years.
Please welcome newly appointed Port Captain Steven L. Arbaugh for Harbor Springs, Mich. (M-4)!
The 2022 Membership Renewal forms were mailed from our printer on 10/1/2021 to all 2021 Great Lakes Cruising Club members.
Hello All GLCC Members,
Many times We are asked about the benefits to join the Great Lakes Cruising Club & our Port Captain program is just one of the many reasons to become or even to be a GLCC member. This is a recent excellent example of the Port Captain program that demonstrates why GLCC membership is so valuable...
Great Lakes Cruising Club is excited to announce a NEW Boat Insurance partnership for our members. This means that our members now have access to the most comprehensive boat insurance coverage and competitive rates on the market today! Whether it’s a run about, sailing yacht, cabin cruiser, a trawler, a motor yacht, or something in-between – you can rest easy knowing you are covered by the marine industries most trusted insurance providers.
Prime Day is coming up on June 21 and will run through June 22. Get ready for Prime Day! Sign up for AmazonSmile and select Great Lakes Foundation as your preferred charity at smile.amazon.com/ch/36-3843113. Remember to shop for deals at smile.amazon.com, or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon app, and AmazonSmile will donate to us at no cost to you.
The June issue of the Lifeline includes the new Founders Award winning log by Vic and Sue Camaiore, which has us exploring ports like Alpena, Mackinac Island, Fayette and Sturgeon Bay. It is the first of two installments so be sure to start reading here and conclude in the next issue!
A year since the start of an epic pandemic and we are slowly (very slow) getting to a new normal. The Club has dedicated committees of individuals who are constantly working toward that goal. Good news for members who have been wanting to cruise to some new activities...
Today we welcome Jim & Heidi Egensperger as newly appointed Deputy Port Captains for Mentor Harbor, Ohio (E-8). They both grew up in NE Ohio near Lake Erie and have been boating, in many forms, all their lives. Please stop by when you are in the area!
The new GLCC Website has launched! We hope you find it easy to navigate, more modern and mobile friendly. There are several new features that should be highlighted. Click the Learn More button below to review them. Please note that your login credentials remain the same. Consider viewing the Webinar to learn about the site. If you have questions or comments please use the Contact Us menu item above.
Please join us in welcoming Rear Commodore Philip R. May as our newly appointed Port Captain for Belmont Harbor - Chicago, Ill. (M-39). Philip has sailed on a wide range of boats, from one-design racers to offshore cruising/racing boats, and currently has a Dyer-29 power boat. Next time you're in Belmont Harbor, drop a line and give Philip a holler!
Please welcome Tom and Janet Stone as our new Port Captains for Traverse City, Mich. (M-10)! This is what they told us about their boating experiences... They purchased their first cruising boat, a 1987 O’day 28, in 2002. Although they had spent many hours on the water, most of those were in a canoe, wilderness camping. When they were young, Janet and Tom would go on picnics to Holland State Park and spend hours watching sailboats going up and down the channel and dreaming of owning one someday. So, when some friends offered to sell their O’day, they jumped at the chance and named her "S"URPRISE!
Year 2020 has dished out quite a roller coaster of changes. One sure thing as a consortium; humans are getting better at adjusting! Within our Club, we have shifted to online meetings and member recruiting (instead of the traditional boat show platform). Members are taking more GLCCSchool webinars, with the time they now find at home on their computers. Many are thankful to have this resource. While not able to cross international borders, members are revisiting the Harbor Reports to explore local treasures. Please click here to read more.
Steve Reinecke is our newly appointed Port Captain for Bad River, Ont. (GB-46). He lives in Strathroy, Ont., and is married to a wonderful woman for the past 30 years. He has 2 great children, Trevor, 22 and Emily, 26. Steve is a Clinical Scientist and currently works for a company out of Houston, Tex., in the Disinfection and Healthcare IT Industry. He travels extensively for work. Steve has been a GLCC member for 12 years and has served as an Assistant Port Captain, Port Captain, Board Member and Rear Commodore. He has also previously chaired the Admissions/Membership Committee. Please click here to read more!
As a GLCC member, you can be sure that you and your family will be welcomed anywhere you cruise on the Great Lakes. Our membership is divided up between Rear Commodores that support Port Captains and help members within regions. If you look at the illustration, you will see, based on where your boat rests, which region you would belong to. The election of Rear Commodores at the Annual General Membership Meeting on Oct. 24, 2020 now supports the realignment of the Great Lakes Region that was approved by the Board of Directors at the July 18, 2020 meeting. As a member, if you knew which region you belonged to before, it may have changed. For more details, please click here.
NOAA will stop providing paper charts by 2025. That said, there's some exciting news on the horizon offering the option of custom printable charts which you'll be able to print yourself or potentially purchase through marine chart suppliers who will print them for you. For more information and a link to a highly informative webinar on this capability, click here.
Today we welcome our newly appointed Port Captain for the Trent Severn Waterway, Ont. (W-6), Charlie Ellins. Charlie has been Boating from the time of his first family boat in the 1950s including considerable time on the TSW. He skippered the family cruiser from Trenton to Orillia at age 15 with his mom and two sisters. He joined the Canadian Power Squadron in 1968 and now has 51 merit marks [Life Member]. Charlie has been Commodore of the Lake Simcoe Yacht Club in 1978-1979 when there were over 200 members. Please click here to read more!
04/27/2023 Corrected link to Harbor report. JM
While the world is still figuring things out, Lifeline remains a constant! Good thing, because it gives us something more for which to be thankful. GLCC’s fall Lifeline is a beacon for us boaters. As we close our season, we look forward to events that will happen in person (2020 Lake Erie Regional Dinner) and via Zoom platform (GLCC & GLF Annual General Membership Meetings — where we say farewell to our beloved Commodore, Rich Barzyk and welcome incoming Commodore, Dan Cline, as well as new and returning Board members). Read how the GLCCSchool webinar registrations were booming this summer, a detailed boaters log that utilizes the harbor reports for a seaworthy venture, and a narrative on joining the GLCC. Click here to read on.
04/27/2023 Corrected link to harbor report. JM
Let’s give a warm welcome to newly appointed Port Captain Thom Serafine for Monroe Harbor - Chicago, Ill. (M-37)! Thom grew up near the shore of Lake Ontario in Webster, N.Y., and later moved to Chicago, Ill., where he learned to sail as an adult. He has been sailing out of Belmont Harbor for over ten years and has done a bare boat charter in the British Virgin Islands with friends. In 2014, he bought SV Inspiration, a 1988 Pearson 31 MK2. After getting her seaworthy, he sailed her to Chicago (M-36) from Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (M-72.5). Please click here to read on!
Message from the Mackinac Island Yacht Club Regatta Committee: We are delighted to share with you that the 2020 Mackinac Island Sailboat Racing schedule will be rolled out in its entirety. We are looking forward to getting back on the water this coming summer for some friendly and fun sailing competition. Races will be administered under the Mackinac Island Yacht Club COVID 19 Guidelines. Guidelines will be explained in detail at the Skippers Meetings before each race. Mackinac Island Yacht Club, along with our generous sponsors... The Pink Pony, MIssion Point Resort and Horns Bar, will be administering four great sailing events in 2020. Mark your calendars for another fabulous season of Island sailboat racing. Please click here to read more!
The Great Lakes Cruising Club's Board of Directors, via a Teleconference call on June 20th, has unanimously agreed to resume the remaining social calendar for this year, effective August 1, 2020, that were not previously cancelled. Our events will strictly adhere to & follow all government restrictions & mandates regarding gatherings due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Additionally, A Covid-19 Waiver is required to be completed & returned to the office prior to attending an event by any & all persons attending a GLCC event until further notice.
It is further suggested you closely monitor the club's website for the latest updates on all remaining social events. This is the GLCC events page link, where any changes or guidelines regarding attendance at the remaining events will be posted. The event Chair persons information is also available there for any additional questions.
Rich Baryzk, Commodore
