Great Loop Date 08.17.2010: The Old Men's Club...Maybe Even Gentlemen!

Leg #2 of our adventure took us from Put In Bay, South Bass Island to Detroit, MI and the Detroit Yacht Club.  We've run the Detroit River before and are always surprised at the color of the water.  It's such a beautiful aqua.  Today's pictures don't show it's true color because of the overcast, hazy skies.

Crossing Lake Erie was a little lumpy but not nearly as rough as our trip from Bay Point to Put In Bay on Friday (yes, Friday the 13th...just what were we thinkin' !!!).  It's always nice to see the Detroit Lighthouse and know the river is coming.

The Detroit Lighthouse was built in 1885. The light station pier has the appearance of a vessel, with the pointed end directed toward the mouth of the river to break ice flows coming down river. The construction of the station was tested in December 1997 when the 635-foot freighter Buffalo struck the station dead on while sailing downbound for Lake Eire. Damage to the station was minimal involving only the structure's rock and stone foundation. Another source I read says the house actually leans slightly because of the crash (and I THOUGHT I could see the lean...but it may have been the power of suggestion!). The freighter faired much worse with its steel bow push in like a tin can. The station's stone pier torn a 25-foot gash across the bow of the freighter which then took on water. The vessel was able to control the flooding and continued on for repairs.

The channels in the Detroit River are wide (upbound and down bound divided by islands in some spots).

The wide channels in the Detroit River allow easy passage of pleasure boats such as ours and the big guys, the international freighters like the one we passed here..

The rusting tower at Boblo Island, an abandoned amusement park is a reminder of our first adventure in Amherstburg, ON, CA.

In 1898 the Detroit, Windsor, and Belle Isle Ferry Company opened up a recreation park eighteen miles southwest of Windsor on the lower Detroit river. Bob-Lo was originally named Bois Blanc by the French, due to the birch and beech trees that once covered the approximately half-mile wide by three-mile long island. The area’s non-French residents called the island Bob-Lo, since they couldn’t pronounce Bois Blanc properly. This name stuck for years and was officially accepted by the owners and area residents in 1949. Boblo had it's first amusement rides by 1910. It was sold multiple times from 1979 and finally closed in 1993. Ferries serviced the island until 1991. You can see the hull of one of those ferries above.

Our second summer in boating we brought ReeBee (our second boat...a wooden 32 foot Trojan) up the Detroit River.  We stopped and docked at Duffy's Tavern on our return trip down the river.

David and Carissa have fond memories of that stop...don't you?  Anyway, the boat rocked violently throughout the day from the ferry that ran from a dock next door to Boise Blanc Island (where Boblo was located).  But dockage was cheap, the food was good and we were able to visit Ft. Malden and learn about Canada's side of the War of 1812.

Ft. Malden in Amherstburg, ON, CA. The original fort was abandoned by the British/Canadians in 1813 when Southwest Ontario fell into American hands. The Americans started building a smaller fort on the same site but was unfinished at the end of the war, when the region was returned to the British Empire. The fort was finally rebuilt between 1838 and 1840 and served as an important staging area for the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot that participated in actions around Essex county Ontario during the Upper Canada Rebellion. This fort lasted until 1851 when the last regular forces occupied the site. During the final days of the fort, it was garrisoned by members of the The Royal Canadian Rifle Regiment until it was finally de-militarized. From 1859 to 1870, Fort Malden was a lunatic asylum (during which period many of the surviving trees were planted to provide shade). Abandoned once again, the fort was acquired as a park by the Government of Canada in 1937 and remains a National Historic Site to this day. It is a great place to visit, tour and enjoy the reenactments.

Spotting the Ambassador Bridge is always a thrill, knowing Detroit and Windsor are just beyond.  We've come this way at least a dozen times.

Detroit's downtown area...home of COBO Hall and, of course, the GM building you see on TV all the time.  Todd and I have been to COBO multiple times for the Detroit Auto Show.

Detroit's sister city on the friendship boarder, Windsor, ON, CA.  We had the pleasure of running about 6 miles of the Detroit Marathon in Windsor in 1997.

Today's stop is at the Detroit Yacht Club.  Todd has always wanted to stay here having seen it so many times from the water.

It is important to study the charts of the river and follow electronic charting programs carefully when entering the Detroit Yacht Club.  There is a huge shallow area between Detroit and Belle Isle where the club is located.  The docks here are high off the water, fixed and divided by big telephone poles that have been cut in half.  Much of the wood is weathered and in various stages of decay.

View of the Detroit Yacht Club from the Detroit River.

The Main Pier of the Detroit Yacht Club where our boat was moored. The DYC clubhouse (seen here at the end of the Main Pier) is a restored 1920s Mediterranean-style villa that is the largest yacht club in the United States. The club was founded by Detroit sailing enthusiasts in the late 1870s. The picture of the first Commodore we saw was dated 1885. The first clubhouse was established in 1891 and burned down in 1904. The new (and current) clubhouse was dedicated in 1923...and it looks it inside. It really is a beautiful facility. It just needs restoration. During the 1960s, an outdoor, Olympic-size swimming pool was added, and the West End docks were built, increasing the number of boat wells to over 350. The DYC has long been a symbol of privilege and exclusivity. Up until the 1970s, Black applicants were routinely rejected. More recently, the club has added additional facilities like a fitness center and have opened the Bitter End lounge area to allow for women to enter (told you it was a Gentleman's club!). Before the restoration, the Bitter End could only be accessed through the men's locker room. The newly restored Bitter End is also used for hosting small parties.

Todd did well with docking in the wind.  Getting 50 amp power was a problem.  After 2 hours we were able to get tentative service.  We felt lucky it stayed on all night.  After looking at the power box on the dock, it's no wonder there are problems.  They really need to update their wiring.  It looks like wiring from the 1940s or 1950s!

Hungry yet?

Todd had planned our stay to coincide with $10 Buck Tuesday.  You have to love a man that plans for events involving food!  We had Roast Pork Loin in Dark Rosemary Sauce, garlic mashed redskin potatoes, fresh steamed vegetables, salad and rolls for $10 (per person).  And it was DELICIOUS!  The bottle of Washington Red Diamond Merlot wasn't bad either!  It made for an enjoyable evening.

We are here for overnight and then off to Port Huron, MI on the St. Clair River.  Steady as she goes....