Compeau Creek Harbor. Justin Saigh - Harbor Master

Harbor & Boats

The former MIPCA Harbor  & Boats Committee put together a few tips for making this summer a safe and enjoyable time for all.  Read on… and share with your extended family and guests throughout the summer.  And, thank you for keeping our collective MIP lands on and surrounding your site and our shared beaches & land free from unnecessary equipment to enhance everyone’s enjoyment of the unique, pristine, intrinsic beauty of Middle Island Point.  

Boat Identification Board - Neighbors Helping Neighbors  

A Boat Identification Board (BIB) has been posted on the shed near First Beach. This BIB  is meant to help MIPCA members when their boats, anchored off First Beach, need attention.  

Numerous incidents have been reported to the MIP Board related to inadvertent problems in  that area - boats banging into each other, being inadequately secured, coming unmoored,  leaking gas, being partially submerged, etc. 

How the BIB works:  

  • Members who wish to participate can contact me, Justin Saigh, via email (justinsaigh@gmail.com)  or phone (906-282-4379) to have their boat(s) listed on the BIB. Justin will take a picture of  your boat(s) and confirm your contact information.  

  • The BIB will include photos of boats and name & contact information for each owner.

  • As members walk First Beach and notice that a boat needs attention, they can reference the  BIB and use their cell phone to call the boat owner so that the owner can tend to their boat.

  • The BIB will be removed each autumn after the boating season (to protect it from the  elements) and be updated and returned each spring. 

I am also happy to talk with you about best practices for mooring your boat and has  generously provided a few refueling hoses to help boaters put fuel in their watercraft without  spilling fuel into Lake Superior.

Boat Identification Stickers for Smaller Watercraft  

Please contact me, Justin Saigh, (justinsiagh@gmail.com): 906-282-4379) or the Coast Guard  Station in Marquette if you’d like a “Vessel Identification Sticker for Canoe, Kayak or Rowboat”.  Members can use these to label their small watercraft with their name and contact phone so  that their vessels are easier to retrieve in the event they are blown down the beach, washed out  into the lake or otherwise lost. 

Boat Launching  

A new sign stating “No boat trailers beyond this point” has been posted near the turnaround.  Small boats, such as canoes and kayaks, that can be hand-carried or pulled on a beach dolly,  are welcome to continue to use the access area adjacent to the Pearce-Manson camp, since they do  not cause traffic congestion or erosion by a towing vehicle, or risk fuel contamination to  Campeau Creek.  

When it comes time for members, their extended family and guests to launch trailered boats,  please trailer your boat to the Presque Isle Marina, launch it there, and bring it around to the  First Beach anchorage.  Thanks for your cooperation.

Boat, Trailer & Accessories Storage Options 

Marquette is home to loads of storage locations where MIP members can store equipment  (e.g. trailers, watercraft, snowmobiles) at their own expense. Please contact them directly to  arrange for your storage needs. Harbor & Boats Committee members are sharing some of the  options with whom they have personal experience. Some are a bit far from MIP but they may  offer services that are helpful to you (e.g. ample storage, repair and restoration): 

Bingham Boat Works 
58 Middle Island Point Rd. 
906-225-0050 

$50/mo during summer. Trailers  must be removed by Oct. 1.  They will coordinate location of  trailers (easier access) for people  who may be moving their boats  in & out of the water.

Dead River Storage 
277 Co Rd 550 
906-226-9627 906-236-2513

$25-$35/mo for outdoor storage  for boat trailers

Lewis Boat Shop
400 Ave C, Gwinn/Sawyer 
906-250-0736 

$100 for the summer (May-Sep)  for outdoor trailer storage or $40/ mo for short-term trailer storage.

Don Salo 
271 Little Lake Rd., MQT 
906-458-9367 

$40 for outdoor trailer storage

Safety Reminders  

The summer season is finally here! The Handbook of Michigan Boating Laws &  Responsibilities is available HERE. It is your go-to resource for all safety information. Please read it cover-to-cover and  pay particular attention to pages 44 - 48 for legal requirements that apply specifically to the  operation of personal watercraft (PWC) and for protecting the environment. Please:

  • share this link with your extended family members and guests 

  • use extra caution as you and your guests play in the water  

Unfortunately some members have had close calls with jet skiers coming close to MIP rocks and beaches at high speeds. One member reports that a jet skier came between him and his dog as the dog was retrieving a stick he’d thrown into the lake. 

The Marquette Coast Guard Station provided us with several copies of Be Smart, Be Safe,  Have Fun: A Beginner’s Guide to Safer Paddling. Click HERE for a digital copy. We’re working on getting a copy for each  camp.  

Thanks for everyone’s support and cooperation… Justin Saigh, Harbormaster

Boats At Anchor 2025:

Doug Pearce #43:

“Arlo Fast”

Doug Pearce #43:

“Orville”

Dave Pearce #55: