eff and Jackie Dyer have clocked in enough hours on Lake Michigan in their 29-foot Four Winns Vista to make all the other boat owners jealous at Northport Marina in Northport, Mich.

When the summer weather’s nice there’s no question where the Dyers will be: invariably, they’ll be making the most of their boat and their time together.

The Dyers have owned their current Four Winns for 12 years and it’s their third boat on the Great Lakes. Prior to this boat they owned a 23-foot Four Winns and then a 26-foot Four Winns before graduating to their 29-footer.

With both Jeff and Jackie having a long and active history of boating, they’ve shared their love of boating on Lake Michigan with their two children, Shauna and Brett. For them, nothing matches the peaceful atmosphere of getting away from the hustle and bustle of daily life as a family on the lake.

Getting Away

“There are so many reasons I love boating on Lake Michigan,” mused Jeff. “I always tell people that if you put a financial number on it, it’s a terrible decision. But it’s so worth it.”

The freedom and relaxation the Dyers find out on the lake is unparalleled. When they’re out on Lake Michigan they don’t have to worry about household chores or the stresses of their busy jobs. They can unplug and simply enjoy each other’s company.

“You’re totally away from the rush of the daily home activities,” added Jackie. “That’s nice from a family aspect because you’re totally unplugged and you can truly relax.”

Shauna, Brett and the nieces tubing.

It’s not at all crowded where they boat and they can go for hours without seeing another vessel on the crystal clear water. For them, nothing matches the serenity and beauty of Lake Michigan.

“Sometimes we leave out of Northport and go over to Charlevoix just for dinner and come back while the sun’s setting across Lake Michigan,” described Jeff. “I mean, there’s no replacement for that. It’s so calming.”

The Dyers only live about a mile and a half from their marina, but they still enjoy staying on their boat at the marina so they can get as much time on their vessel as possible while escaping the worries of daily life.

They also love to anchor at sandbars and enjoy exploring and finding new places and little coves where they can anchor for the day to swim and relax. That’s what it’s all about for Jeff and Jackie: getting out.

“A lot of people in the marina laugh that we go and use our boat so much,” added Jeff.  “Some people use their boat as a cottage but because we live here, we prefer to jump in ours and go.”

Boating Kids

The Dyers’ children Shauna and Brett are both grown and out of the house now, but they still come back as often as they can to continue the boating tradition with their family. It makes sense since both have been on the water since they were babies. For instance, the Dyers took Brett on the inland waterway all the way through to Cheboygan, Mich., when he was just six months old.

“We had a 22-foot boat and we went overnight and ended up staying at a hotel one night,” recalled Jackie. “So he’s been on a boat since he was a baby. We’d just lay him on the floor and he’d go right to sleep.”

Now Brett has his own pontoon boat on Lake Michigan and continues to love boating. Shauna has also boated since she was young and would frequently bring friends aboard to share in the fun.

In fact, they took Shauna along with her friend when they were younger down to Ludington, Mich., by boat. Looking back now, the Dyers acknowledge the courage behind the journey since they had a smaller boat with a single engine at the time. They got weathered in a couple of days and had to stay at Frankfort, Mich., a little longer than expected, but that did not stop them from having a great time.

“They’ve always been boating kids,” added Jeff. “I feel so lucky for them that they’ve grown up in a marina. We’re all about the water lifestyle; that’s why we live here. I can’t think of any other way to live.”

Many of the Dyers’ boating memories also include their two nieces, Karissa and Miranda, from North Carolina. They’ve been spending their summers in Michigan for 15 years. Even though they’re now both grown, working and in college, they still come up to enjoy boating with Jeff and Jackie on Lake Michigan.

Needless to say, the whole family has completely embraced the boating lifestyle on Lake Michigan and none of the other inland lakes compare. Jeff mentioned that whenever Brett goes to other lakes now, he always complains about them being such small lakes.

Jeff laughs and says, “Yes, well, you’re comparing it to lake Michigan. Not every lake can be a Great Lake.” And isn’t that just the truth.

A Continuing Tradition

Although the kids are out of the house, boating still continues to be a family affair. Shauna lives in Alabama now with her husband but when they come up to visit, they always take a couple days to come out on the boat with Jackie and Jeff. Brett is also coming home on long weekends this summer so he can boat with them.

1. Jeff and Jackie Dyer.

He and his buddies enjoy doing things like going down to Omena, Mich., for dinner by boat and hanging out at sandbars. They all revel in the fun and freedom that comes with the boating lifestyle. Yet it still remains a family tradition because when Jeff and Jackie are anchored up at a cove by themselves, Brett and his buddies always come up and anchor right next to them to hang out and grill.

“It’s a big family thing for us,” shared Jeff. “Our boat has always been the family boat and there have always been a million kids on it. Some people might think that it gets messy, but that’s what it’s for. That’s always been our kind of thing and I think that carries over to our kids.”

Travels

The Dyers love both day boating and taking trips as well. Mackinac Island is probably one of their all-time favorites. Instead of taking the ferry like other tourists, they enjoy the freedom that comes with taking their own boat. They like to go under the bridge and around the backside of the island for all the beautiful views.

“I’d say family trips to Mackinac Island are some of the best,” said Jackie. “Our kids always took friends and they loved it.”

The family also enjoys exploring the rest of the surrounding area. “We’re very lucky,” added Jeff. “Where we live there are a lot of other marinas and towns within 20 to 40 miles so we go a lot.”

For example, after a full day of boating they’ll come back to their marina and decide they want to go out for dinner. They choose to go to a place like Elk Rapids, Mich., which is only around 20 miles away by boat. So they hop back in the boat and go out to dinner and only come back late at night.

Worth It

Looking back at all the memories they’ve made, the Dyers couldn’t think of a better way to spend time with their family. If they were going to give other Great Lakes boaters advice it would be to get out there and enjoy it.

“We know a lot of people who have big boats they use as cabins, which is great,” described Jeff, “but we prefer to go out on the lake. It’s not just a sitting boat—we put a ton of hours on it. We like the size of our boat because it’s easy to get in and out of the slip on our own.  We don’t need assistance from dock hands or neighbors; we can quickly pick up and go.”

Living up north, they have a saying that life is short and the summers are short too. That’s why whenever there’s a nice summer day, you’ll find Jeff and Jackie out on the water, making the best use of their time and their boat.

“The memories are worth any cost,” shared Jackie. “They always outweigh the cost. It’s great family time.”