Spring, 2019

Sunday / Tuesday June 9-11

Fish Creek Alibi Dock Marina - we are the blue blob in the middle of picture.

We did laundry early in the am as we couldn’t get into Fish Creek Marina until after 1:00 and it was only a 24 mile run. We did call as winds and rain were expected in the afternoon, so we arrived at 12:00 and were tied up before the rains started. On June 10, Dave took a bike ride while Barb walked around shops and also power walked her three miles. Didn’t find much to purchase, but did find lots of art. Dave did discover a small shop that made their own chocolates that were very good – he bought some twice while we were there. We went out to dinner – not the best for what we paid. Dave’s meal was mediocre at best. The weather turned nasty overnight and hobby horsed most of the night. On the 11th we didn’t have to leave until 12:00 so we took our bikes and did a 10 mile ride into Peninsula State Park. It was good ride and gave us some needed exercise. We returned to the boat and immediately departed for Menominee, MI – a 18 mile run. We were going to go to Sister Bay but weather suggested that we needed a better protected marina for the next few days. We arrived and were to slip on a new dock – well we couldn’t get the shore power to work. The marina tried a number of things but we kept blowing the circuit breaker. They moved us to another dock that has an older pedestal. We have shore power, but found we have a problem. After much thought, calls to people we know and reading up on our inverter/charger, we think we have the problem isolated, but not fixed. We will hopefully have the problem fixed next week. In the meantime, we can’t go to Fayette, MI – the place we really wanted to go as they have all new pedestals and we wouldn’t be able to get shore power (have to charge the batteries).

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. Lilac trees in bloom.

this is the Door County Shoreline - note all the bays - beautiful country.

This is Nicolet Bay anchorage - one of our favorite anchorages for many years. Not that there are no boats here! way to cold. But it will fill up in July.

Bike trail we rode - there are many great trails in this park to ride and walk.

Thursday / Saturday June 6-8

Even with a later start waiting out fog, we were off the dock and heading out to Lake Michigan by 10:30 a.m. Unfortunately, we traveled all day in the fog. We went 46 miles to White Lake and anchored just inside the channel at 4:12 pm. Of course as we entered White Lake the fog lifted. The boat ran well and we watched radar closely for fishing boats. We were tired but happy and Hallelujah was sitting still. We had a good night’s sleep. We were up and anchor pulled by 6:40 – the lake was calm again today. We ran 42 miles to Ludington and a favorite marina – Harbor View. We got fuel and pump out and a good slip for the night. We are doing our weather watch and found that we should make a long run to Sturgeon Bay on June 8. Otherwise we would be waiting out weather in Frankfort, MI. So on June 8 we left Ludington at 6:30 am. for a 76 mile run across Lake Michigan to Sturgeon Bay, WI. It was great day on the water, with very little wave action and less wind. We were in a dock and hooked to shore power by 2:10 (Central time – we gained an hour going west). We relaxed the rest of the day.

Our Slip was the long wall you see here. We are just leaving - note that there is no sun and the flag is flying!

Island Girl (Avery family boat) that was at the end of the pier. We will miss them.

this is looking East up White Lake where we had sailboats for many years. We didn't travel the 5 miles up the lake to visit marinas. Beautiful night for anchoring.

The channel entrance is in the upper left corner. Great anchorage for in and out of this lake. We are in 15 feet of water.

Looking east out of the Sturgeon Bay channel into Lake Michigan - note how flat it is.

Looking west and into the Sturgeon Bay channel - note Coast Guard Station. It is biggest on north end of Lake MI.

Thursday - Wednesday May 22 - June 5

Loretta and Barb at Yacht Basin Marina in Holland, MI.

We discovered a leak in the new hatch when we came aboard on Thursday, May 23. We also found a leak in a galley cabinet. Anchorage came over and worked on both leaks. There was also a leak under the forward head sink – they worked on that one also. While the cabinet and sink leaks were fixed, the forward hatch continued to leak. Barb continued to clean inside and start stocking the boat for our summer cruise. We had a number of trips to varied stores. The plan was to leave by May 30 and head across the lake to Milwaukee to see friends. That plan quickly disappeared as Anchorage couldn’t stop the hatch leak. They kept putting more caulk on the hatch which wasn’t doing much. We finally gave up and made the decision to store the boat in a different location next winter – not being very happy with Anchorage service this year. We drove our car to Northport on June 5 and will store there this coming winter. They stored our car in a shed for the summer.

It seemed that boat work this spring wasn’t going well. Dave found little things that needed fixing. But our biggest heart stopper happened on June 1. We needed a pump out so we moved the boat to the fuel dock – winds were light. Dave decided to get fuel – but after pumping about 75 gallons into the port tank, the fuel looked funny – yellow not red. OK, stop! Were they putting gas in our diesel tanks! It took about 1 hour to verify that we were filling fuel but maybe road diesel and not marine diesel – which is ok. We finally got back to the slip and collapsed! Don’t need any excitement like that again.

The highlight of our time in Holland was seeing friends. Patrick and Amy and Aspen were just down the dock. We had dinner a few times with them. A wonderful colleague, Loretta Konecki and husband Don, came over for lunch on Memorial Day. We had a good visit. Pam and John Short stopped for cocktails on their way to Northport to get their DF 44 out of storage and start summer travels. Sure doesn’t feel like spring or summer – high in lower 50’s!

Monday / Wednesday May 20-22

We drove into Ohio on Monday and on into Holland Michigan on Tuesday. We arrived in time to review work completed by Anchorage Marine. They had to fix a few items before Wednesday AM. The boat was launched about 10:30 on Wednesday and we were at our slip shortly after. The engines turned right over. Barb started cleaning the aft stateroom so we could move aboard on Thursday.

Hallelujah crossing Ottawa Beach Road from storage shed to well.

Hallelujah at the well ready to be launched.

Friday / Sunday, May 17-19

Bag stuffing was the first order of the day – the gift bags are given out at Registration so Barb oversees this process. We had lots of help and bags were filled within one hour! Great, more time to organize for the afternoon. Registration started at 2:00 and lots of people hung around to talk. Barb has faithful crew of Gail Chenevey and Sue Hodes to help with Registration and Charma Owens to sell the DF Burgees. Of course Dave Reinken and Ron Owens hung around to help with getting more bags or running errands. There was a docktail party at 5:00 with lots of food and deserts. Then Barb had more rendezvous work in the hotel to do – mostly to finalize items for our chief pilot and close down registration. Saturday included morning meetings. Dave and Barb both won draws and got a special gift. Dave wouldn’t switch – he got a gift card and Barb got a hat. In the afternoon, there were open boats and we toured bigger DF’s. Saturday night we had dinner out in a restaurant – a good time was had by all. Sunday was more meetings and more open boats – Barb dragged Dave around. We had a BBQ on Sunday evening. By 8:00 we were tired so headed back to the room and packed for leaving in the morning.

Gail and Sue - my faithful registration crew

My place at registration - doing the paperwork.

Charma with the DF burgees, we always have a good laugh at registration.

Ron (Charma's spouse) and Dave giving us support at registration. Always there to help.

Bob and Jack (Sue and Gail spouses), preparing for the first timers.

We are enjoying the dinner out - had crab cakes HUM!

All 95 plus Rendezvous attendees - rest didn't make the picture on Saturday.

Dave receiving $10 West Marine Gift Card from our rendezvous chair, Steve McCreary

Barb receiving her Curtis Stokes Hat from Steve McCreary.

This group of women minus 1 were all at the cancelled rendezvous in 2016 at this same marina: left to right: Annie, Pam, Gail, Suzie, Ann, Barb, Marian, Sue

May 15 -16, Wednesday / Thursday

We left Cape Coral early and drove into North Carolina for the night. On Thursday, 16th, we drove into Solomons, MD and arrived about 2:00. Talked to a few people, Dave took nap and then went out to dinner with Chenevey, Hodes, and Hank Haeseker. Had a good time, but Barb had to return to hotel to do final work for the start of the rendezvous.

May 1 - 14

The first half of May was house work to close down the house. We also continued to walk, bike and swim. IT was hot enough that we turned off the pool heater and put away the solar cover. Barb moved items off the floor – her four foot rule. Barb finished all work on the Rendezvous and packed up the office. Each day we worked on organizing items for the car and storing house things. The hurricane shutters went up, the refrigerator was cleaned out and the car packed. We had our last good pizza for dinner on May 14 and our last night at home.

April, 2019

We continue our daily routine as much as possible. The weather is getting hotter so we walk and ride bikes earlier in the day and we swim later when the sun isn’t directly on us. Barb is into lots of computer work for the rendezvous. Barb also finished some quilting projects and other sewing things. Besides that, it is April and we are shredding lots of stuff and cleaning out the files – Taxes are paid J.

The excitement of this month was a fire between two houses across the canal. We were swimming and all of a sudden we heard a large crack and saw flame and smoke coming from palm trees between two houses. Barb called 911 and watched the wife of one house using a garden hose to try and put out the fire. It seemed a long time before the fire department arrived, but they got it out before the houses caught fire.

We were able to visit and have dinner with boating friends – Bob and Sue Hodes - who now own a beautiful RV. Interesting to see what the next life experience could be like. We had Easter Sunday dinner with boating friends – George and Minnie Osteyee – at Shell Point. It is always fun to get together with them. More good boating friends – Steve and Diane Koch - stayed with us and we had a small DeFever dinner for 8. A good time was had by all on the spur of the moment! Lastly, John and Pam Short stopped for lunch at the end of the month – they have a DF 44 like ours. We had a great visit.

We ended the month with starting our countdown list to close the house.

Fireman spraying palms. Trees went up fast.

Bob and Sue Hodes. Now RV owners but good boating friends.

Steve & Diane are right side standing - really wonderful, kind boating friends. Love to laugh with them!

Pam & John Short, boating friends and a wonderful couple.