Looper Reunion at North Coast Harbor Marina

We left Chagrin Lagoons Yacht Club docks at 9:30, headed for North Coast Harbor Marina in Cleveland. Our first views of Cleveland were hazy. We entered the breakwater under high winds that created an uncomfortable chop on the water. A small sailboat floated by heading east, with red sails standing out dramatically against the city skyline. The entry to North Coast Harbor is across from the Steamship SS William G Mather Museum. There is a pedestrian lift bridge between the channel and the marina. Only one side was open making the entry look very narrow, but we had no trouble passing through. Osimo followed us in and we picked a spot on Dock C as directed. We'd reserved our dockage through the "Snag a Slip" App. The 53 slip marina was mostly empty but friendly boaters from our dock came over to help us tie off. Before long there would be many more boats filling in the slips including five more Loopers. Doug and Kathy on Sea Stories were at the docks when we arrived. Kathy and John on Free Spirit, (we met in Baldwinsville), and Belinda and Ken on Into the Mystic, (we met at Perry's Landing), arrived after us. Kathy, on Free Spirit, began planning a Looper Dock Tale gathering for later in the day. We met Steve and Kathy on How Sweet It Is and Dean and Jan on Blue Barnacle. We would cross paths with Dean and Jan often during the rest of our journey.

Hazy first view of Cleveland

Getting closer to North Coast Harbor

Approaching the breakwater

Entering the Breakwater

Breakwater is made up of cement slabs in the shape of Jacks

Sailboat in the breakwater channel

North Coast Harbor is up this channel next to the
William G Mathers Steam Ship (Cleveland Cliffs)

Footpath lift bridge entrance to the Marina

Marina watch dog

We were excited to be in Cleveland. Our Looper friend Henry Krzemien lives in Cleveland. Henry traveled with us and another buddy boat, Mucho Gusto, for much of the inland waterway section of our Loop. We met at Hoppie's on the Mississippi River in Kimmswick, Missouri. Henry cruised on a 23' Spindrift S/V Sea Marie along with his sailing buddy, Micky the cat. Each day, we would set out on the next leg of our journey then meet up to raft together for the evening; three boats anchored as one, with a cat set loose to run circles from boat to boat all night long. We have a lot of great memories with Henry.

Beth with Micky aboard Mystic

Micky making himself at home aboard Mystic

We'd planned to stay in Cleveland for one day. Henry offered to come get us and take us to lunch and on a tour around town. We ate at the Flat Iron in the Irishtown Bend neighborhood then visited the parks around the city. Edgewater Park has one of the many Cleveland Script signs overlooking downtown. There are so many bridges in this city, each of them a beautiful work of art. Biking is a popular pass time with wonderful biking and hiking paths that take you throughout the city. We would never have experienced Cleveland in this way without Henry. We had a wonderful day!

Henry and Dave at North Coast Harbor Marina

Henry and Beth at North Coast Harbor Marina

Dave and Henry at Flat Iron

Looper reunion at Flat Iron

The Flat Iron

The Center Street Bridge

Detroit Superior Bridge

Detroit Avenue Bridge

Superior Avenue Viaduct

Historic Jackknife Bridge

Main Avenue Bridge

Main Avenue Bridge

The Flats East Bank

Cleveland view from Edgewater Park

Whiskey Island River Recovery

Conrail Bridge - The Iron Curtain

Conrail Bridge - The Iron Curtain

Cuyahoga River Fish Species

Historic Cleveland Coast Guard Station
The Station - The Sailing Center for the Foundry
Whiskey Point

Lake Erie View - Edwater Park

Wendy Park Predestrian Bridge

Cleveland Script Sign overlooking downtown

Dave at Edgewater Park Script sign

Henry still owns Sea Marie but has upgraded to a 25' O'Day, Stir it up. He took us to Edgewater Marina to see his new ride and share his plans for improvements that will make this boat a great live-aboard vessel. Stir It Up has the luxury of head room and extra space that Sea Marie lacked. 

Henry with Stir It Up

Henry on the Loop with Sea Marie in 2016

Henry dropped us off at the marina early in the evening as the rain started falling. We needed milk for our coffee so we grabbed an umbrella and headed off to the store. When we got back to Mystic we put our rain tarp up. I sewed this cover last winter for protection at the dock during heavy weather. It covers our cockpit and main hatch so we can open our boat or sit outside in the rain. It has come in handy this very wet cruising season. We'd planned to leave in the morning but decided to stay one more day due to the weather. We ended up staying four days. Once again, we were stuck! Like our other unplanned layovers, Cleveland ended up being a nice place to be delayed. We enjoyed our stay in this beautiful city known for the Cleveland Clinic, beautiful parks, art, culture and musical history; one more example of America the beautiful!

Mystic under her rain tarp in Cleveland