The Emerys - SUMMER OF 2010 ON LAKE MICHIGAN

Season's End

2010-09-11T22:23:00.000-04:00

On Thursday we started the process of closing down. We packed up almost everything in the boat, and cleaned it for winter storage. There were only a few other boats at Jacobson’s Marina, but the weather was nice as the wind had at last stopped howling. We had a “clean out the refrigerator/freezer” dinner after having cocktails with John and Lori, the marina’s owners.

On Friday we loaded up the Jeep, hooked up the jet skis, got the boat pumped out and turned it over to Brian. Brian is a captain with Onekema Boat Storage, so we waved goodbye to him as he motored out of Betsie Lake to take The Emerys to winter storage. What an easy process versus going across to Wisconsin with boat and car, and then back again. Hope we like this storage barn as well as those we have used previously.

We drove the loaded Jeep, hauling the jet skis, as far as Toledo last night. Now we are in Kentucky watching lots of college football, and tomorrow we will go to Cynthiana to visit with Emery’s sister Marie before heading to Williamsburg for a Monday arrival.

We had a great summer, and our plans for next year are up in the air for now. Options include not boating and getting serious about selling the boat by leaving it with the broker; or heading east again by some route and coming to the St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain. Who knows, we have all winter to decide. Hope you enjoyed the blog…it was a fun summer for us. Cheers.

The Falls and The Island

2010-09-08T21:34:00.000-04:00

Tuesday we went to Tahquamenon Falls in the U.P. where the roads are rural and forested without much traffic. The falls are on the river of the same name, and the river empties into Lake Superior. Attached are pictures of the falls and us at the falls. They are very brown in color because of all the tannin in the river from decaying organic matter. The falls are in a 1500 acre old-growth forest with lots of species of trees… American beech, sugar maples, eastern hemlock and yellow birch. Very pretty place and unique in Michigan where there aren’t a lot of big falls.

Then we moved on to Mackinac Island, one of our favorite places. We parked the car in Mackinaw City and went over on the high speed ferry. The weather was miserable (high winds and big waves with pelting rain) so we did not enjoy this visit as much as we have in the past. But we stayed in a nice old hotel with a great view of the harbor and had a good dinner in town, so all was not lost. Attached is a street scene from Mackinac Island where it was far less crowded than usual because it is late in the season and the weather is nasty.

We are now back in Frankfort and getting ready to close up the boat for the season. The beach here is quite a mess because the continued high winds from the west have moved so much sand onto the streets and walkways. Apparently the city got their front end loaders out today to begin the process of moving the big piles back to the beach. The gales of November have come in September this year. We are really pleased we don’t have to drive the boat across Lake Michigan to Sturgeon Bay, WI for storage this year. We might be forever waiting for the 8-12 seas to lay down.

All in all, our road trip was fun despite the weather. Fall is here for sure.

Road Trip

2010-09-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

We are on a road trip! We left Frankfort yesterday and wandered north on Michigan 31 through Traverse City, Elk Rapids (where we got married), Charlevoix and Harbor Springs and then across the Mackinac Bridge to Sault Ste. Marie, home of the Soo Locks in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (the U.P.).

The Soo Locks are on the St Marys River and allow ships of all sizes to traverse the 21 –foot drop in elevation between Lake Superior and Lakes Huron and Michigan. In the late 1700’s, a Canadian company built a lock on the Canadian side of the river; it was destroyed in the war of 1812. A private American company built locks on the American side of the river in 1853. In 1855 the State of Michigan took over the locks; in 1881 the locks were transferred to the U.S. government, who today operates the locks toll free to all vessels through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Today there are 4 locks, one not in use. The oldest was built in 1914, the newest in 1968. The little private boat and the Soo Locks Boat in the pictures are going through the McArthur Lock (built in 1943 and named after General Douglas McArthur) which is 800 feet long and 80 feet wide. The big boat (Indiana Harbor) is going through the Poe Lock. Indiana Harbor is 1000 feet long and 100 feet wide. Poe Lock (built in 1968) is 1200 feet long and 110 feet wide. Needless to say that big boat inched its way into the lock. It was fun to watch the action.

We spent the night in Brimley, MI on Lake Superior shores…..at Bay Mills Casino and Resort. So we ate and slept well and cheaply at this Indian Casino and didn’t lose a lot of money!! Thanks to Roger and Jean for all the information about this destination.

Today we are on our way to Tahquamenon Falls and then Mackinac Island. Stay tuned for more of this adventure

Surf's Up

2010-08-31T21:04:00.002-04:00

It’s windy and warm here today, fitting weather as we get close to Labor Day.

We had lunch with friends Lynne and Mark. They also live in Governor’s Land and we were introduced by mutual friends this spring. L and M have a beautiful home on the Leelanau Peninsula overlooking Lake Michigan. The Peninsula separates Lake Michigan from Grand Traverse Bay, and is home to Sleeping Bear Dune (the awesome sand dune national park) and Leland, one of our favorite cruising ports. We went to lunch in Sutton’s Bay and had a great visit as you can see from the attached pictures. They will come back to Williamsburg at the end of October, so really will miss all the hot weather there.

So now on to “surf’s up!”. We have a 25-30 mph wind from the south, and it is creating great waves and wind updrafts. So surfers, wind surfers and kite surfers are out in droves. What a show! We can’t really capture it with the camera, but attached are some shots that try. We sat at the beach for an hour watching all the fun, as did a lot of other people. Supposed to rain tonight so we expect tomorrow to be all calm again and maybe we can get the jet skis out for another run.

Happy summer, and for you in Williamsburg, we hope the hurricane moves out to sea.

Summer Begins to Wind Down

2010-08-29T15:07:00.000-04:00

It is summertime in wind-down here in Frankfort, which is a big multi-generation family town. Because school is starting soon, weekends are still bustling and busy, but week days are quite a bit quieter. Today is Sunday and warm; so our street is already parked full of beach-goers and bikers.

This week my sister Joan and husband Bob were here with us from Wisconsin. They came across the Lake on the Badger car ferry, leaving their car on the Wisconsin side. Unfortunately, for one of the few times in recent memory, the Badger had mechanical problems and was five hours late crossing the Lake, so the start of the visit wasn’t particularly auspicious. However, it was uphill from there and we had great weather which allowed us to jet ski and swim in Lake Michigan and loll around on the boat and generally have a great few days. Attached are pictures from the visit, including Bob on the jet ski, an event the skeptics said “ain’t going to happen”. It was a bit wavy when we had the jet skis out, so roaring around at 40-50 mph was wet and wild. We will have stories to share for years to come.

We have the rental house until Saturday, September 4^th and plan to have fun our final week before moving onto the boat for Labor Day weekend. I expect we will play some golf and hit the beach and jet skis….the usual life style here in Frankfort. We are pondering what to do for a few days after that before we start for home, and are having fun as summer begins to wind down. Cheers to all.

A Busy August Week

2010-08-22T11:16:00.000-04:00

We have had another busy week. No overnight company this week, but none-the-less we had lots going on.

Monday we put the house back in order after a whole week of company, including little girls who loved the playhouse. On Tuesday we played golf at Crystal Mountain again, this time with friends Phil and Sue from Midland. It is their family we visited in Bear Lake in early July. Attached is a picture of the golfers. If you look closely you can see a deer grazing in the background….got to love a mountain course.

On Wednesday Bob and Marilyn from Williamsburg came to have lunch with us. Bob is a member of my Kiwanis Club; he and Marilyn have a summer place near Baldwin, about 40 miles east of us. After we said goodbye to them we drove to Traverse City for dinner with Kate and her family before their departure back to Seattle. Mark’s Mom was there also; I think 2 grandma’s and a grandpa was a bit overwhelming for Caroline. But she and Lily made friends with a couple of other little girls, leaving the adults some good conversation time and it was a fun dinner.

Thursday we hosted John and Lori, owners of Jacobson’s Marina, for dinner. It was good to see them away from their never-ending duties at the Marina and to learn a bit more about how they came to buy it just three years ago.

Friday night we had an awesome rainstorm; Saturday, we went to the Farmer’s Market and a huge art fair here in town. And today friends Ron and Kay from Traverse City are coming over to jet ski and have dinner……as I said, another busy week in Lake Michigan summer.

Next week my sister Joan and husband Bob are coming for a few days, so stay tuned for more fun. Cheers.

Catch-Up - Part III: Emery's Birthday

2010-08-16T17:17:00.000-04:00

Today is Emery’s birthday and attached is a picture of him with gifts at breakfast this morning. Heather and Jennifer gave him a gift certificate for dinner at COHO, a great local restaurant and so that’s where we will celebrate tonight.

Today we are experiencing a fair weather gale. There is a 20-25 mile per hour wind straight out of the west which is just pounding the lake, but it is also sunny and warm. Attached are some pictures of the lake and the breakwater so you can get an idea of the fury. Waves off shore are 10-12 feet high and there are 6-8 foots here. The water is surging into Betsie Bay and we have just spent an hour at the marina re-tying the boat and adding lines. Movement is wild there with all boats moving just as far as their straining lines will allow. We are pleased to have a house to stay in because its pretty tough to be on the boat very long. Forecast calls for another 12 hours to the gale and then calm hot weather again.

Emery says thanks for the birthday cards and emails. This is his fourth birthday away from home, and every year it’s a new adventure. Cheers.

Catch-Up - Part II: Kate's Family

2010-08-16T16:45:00.001-04:00

Kate and family (Mark, Lily, almost 7 and Caroline, 2 ½) arrived from Seattle into Traverse City late Tuesday evening and Mark’s Mom picked them up. Wednesday afternoon we brought them to Frankfort, and the fun began. They were off to the pool for a few hours, then home for hamburgers and “un-birthday” cupcakes. Mark and Emery have August birthdays and Lily will be seven in September. So everyone got a colorfully wrapped book to enjoy. The picture is of the girls blowing out the candles.

The beach was the biggest draw throughout their visit. It’s only a block away and the water is about 75-78 degrees, the warmest it has been in years. Kate and family were there at least twice a day and loved it. We also had everyone on the jet skis and to Kilwins for ice cream; Lily and I played non-stop Monopoly (we each won a game); Kate and Mark had a date night alone; and Caroline bonded with Emery, who she calls Poppy. Attached are several more pictures of the group.

Sunday we took everyone back to Mark’s Mom’s, and they will spend the rest of their vacation with Pat. It was fun to have a house full of laughter and giggles and sand and wet towels and toys and books, and now it’s fun to collapse and recover for a few days.

Summer is great here!!

Catch Up - Part I: Fred and Inge

2010-08-16T15:58:00.000-04:00

We have had such a busy week since we moved back into the house!! What a great time and I will do a three part “catching” up blog in order to capture all the action.

We began the week with friends Inge and Fred from Williamsburg joining us for a few days. We did the usual…a boat ride, a few good dinners, and a round of golf. The “boys” wanted to play Arcadia Bluffs, the fabulous Scotland-like course bordering Lake Michigan, but there were no tee times available. So we played the Mountain Ridge course at Crystal Mountain and it was very pretty. Attached are pictures of our good times.

The weather was sunny and hot, so no problems getting all the activities in. It was wonderful seeing friends from home. They left on Wednesday morning, and on Wednesday afternoon Kate and her family came to spend a few days. See the next blog for all that fun. Cheers.

Traverse City Wedding

2010-08-09T12:29:00.000-04:00

Hello to all. We are back in our house on Forest Ave in Frankfort and so happy about that. It is however beastly hot and humid, so that is not so good. Not even a breeze here on the lake.

Saturday we went to the wedding in Traverse City and had a wonderful time. The wedding was at Bowers Harbor, an inn on Mission Peninsula which is the arm of land that separates Grand Traverse Bay into west and east bays. The peninsula is filled with fruit orchards and vineyards and beautiful homes on the water. We re-connected with people from our times in Midland; met lots of bright young friends of the bride and groom from Chicago; and ate and drank and danced the night away. Attached are pictures from the wedding showing Alaina the bride with Mom and Dad (Kay and Ron).

Today friends Inge and Fred are expected and we are looking forward to boating and golf with them. So we are back in the swing of things and loving it!!

Back on the Boat

2010-08-02T14:04:00.000-04:00

We are all alone again, and homeless to boot!! This is the week we don’t have the house, so we are on the boat and re-adjusting to marina life. And what fun it is…today is very windy and waves on Lake Michigan have quickly built to 6-8 feet. So any boat out there is piling in to Jacobson’s Marina to wait it out. Always fun to watch captains and their mates try to dock in high wind and a bit of current. The Marina dock hands are really experienced here, so if a boat gets within range of the dock and the mate can properly toss a line. …they are “in like Flynn”.

Attached is a picture of Emery, Jen and Heather at The Cove restaurant in Leland where we dropped Jennifer off last week. And there also are pictures of all the sailboats that were here in the Marina Thursday night. There were 38 sailboats rafted up here…lots of people and action. The boats were returning to Chicago after having raced in the annual Chicago to Mackinaw sailboat race. There are lots of classes/sizes of boats that race, and then they leisurely motor back home the week after the race. The Marina makes lots of money because in addition to dock fees, they sell gas and food…..all through the night as the sailors straggle in at all hours. It’s fun to watch for a while, but John the harbormaster says that by 4 A.M. it gets a little old!

We have no plans for this week, and Saturday we go to Traverse City for Ron and Kay’s daughter’s wedding. The “buzz” says it will be bigger and better than Chelsea Clinton’s recent bash, so we’re looking forward to dressing up and having fun. Then back in to the house on Sunday; Fred and Inge visit on Monday and Tuesday; then Kate and family turn up at the end of the week for a few days.

So our summer chugs along….cheers to all.

Visit From Heather and Jennifer

2010-07-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

Heather and Jennifer are with us and we’re having fun now. The weather has been great and so we are out every day.

Sunday we took the boat out and went for a little trip south to explore Arcadia Lake, a harbor of refuge port about 10 miles south of Frankfort. It is a little, shallow lake with many cottages and not much commercial development, but a fun place to travel to. Attached is a picture of Heather and Jennifer on the boat.

Monday was jet ski day!!! We launched the jet skis into Lake Michigan and buzzed north to Point Betsie Lighthouse, a 6-7 mile trip. Great day even though we learned, AFTER we got there, that the lighthouse is only open Friday thru Sunday! Attached are a number of photos from that trip. What you can’t see is how hard it was to re-launch the jet skis from the beach. More waves were coming onto shore than we realized, so getting the heavy jet skis back into the water was not do-able until some guy put his muscles into the task also…without him we’d still be there. Always an adventure!

Tuesday all four of us went to play golf. Heather and I were “cart executives” (read cart drivers), and Emery and Jennifer had a good round of golf. Jennifer loved my driver, so I am going to have to screen her luggage before she leaves!

Wednesday was a shopping and beach day except for Emery who was trying to fix the boat. We developed an electrical problem overnight and the boat doesn’t run. Seeing we want to go to Leland on Thursday, Emery is working to get the boat back in shape. I am sure BOAT (bring out another thousand) is going to come into play!!

Today, we drove Jennifer to Leland so that she could join her friends for the week-end. Your guess is correct--we did not get the boat fixed in time to take her by boat. More on the boat problem later. Heather will be with us until Sunday morning.

So our fun summer continues to roll along. We are enjoying…hope you are too.

The Amway Big Boats

2010-07-27T21:17:00.000-04:00

In the last blog I mentioned the big boats that had pulled in to Jacobson’s Marina. Well, it turns out all those boats belong to the DeVos family whose fortune comes from Amway Products. And we saw all the boats again. We believe they have a total of 6 of these very large boats capable of moving along at about 35 knots.

Our friends Greg and Sally, our friends from the vessel Odyssey came to visit. We met Odyssey in the Trent Severn Waterway in Year 1, and have kept in touch ever since. Greg and Sally drove over from Aus Gres, MI to spend the day with us. We decided to take the boat up to Leland for lunch. For us, Leland is about 1.5 hours north of Frankfort by boat. Getting out of Frankfort we had to jockey around the big boats to get out, and learned they were moving….to Leland.

Off we went, soon to be passed by the big boats. Being passed is a new phenomenon for us as The Emerys is a FAST boat. Anyway, they were in the harbor at Leland when we pulled in, and attached are some pictures. Leland is a small harbor, so Russell the harbormaster rafted off the boats (parked two boats at the dock and then parked the other two off those). Hard to travel in a group of boats that large.

Anyway, we had a good visit with Greg and Sally and are now on our way to pick up Heather and Jennifer. They will spend a few days with us, and Heather in particular is looking forward to cool Michigan weather (after a summer in 100 degree Williamsburg). Since we are late in posting this blog, we will very soon post a blog about Heather’s and Jennifer’s visit with us in Frankfort.

Hope all is well with you and yours. Cheers.

Baseball and Jet Skis

2010-07-19T21:58:00.000-04:00

Last night we went to a Traverse City Beach Bums baseball game. The Bums play in the Frontier League, an independent league which is heavily scouted by big league teams.

Attached are pictures from the night. It did rain off and on, but that didn’t dampen the fun environment. Lots of kids, and contests for them between innings….all in all a great summer experience. Very colorful!

Today was another great day here, and no wind. So we took the jet skis into Lake Michigan. There is a nice boat launch here in Frankfort just down Betsie Lake from Jacobson’s Marina. It was fun; we went mainly south along the shoreline and there are endless, huge sand dunes. Quite a sight! We came back into the Marina and parked off the swim platform of The Emerys and relaxed for a while. While we were there, 2 hundred-foot boats came in along with a couple “little 50 footers. One doesn’t usually see such big boats, so it was fun to watch them jockey around. John the Harbormaster did a good job preparing for them earlier today, so it went smoothly.

All in all, a good couple of summer days in Michigan.

More Golf, Jet Skis, & Food

2010-07-17T21:25:00.000-04:00

We’ve had a great visit with friends Susan and Mark from Williamsburg. They were in Michigan to celebrate the 100^th birthday of Susan’s grandmother and drove over from Detroit to spend a few days with us.

Wednesday evening we strolled the town, had cocktails on the boat, dinner on the deck at Coho’s restaurant and then dodged the raindrops as we walked home. We had a terrific soaking rain all night, something Williamsburg hasn’t had for a long time, so Susan and Mark enjoyed that.

Thursday we took the jet skis out for the afternoon and had a blast. Attached is a picture of Emery and guests on the front porch fixing one of the jet ski covers before we took off (it had gotten torn earlier on the gate of the parking lot where we are storing them). We had a great dinner of steak and shrimp on the back porch after coming home and before walking to the beach for a beautiful sunset…fun day.

Friday we had planned to take the boat up to Leland for the day, but big wind canceled those plans and we decided to golf instead. We found the delightful, hilly Champions course outside of town and had a great afternoon round. Attached are a few pictures from the afternoon.

We ended the day going to Arcadia Bluffs for dinner. It is a fabulous golf course set high above Lake Michigan, with wonderful views and Scottish style undulations and sod-walled bunkers. We sat outside with a view of the finishing holes and the lake with a bagpiper playing in the distance. The bagpiper plays on Friday and Saturday standing on a cliff over the last holes just before sunset. It is wonderful entertainment and a fine finish to Mark and Susan’s visit. They left this morning, and Emery and I have spent the day enjoying the British Open (E) and the beach (M). Saturday is busy in summer Frankfort, so people watching is as much fun as anything.

Happy summer to all.

Michigan Weekend

2010-07-13T12:28:00.000-04:00

We just had a terrific Michigan weekend.

Houseguests Roger and Jean left Friday morning after a wonderful visit. Friday afternoon Emery and I trekked 30 miles to Bear Lake to see family friends from Midland. Sue and Phil have a house on the lake, and all their children and grandchildren were visiting. As all were friends of Steve and Kate, it was a great visit. Bear Lake is small-ish and shallow, thus warm and welcoming for little kids and pontoon boats and general family fun. On the way home we stopped at Arcadia Bluffs golf course on the hills above Lake Michigan. It is gorgeous, so now we will plan to play it with future guests.

Saturday was the art fair in Beulah, then a trip over to Crystal Mountain, a ski resort in winter and golf mecca in summer. We rode the Alpine Slide….a fun way to keep the chair lift going up in summertime and a great bobsled course like ride coming down. Lots of fun!!! Attached are some pictures from this fun Saturday.

Traverse City called on Sunday as we needed to get a few things to make our rental house more “user friendly”. So off to Target we went , then visited with our friends Ron and Kay at their gorgeous home on Grand Traverse Bay. What a location they have. After a great late lunch/early dinner at Bowers Harbor Inn on Mission Peninsula we headed home.

All in all we had a terrific weekend and we look forward to many more.

First House Guests

2010-07-10T13:16:00.000-04:00

We’ve had our first guests in the Frankfort rental house and all went well.

Roger and Jean came to visit on Wednesday and we had a nice couple of days with them. We rode the jet skis; ate lobster for dinner on the boat; walked the beach and watched the sunsets; played golf; shopped and in general had a great time. Attached are pictures that Jean took and shared with us (as we seemed to forget we even owned a camera!).

Jean knows antiques and Victoriana, and declared this house to be a real treasure. Roger is up early, so he went and got the morning papers…..no better house guests than these two. Come one, come all this is a great place.

202 Forest Avenue

2010-07-06T22:26:00.000-04:00

Here is the house at 202 Forest Avenue in Frankfort. The location is wonderful, just a block from the big Lake Michigan beach, 2 blocks from downtown with restaurants, shops and ice cream, and 4 blocks from the boat at the Marina. There are always people walking by on their way to and from somewhere, or just strolling Forest Avenue with its huge maple trees.

Attached are pictures of the four porches (front, back and two screened side porches); the guest bedroom and the master bedroom (both made up with quilts from Mrs. Conyers) and the kitchen, main bath and dining room. The house is old and quirky; and is filled with beautiful antiques and memorabilia. A bit challenging to get comfortable with, but we are working our way into settling in.

Tomorrow Roger and Jean (Michigan friends) come to stay for a few days, then next week Mark and wicked Susan (from Williamsburg) will be our guests. We plan to jet ski and play golf and do some beaching with everyone. It is hot at the moment with occasional rain showers, but not enough to interfere with any plans. Cheers.

Frankfort--The Fourth of July

2010-07-04T13:24:00.000-04:00

Today is Sunday, the Fourth of July and we are in our house in Frankfort, in the middle of all of the beach, parade and firework action.

Thursday we left beautiful Charlevoix to come the 70 miles south to Frankfort. It was a gorgeous ride because the Lake was “flat”…which means Emery can crank up the boat and run it at 26 miles per hour with no bouncing around….he loves it!!

Friday we met with Lary, the owner of the house and he showed us around and how everything works. I plan to write a whole blog about the house tomorrow, so stay tuned for pictures and stories. The best thing is this house has four porches, and they are wonderful!!!

Yesterday Frankfort had its Fourth of July parade right down our street. We had invited some folks from Jacobson’s Marina to join us on the front porch, so we had front row center seats for viewing. There were fire trucks and horses and police cars and veterans and antique cars and even a float or two in the 40 minute spectacle. Attached are pictures from the event, which was heavily attended by surprisingly large numbers of people.

Tonight is the fireworks display which is shot off from the north breakwater wall. We plan to watch, using special 3-D glasses, from the boat. Jacobson’s Marina is having a big barbeque event today so it will be festive. Happy Fourth of July, God Bless America!!!

"CHARLEVOIX THE BEAUTIFUL"

2010-06-30T14:56:00.001-04:00

We came to Charlevoix on Monday through a few rough seas. Emery is never happy when there is water coming over the top of the boat!! But now the weather is just lovely…bright blue skies, 65 degrees, and two blankets at night…what’s not to like!!

Charlevoix is just beautiful. There are beautiful flowers everywhere.

And gracious old houses with big porches in the front and Lake Michigan in back.

And the beach that goes for miles.

And the marina that is new and busy and fun.

We had a concert in the adjacent park last evening. And then there is the fountain which is a draw for lots of kids during the day and a light show in the evening. All in all, we like it here.

Leland is Lovely

2010-06-27T20:59:00.000-04:00

Today we are in Leland, one of our favorite towns a bit farther north along the Michigan coast line. We decided that we’d have lots of time in Frankfort, so off we went to enjoy other ports before we move into the house on July 3.

Attached is a picture of Leland Township’s new marina. The docks are lovely new floating docks with plenty of cleats for tying down and lots of electrical and water connections. The harbormaster’s house has showers, washers/dryers, and a great boaters’ lounge with wifi, which is good because neither our phones nor computer air-card work here. Verizon is definitely the stepchild carrier in this part of Michigan. The marina has many energy saving features that are so annoying…….very low wattage lights, low flow toilets, slow diesel pumps…but not nearly as bad as the new Straits marina in Mackinac City that we encountered last year.

Town is fun, full of restaurants and shops and summer visitors. We ran into a man who lives in Toano, VA and summers nearby here. He also is trying to escape the Williamsburg heat. Small world!

We are planning to move to Charlevoix tomorrow. Boat is running well, weather is pretty nice with intermittent rain…even Emery is glad we aren’t in the Virginia 100 degree drought. Have fun.

Moving Across the Lake

2010-06-25T15:20:00.000-04:00

We’ve crossed Lake Michigan from Sturgeon Bay to Frankfort, and it was a smooth crossing. Bay Marine did a good job of fixing all the “beginning of the season” issues and the boat runs beautifully. Attached is a picture of the man-made channel that connects Sturgeon Bay to Lake Michigan, the first leg of the trip across. The crossing was uneventful, Emery’s favorite kind! The Jeep is coming over on the car ferry today (Friday) and we will pick it up in Ludington, MI tomorrow. We had planned on taking the boat to Charlevoix on Saturday, but looks like wind is moving in and waves will be 2-4 for a few days. So we shall see.

Going back a few days: on Tuesday Bill and Leslie and Sara were still in Sturgeon Bay and we went to Egg Harbor for lunch and boat trip. Sara piloted the boat both ways; Bill and Leslie watched for fish nets and other hazards, and Emery and I napped until it was time to dock!! The town of Egg Harbor and the Wisconsin DNR are jointly rebuilding the municipal marina with beautiful floating docks and a substantial breakwater. Attached are pictures from that trip and the construction project.

Wednesday evening we went to the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club for dinner. Bay Marine gave us guest passes to use while we were docked at their facility. While we were at dinner a huge storm swept quickly through……high wind and lots of rain. It was awesome to see it move in and turn calm water into a raging caldron, and then move on. The sailboats at anchor outside SBYC really strained at their moorings, but none broke loose. Great dinnertime entertainment!

If we have to stay here a few days we plan to haul the jet skis over to big, inland Crystal Lake and run them there. We can familiarize ourselves with the public launch site and the lake. Attached is a picture of our summer dock site, the wonderful Jacobson’s Marina Resort, so we are having fun now!

The Family Reunion

2010-06-21T22:39:00.006-04:00

Well, it has been four days and counting as my family reunion rolls along!!

Last Friday (June 18^th) sister Julie (the bride from Durango, CO) and her husband Daryl joined us in Sturgeon Bay. We took the boat up to Egg Harbor for a drink and a nice ride, then we came back here to Sturgeon Bay and went to Woldt’s for dinner. Woldt’s is an “unfancy” restaurant here in town that has the best Friday night fish…walleye, perch, blue gill….served with rye bread/butter/raw onion sandwich on the side. Great fun. Unfortunately I never opened the camera, so there is no photo of that day.

Saturday we drove 145 miles to Wausau. Did a lot of prep work for the big Sunday reunion and then gathered up Pete and went off to dinner at WISH, a wonderful steak house owned by Pete’s daughter Michelle’s high school friend.

Let me introduce you to the family members who attended the reunion on Sunday. My parents are the late Velma and Barney. Their children (the Sibs) are Peter (Wausau), Mary, Julie, Bill (Hawaii) and Joan (northern Wisconsin). We were all there and attached is a picture of us. Grandchildren in attendance were Michelle (the hostess), Ryan, Matt and Sara. Great grandchildren are Brigitte, Anika and Henry. In addition were six spouses, all of them demanding combat pay for putting up with the exuberant Sibs and their offspring, but none-the- less joining the fun that was had by all. The 18 of us had a wonderful time catching up…. and celebrating Ryan’s new masters’ degree, Sara’s graduation from Northwestern, Matt’s 25^th birthday, Michelle’s 40^th birthday, and Father’s Day for the seven Dads in attendance. We ate bratwurst and fruit salad and cole slaw and birthday cake and rhubarb pie and lots of other fun stuff. A great time was had by all!

Today (Monday) we all split for separate destinations, with Bill and Leslie and daughter Sara coming to Sturgeon Bay with us to spend a few days in Door County. Tonight we went to a Fish Boil in Fish Creek, a little way up the peninsula further into Door County. Attached is a picture of the three of them (Leslie and Sara with their Hawaiian lei’s) watching the “show”; and one of the “boilmaster” moving away after throwing the kerosene on the fire. It was raining a bit, so he is wearing his slicker and hat. Emery ate ribs, but the rest of us loved the fish. We all had the cherry pie…..all in all a fun night. Great way to celebrate the official first day of summer.

The First Boat Trip of 2010

2010-06-17T22:13:00.012-04:00

We took the boat out today for the first time this year. It was a glorious day, 72 degrees and sunny, and all work is done on the boat, so we went to Menominee, MI for lunch.

Menominee is on a river that forms the border between Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin. It is about 25 miles from Sturgeon Bay (the city) across Green Bay (the body of water). So it’s a nice easy run. Attached are a few pictures from our trip, including the port of Sturgeon Bay, and the band shell in city center park in Menominee.

When we came home we filled up with diesel (at $3.23 per gallon). The first tank of the year always causes sticker SHOCK. Then off to the West Marine to buy toilet paper and other boat necessities. Finally time for cocktails on the rear deck of the boat; and there was a sailboat regatta going on right in front of us. Lots of fun to watch and attached is a picture of that also. One or two mishaps as the boats ran the course, but all ended well.

So it’s been a fun day. Tomorrow starts many days of Wynhoff family reunion adventures, both here and in Wausau. Everybody will be there…Julie the bride from Colorado and her husband Daryl; Bill and Leslie from Hawaii; Joan and Bob from Minneapolis; and Pete and Sue from Wausau. Emery can hardly wait!!! Stay tuned.

THERE IS A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BOAT!

2010-06-14T19:26:00.007-04:00

And that is not good!!!!

Let me set the stage. At the end of last season we noticed that the black water holding tank (50 gallons) was filling up in a day or two, rather than the 5-7 days we had previously experienced. Didn’t seem right, but maybe it hadn’t been correctly pumped out, or an inexperienced kid pumped it, or the marina’s pump out system wasn’t working……bottom line is we didn’t worry about it a lot.

So now comes this year. We noticed the holding tank was full when we moved aboard a few days ago, so we had it pumped out. We are at Bay Marine, and they have a portable pump system that comes to the boat. It is easy to see what’s happening, so we saw 50 gallons of clear water coming out. Well, within 12 hours the tank was full again. We pumped again; 6 hours later it was full. So now we know there is water leaking into the tank. We figured it wasn’t from the fresh water tank as it was full, so Emery started searching around.

Bottom line?? There is a seacock at the bottom of the boat which allows the holding tank to be dumped into the ocean when you are way offshore. It is illegal to dump anywhere else; as a matter of fact, the Coast Guard requires the handle be removed from the seacock and it be wired shut. Apparently our seacock was open the tiniest bit; over the years the ball inside wore away a bit and water pressure outside the boat was forcing lake water into the holding tank (which is below the water line) and doing so faster and faster.

Bay Marine answered our call quickly and first thing this morning hauled the boat and fixed the whole thing. You can see pictures of the boat out of the water and being fixed. We are back in the water now and the holding tank is empty. The captain is drinking bourbon, and I am wondering

what tomorrow will bring.

Today is definitely a day when BOAT means Bring Out Another Thousand!!

And that is not good!!!!

CAR FERRY TRIP

2010-06-13T16:51:00.006-04:00

Friday we came over from Michigan to Wisconsin on the car ferry.

The S.S. Badger is a 410 foot long car ferry built by the C&O Railroad in 1953 to carry fully loaded railroad cars across Lake Michigan. It was the last (the earliest was built in 1875), and largest (620 people, 180 vehicles of all types, two 7,000 pound anchors), coal-fired, steam engine car ferry built in the U.S. But, the efficiency of railroad service around Lake Michigan improved, and in 1980 the C&O got Interstate Commerce Department permission to abandon cross-lake service. After some interim ventures, the Badger and two other car ferries were sold to a business man who created the service as it runs today….transporting people, cars and commercial vehicles. The pictures show the ferry being loaded in Ludington, MI, and the smoke plume from the stacks as we cross Lake Michigan.

Our crossing was smooth, wet (lots of rain) and 4 hours long. Such a wonderful way to avoid a 10 hour drive around the bottom of the Lake and through Chicago, Milwaukee and endless summertime highway construction!! So on to Sturgeon Bay where we reconnected with The Emerys. Bay Marine had pulled the boat out of the water to clean and polish it all up for us. The attached pictures show the boat as we got to see it hauled from the warehouse back to the water. It looks great!!

Just as we were about to load the boat, the heavens opened up and it just poured rain. So we made an executive decision, and headed for a hotel for one last night. Today we will move onto the boat for the summer. Whoopee!!!

A final note: we had dinner at a local fish restaurant and had fabulous walleye. And, ran into two couples we know from last summer’s adventures. Jerry and Cathy, Ron and Marlene keep their boats at Quarterdeck, where we stored The Emerys over the winter and where we docked last summer. They are all here for a long weekend. So it was fun catching up with friends, and the chance meeting foreshadows another fun summer on Lake Michigan.

Now we are off to load up the boat and lighten the load in the Jeep. Cheers.

JET SKI DROPOFF

2010-06-10T20:57:00.009-04:00

We have made it to Frankfort!!

We left Williamsburg on time on Tuesday and drove 440 miles. Pulling the jet skis turned out to be much easier than we anticipated, and even in the mountains of West Virginia the Jeep had no problems whizzing along. A bit of a challenge pulling in and out of parking lots, but other than that, hauling the trailer was no problem.

Wednesday we drove 400 miles, mostly in the rain, and arrived at Roger and Jean’s house in East Lansing in time to go to dinner at The Hall of Fame Café. Whose Hall of Fame? The Michigan State University’s Spartans, of course. MSU is the alma mater of Roger, and three of four Lehman/Conyers offspring (not Kate), as well as favorite son-in-law Mark. Roger and Jean are pictured with Mary in front of their home in East Lansing.

After a great breakfast we drove another185 miles to Jacobson’s Marina Resort in Frankfort where we left the jet skis with Harbormaster John. Then we moved over several blocks to check out 202 Forest Avenue, our rental house for July and August. It is beautiful and I know we will enjoy our time there. At the far end of this block is the gorgeous Lake Michigan beach….so the location is perfect.

Now we are in Ludington for the night. Tomorrow we will take the huge Badger car ferry across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin and Sturgeon Bay where The Emerys awaits us. So Friday evening we will sleep on the boat!!

All in all it has been a great trip to here. Bodes well for Summer, 2010.

GETTING STARTED

2010-06-07T13:58:00.008-04:00

We are almost underway! Tomorrow, Tuesday, is our departure date for the 2010 boating season. And a different type of season it will be.

Emery announced a few months ago that he did not want to move the boat so often and as widely as we have done in the past. So we rented a slip at our favorite Jacobson’s Marina Resort in Frankfort, Michigan for the summer. Then we decided it would be fun to have a house in town as well as the boat. So we have rented (for July and August) a restored Victorian house on Forest Avenue, a block from the beach and downtown and four blocks from the boat.

Then we decided we should bring “toys” to keep us busy for the summer. So we have jet skis and golf clubs and beach towels and coolers and, and, and…… You can see we are fully loaded for the trip. Thanks to our friend Nelson, we have two jet skis for the summer. Thanks Nelson for letting your jet ski vacation in Michigan with us!!! We will pull the jet ski trailer with our Jeep. Mary is pictured getting everything ready to go.

So tomorrow we start to drive across country to get to Frankfort to drop off the jet skis in Frankfort before getting on the car ferry across Lake Michigan to pick up the boat which is stored in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. We’ll stay in Wisconsin for a few weeks before going across to Michigan about the first of July.

Read the blog for this summer’s fun, and come visit us in Frankfort…we have lots of room. Cheers.

The Final Days of 2009

2009-09-28T12:41:00.000-04:00

We are home. It has been so long since I blogged I have almost forgotten how!!

Anyway, you last heard from us as Labor Day was approaching in Frankfort. We went to the engagement party/Labor Day blast with Ron and Kay and had a wonderful time. Their location on Grand Traverse Bay is terrific. One can see city lights at night, the water is lapping away, very peaceful. It was a great party.

Then back to Frankfort where we got the boat ready to have overnight guests. Jennifer and her friend Meredith from San Francisco joined us for 5 days to move the boat across the Lake. Attached is a picture of the two of them, grinning from ear to ear, as we went to Leland for lunch on Day 1 of their visit. Jennifer of course has spent time growing up in Michigan so wanted to stay on that side of the Lake as long as possible. They took the car one day and went to Sleeping Bear Dunes and other highlights and had a blast. But on Sunday, September 13th it was time to move to Sturgeon Bay, WI. Emery and the girls took the boat and I took the Jeep on the car ferry. The weather was great and the Lake calm, so they got across in 3 hours; I took 6 hours…four on the slower ferry and an hour of driving on each side. But we got there.

We promptly went to Fish Creek for the oh-so-famous Fish Boil. We saw a good show as usual and Jennifer, Meredith and I ate the fish and accompaniments from the Boil… delicious!!! Emery had ribs but enjoyed watching the show none-the-less. On Monday we drove the three hours from Sturgeon Bay to Milwaukee where our guests were catching an early Tuesday morning flight. We stopped at Kohler along the way for lunch and a look at their famous golf courses….a fine time was had by all. Jennifer and Emery would love to play Whistling Straits together some time…maybe next year.

Then back to the boat for a final cleanup before storage. Attached is a picture of me filling the water tank for the last time in 2009. We had the oil and filters changed and then unloaded clothes and food for the trip home.

Finally, attached are pictures of the boat on the travel lift in the winter storage barn. It is huge, and light and airy, so a great place to keep The Emerys snug for the winter. We drove the 1200 miles home over three days and arrived on Saturday, September 19th. We loved the summer, but are delighted to be home. Who knows what next summer will bring.

Thanks for following the blog and enjoy your winter. Cheers to all.

Labor Day in Frankfort

2009-09-04T14:02:00.000-04:00

We left Bay Harbor and went to Charlevoix for three days. As usual, that little town was wonderful and we enjoyed the restaurants, the shopping, the library (an old middle school re-engineered into a functioning library) and the people. We had one wet, stormy, windy day, but that is such a protected port that it matters not. Attached is a picture of the Charlevoix light, as well as pictures coming down the coast (Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Betsie Bay lighthouse) to Frankfort. I have attached pictures of its entry light and the Coast Guard station that welcomes you into Frankfort, so you get a full feeling for our Monday trip from Charlevoix to Frankfort. We even stopped in Leland for lunch, the lake was flat and the moving was easy.

We have been loving Frankfort. We have the Jeep here, so lots of freedom to move around. On Wednesday we drove to Clare (90 miles) to meet with friends Roger and Jean for lunch, visiting, and great pie for dessert. Sunday we are going to Traverse City to return the North Channel charts we borrowed from Ron and Kay and celebrate the engagement of their daughter.

And every day we walk to the lake to enjoy the spectacular sunset. Beats Mallory Square in Key West for sure!! It is salmon fishing season here, and every night about 5:00 PM 100-200 small and large fishing boats go out of Betsie Bay where we are docked to find the salmon. We watch them parade out as we have cocktails and dinner; then watch them come back after sunset. We are on an outside dock with an unobstructed view of all the action, and it is fun.

This marina is full for Labor Day weekend and there is lots going on. Once that is over however, we will be one of only a few boats left on the lake. Weather is terrific (70’s during the day and 50 and clear as a bell at night), so it is a great way to end our season. Next week Jennifer is coming to visit for 5 days and help move the boat and Jeep across the lake to Sturgeon Bay and then we start coming home. Cheers, happy Labor Day weekend.

Good Times in Bay Harbor

2009-08-27T20:40:00.000-04:00

We are relaxing and enjoying beautiful Bay Harbor. Remember, this development has been underway for 15 years. The space used to be a rock quarry; a channel was blasted in from Lake Michigan, and the resulting harbor is Bay Harbor Lake where the marina is. Development is around this lake, the shores of Lake Michigan, and a beautiful golf course with views supposedly rivaling Pebble Beach. As we say 7 times per day “all it takes is money”.

Attached are a few pictures that give an idea of how pretty it is here. The one of Emery and the HUGE hanging basket is from the Village (with its excellent shopping) and the boat shot is one of the classic Chris Crafts that one sees frequently in Bay Harbor, Harbor Springs and Charlevoix. Enjoy!!

Mackinac Island Again

2009-08-25T20:48:00.000-04:00

We are now in beautiful Harbor Springs, home of lots of beautiful real estate, classic boats and big pots of geraniums on the dock. It happens to be pouring rain at the moment but it is still a marvelous place.

We spent three fun days in Mackinac Island. We are seeing a lot of boats “doing the Loop”. Most are now headed for Chicago to start the trek south about the middle of September. So there are many folks to chat with. Some are living on their boats full time, some just taking a year to finish their trek. One boat is turning back east to go to the Bahamas for the winter, and one is going to stay over the winter in Michigan as we do. We had a big cocktail party one night in Mackinac with all the Loopers. There are not so many tourists on the Island as when we were there a month ago but still very busy.

This past Saturday we moved the boat to Mackinaw City where there are the amenities necessary for boating life……laundry, groceries and a pumpout. We stayed at the City docks this time, not the eco-friendly State dock we were the last time. Much better!! Our friends from 2007, Greg and Sally Whitaker on Odyssey met us for dinner and it was terrific to see them again.

Attached are a number of pictures from our last few days…..Fort Mackinac and parasails and big boats and flowers and horses…….summer near Mackinac.

Next we are going to Bay Harbor and Charlevoix. We are looking forward to getting into those ports. Happy summer.

Back in the USA

2009-08-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

We are back in the U.S. of A. While in Canada we fly the Canadian flag, so attached is a picture of Emery hauling it down.

Yesterday we left Gore Bay for Meldrum Bay, the eastern-most port on giant Manitoulin Island. We pulled into Meldrum in a big wind, and despite reservations, we were going to end up with no power to hook to. So we had lunch and pressed on to DeTour Village, MI. Big waves, first on the port side bow, then the starboard side as we turned south. So the boat got pounded and we got wet. It is amazing how well the boat behaves and holds together with that kind of banging around. The waves really weren’t that big, but with the wind and our speed it was an exciting ride!!!

We are going to Mackinac Island today and stay there for three nights. Horses, bikes, fudge and people……our favorite port. We now notice fewer boats in the marinas, and think school will start next week in Michigan. So we will find it easier to get slip space I am sure. Weather is great and we are happy. Cheers to everyone!!

Happy 70th Birthday

2009-08-17T10:07:00.000-04:00

Happy 70th Birthday, Emery. Here’s a picture of the birthday boy enjoying his morning coffee. Thank you to everyone who called to help celebrate the day. There was no birthday cake, but it was a super day none-the-less.

We started the day at Eagle Island and finished in Gore Bay. Eagle Island was our last, planned anchoring-out spot for 2009. And what a place. The wind was dead calm so the quiet is absolute. We shared the cove with a few other boats and a pair of loons who called frequently throughout the late afternoon. Beautiful. And it was another night of no clouds, no moon so the stars were very bright. We saw the milky way at its best….all in all quite the most peaceful mooring we have had, and a great way to end the anchoring adventure.

At noon we pulled anchor and headed west to Gore Bay, a small town on Manitoulin Island where we are now tied up at a nice city dock. We will restock the boat today, do some laundry and move to Meldrum Bay, the western-most port on Manitoulin, tomorrow. We had a huge rain/windstorm last night, so we were glad to be in port.

A great birthday and we continue to enjoy the North Channel.

Anchoring in Covered Portage Cove

2009-08-13T21:18:00.000-04:00

Note: Pictures loaded backwards. We’ve been anchored out for two nights in Covered Portage Cove, a spot a bit north of Killarney. The weather is terrific…high 70’s, clear skies and no wind.

Covered Portage is a very popular cove, and the good weather is bringing out lots of boaters. So we had other boats with us, but that is good as there is dinghy visiting and people to talk with. Rob and Tracy, long haul truckers who live on the Trent Severn Waterway, helped untangle a line from our prop using a snorkel and fins they travel with just for underwater emergencies like that. Our list of stuff we need to anchor out properly grows daily!! Lots of fir trees and white granite in Covered Portage, as the first attached pictures show.

We climbed to the top of the rocks above our boat and were treated to more spectacular views. We were looking right done on the boat so I have attached our view of that as well. At night the sky and stars are spectacular as there is no ambient light to get in the way. We did not see the meteor shower however as we were fast asleep at optimum time.

Today we are back in Killarney to restock the boat and see other folks we’ve met in the North Channel. Thought you might be amused by the seaplane parked in the slip next to us…..that is a popular mode of transportation around here. Killarney Mountain Lodge is a popular boater stop because of the pool and good restaurant at the resort. After a day or two here we are going to head west and stop at some anchorages and ports before heading to Mackinac Island and Michigan. Happy August!!!

Climbing to the Top

2009-08-10T23:33:00.000-04:00

There is a high peak in the granite hills surrounding Marianne’s Cove in Baie Fin. We climbed it, and the view from the top is spectacular. Attached is a picture of Emery as we started up, Mary at the top (bruises and blood included) and the view. Quite a satisfying 45 minute trip up, and hard coming down the rocks. Beautiful.

That climb was Friday, and on Saturday we pulled up anchor and came to Killarney on the east end of a channel between the North Channel and Georgian Bay. This is home to Mountain Lodge and Herbert’s Fish (red school bus) that we loved coming through here in 2007. Fun place and we have laughed and chatted with lots of boaters and Lodge guests. We were entertained on Saturday night in the Carousel Bar at Mountain Lodge by a guy who could sing almost anything requested…..Sinatra, John Denver, Johnny Cash, whoever. Lots of fun. Sunday morning was a killer thunderstorm and today is beautiful blue sky and 75 degrees. We went to the pool and then to dinner tonight at the Lodge to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary.

Tomorrow we are headed off the Covered Portage Cove to anchor out again. Who knows what we will experience there. Cheers to all.

Marianne's Cove, Baie Fine

2009-08-08T16:14:00.000-04:00

Hello. I am writing this on Friday morning, August 7th and not sure when I will get to post it. We are anchored out in Marianne’s Cove, in Baie Fin (the Bay of Finn) in the North Channel of Lake Huron. It is beautiful and I have attached a few pictures of the scenery.

We arrived yesterday after a 15 mile run from Little Current, where on Wednesday we got 150 feet of chain road for the anchor. Put the winch assembly back together after feeding in the chain, and we are really all set now to anchor out successfully as we replaced one of the house batteries also. I am happy to report the anchor works beautifully, the house batteries work perfectly and we spent the night peacefully with an anchor that held and two rear lines attached to trees on shore. What a difference it makes when there is no wind blowing.

Today we plan to hike and swim and run the dinghy around this beautiful cove. This is living.

Cruise Ship Clelia II

2009-08-08T16:03:00.000-04:00

Fun day in Little Current as a private, yacht-like cruise ship has come in to dock for a day. The Clelia II flies the flag of Malta and comes in once a week during July and August. There are 50 staterooms, 100 passengers…most of them looking like gray-haired retirees. The ship is 290 feet long, has a 50 foot beam, 12 foot draft and looks like an ocean liner moored to the wall here in Little Current. Attached are photos of the ship, my favorite being as it leaves here under the big highway bridge, which it dwarfed on the way out. Enjoy the pictures.

Little Current Festivities

2009-08-05T13:33:00.000-04:00

The wind is still howling here in Little Current, but it is a” happenin’” place to be. We arrived on Sunday in the midst of Haweaters Homecoming Weekend. Little Current is the biggest town on Manitoulin Island, which is the biggest island in the North Channel. Folks born on the island are called haweaters. Hawberries grow in profusion here, are bitter to eat, but make great jam. Anyway…..

There was a big parade on Sunday right after we arrived. Attached are a few pictures from that funky event. A street fair was in full swing, and the evening ended with a lighted boat parade and terrific fireworks. The fireworks are underwritten by the Evinrude family (the guy married a Canadian woman) and they were terrific. We had a front row seat from the boat.

Monday was a civic holiday (no reason, just the first Monday in August), so we made no progress on fixing the anchor. But bright and early this morning Emery brought the boat mechanic on board and parts and chain are ordered for delivery tomorrow. So we should be fixed soon.

Little Current is a fun place. The only “hot spot” for the phone is under the “Turner” sign in the notions area of the local department store; and internet is available only at either the bar or the tea room. All the boaters gather in those locations and it is a continuous party environment.

This is a hugely busy port with boats coming and going all day long. The current runs very fast and changes direction several times per day. Combined with the winds (30 mph today) it is high drama to watch boats try to dock. So we will leave in a day or two I guess. Stay tuned.

The Benjamins, Part 3

2009-08-05T13:28:00.000-04:00

Well, just as we got settled in for the night, John called from the sailboat. Jean had taken Dante to shore in their dinghy for his last walk of the night, and the dinghy motor quit. So Jean and Dante had blown all the way into the end of the cove and were stranded there.

We re-launched our dinghy and went to the rescue. However, our dinghy isn’t very powerful, so there was little chance we could haul Jean’s dinghy back in the dark (with wind and waves still enough to get your attention). So we ran over to the other sailboat anchored in the cove to get their help. That boat had a big powerful dinghy and two young guys on it; we had spoken to them earlier in the day. The guys said they’d launch right away.

John had by now found Jean with his powerful searchlight and she was walking along shore in thigh high water pulling the dinghy out of the weeds. We motored over with our searchlight and held her dinghy off the rocks and weeds while she climbed back aboard and the guys got their big dinghy launched and came to get Jean. They easily towed Jean and Dante to the sailboat and we motored home to our boat and everyone settled in for a relatively peaceful night.

Next morning we decided it was time to leave and come to Little Current, about 18 miles farther east in the North Channel. Jean and John were headed west to Gore Bay. Wind was now directly from the west, so the cove we were in was pretty calm. We all got ready to go, then began the process of getting The Emerys un-anchored. Everything is by dinghy of course. So we dinghied to shore to untie from the tree. Then Emery started our boat while I went to get John so he could help haul up our anchor. I kept the boat off the rocks while Emery and John got the anchor up and stowed, then delivered John back to his boat. Then came the task of getting our dinghy landed on our boat while it is moving around; easier than I expected and we got out of there and came to Little Current.

All in all, South Benjamin was a great adventure. I loved it, Emery liked parts of it, when we get the anchor fixed in Little Current we will try another anchorage. Stay tuned!!!

The Benjamins, Part 2

2009-08-04T17:21:00.000-04:00

Shortly after the Conyers left the boat, and after we had cleaned up the dinner party mess, the wind came up. 15 miles per hour, with a few gusts higher…….you got it, directly from the south!!!! Remember, we are anchored plus tied from the stern, with the bow pointed east, the stern west. Yep, we are now taking wind and waves broadside. Needless to say I slept above that night!!

Morning came and brought a measure of calm. We looked, John and Jean looked, at the forecasts and it seemed we were in for a reasonable day with some chance of winds from the southwest later in the day, so we made the decision to stay and enjoy the island, a pink granite mass covered with wild blueberry bushes, cedar trees and scrub. So we both dinghied to shore, John and Jean with their Airedale dog Dante and lots of cushions, food, etc for the day. We hiked, picked blueberries, started a fire and generally enjoyed ourselves for a few hours. Attached are pictures from the day.

About 1 o’clock the wind came up, again from the south, and light rain moved in. We built a comfy shelter in a group of trees and shrubs right by the fire and settled in. All was well until Conyers’ sailboat pulled loose from its rear mooring on a piton in the rock and began to swing on anchor only. Not a bad situation, but they decided they’d like to be on the boat to see that the anchor would hold. So they left Dante with us and off they went in their dinghy to the sailboat. After a bit John came back leaving Jean on the sailboat.

Message as follows: Wind is now at 35 miles per hour from the south and not due to change to southwest for a few hours, and a heavy rain is coming. Their sailboat, now bow into the wind rather than broadside to it, was very stable (9 foot, ballasted keel below helped stability) so lets leave the island before the big rain hits. So we loaded all the gear into our dinghy (which isn’t powerful enough to go on its own directly into the wind and waves) and Mary, Emery, Dante and John into their dinghy. Off we went, hauling our dinghy behind. Hard to describe the short trip, but wind, waves, rain made it an adventure. But we made it, and spent a comfortable few hours on the big sailboat as the storm rolled by. We had dinner and then just before dark we took our dinghy over to our boat for the night. It had calmed down a bit, and the wind did in fact shift to the southwest, giving us relief from the direct broadside waves.

We settled in….then????? See the next blog for the nighttime adventure that really capped it off.

The Benjamins, Part 1

2009-08-03T19:45:00.000-04:00

We ran to South Benjamin Island and met up with John and Jean Conyers. It is about an 80 mile distance from DeTour Village and the scenery is excellent here in the North Channel. Lots of islands large and small, big sky, puffy clouds and quite a few boats. All in all very different from the experience of running across, and north and south on Lake Michigan where there is only open water and almost no boat traffic.

Well, we found Jean and John in a small cove on the south side of the island and got anchored. The process of anchoring was quite exciting. Ideally, one drops an anchor off the bow and then you get in the dinghy and run a line off the stern to shore where you tie off to a tree or a piton someone has driven into the granite wall. I have attached a picture of the topography of the cove to give you an idea of what the cove looks like.

Anchoring was tough because early in the process the line got tangled in the winch as the anchor was lowering. Emery finally ended up cutting the line and lowering the anchor by hand. Attached is a picture of Emery and John working on the anchor. Then Jean, a fabulous knot expert, tied us to a tree, and we were in!!!!

We got together for dinner on our boat (mussels, shrimp, a little pasta, salad, cherries) and wine and fun was had by all. Attached is a picture of the group.

This ends Part 1of the South Benjamin adventure. An important fact to know for the next episode is that our anchorage spot was protected from all except winds from the south. So stay tuned.

Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island

2009-07-30T20:53:00.000-04:00

We were all set to leave Mackinaw City on Tuesday morning……but not so fast! The starter in the starboard engine “froze up”, so we needed to have it replaced. As we know, parts take a day or so to get delivered, so on Wednesday we went to Mackinac Island on the ferry while we waited.

Attached are a number of pictures from that fun day. The first is Emery and I sitting on the steps of the Episcopal mission that was established in 1865. Then comes a busy street scene from the downtown tourist part of the island which is mobbed with people, bicycles and horse drawn vehicles of all sizes and shapes.

Then we walked up to the Grand Hotel, a lovely quiet oasis in the chaos which is Mackinac during high tourist season. The third picture is of the back entrance to the famous porch. That big porch with the fabulous view and the flowers and rocking chairs and snapping flags was virtually deserted on Wednesday afternoon. We sat for an hour on the porch, then moved to the grill at the Grand Hotel’s golf course and had a great lunch/dinner. The final picture is of a gorgeous topiary at the hotel sheared into a horse and carriage……the teams of matched horses and carriage are ubiquitous around the Grand Hotel.

Today, Thursday the mechanic came with the part at 8 A.M. and we were underway by 11:30 A.M. We are now in DeTour Village, a remote Michigan Upper Peninsula port just west of the North Channel. We are going to run tomorrow to South Benjamin Island and join John and Jean Conyers and anchor out. Stay tuned for further adventures.

New Marina in Mackinaw City

2009-07-29T18:04:00.000-04:00

We have left our favorite Frankfort. Left the car at Jacobson’s Marina with John the harbor master; and come 120 miles to Mackinaw City, and we are at the brand new State of Michigan/DNR docks. It is built with EVERY energy saving, environmental protection and “green” device ever conceived. We chose it because we wanted to see what it offered plus we could not get into Mackinac Island because this week is the Port Huron to Mackinaw sailboat race (last week was Chicago to Mackinaw).

Interesting place to say the least. The floating docks are beautiful and the electricity is on and working. Part of the electricity comes from a small wind farm adjacent to the marina, a picture is attached as the first above. The water is in, but not working because the ONE inspector of water connections on docks has gone on vacation, so the water remains shut off. There is gas and diesel….but!!! Low flow pumps take FOREVER to fill a boat and were installed so no DROP of fuel EVER gets into the water. The dock guys are untrained, unsupervised and completely inexperienced. The showers have no water temperature adjustment, one temperature fits all and it is warm-ish. The shower runs for 15 seconds with each push of the button, so there is a lot of button pushing. Low flow toilets of course, and many do not work in the men’s room already (think about it). The laundry has energy/water efficient front loading washers which call for special laundry soap and very little of it, so already half of those do not work. As one sailboater said, “And these guys are going to run health care?????”. Interesting concept here, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

Also attached is a picture of a 1950’s wreck on South Manitou Island. We stopped there again on the way here to test the anchor (still needs a little work) and a picture of the wake off our boat. It is so big, really!!! Swamps the sailboats if we aren’t careful. Anyway, cheers to all.

Surrounded by Chicago-to-Mackinac Sailboats

2009-07-28T17:25:00.000-04:00

Hi all - Mark here (the FSIL-type guy). Attached are a few shots of the boats (not overly great - it was choppy). Click on the photos to enlarge them and get a better view of the sailboats. As we left our lunch in Leland, I think I was at the helm and started seeing a few specks on the horizon. As we got closer, the specks got bigger and there seemed to be more of them. Then, of course, we realized what we were in the middle of and that we were going to be surrounded for the next hour or so. But I'm happy to report that all of the expert captains on board did a superb job of weaving in and out of traffic. At least on our part, the historical, tenuous relationship between power and sail is no better/no worse because of The Emerys.

Kate's Visit

2009-07-26T18:10:00.000-04:00

Now, as part of the attempt to catch up on a busy week of activities, here is an update on Mark and Kate’s visit.

As you can see from the attached photos, Lily is a beautiful 5 and ¾ year old; Caroline is almost two and always busy; and everyone had a good time in the pool in Frankfort. Mark is not shown in the pictures, but he was here and added to the general fun.

Mark’s Mom managed the girls most of the time while they were in Midland for Kate’s high school reunion, which was a big success. But we saw everyone lots of times and had fun with yet one more Midwest get-together. Kate and Mark flew back to Seattle on Thursday; we have been using the time since then to provision the boat and get ready for the trip to the North Channel.

Yesterday we drove the 100 miles to Charlevoix to attend the annual Venetian Festival. That is essentially a blowout summer week of entertainment in the bandshell, sidewalk sales in town and a lot of parties by all. The fun is capped off by Saturday’s events, which we attended. A street carnival was set up on streets blocked off and vacant lots. Rides (ferris wheel, hammer, carousel, bumper cars, etc), games of chance, sno-cones and elephant ears to eat, and general hoopla were followed by spectacular fireworks and a lighted boat parade after dark. We ate dinner at our favorite restaurant (delicious whitefish) and ran into the guy who took my place as manager of real estate for Dow (he loves the job), and all in all had a great day.

Tomorrow we start north, so onward we go for the summer. Hope to blog in a more timely fashion, but frequently we have lousy computer and phone connections in Canada, so we shall see. Cheers.

Elk Rapids and Friends

2009-07-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

During our busy week in Traverse City, we re-vistited Elk Rapids. That is a small town at the south end of the east bay of Grand Traverse Bay. It is a long way by boat from Traverse City because you have to first go north along Old Mission Point, then south down the other side. By car it’s a straight shot, so we made the quick car trip.

Why should you care about Elk Rapids? ….because that’s where we got married in 1996. We got married in the Presbyterian church there, and the first picture is that church. Stepping over the fact that the lovely Emery cried throughout the entire ceremony, our visit brought back great memories.

And we met up with our Dow friends Ron and Kay. Ron and I jointly ran Dow’s calcium chloride business for a few years, and we have been friends ever since. Ron and Kay recently bought a 1960’s house that is right on Old Mission Point on Grand Traverse Bay. The property is spectacular with a view all the way up the Bay. Kay is managing the renovations as Ron keeps working for a market research firm to pay the bills (so he says, but he does like the work). We had dinner at the terrific Bowers Harbor Inn with them and their daughter Allison on Friday evening.

The fun continues. Next post I will talk about the visit with Kate and her family. Cheers to all.

2009-07-24T12:33:00.000-04:00

It has been a busy week for us, so I will write a few separate blogs in order to keep them shorter and more interesting. Following is the first of those.

On July 17-22, the 101st Chicago to Mackinac sailboat race was staged by the Chicago Yacht Club. 337 sailboats of all sizes competed in a number of classes. All but 33 boats finished, and the finishing crews partied hardy at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The race is 333 statute miles long; the biggest, fastest boat finished in 56 hours, and the average boat took 80 hours. This was the slowest race ever as the winds were very light for the entire race.

We ran into the sailboats twice. On Monday, July 20th, Emery, Mark and Kate and three of their friends from Traverse City moved The Emery’s from T.C. to Frankfort (I drove the car over later after spending time with Lily and Caroline at the beach in T.C.). Their trip took five or six hours, including a fun stop for lunch in Leland. After lunch, they ran through a large number of the boats in the race. Those pictures are on Kate’s camera, and Mark will add a blog with those in a few days. But that encounter added a lot to the fun trip for everyone.

Then,Thursday evening in Frankfort, a number of the sailboats stayed over in our marina on their way home. John the harbor master rafted about twenty of them up off his shore. The first picture attached is of the boat raft when about 15 of the boats were in. The boats are “bare bones” racers, so the crews are always hungry and dirty. John has a cook/dockhand named Roary who worked, literally, all night cooking to feed the boats who came in through the night. Lobster, crab, shrimp, ribs all went early and then the hot dogs and hamburgers flew off the grill. The second picture is of John manning the grill after dark; enlarge it for a better view.

This morning, all the boats were gone by 8 A.M. and life at the marina is settling down again. It was a real hoot last night, and the sailboat crews are fun to talk with. Lots of nationalities are represented, and this is a big prestigious race that all sailors want to experience once in their lives.

More stories to follow.

Old Mission Peninsula, Traverse City

2009-07-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

Traverse City, Michigan is a fun place to be. It is at the bottom of the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay, and one of the major vacation destination places in Michigan. Lots of water for summer, and snow mobile trails and ski hills for winter. The only downside is the unbelievably bad traffic; we have the car here so it is pretty dreadful getting anywhere.

Kate and Mark are here with Lily and Caroline. Mark’s Mom Pat lives here; Kate’s 20th high school reunion is being held this weekend in Midland; they are busy and three grandparents are taking care of the girls while they are gone for the weekend. The first picture attached is me at the beach with L and C yesterday.

We came here Tuesday. The municipal docks are very nice, and all of downtown T.C., with its great restaurants and shops, is within walking distance. Before Kate’s family arrived we explored Old Mission Peninsula, the arm of land that bisects Grand Traverse Bay into the east and west arms. The Peninsula was settled in about 1850; settlers began planting the orchards that are now everywhere after clearing away the forests.

There are cherry orchards (both sweet and tart cherries) and grapevines all around the Peninsula. If you “blow up” the picture of the cherry tree above you will see how laden with fruit the trees are right now. Cherries are beginning to be harvested and the grapes are growing nicely. New wineries are popping up, and many restaurants serve the local wines. Some of the wines are wonderful.

At the northern end of the Peninsula is a small lighthouse and a relocated log house, both from the 1850-60 timeframe. Attached are pictures of both. There are lots of trails and beaches all around the area and many people, but everything is surrounded by water so nothing seems crowded.

The last picture is of Emery inside a re-creation of the Presbyterian Mission that was the beginning of white settlement in the area. It and the school were the center of Peninsula life for a very long time. The area and the Peninsula are beautiful and there are tons of homes and docks and boats and people, so this is a great stop.

We plan to be in Traverse City till Monday or Tuesday when Kate and Mark will help Emery take the boat around to Frankfort (95 miles by boat, 45 miles by car), and Pat and I will manage the little girls. Should be a fun time. Cheers to all.

Anchoring Out All Night

2009-07-12T20:57:00.000-04:00

Last night we anchored out at South Manitou Island. It is 15 miles west of Leland in Lake Michigan and part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Note: Pictures are loaded backwards yet again....sorry about that!!!

South Manitou has the only natural harbor on Lake Michigan between Leland and Chicago. The 100 foot lighthouse shown in picture #1 above was active from 1871 to 1958. The island is about 7 miles across at its widest point, and is part of an island chain that stretches north to Mackinac Island. Glaciers carved out the Lake Michigan basin, and these islands are the peaks of a ridge left behind.

We were in a big cove with about 10 other boats; one of them is the Denis Sullivan, a three-masted schooner used as a hospitality and training ship out of Milwaukee, WI. Attached is a picture of that ship. The wind was blowing at 15-20 miles per hour, so everyone moved around their anchors a lot. We re-anchored several times before being satisfied, and held through the night, but didn’t sleep a lot. We have a new anchor, and wanted to try it out. Needs a bit of tinkering before it is right I an afraid.

Also attached is a picture of the boat we took from the dinghy as we were motoring in to the island, and one of Emery and I. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the experience.

We now are in Leland. Another small Michigan port town with lots of summer traffic, good restaurants, ice cream and no Verizon service. The docks here are new, and they are beautiful floating docks so we can easily get on and off the boat from the swim platform. Fun after weeks of climbing onto the boat from high fixed docks.

Enjoy your summer, we are loving ours.

Visiting An Elk Farm

2009-07-09T18:19:00.000-04:00

We’ve been in Ludington for a few days and have really enjoyed the town, the beach and Ludington State Park. The Park is miles of beach strung along a road. There are turnouts for parking, campgrounds and big dunes all along the coast. The first attached picture is Emery at the beach.

On Wednesday we went to the Amber Elk Farm just outside of Ludington with Roger and Jean Beck and their friends Doug and Jan. We weren’t sure what to expect, but it was fun. The herd is 195 animals strong right now, with most of the elk being males of all ages. Big breeding bulls, and younger males that are either slaughtered for food, sold to other breeders, or sold to hunting preserves as game are everywhere and quite a sight with their big horns. I’ve attached a few pictures from the Farm, which we toured in wagons drawn by a tractor. You haven’t lived until a big elk has eaten corn out of your hand!!!

Later on Wednesday, Roger and Doug helped Emery move the boat to Frankfort; Jean, Jan and I moved their car and our Jeep. So we now have the boat and the Jeep in Frankfort’s Jacobson’s Marina, one of our favorite ports. We are planning on lobster for dinner tonight, straight from the Marina’s grills as they cater dinners to us boaters.

Weather is spectacular here, and we will stay till Saturday when we plan to move to some of the Grand Traverse Bay ports….Leland, Northport, Elk Rapids and Traverse City. Cheers to all.

The Gill Family Reunion

2009-07-04T21:29:00.000-04:00

We have been to the Gill reunion, and it was fun. It never stopped raining for the event, but we had a huge tent that held all 96 attendees, so it was fun anyway. It was a potluck event with ham and fried chicken; many salads and deviled eggs; plus enough wonderful desserts to serve an army.

Gill is Mrs. Conyers maiden name. She and her two brothers had 22 Gill first cousins. This reunion was organized by two of those cousins, one of whom is 90 years old. The attendees included 10 of the cousins, and descendants of many of the original 25 Gill cousins.

The first picture is of Emery and the 10 first cousins that were in attendance. The second picture is of Emery’s generation, i.e. children of the cousins. There was a lot of conversation about whether the members of this generation are “second cousins” or “first cousins, once removed”. No consensus was reached on the burning question but all agreed they are related. The final picture is of Emery and me, the sole representatives of Roberta Gill’s “line”.

This event was a great way to spend the 4th of July. Late afternoon we drove to Kentucky and visited with Emery’s sister Marie in Cynthiana. Tomorrow we head back to Michigan and the boat to take up the water adventure again. Stay tuned.

The Ludington Car Ferry

2009-07-03T16:43:00.001-04:00

We are now in Ludington and in a marina that is VERY close to the car ferry. Which leaves at 8 A.M. each morning with a very loud blast of its horn. Yesterday it blasted us out of bed with a jolt….too funny. Attached are a couple photos of the ferry as it pulled in on Wednesday evening. We took the shots from the bow of our boat in its slip, so the channel the ferry uses is quite close.

I forgot to tell you that while we were in Saugatuck we went to a live theatre production of The Full Monty. That is a funny, poignant play about a group of out-of-work Buffalo, NY steelworkers who end up in a Chippendale-style chorus line to earn money. Terrific production that played to a sold out audience and we loved it.

Today we are near Cincinnati preparing to go to the Gill family reunion tomorrow. We are taking a Honey Baked Ham as our “favorite covered dish” to share with everyone. Should be fun.

Again, have a happy, safe 4th of July.

We've Come to Ludington

2009-07-01T17:49:00.000-04:00

Hello from Ludington, MI. We came 85 miles north from Saugatuck today in a little rain, a little fog, 2-4 foot seas to this port. We were two days extra in Saugatuck due to bad weather, but what a fun place to be.

Saugatuck is called the “Art Coast of Michigan”…..there are more art galleries in its downtown area than any other we have visited. Seeing we were there so long we also got to walk into the pretty tree-lined neighborhoods off the main drag. Huge trees and so many perennial flower gardens, really pretty.

Some highlights of the town: a Victorian era, hand-cranked, chain-link, passenger ferry that takes pedestrians across the channel leading into town from Lake Michigan; the SS Keewatin—a Titanic-era steamship which is now a museum (picture taken from the lake while we were on a dinghy ride); a long boardwalk that winds past all the marinas and is prime territory for everyone’s after dinner ice cream cone stroll; all those art stores/galleries; and a terrific choice of restaurants.

So today we came to Ludington. We have picked up the Jeep, it came across Lake Michigan yesterday all by itself on the car ferry. Our boat broker from Sturgeon Bay drove it to Manitowoc on the Wisconsin side and put it on the car ferry for us and now we have it. We are due in Cincinnati for a Gill (Mrs. Conyers maiden name was Gill) family reunion on the 4th of July. So good we have the Jeep. We will be off the boat for 4 or 5 days and then we will continue of trek up the Michigan side of Lake Michigan.

Happy 4th of July to everyone.

Beautiful Grand Haven

2009-06-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

Grand Haven is a lot of fun. This morning I walked a block or so to the Farmer’s Market and bought lots of things. As the guy next to me at one produce stand said “everything is home grown somewhere”. We sat on the swim platform out back to eat a breakfast of strawberries and tomatoes and cheese from the market, along with toast and coffee.

As we were eating, the fish were jumping and the geese with their babies went paddling by. And a surprise bonus show……a huge ore boat pulled up to the big coal-fired power plant that is just down river from us and has been unloading coal ever since. Really fun to watch, and neither the plant nor the ore boat is belching an ounce of pollution anywhere. Must be the clean coal technology we hear about! Attached is a picture of the ore boat.

Yesterday was a fun day. We walked the 2.5 mile boardwalk to the beach. Attached are pictures of both the boardwalk and the beach. The walk goes past a big Coast Guard station, restaurants, an RV campground and parks. Lots of people are here, many multi-generation families and young kids and all are enjoying the fun.

We had cocktails on the swim platform and watched the constant boat traffic that goes right past the marina. They are going upriver to Spring Lake and other marinas, or downriver to Lake Michigan. The final picture is of the boat parade. We then went off to dinner at Porto Bella, an Italian restaurant that had the best meatballs we have ever had. We capped off the evening with the musical fountain light show…..a fun day.

Later today we are moving to Saugatuck, a bit south of us on the lake. Today is another beautiful day so w are expecting a good run. Cheers.

Our Time in Pentwater and Grand Haven

2009-06-26T08:11:00.000-04:00

We loved Pentwater. Nice, nice really small Michigan town. We stayed at a very quiet marina called Snug Harbor just at the foot of the main street. The weather has been very hot and the natives love it…Emery and I not so much.

Pentwater Lake itself is small and ringed with cottages. A perfect place for us to break out the dinghy and make sure it still works. It does, and attached above is a picture of Mary bringing the dinghy back in after a spin around Pentwater Lake. And I’ve attached a picture of The Emerys, lest you have forgotten what our summer home looks like.

On Thursday, we moved 50 miles south to Grand Haven. It has one of the largest beaches on the Michigan shore, and being close to Chicago it attracts multitudes of summer visitors. We are at the municipal marina, on the boardwalk that stretches from downtown to the beach. There are vacationers everywhere and everyone is very friendly. The big Viking yacht next to us is owned by Clark and Glenda. They live here in town but so enjoy this marina that they park the yacht here and frequently just hang out.

Last evening we sat on the swim platform and watched the famous musical fountain. The fountain occupies an area about the size of a football field, on the west side of the Grand River, right across from our marina. During the performance (20 minutes long), over 90,000 gallons of water travel through 1.5 miles of pipe and 1300 nozzles, with the water reaching up to 125 feet. The show is controlled by a computer system and is lit by 150,000 watts of colored lights. The opening music theme is the opening theme from the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Very cool. You’ll have to trust me on its beauty, as there was no way to take pictures. It was a great way to spend the evening.

We are loving this trip so far. It is always wonderful when the boat and its systems work, and the sunny weather is nice also. Cheers to all.

Wausau Family Reunion

2009-06-23T21:58:00.000-04:00

On Saturday and Sunday we were in Wausau visiting the Wynhoff family. Niece Michelle and her husband Jeff (along with daughters Brigitte and Anika) hosted in a big tent in their backyard. Among the attendees was brother Pete and Sue; sister Joan and Bob; niece Ryan and Max along with recently adopted Henry who is a beautiful 2 month old; and nephew Matthew.

We laughed and talked and ate bratwurst and potato salad and strawberry/rhubarb crisp and a special ginger/blackberry trifle. It was a wonderful Father’s Day celebration. Attached above are pictures of the five fathers in attendance, and a picture of the whole group.

Today is Tuesday, June 24th and we crossed Lake Michigan from Sturgeon Bay, WI to Pentwater, MI, a trip of about 80 miles. We had nice flat water all the way across, but….
We left WI in 80 degree sun, got to the middle of the lake and were enclosed in a really cold fog, and arrived in MI to 80 degree sun and lots of people enjoying the Pentwater beach. The middle part was pretty strange. Emery wrapped up in a quilt, turned the radar on full blast and we kept on going, but we were pretty surprised by the dramatic temperature change. The last picture above is the captain staying warm.

We are going to stay here for a day or two then move south a bit. So we will blog again later. Cheers to all.

A Day in Door County

2009-06-21T23:35:00.000-04:00

On Friday we visited Door County in the car. Door County is a Wisconsin peninsula of land between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. We went all the way to the end of land to Gills Rock and learned that is where many of the delicious whitefish we are eating are caught.

We had lunch in Sister Bay at Al Johnson’s Swedish restaurant. The food is great and the restaurant has a sod roof where the grassed is “mowed” by a small herd of goats! The first two pictures above are from Sister Bay.

Then we moved south to Fish Creek, the home of the fish boil. Yes, we watched the show again; yes, it is still great entertainment. We’ve attached a picture so you can remember the fun from last year.

Great day…we enjoyed our drive.

Family Reunions Begin

2009-06-18T23:40:00.000-04:00

The family reunions have begun.

We have met up with the “other” Conyers……John and Jean from Seabrook Island, South Carolina. The first picture attached above is of the four of us having dinner at Donny’s Glidden Lodge and Restaurant on Lake Michigan, north of Sturgeon Bay in Door County here in Wisconsin. We had a great time and look forward to seeing them again in various ports this summer.

Then tonight we drove south to the Green Bay area where we had dinner with assorted Lehman relatives. Brother-in-law Mick joined us at his daughter DeAnn’s house. Also there was Mick’s son David and his two children, and assorted spouses and significant others. We had fun reminiscing, sharing stories and generally enjoying the terrific weather. Second picture attached is of that whole group.

We moved the boat to a different marina in Sturgeon Bay today so the boat can take part in a weekend boat show while we are gone to Wausau for a third reunion with member’s of the Wynhoff clan (Mary’s brother and sister and many others.)

Tomorrow we are planning to drive north deeper into Door County to enjoy the sights. It is probably going to rain, but we have slickers. Cheers to all.

Today We Went to Menominee, MI

2009-06-16T21:25:00.000-04:00

Ore Boat in Dock

Today we took the boat out for a shakedown cruise......after we replaced the engine batteries!

Emery decided the engines didn't sound good as they started up. So, seeing this marina also has a big repair facility, we got a mechanic down to look. Seeing the batteries are original to the boat (2005)time to replace them. Done in an hour...terrific.

So then we motored out to Green Bay. Attached are pictures from the Sturgeon Bay channel into big Green Bay. Lots of bridges and the ore boats that take up a lot of room. See the pictures above for our vistas today.

Menominee is 25 miles away across Green Bay, and just across the Wisconsin border into the Michigan upper peninsula. It was a beautiful day, calm water, and the boat ran beautifully. Tomorrow the ice maker guy will come to fix that, and then we are set for the summer.

At the end of the day, John and Jean Conyers came in to get gas in their sailboat. They just came in from a day of sailing and are at Centre Point Marina across the channel from us. We will go to dinner with them tomorrow evening. So we are running in to friends on the lake....small community for sure.

Thursday evening we are meeting with Lehman family, and Saturday and Sunday we will be in Wausau, WI to meet with Mary's brother and sister and various family members. So we will have some good days.

Hope you are well. Call or email anytime, we miss you.

We Are In Sturgeon Bay

2009-06-15T21:07:00.000-04:00

The Weed Whacker

Welcome Back, Boaters

Mary and the Fully Loaded Jeep

Emery's Indianapolis House

Hello From Sturgeon Bay, WI

It is a beautiful Monday afternoon, 68 degrees and sunny!!! Let me bring you up to date. NOTE: Pictures are backwards, I'll do better next time!!

We left Williamsburg late Wednesday morning and drove a few hundred miles into West Virginia where rain and fog caused us to call it a day quite early. Thursday brought us to Indianapolis where we drove past Emery’s old house (where the small trees are now huge and a picture is the first shown above); past Dow AgroSciences (where he worked and I sold off property); and to an old favorite for dinner. Then Friday we slogged around Chicago on Freeway 294 where EVERY mile of it was under construction and full of trucks!! Anyway, 1200 miles later we arrived in Sturgeon Bay on Friday evening. The boat was in the water at Quarterdeck Marina getting all its batteries charged up, so we stayed at the terrific Stone Harbor Resort for the evening.

Saturday the boat got moved to a slip on “D” dock with other big boats. We are docked next to Jerry and Christy from South Carolina who we met here last year, so we feel pretty welcome. Then we had to unload the Jeep.. a real job!! The second picture above is a view of the Jeep as we started to unload. The Quarterdeck had a “Welcome Back” barbecue for all boaters on Saturday night (see third picture above) and we dined wonderfully before tumbling dead tired into bed for our first night on the boat for the season.

Now we are cleaning, checking all systems, provisioning the boat and generally getting ready to rock and roll. Tomorrow we will go across Green Bay to Menominee, MI for lunch (about 25 miles) to make sure all systems are go. Today we installed a bigger, heavier anchor so we can safely anchor in the North Channel in August and watched the Sturgeon Bay “weed whacker” come through the marina in order to keep the seaweed under control. The last picture above is the weed whacker.

Hope all is well with everyone and you will follow our summer, 2009 adventures. Cheers.

We Are Starting 2009

2009-06-05T15:23:00.000-04:00

Hello to everyone.

We are in Williamsburg getting ready for departure for Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on June 10th. See the photo above of Emery moving the stock of good wine in Williamsburg to its summer storage location as a sample of the "getting the house ready for closing for 3 months" activities.

"The Emerys" spent the winter in storage in Sturgeon Bay and we will have it pulled out on June 15th. As many of you know, we offered the boat for sale but there are no takers. So we are happily planning to spend another summer in the Midwest.

The overall plan is to get to several family reunions this summer (four so far), spend 3 weeks in August in the North Channel of Lake Huron, touch into Lake Superior and end up with the boat in storage for winter 2009/10 in Michigan in mid-September.
We breezed through the North Channel at the end of our Virginia to Michigan trip in summer, 2007; we have heard so much about it that we are going to go back to enjoy it.

We are delighted to be able to spend a third summer on the boat, and hope you will tune in to catch the fun and adventures. Enjoy your summer; feel free to call us on my cell phone (757 810-8717) or email at mjlehman@cox.net. Or come visit, we can always fit you in. Cheers.