Greilickville (Grand Traverse Bay area)...
 

Man, I could tell you guys a lot of stories when it comes to launching ramps, manuvering, and parking....

Anyway, just thought I'd give you guys a "heads up" on Grielickville's launch ramp site. :readinghelp:

You could almost say that Grielickville is practically in downtown Traverse City.......Greilickville has a very nice launch ramp with an abundant amount of room for manuvering in the IMMEDIATE launch ramp area,----

BUT it is (after you launch your boat) when/as you approach [IF and only IF you can get in there] their parking area that they provide, you will quickly find yourself wishing you did NOT go there when it comes to MANUVERING around other boater's parked rigs, :picard1: especially if your rig is much beyond 26'-28' feet in length---same goes for the parking spaces. :snide:

It can be a very UGLY spot to get caught in when manuvering :poopoo:

...especially when the ramp is busy. Just be ready to launch while you're waiting in line. I heard the ramp master dude likes to keep thing running very smoothly there. :angry-smiley-055:

If you have to back up or cannot clear a corner or turn when manuvering and there are other people in line behind you the situation can become intense. :argue:

If it's not busy then it's a snap! :cool-smiley-011: Or...your can find yourself unable to move when you return from boating---yeah, that's always fun. :rolleyes:

I have not been to Greilickville's launch ramp in a few years, but I used to park my rig across the street just SOUTH of lauch ramp enterance....there's place where they were going to build something, but looks like the project was abandoned and was never completed, but has plenty of parking and manuvering avaialable for longer rigs. :drink:

Like I said before, it's best to go hunting without your boat in tow so you at least have some sort of an idea of what to expect, etc. :eureka:

Sorry for being so long winded...tried to make it a little fun---have a good summer ya'll :)

they dont let you park there, u have to go offsite. they will give you a ride back as well. Really no problems getting in and out of mack city. 37 AT is what I have, seen many bigger boats in and out of there as well. It may seem a little intimidating going in but there is plenty of room, plenty of off site parking as well. they trailers that are there are day time only.

Launch at the county marina in Cheboygan at the mouth of the river and either go east or west around Bois Blanc island depending which way the wind is blowing. Me and old Navy both have slips reserved on Mackinaw Island for the day/night of sunday July 4th so look us up-Baja 272 named never enough and a 28 foot checkmate,we will be sitting on the dock drinking if weather permits. The county marina in Cheboygan lets you park there as long as you want too,plenty of parking and lots of room for launching boats easily up to 50 plus feet,Smitty
Call me on my cell at 989-213-7434 if you want any other details,hopefully see you there!

Thats where I usually go that way you can go up into the inland waterways as well...You go all the way around Bois Blanc? Thats a longway around that south side of the island. I usually just come out and head strait for Round Island lighthouse.

Ol' Smitty knows those waters pretty well up there. He told me if you go EAST around Bois Blanc Island that there are some pretty shallow spots just under the surface of the water way out from shore. I hope I am remembering this right---I think he said not all those shallow spots are on the GPS charts----he told me that when you see Sea Gulls STANDING in the water that's when your bung hole tightens up real quick or the flipside is you'll need a diaper! :eek: :poopoo:

Smitty is going to have to clarify everything I said cuz I don't want to scare anyone for no reason. Anyway, I think I'll just go west. :D :party-smiley-048:

I know the area well too been going up there since 1976. We have a cabin on the northside of Bois Blanc Island reason why I'm confused on why you'd want to run around the eastside of the island up the northside to go to Mackinaw. I guess all I'm saying is thats the longway to go not knowing rough it's going to be when you come around the eastside of the island. Everyone has they're own way of doing things though.

Hey, it's not me who goes east around Bois Blanc---but you're right, everyone has there own way. I am like what the "young man" was told----"GO WEST YOUNG MAN, GO WEST!" ;)

The ramp and parking CAN get busy on weekends but I've never had problems with being rushed. I launched a 32' appx. 20 plus times last summer and did it alone some times. The staff will help you launch if asked.
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We have went east when there are 5 footers coming from the west (remember I always leave from Cheboygan so it's not that far to the east to go around being you are already quite east),even though it's a little farther you drive in the rough water alot less to get there. You have to study a chart before doing it is all,straight off the east side about 1/2 mile is a shoal or something,when I first went from boating with a jet boat with no depth finder to driving the 272 and it was brand new we were cruising along out there in 220 feet of water and depth dropped to 30 feet or so and all of a sudden I saw seagulls STANDING on something,I cut the engine ,re-asessed what we were doing and proceeded gingerly until the depth came back. The spots show on a chart,I just wasn't used to looking at charts then (novice). I have hugged the bays behind Bois Blanc to keep out of the rough,just avoid where you see the land mass coming out to a point mainly. I left the pink Pony on Mackinaw island once and headed east,put the boat at full boost for 20-25 minutes coming back before the locks closed up river in Cheboygan (we were staying at Mullet lake campground waaay up river,hadn't launched from the mouth that time). Anyways,I kept holding it at wfo for what seemed like forever and I was 300 yards from the mouth of the river out in Lk Huron and innercooler discharge tube blew off the innercooler,everyone thought the motor blew,yanked throttle back and it sat there idling,opened up the hatch and re-attached the hose and took off again. Friends of ours kept looking at me like "is he EVER going to let off???? before the hose came off but we made it to the locks before they closed for the night. Oil pressure at idle dropped to about 3pounds then re-covered after that run,I still was using the stock merc pan and cooler way back then. I also wasn't using true roller rockers either,I had comp roller tips that used a fulcrum ball still,when I pulled the motor shortly after that to freshen it and upgrade it further the rocker arms were BLUE were the fulcrum balls ran and one was split in half,un-believable that valve train hadn't failed but that might have happened on my very last ride that year,the good ol days! Smitty

We have boated most of the area also each summer. Cheboygan gets my vote for nice, easy and not to crowded. As others have stated you can go inland or all the way to the Sault. Be very carefull around Hessel to Drumond. There are alot of islands and alot of shallow reefs. It you go further north it is amazing. More boating than you have fuel for. The island will be crazy packed, but you will see all kinds.