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CEDARVILLE, Mich. — Like to see people smile? Get a boat.

The smile thing is something sales people often mention to those thinking about buying a boat. They point out boaters are happy people.

I believe it. My boat is not large, but I'm the captain of my ship. I feel the same way in my canoe. It makes me smile.

Recently the family came home from spending two weeks on one of the busiest waterways in the country. I could not begin to count the number of smiles we saw.

Nearly everyone in a boat smiles, whether it's the person behind the wheel or the passenger in the watercraft. They all look like they are having fun.

The busy waterway referred to is along the north shore of Lake Huron, about 30 miles east of St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Two popular resort towns in the area are Hessel on the west and Cedarville to the east.

Each summer day hundreds of boaters can be observed traveling to one of these port cities to the other on what's known as the Les Cheneaux Channel. It's a fairly narrow waterway that lies between the mainland and Marquette Island, largest island in the region.

Marquette is so big, many people from downstate Michigan and Ohio have a second home on it. They drive their boats back and forth to the mainland for groceries and other supplies.

Most of these people smile and wave as they pass by other boaters and fishermen. Some of the anglers, including Tom Zobrist, manager of Fisherman's Quarters in Dayton, and me saw these people daily because we anchor our fishing boat in the Les Cheneaux Channel.

There, Tom and I usually catch colorful redear sunfish, rock bass, perch and smallmouth bass. It seems a goodly part of our time is spent waving to boaters and other anglers.

Another of our favorite places to fish is a large bay near Cedarville that funnels out to Lake Huron proper through what is known as the Middle Entrance. The bay is a choice place for sailboat racing and fishing.

Sailboating is a great sport, but on a windy day a boater needs both hands to control the craft. These boaters usually don't have time to wave. Yet when the races are over sailboaters are noted for waving and smiling.

One needn't travel to Michigan to find friendly boaters. I see them at local lakes, such as C. J. Brown, Indian Lake, Caesar Creek, Rocky Fork and others.

Yep, you can believe those who say boaters are friendly. Many fishermen are so friendly they'll tell you how many fish they caught, assuming they got some.

Just don't ask these fishermen to give the exact location of their favorite fishing hole. There is a limit to how friendly a boater can be.

The Great Outdoors Report with Jim Robey can be heard on Dayton ESPN radio, 1410 WING-AM, Thursdays between 4:45 and 5 p.m. or Friday mornings between 7:45 and 8. Contact Robey at the Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton, OH 45409.