Les Cheneaux: sheltered channels and a wooden-boat tradition

At the southeast edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Clark Township faces a web of Lake Huron islands and channels. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers counts 36 islands and more than 7.5 miles of maintained federal channel. Those channels provide protected passage and connect island homes with services on the mainland.

The name Les Cheneaux is usually translated from French as “the channels.” Hessel and Cedarville are the mainland starting points, with marinas and docks near sheltered water used for kayaking, sailing, and small-boat cruising. Sheltered does not mean risk-free: this is still cold Great Lakes water, and wind and weather can change quickly.

Wooden boats became part of the area’s identity. The local historical association says show founders Chuck Letts and Ken Horsburgh believed the cold water and short boating season helped leave an unusual number of early boats in regular use. They started the Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show in Hessel in 1978. The association also identifies E.J. Mertaugh Boat Works as the first Chris-Craft dealership outside Algonac.

The show is always scheduled for the second Saturday of August. Its organizer currently says it attracts about 150 antique and classic boats and relies on more than 300 volunteers. The association describes it as one of the largest shows of its kind in the country. That is the organizer’s description, not an independently certified national ranking.

You do not have to arrive during show week to understand the place. Cedarville’s Maritime Museum and Historical Museum cover the boats, tools, and everyday life of Les Cheneaux. Their regular season runs from June into mid-September; current hours live on the museum page.