Arrival to Mackinac Island - 300 Nautical Miles Later

It's an overwhelming feeling of happiness when the island comes into view. We'd been pushing hard, blew up a spinnaker, and almost touched the mast in the water - all for this!

View of the bow of Margaret Rintoul IV heading towards the finish line of the Bayview-Mac Race. The northwest tip of Bois Blanc Island (and Round Island) on the left and the southeastern tip Mackinac Island on the right. Our finish line is straight ahead, between the two land masses.

The sight of the island was a sight for sore eyes. We had been rained on. Hailed on. Sails torn. One spinnaker blown to shreds. The mast almost touched the water. Lost our top two batons in the mainsail. And the boat rounded up in a 360 degree turn sometime in the middle of Saturday night (I slept through it). This was an amazing sight!

“If you've never been to Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) the Pink Pony bar is where all the sailors go to celebrate after both the Chicago- and Bayview- Mac Races.”

The Island Culture

Mackinac Island is a place where no motor vehicles are allowed. And there's no bridge leading on and off the island either. You take a ferry, fly your own plane, or you take your own boat there. The main ferry lines are Starline and Scheplers.

On the island, there are lots of restaurants, LOTS of fudge shops, nature trails, scenic overlooks, and a historic fort from 1780.

So how do you get around the island if there are no cars?

The island is only about 3.7 square miles and about 8 miles around. And they provide bicycle rental and horse-and-carriage taxi's for ease of getting around. Of course off of those services aren't without fees - so be aware. Check out the video below to get an idea of what it's like walking around the island!