About Lisa & Jim

Jim grew up in the Detroit metropolitan area and fell in love with the small inland lakes of Michigan at a young age. He liked boating so much that he and a friend built a 10-foot hydroplane in their high-school shop class. Later, living and working in Traverse City, Michigan, Jim, bought an old 16-foot Lake & Sea runabout, then moved up to an 18-foot Four Winns runabout that they used almost every summer weekend on the inland lakes. Jim spent his career as a financial advisor, retiring from Merrill Lynch in the Traverse City, Michigan office, where he was Senior Vice President, and for eight years served as branch manager.

Meanwhile, Lisa grew up in a boating family in Troy, Michigan. She spent most of her professional career as a graphic artist working in advertising, and for 13 years was the Art Director/Designer at Knorr Marketing in Traverse City, Michigan. She was a co-owner of Nelles Studios, a bronze foundry in Elk Rapids, Michigan, and part owner of Off Bridge Street Gallery in Charlevoix. A dry-point printmaker, Lisa’s artwork has been exhibited in several galleries and exhibits throughout Michigan. Currently she’s exploring her interests in web design and photography.

Boats and the water have been a big part of Jim and Lisa’s lives since their marriage in 1992, when they formed a blended family of five. Their boys -- Skyler, Ross, and Bart -- wanted to get a dog right after the family moved in together. Instead, unbeknownst to the boys, Jim and Lisa bought a used 20-foot Four Winns runabout. At an antique store, Jim came across an iron Scottie dog cut out of metal and attached to a spike. He bought it, they gathered the boys in the living room, said they had good news and bad news, and showed them the dog. “I told them the bad news was that this was the only dog we’d be getting,” recalled Jim. Then he told them the good news, that they now owned a boat. Thrilled, the Favors began their boating adventures, and “Spike,” the metal Scotty, became an icon in their family’s traditions, often getting “stuck” in unusual places all over the neighborhood, finding his way into suitcases on family vacations, and proudly planted in the lawn of a cottage the family once rented. Spike became a symbol for the Favors’ great hobby, boating, and how it all began for them.

After their three sons headed off to college and careers, Jim and Lisa moved up to a 32-foot boat, then a 42-foot Silverton and started exploring the Great Lakes, Door County, Wisconsin, Mackinaw Island, Canada’s North Channel and in 2005-06 the 6,000-mile Great American Loop boat trip that turned into a five-year live-aboard experience. Today they continue their adventures on a trailerable trawler and will be exploring new cruising grounds with their 27-foot Ranger Tug and towing it with a GMC Heavy Duty Sierra truck. Their plans are to visit inland lakes and rivers that were not always easily assessable with a larger boat and return to some of their favorite cruising grounds.