SUNDAY AUGUST 21ST, 2011

We left Northport and headed to Leland, Michigan. The marine forecast we for 2’ waves or less. What they REALLY meant to say was 6’ seas on the beam!! Which meant we had to zig zag back and forth across our course rather than have the waves rolling us from side to side. It also meant Nance got seasick! We would pound directly into the waves for a time, then turn and somewhat surf the boat on the waves as they came at us from behind. Oh boy, did it feel good to finally get in the marina and tied up.

The Leland Harbor Marina is one of many harbors of refuge on Lake Michigan. What this means is no boat can be denied access. Often time’s boats are rafted (tied to one another) together, but room is always made. There are safe harbors of refuge about every 20 miles along the Michigan coastline between Frankfort and Chicago. Lake Michigan is not a place to be when the wind comes up.

Once on terra firma I felt fine. The marina is right next to an area known as Fish Town. It is full of shops and eating places now, but at one time these wooden shanties housed such fishing industry business as ice and smoke houses.

In the 1800’s this little river was known at the Carp River. Now it is called the Leland River. It was the access to Lake Michigan for the many fishermen who made their living off the lake.









The wooden spool like structures are what the fishing nets would have been wrapped around to dry on once they were cleaned. They would have been turned by muscle power, and I imagine would have been very heavy when wet.












Now a day the nets are wrapped around a spool by a machine and cleaned by what looks like a fire hose.


















We ate lunch along the Leland River. I wanted Ross to move over next to the flowers for a better picture but he was not cooperating. Models are such prima donnas.