h, Labor Day weekend is upon us and it truly is my favorite boating holiday. It’s just a good excuse to get out on the boat when it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have nice weather one last time. The only downside to the September holiday is unfortunately it also means for those on the Great Lakes our season is coming to end. True, we could get lucky this fall and stretch it another month or so, but most boats end up on the hard or heading south at some point this month.

If I were put in charge I’d make some tweaks, starting with Labor Day actually being a paid four-day holiday. Sound good? While I’m at it, I have some other rules or changes I’d like to suggest:

he summer of 2022 certainly offered more options than the past two COVID years. It seems we’re in a “new normal” of some sort. While I did not personally get to do some of the sailing I had planned, overall, it has been (and continues to be) a good season. It is just that much of my sailing this summer was not on the Great Lakes.

KIDDOS INVOLVED

“People don’t realize that the state with the most lighthouses is actually Michigan,” noted Wayne.

If you’re unsure of where to go, then never fear because we’ve got you covered. We’ve already done all the leg work of finding some fun spots for you to check out around each of the Great Lakes. Whether you’re interested in history, parks, food, entertainment or shopping, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for at these destinations. So check it out!

And How To Avoid Them

If you’re new to boating – or even if you’re not – it’s easy to make simple mistakes that may have serious consequences on the water. Almost always boating errors are caused by being in a hurry, not paying attention, or both, and most of them are more embarrassing than anything else; for example, failing to tie up the anchor before tossing it over the side or jumping from the boat to the dock and ending up in the water instead.

But the upside to these kinds of errors is that you can easily avoid them by taking a basic boating course, staying focused and always completing a pre-departure checklist. Never assume somebody pulled up the anchor, put in the boat plug or…well, you name it. Under rules established by the U.S. Coast Guard, a vessel operator is always responsible for his or her actions. Here are five of the most common boating errors and some thoughts on how to avoid them.

Head Boats Offer A Walk-On Fishing Party

Also referred to as drift boats, since the large craft often drift with the wind and current over the schools of fish, such group charters are much less expensive than booking aboard traditional “six pack” charter boats, which average $450 per day per person for up to six anglers. Head boats, also known as “walk on” charters because often you can walk on to join the party without a reservation, offer 6- to 8-hour trips for as little as $50-$75 per person. Some offer two trips per day and even night fishing when conditions are right, and can accommodate two dozen anglers or more depending on the size of the vessel.

ttracted by the plentiful runs of Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon in the river of Selkirk, N.Y., early settlers of the 1800s dubbed it the Salmon River. During the inspection for the potential construction of piers, a government engineer then determined the river mouth had enough depth and breadth for anchoring around 30 ships in the early 1830s. Thus, the Salmon River Lighthouse came to be.

Just after completing the construction of the lighthouse, two piers were built with lengths of over a thousand feet at the mouth of the Salmon River in order to improve the harbor. The plan was to connect the Salmon River to the Hudson River with a canal via Lake Oneida and the Erie Canal.