Stephanie and Paul Carrico have been connected to the Northern Michigan (Oscoda to Alpena) area for the last decade, having met in Alpena prior to getting married. They currently reside in Oscoda during the summer months. Please welcome them as newly appointed Port Captains for Oscoda (AuSable River) (H-64), Harrisville (H-64.5) & Alpena (H-66), Mich.
     Paul has been boating his whole life, primarily on powerboats, but has some sailboat racing experience. Stephanie came to boating through sailing, racing Hobie Cats in the Pacific while attending high school. Please click here to read further.

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.

     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.

     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!

Val-Le Fuehrer received her 50 year Member Burgee at the Wilderness Rally held at Keyhole Island this July.  Val-le and her husband Milt joined the GLCC when their children were very young.  Taking them to many Rendezvous and exploring the North Channel, they ventured to many new places during their years of cruising in UGOTABKIDDIN (first a 26ft cabin cruiser then a 37ft sail boat).  Val-le appreciates the many lifelong friends she made during those years and continues to cruise with several of them.  She currently resides in Basalt, CO where she is an active downhill skier during the winter.  Congratulations Val-le on your 50 years as a member of GLCC!

     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!

The summer issue of Lifeline has arrived — just in time for our H2O adventures! The popular GLCC annual Rendezvous is happening in July. Even though that event has already reached capacity, there are many more available, so be sure to check them out! You may be concerned about Electric Shock Drowning (ESD) so we added the information necessary to understand how it happens, how to prevent it, and what to do if it does occur. If you've been following, in this issue: the second of three installments of the winning Founders Award log by Port Captains Dave & Colleen Wray — read 'em all! We hope you enjoy the fun articles and soak up the information left in wake. Click here to access the 2018 Summer Lifeline magazine, and here for updates and information on GLCC Events.

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