Elise Doppel has boated her entire life on Lake Huron and now she and her husband spend as much time as they can boating on their 2004 Four Winns Horizon 230.

GLB: What Great Lakes have you boated on?

E: We’ve only taken our personal boat out on Lake Huron. We live closest to this lake and have a family cottage along the St. Clair River that connects Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair. But in the past we’ve been on other vessels on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior as well.

GLB: What kind of boat do you have?

E: We have a 2004 Four Winns Horizon 230 with thru-hull exhaust, a MerCruiser 350 MAG engine, and a Bravo 3 outdrive.

GLB: What does your average day look like on your boat?

E: My husband and I have launching and trailering down to a science, so we’re in the water quickly and swiftly. We look for freighters the moment we’re out of our channel, and we love chasing them up and down the waterways—we keep a log of all the ships we see, when we see them, etc., complete with beautiful photos of them all. Every time we see one, it’s like seeing it for the first time—they’re so majestic and massive, it’s truly breathtaking. We also love docking at restaurants for lunch, bringing friends or family along, and either cruising or anchoring with a crisp drink when the sun is highest.

GLB: What kind of impact has boating had on your life?

E: I’ve been boating my entire life because my family has a cottage on the St. Clair River. I grew up on a 1985 19-foot Wellcraft and have never felt more at peace, more at home, than when I’m on the water. As I went to college, moved out, and bought a house with my husband, we made it a five-year goal to get our own and after working hard, we were able to get one in two. It’s a great addition to our family because we can use it both for functional, transportation purposes as well as leisurely purposes. Boating is something he and I are both extremely passionate about—it’s where the whole world goes quiet, where time stops, and where we are whole. We love to improve it, explore it, and devote every weekend to it when Michigan weather allows. It’s been one of the best things to ever happen to us, both individually and as a team.

GLB: What is one of your favorite boating memories?

E: Wow, where do I start? Last summer we towed her to the Tawas Bay area for a vacation and hosted our family out on it for multiple days in a row. We went for great rides and anchored near the state park, spending the afternoon in the water with the ones we love. We also ended the 2020 boating season soaring through the great swells of Lake Huron on a windy fall day—I had never seen swells so big! It was an amazing feeling and so cool to witness, especially in a boat that can be safe when the waves grow like that.