Courtesy photo Escanaba sailor Terry Reynolds snapped this photo of Great Lakes Cruising Club’s 2024 Rendezvous Co-Chair Lori Sprague (center) of Dexter, Mich., flanked by Judy (left) and Jon Hollander (right), who are in Escanaba this week for the club’s annual rendezvous, which is held in a different destination each year.

ESCANABA — The Great Lakes Cruising Club (GLCC), an organization for boaters that provides information and reports on over 1,000 harbors in the region to its members, is in Escanaba this week for their annual rendezvous. The group meets in a different location each year; the last gathering was held in Cleveland. This is the first time Escanaba has hosted the event, and it lines up with the Midsummer Race, an annual tradition by the Escanaba Yacht Club that spectators are encouraged to watch from the tip of Sand Point tonight.

Official dates for the rendezvous are July 14 through 18. GLCC members from out of town began arriving on Saturday and will be here through Thursday, according to Lori Sprague, co-chair of the 2024 GLCC Rendezvous.

83 visitors have cruised into Little Bay de Noc for the event aboard 39 vessels now docked in the Escanaba Yacht Harbor alongside local ones. They hail from ports in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Ontario.

However, “many boaters reside far from their home port. There are folks here from Florida and South Dakota in addition to the states and provinces mentioned,” said Sprague.

Three boats that call Escanaba their home port are owned by GLCC members. Notably, there’s Sprague’s “Perseverance,” which was built by Roy Ness and is docked along the wall in front of the Harbormaster’s office.

“He (Ness) designed and built it right in his shop in Escanaba,” Sprague said of the large steel trawler. “It’s one-of-a-kind.”

Co-chair of the rendezvous and Escanaba Port Captain Marilyn Kinsey, who has about 70 years of sailing under her belt, owns “Adena,” a sailboat she keeps at one of Escanaba’s many slips — counting slips, docks, and moorings, the local marina accommodates 165.

Another GLCC member from Marquette also keeps his boat in Esky.

A full docket of activities have been organized for club members — while many are private, others are public engagements. During the four-day rendezvous, club members are treated to several presentations: Gregg Bruff, local artist and sailor of “Arcturus,” discussed his series of paintings of “Working Boats of the Upper Peninsula” on Monday; Ann Jousma Miller of Gladstone will talk about the history of Delta County and its lakeshore communities Tuesday; Troy Henderson from the Michigan History Center is scheduled to speak on the U.P.’s history in the iron industry Wednesday.

Residents may enjoy visiting the marina today, Tuesday, when food trucks such as Bobaloon’s, Wildmans Munchie Mobile and Blue Cat Burrito will be serving lunch and dinner.

The Midsummer Race, hosted by the EYC, is expected to flood the bay with sailboats this evening — its usual local participants will be joined a number of guests from the GLCC. Residents may best view the action from Sand Point, at the end of Water Plant Road, where the race committee will begin raising flags to mark the start of the race at 6:50 p.m.

While in the area, members will also interact with other things the community has to offer. A tour of Lakeview Cemetery with the Players de Noc and a dinner at the House of Ludington are on the docket, as are self-guided tours of the Delta County Historical Museum and Sand Point Lighthouse.

The burgee (flag) for the GLCC features five connected links arranged in a circle.

“If you see folks wearing GLCC gear be sure to welcome them to Escanaba and ask them about their boat,” Sprague said.