e’re officially in the prime months of boating season that some say begins with the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The timing of the summer solstice depends on when the sun reaches its northernmost point of the equator, which means summer technically and officially began on Sunday, June 20, this year. With all due respect, I strongly disagree.

I tend to believe for boaters on the Great Lakes, summer actually begins some time in May when the weather starts getting nice again, and at the very least you could make a strong case for the three-day weekend as part of Memorial Day as the kickoff point.

What does this mean? It means it is that time of year where we abandon our homes and leave our neighbors wondering where we go for the next 15 weekends or so. For our “winter neighbors” this can be a very confusing time, especially if they’re not boaters themselves.

hat can be better than the long days and gentle breezes that our Great Lakes give us in the summer? As we all know, the weather on the Great Lakes can be interesting, for lack of a better word. It can “kick up” quickly, going from a nice easy sail to an all-storm in what seems to be a matter of minutes. There are a lot of weather apps available and I am sure everyone has their favorites. Keep in mind all these are giving you a forecast and although the models are very sophisticated, they do sometimes just get it plain wrong. It is also a good idea to understand that these forecasts may not be specific to the local variances where you are sailing. Here are a few that I use on a regular basis.

PredictWind is a good one. I like that it gives the user several different forecast models to work with and updates on a regular basis. There is also a web-based version that offers both a free and a paid service.

PocketGrib allows you to view global weather including wind, temperature, pressure and more from GRIB files. It is a fun one whether out on the water or having an adult beverage and complaining about the weather.

Weatherbug, WeatherUndergroud, Sailflow, The Weather Channel, Windy, BuoyData and many others are available as well. There is a lot of weather information available, and it continues to be easier to use whether on a phone, tablet or other device. It is much different today than 30 years ago when sailing to Hawaii we would get periodic forecasts via SSB radio and plot the isobar lines on our chart.

When I crawled out from under my boat the other day I was, for some reason, wondering about flares. My guess is that most of us have a box of expired flares somewhere. It is interesting that there is currently no single agency or policy for dealing with the disposal or recycling of these hazardous pyrotechnics. Where I live, the county will accept them during its annual hazardous waste disposal event. Check with your local police or fire department to see what is available in your area.

ords like “beauty” and “sophistication” seem to fall short when you lay your eyes on Sea Ray’s all-new Sundancer 370 Outboard. This model successfully embodies Sea Ray’s legacy while simultaneously taking their brand to the next level with its new design.

Sea Ray’s design director, Charlie Foss, explained that in many ways this new model is a reinvention of Sea Ray, representing a new chapter in an already rich history. To understand the Sundancer 370 Outboard’s significance, it’s important to note the Sundancer family and history.

“Sundancer in and of itself is a household name when it comes to cruisers,” observed Foss. “When you think of Sea Ray, the Sundancer name is kind of its perfect manifestation.”

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.

f you’re serious about finding a luxury crossover that you’d swear was designed specifically for the Great Lakes, you need to pay attention to the all-new 350 LXZ from Scout Boats. It’s the initial debut of the brand-new LXZ Series and the S-Class sophisticated masterpiece is truly unlike anything out on the market today. Simply put, it’s a high-end day cruiser, ideal for refined entertainment; with overnight accommodations should you choose to extend your adventure.

Extending your adventure is exactly what this Scout is all about. Highlights include a seating configuration built around plush, luxurious entertainment expectations; immense shade provided by the integrated epoxy-infused carbon fiber hardtop; a full glass windshield to protect from the elements complete with an electric sliding sun roof and side window vents; air conditioning above and below deck; swing-in side dive door; a gyro stabilizer; systems completely run on lithium ion batteries (no generator necessary); and at-home appointments throughout the model are just a brief snapshot of the standard and available optional features built into this must-have craft.

f you’re looking to explore the culinary side of the Great Lakes, look no further because we’ve compiled some of the best restaurants you can get to by boat. Whether you’re interested in expanding your cultural palate or discovering historic restaurants with inviting atmospheres, you’ll find your perfect fit with the following options.

Their two-tiered lakeside decks give you the perfect setting for outdoor dining and you’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy some live acoustic guitar music on weekend evenings in the summer. The menu will have your mouth watering with customer favorites like the Cajun rubbed blackened prime rib or their fresh seafood sampler platters.

arina slip leases can appear in short, medium and long versions. What they all have in common are terms and provisions setting out the rights and obligations of the marina or yacht club operator and very importantly the boater leasing the slip.

After the parties are named, the length of time of the agreement will be recited, with a description of the boat. Then the fee amount and payment time—annually, semi-annually or monthly—and the due date. Any modifications or waivers (as some marinas did during the COVID-19 lockdowns) should be in writing and signed by both parties to be legally enforceable. It can be a risky business to rely on verbal representations, at least as far as the courts are concerned, should it come to that unpleasant situation.

he Great Lakes are full of wonders. Some, we discover every day as we set out on the water and embrace their magic. Others are more of a surprise.

Things that have been hidden for years and years find light as the water tosses the sand, ebbing and flowing from high and low tides.

In recent events, shipwrecks considered lost have been pulled to the surface to be discovered, allowing us to complete stories long gone. This is due to the intense changes in water levels that the Great Lakes have recently experienced. When the levels are low and then rapidly rise, it causes things lower in the lakes to rise up and appear right before our very eyes. These can be little fascinations, or they can be as big as nearly 200-year-old shipwrecks.

n 1998, Chad Scott plunged into the depths of Duluth-Superior Harbor in a routine check of the underwater infrastructure of the Coast Guard station. What he found shocked him. Corrosion, much like you would find in a saltwater environment, covered the steel structures below the surface in freshwater Lake Superior.

Chad, a marine civil engineer and commercial hard hat diver currently with AMI Consulting Engineers, had previously completed most of his diving work on the east coast where finding corrosion on the sea wall is quite common. It isn’t something you typically see much of in fresh water. He grew up in Duluth, Minn., but had been in the military for eight years and went to college before heading east.

“When you’re exposed to a different environment you tend to recognize things that aren’t normal to another environment,” Chad explained. He tried to bring the issue to people’s attention, but no one seemed interested in listening, something he says was frustrating.

o some if may feel like a somewhat recent electronics surge, but in reality improved technology and advanced electronics have been evolving into our boats for decades. As gadgets have been created to improve our day-to-day lives, those same upgrades have been improving our life on the water. Technology is always advancing and we will likely see even more developments in the foreseeable future. To give that dream context, some companies have spoken about their experiences with the advancement of technology for boaters as a whole.

Garmin Marine is a household name among boaters, coming up with next-generation technology aimed at making boating a more luxurious and relaxing experience. When we asked David Dunn, the director of Garmin’s marine sales, what he thought of the influence technology has had on Garmin, he noted that integration has become one of the biggest selling points of their products.

“The more information boaters can control and access directly from their displays—the one master source of information—the greater the convenience, which ultimately results in a more enjoyable on-the-water experience,” said Dunn.

uskellunge aren’t the first gamefish to come to mind among anglers wetting a line in the Great Lakes each summer. Salmonids, yellow perch and walleye steal much of the show, leaving “the fish of 10,000 casts” in the prop-wash as most Inland Seas anglers pursue more popular species.

That is, unless that wake cuts across Lake St. Clair, world-famous for its muskie fishery. Or, as Bret Alexander has enjoyed for four decades, you head to his home waters of Green Bay, which are earning a reputation as the Great Lakes’ top “huskie” muskie destination.

“It’s just something that’s been in my blood since I was a kid,” the veteran charter captain answered when asked about the allure of muskie fishing with so many other excellent fisheries at his doorstep. “They intrigue me. They are the hardest to catch and the most exciting fish in the water. It’s an adrenaline rush. Like most anglers, I love catching walleye and smallmouth bass, but there’s something about fishing for muskies that gets people really cranked up.”

he job of a lighthouse keeper is one that takes constant work and diligence. There isn’t much time for sick days and on top of the hard work comes a danger factor as well. Quite simply, this job isn’t for the faint of heart. The Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse on Lake Michigan, which was first lit in 1873 and is still operational today, saw two of its keepers die during their time in service at the lighthouse.

There to help with the fog signal, Sheridan King was an assistant keeper at Frankfort in 1902. While out on a small boat one day, he was called out by a ferry captain to get out of the way. King did not have time to move out of the way before the ferry rammed into his boat, smashing it to pieces. The ferry captain kept going, not stopping to help King, who only lived for 15 minutes after the crash.

Keeper Joseph Wilmot, who had King as his assistant nine years earlier, also died during his service. Despite being ill, Wilmot continued to work at his duties but eventually succumbed to his sickness. Both men left their wives widowed.

Despite past tragedies, the Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse is a beautiful symbol for the Frankfort community and welcomes people to their city. It’s 71 feet tall at focal height, covers 16 nautical miles and has a pyramidal-shaped tower. In 1912 the original timber structure was replaced by a steel one right on the North Pier. The light is located on the north breakwater in the Frankfort, Mich., harbor, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently owned by the city of Frankfort.