Going to one, or both, of the Manitou Islands has been on my bucket list for awhile now and thanks…read moreto this here ferry company I can cross South Manitou off the list. It's about an hour and twenty minutes each way and they leave right on time so don't dawdle! I wasn't sure this day trip would even happen as I didn't reserve in advance. I took a late Sunday to late Wednesday trip Up North and most of that last Wednesday was tied up in the glorious Manitou excursion. I would have preferred to have done in Tuesday but due to staffing issues there was no trips on that Tuesday or Thursday. For some reason their website wouldn't let me complete the reservation process when I tried earlier in the week and my phone call went unanswered as well. Not sure about the website but the telephone I'd likely chalk up to the same staffing issues. With some fussy Yelpers that'd be a bullet train to One Star Land but this trip was spur of the moment and roll with it and you know what? Everything worked out. I rolled up into Leland, MI with maybe 15 minutes to spare, paid in cash and secured a last minute spot. I missed out on sitting for the duration of the trip, unless I wanted to pop a squat on the deck, which I did here and there, but I also got to flout the Covid mask rules, being out in the open breathing in the lake air. There's a cool lighthouse warning against a shoal in the middle of Lake Michigan and the boat got pretty close with the captain giving us some interesting facts about it over the loudspeaker. His voice sounded kind of Eric Wareheim which I liked. The water wasn't too choppy at all. It was a pretty smooth ride both ways, and great for picture taking. I'll save my observations about the island itself for my review of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as both Manitou islands are part of the park and this boat service just makes sure people get there and back. They did a great job of that. Don't bother with their gift shop, though. You can find much better prices on Manitou Island merchandise over in Traverse City, which you'll probably want to go to anyway. Hoodies were half the price in some shop downtown there, practically at t-shirt prices. I didn't buy anything there, but I did wanna go back, especially after seeing the gift shop here, but I had to work the next morning and needed to start moving downstate. (I wanted one more epic Lake Michigan sunset and drive over M-22 so I skipped the quicker I-75 route.) I already want to go back to South Manitou on a camping expedition and then maybe graduate to the more rugged North Manitou Island so hopefully one day I can bang out an update here.

Me and my girlfriend had a wonderful time or the boat and with the people who ran the boat…read morefriendly, highly recommended if you have never been to the islands

I gravitate toward Leland's Fishtown every time I am in the area. It's my favorite little spot to…read morechill by the dam, watching the fish, shopping, & good eats! It's a must when doing the M22 tour, or when you are visiting Traverse City.

This is a pretty area to visit with lots of shops and nice restaurant on the water. Definitely…read morerecommend when the area.

A pleasant stay at Leland Harbor while we patiently waited better sailing conditions to push onward…read moresouth to Chicago(the Windy City) The hosts/harbor master(s) were very attentive and accommodating to our needs. A fair haven indeed. Would recommend fully. Yarrrr mates Sail safe ‍

There is so much praise I have for the marina. First it's the friendliest of marinas, staff and…read moreother boaters.Had so much fun. The staff could not have been more helpful in all ways possible. Baths and showers are in excellent condition, clean and modern. Harbor master Jeremy practically saved our whole summer boating season. We had electrical problems and a blink of an eye he fixed it. If you boat the Great Lakes stop here and say hi to Jeremy from the Black Pearl!!!

Awesome store, wonderful people, nothing beats small town feel an atmosphere. Absolutely wonderful…read morecustomer service

We've been here several times now. A nice selection of water gear and clothing accompanied with…read moregreat help.

We didn't take the boat to the islands because we got there too late, but they had the cutest…read moreshirts out of all the shops in the area. Wound up buying two and a few stickers. Wonderful little gift shop. Hopefully next time we get the opportunity to take the boat to the manitou islands. Looks like quite the adventure.

My family and I have been on fishing charters with the awesome Captain Tony the past three summers,…read moreJune 2021, 2022, and 2023, and I can say he delivers a memorable charter fishing experience every time. The very first charter in 2021 we headed out to catch lake trout, and he knew exactly where to go. We took turns catching many excellent fish and then my father-in-law asked Captain Tony if there was any luck we could catch a king salmon. He knew a place, and the odds were against us since it was early in the season, but we pulled up a beauty. We took our haul to Carlson's in Leland to have the fish cleaned up, and took some of it to The Cove to have a "fish party" with the whole family. This repeated each year, but in 2022, we caught our record breaker, a 20+lbs Lake Trout. He had his new boat starting this year, and it was awesome, with comfortable places to sit out of the elements. And this year, 2023, we got up extra early at Captain Tony's advice in order to seek out king salmon! We traveled out to just off the shores of North Manitou Island, and sure enough, we caught 4 beautiful king salmon, including my father-in-law pulling up a 20lbs beauty! Captain Tony is always friendly, fun, makes great conversation, and always has friendly and helpful first mates. Both the Captain and mate are great with everyone of all ages who come aboard, asking questions, making conversation, and keeping people involved in the process. He shows you how he baits and put out his reels, can tell you how deep the fish are, a bit about the geology of the lake, and more. When the fish are biting, they are always excited, "Fish on!" and the next person in line, jumps up and gets to attempt to reel in that fish! If you are in to fishing, and want to have a great time, give Captain Tony a call with Reelin' Leland!

My Pack and I came up from Northern KY for the week got to go out twice. Captain Tony and his crew…read moreare top notch. We had some heavy winds and he made the correct decisions to play it differently, which landed us some of the biggest gains! Both days across multiple charters who also went out. Extremely knowledgeable/ifficent while being engaging in a brother you never met kind of way. Will be seeing you soon!!

This is THE charter to take in Northern MI!!!! We had a group of adults and 2 children... Wes was…read morePHENOMENAL with the kids and so much fun to chat with. We all got several huge fish and had such an amazing day! Cannot recommend this business enough!! BOOK YOUR TRIP!!!

Bob and Wes were amazing. We had a great time and caught huge fish. It was a local vibe and a…read morestellar experience. Catch your fish and get it cooked at The Cove next door any way you want. We will be back with our friends and family again soon.

Claims to be in the business 22 years. One star only for convenience of boat launch location…read more(launch just north of Sutton's Bay public beach), boat we rented was trailered there. We spent 35 minutes of our time listening to the owner give instruction and prep and launch the boat. Time was from 10-5, boat should have been in the water waiting for us, but we waited on him. Boat was in terrible condition, both pontoons had significant scratches/dents. Seating was in good condition and floor was nice (not carpet). Not informed ahead of time, but do not allow fishing from their boats. Boat listed very hard to our right the entire day and a check engine oil light came on shortly after we launched. Owner knew the boat was damaged and admitted it was recently repaired. No reparations were given to us, just told he resented being told this issue was known to him (stated so himself and pointed out the damage to the pontoon where it was repaired). Would not recommend this rental company when so many others are available in the area and take good care of their boats.

My guests have had great experiences with Get Outside Rentals for SUP Boards, Kayaks, Bikes, and…read moreespecially brand new pontoon boats! They are located in the village near the grocery store, and just off the bike trail, with plenty of parking for easy access. They also provide convenient drop-off and pick up services. I would highly recommend Get Outside Rentals in Suttons Bay!

We purchased a wake board and a beautiful Radar Water ski. Dave gave us great service and cut us a…read moremuch better deal than we could find online. We bought the ski...bindings....ski rope and wake board rope. We were very pleased with the final deal! it's a ways to drive from the lake but worth the drive.

Action Water Sports in TC is the absolute best. We recently purchased a Mastercraft XT23, our…read moresecond boat purchase from AWS-TC. Dave and Brett are really great to work with. Dave understood what we were looking for and found the perfect boat for our family. Highly recommend Actions sales and service departments!