Our Longest Stay on the Great Loop!

We spent 10 nights in Grand Haven – the longest we stayed in any one place on the Great Loop! Six of those nights we spent tied to the wall, and our of those we anchored out in nearby Spring Lake.

The swell changed direction our first night on the Grand Haven wall. It pushed and pulled Swamp Puppy hard, so around 4 AM we took a short cruise to Spring Lake and dropped the hook. We spent two nights there before moving back to the wall for four nights. On the fifth night, the swell changed again. So around 2 AM, we untied and took another dark cruise over to Spring Lake, where we stayed for another two nights before coming back to the wall for two more nights.

The wall is located along the inlet, so when the swell comes towards (instead of away from) the inlet, the swell comes right down the inlet. The swell constantly moves the boat up, forward, then down and backwards. So the boat jerks forward and back when the lines get taught. It isn’t comfortable nor do we like the boat bouncing off the fenders constantly. Our wall neighbors also had a few rough nights, but they just stayed and didn’t get much sleep.

You have to be careful on walls located near inlets due to swell. Especially on Lake Michigan!

Signs posted along the wall read:

Overnight Mooring

10:00 PM – 8:00 AM

Seven Night Maximum

Purchase Pass at Kiosk near Chamber of Commerce Lot

$30.00 per night

$60.00 per night weekend before thru weekend after July 4

$60.00 per night the Friday before thru Saturday of Coast Guard Festival Week

During our stay, the aforementioned kiosk was down. We asked at the municipal marina and were told that it’s been down for a long time and they’re not sure when it’ll be fixed. They let us know that there’d be no charge for our stay!

There was so much to see and do in Grand Haven! From exploring the lighthouse and park, to Chinook Pier, to the musical fountain, to the old trains nearby. While at the wall, we chatted with so many wonderful locals and travelers alike. We watched a lot of massive commercial ships pass right by.

Grand Haven has everything you need and more for a full reprovision plus many shopping and dining options.