Leaving Mackinac Island. Fort is in left side of picture, marina below to the right.

Here they spell Mackinaw like it sounds for some reason. After three nights on Mackinac Island we took an easy one hour trip over to Mackinaw City. It’s a pretty small place with not much to do. Paul’s brother Marty had parked their van here before coming over to Mackinac Island on the ferry. Weeks earlier I had targeted this marina as a place to receive packages, so I needed to stop for those as well.

Ship enters one of the two operating American locks at Sault Ste. Marie. Other being repaired in the foreground.

Soon after we tied up we took the van up to Sault Ste. Marie to see the large locks. I could have taken the boat there, but I would go through with large freighters that take a very long time to get in and get out. Even though it is only one very large lock from Lake Huron to Lake Superior the cycle time would have taken up most of the day, and we had no plans to boat on the largest, deepest and roughest of the great lakes.

We’ll see huge locks and be with large ships on the Tenn-Tom. We’ll probably see that sort of thing in and after Chicago also, since there is a lot of commercial traffic there. All the locks in the Erie and Trent-Severn canals took only recreational boats and an occasional small cruise boat specially designed to fit in their smaller locks.

Paul took an evening northeast shot off our bow at Mackinaw City Marina. The marina entrance is ahead to the left.