Beaver Island Michigan

I can confirm lost revenue for Beaver Island last summer. A few of us decided to sail Lake Michigan and our numbers kept growing, sailors network like no one else. Our Leland, Northport, Charlevoix legs had 18 boats, actually 16 with 2 were power boats. Our original course included Beaver Island as one of our ports of call based on my family enjoying the island for years. Because we kept getting bad information and couldn't book reservations, we did not dare to make the stop.
Our family has been up twice this summer and love everything about the island including both marinas. We are all back home now getting ready for school as both teachers and students. We had no big cruises this year but starting to talk about a cruise next year that would include the northern end of Lake Michigan and on through to Huron, Canada waters and the North Channel.

A. Last year an advance party of boat captains were told they could not make a reservation several months in advance to book a party of at least 5 boats that were coming last August. A smaller party of boats subsequently came.

B.Last week after much wrangling several slips were finally opened up for the current Regatta that is in the harbor. This left many of the planners with a bad taste in their mouth.

C. Several weeks ago Sailors in the Mackinaw Race were turned away.

D. This spring I heard three disgruntled boaters hail the marina for over an hour during mid day attempting to make some sort of reservation. I finally responded to them and gave them some sort of direction.

E. The boaters that sent the letter a few weeks ago had similar issues.

These are just a few of many reservation related issues that I have personal knowledge of. the fact is that it is currently not a very easy marina to book travel to.

This is a PUBLIC marina, paid for and operated with PUBLIC dollars. And yes Joe Moore it has been discussed many times but absolutley nothing is ever done to improve the ease of reservations in the eye of the user, otherwise these instances wouldnt keep repeating themselves. Beaver Island has an unbelieveable harbor and wonderful facilities. It simply needs an operation that is much more in touch with the needs of today's Great Lakes boater.