FIVE DAY ITINERARY
SHORT DAYS
Day 1 Sutton’s Bay – Sutton’s Bay offers marina and a well-protected anchorage. This quaint little town has a great selection of restaurants, shops and boutiques for browsing.
Day 2 Northport / Omena Bay – The Village of Northport is a quiet town with several restaurant options and a few great bakeries and coffee shops. Take advantage of the amenities at their full-service marina or anchor off the pristine shoreline of Northport Bay. Omena Bay offers a fun restaurant and wine tasting room right on the water and is a very scenic anchorage. Great Lakes Sailing has recently installed 3 permanent moorings here for the fleet, so you won’t have to worry about your anchor dragging overnight.
Day 3 Elk Rapids – A Quiet little harbor town on East Grand Traverse Bay. Elk Rapid’s’ Grace Memorial Harbor is one of the nicest in the area. Just stick to the channel on your approach. East Bay can get shallow! No anchoring!
Day 4 Bowers Harbor / Power Island – Anchor only. Power Island is a mostly uninhabited state park with great hiking. The ranger and his family have the single house on the island. Bowers Harbor Marina is private only, with no transient docking. You will need a dinghy to go ashore. Bowers Harbor Vineyard is a short hike from the boat launch.
Day 5 Have a leisurely breakfast on board, go for a swim or hike and take your time sailing back to Traverse City.
POWER ISLAND
MODERATE DAYS
Day 1 Northport / Omena Bay – The Village of Northport is a quiet town with several restaurant options and a few great bakeries and coffee shops. Take advantage of the amenities at their full-service marina or anchor off the pristine shoreline of Northport Bay. Omena Bay offers a fun restaurant and wine tasting room right on the water and is a very scenic anchorage. Great Lakes Sailing has 3 permanent moorings here for the fleet, so you won’t have to worry about your anchor dragging overnight.
Day 2 Charlevoix – Head to the idyllic storybook town of Charlevoix (3 ½ – 4 ½ hr sail from Northport). Truly a unique setting; a short channel runs through Charlevoix which connects Lake Michigan to Round Lake. Another short channel connects Round Lake to Lake Charlevoix which opens many more cruising opportunities. Great live music and restaurants abound in Charlevoix. Anchor Out – Charlevoix offers Round Lake right outside the village which makes for a well-protected anchorage.
Day 3 Elk Rapids / Old Mission – The scenery is outstanding and Elk Rapids is one of the friendliest ports around offering boaters a free ride to and from restaurants outside of the downtown area. Elk Rapids is a quiet little harbor town on East Grand Traverse Bay with sandy shores, quaint shops and unique restaurants. Elk Rapids’ Grace Memorial Harbor is one of the nicest in the area, close to downtown for easy adventuring. Just stick to the channel on your approach, East Bay can get shallow! Old Mission Bay offers a quiet, pristine anchorage and a long stretch of sandy beach. (No anchoring on Elk Rapids’ side of bay.)
Day 4 Sutton’s Bay – Sutton’s Bay offers marina and a well-protected anchorage. This quaint little town has a great selection of restaurants, shops and boutiques for browsing.
Day 5 Return to Traverse City.
OMENA BAY
SPIRITED DAYS
Day 1 Charlevoix / Elk Rapids – Head to the idyllic storybook town of Charlevoix. Truly a unique setting; a short channel runs through Charlevoix which connects Lake Michigan to Round Lake. Another short channel connects Round Lake to Lake Charlevoix which opens many more cruising opportunities. Great live music and restaurants abound in Charlevoix. Anchor Out – Charlevoix offers Round Lake right outside the village which makes for a well-protected anchorage.
Day 2 Beaver Island – “America’s Emerald Isle” known for its rich history, quiet beaches, and nature preserves. The small town of St. James is host to seasonal events, live music, and historical celebrations. Discover Beaver Island for yourself to see its many natural and cultural treasures.
Day 3 Northport / Omena Bay – The Village of Northport is a quiet town with several restaurant options and a few really good bakeries and coffee shops. You can take in the amenities at the full service marina or anchor off the pristine shoreline of Northport Bay. Omena Bay is a pristine setting on the Leelanau Peninsula. You’ll find a fun restaurant on the water with an adjacent wine tasting room. There is no marina in Omena Bay so you’ll have to dinghy in to shore.
Day 4 Sutton’s Bay – Sutton’s Bay offers marina and a well-protected anchorage. This quaint little town has a great selection of restaurants, shops and boutiques for browsing.
Day 5 Sail back to home base – Stop by Power Island for a swim.