Summer ‘Hop On/Hop Off’ meetups connect new friends

By Dee McClure, Hop On/Hop Off Coordinator and Rear Commodore 

The enthusiastic response to the first year for the Great Lakes Cruising Club’s Hop On/Hop Off meetups indicates pent-up interest in meeting fellow GLCC members.

The concept behind the Hop On/Hop Off meetups was to offer support to cruisers attending the 2026 Rendezvous in Superior/Duluth or to join the meetup at one of the ports of call that aligned with summer cruising plans.  The Hop On/Hop Off encouraged Club members to expand their cruising area, make new connections, all while having lots of fun.

Mission accomplished!

The Hop On/Hop Off meetup concept expanded geometrically as GLCC members incorporated the various stops into their cruising plans. Port Captain Mark Wild was the on-the-water coordinator for the meetups. In total, 56 boats participated in some aspect of the Hop On/Hop Off.

Frankfort, MI, and Beaver Island were the largest gathering spots. Eighteen cruisers gathered for dinner at the Green Shamrock on Beaver Island.

Lots of fun and new connections ensured as well as impromptu traveling companions. Mark Wild aboard S/V Lucky (Racine, WI berthed) met Bob Brown and Vicki Moon of M/V Last Mistake (Holland, MI berthed), a trawler. They ended up cruising together from Frankfort on to Duluth and Isle Royale.

The meetups also brought together boating and mechanical knowledge (and parts).  Mark Freer from S/V Blue Moon was the man of the moment when a fellow GLCC meetup member had a blown water valve. Mark had the needed parts on board to repair the problem. Crisis averted. The mutual support (both physical (parts) and emotional) members can offer is yet another major benefit of being part of the meetups.

The Hop On/Hop Off connections provided opportunities for further meetups later in the boating season. My husband Brian and I aboard M/V Seaquel met up with Bill Ditty/Melissa Lorenze aboard S/V Wandering Farr and Jeanne and Ward Heinze on S/V Jeanne Marie in late July in Frankfort and enjoyed a lovely ad hoc dinner at a locals hole-in-the-wall restaurant.  Swapped stories and creative dinghy docking on a questionable dock made the evening that much more enjoyable. 

Another example of the benefits of Hop On/Hop Off connections: Bill Ditty, a naturally gifted connector of people and all things related to boating (he was a Coastie after all) went above and beyond in connecting and introducing members to each other. First he recruited new members Gabe and Jillian Valim and family to join GLCC. He then alerted me that the family would be anchoring in Suttons Bay, our home port. The Valim family (they have two teenage boys) enjoyed an afternoon visit at the McClure house. Hubby Brian swung by the anchorage later to pick them up for an evening of fishing (no fish, but lots of fun) which was a one of the boy’s highlights of their summer cruising. 

Meanwhile, on the opposite shore, on his return from Lake Superior and while visiting Sturgeon Bay, Port Captain Mark Wild enjoyed spending time with Port Captain Walt Grabowski who he met on the Hop On/Hop Off get together at Beaver Island and Mackinac Island Rally.

Connections matter and make cruising even more enjoyable for all GLCC members.

The Club will coordinate another series of Hop On/Hop Off meetups next summer. Everyone involved in 2026 looks forward to current and new members taking advantage of the camaraderie and sharing of experiences and expertise. It’s what makes our Club special.