Terrapin

I kept this blog site while sailing on Sparrow, a Union 32, on Lake Michigan. Now, we have Terrapin, a Westsail 32, and I blog about our adventures at www.terrapintrails.com

M&M’s: I was excited to find a new flavor of M&M’s at Shopko in Sister Bay; S’more M&M’s! I added some to our trail mix...only to learn that Tyler did not appreciate my “deluxe” version of trail mix. I couldn’t seem to get the M&M portion of trail mix right for our rotating crew. Later in the summer, Jordan was wondering where the peanut M&M’s were? I had decided not to buy peanut M&M’s because I figured there are already peanuts and plain M&M’s in the trail mix so why would we need peanut M&M’s? I guess it isn’t the same! I will be sure to have a full boat pantry of plain and peanut and special M&M’s flavors onboard for next summer. The key will be hiding the M&M stock from Tony.

Best lunch spot: “I think we have the best lunch spot!” Travis exclaimed while eating his lunch sitting on Sparrow’s cabin deck. “We can see the beach, boaters coming in and leaving the marina, boats sailing out in the bay, and all the activity in town”. I grabbed my sandwich and joined him. We watched the world go by in Sister Bay.

Brunch: Trav mentioned he likes having Saturday brunch at home so it seemed fitting to plan a few special Saturday brunches on Sparrow. One time we made Swedish pancakes from a mix we had purchased from the Swedish Pantry in Escanaba. Another time we made eggs, hash browns, and cinnamon rolls. We like to blend a “camping style” of living aboard with some of the comforts of home.

Sparrow’s Coffee Shop: A morning tradition on Sparrow is making custom mochas and hot chocolate. We worked hard to perfect Travis’ hot chocolate with the goal to get as healthy as possible (low sugar) with a pleasing taste. A few of our attempts tasted like warmed up, watery baking cocoa, it needed more sweetener or milk! We had a couple varieties of powdered milk onboard (regular and coconut milk) which varied greatly in their ability to dissolve in hot water. Drinking chunks of powdered milk is not pleasant. I’m confident by the end of next summer we will have a recipe for the best hot chocolate. Occasionally Travis or I would slip a mystery ingredient into Tony’s or one of our visiting crew’s coffee and see if they could guess what it was. Can you guess what some of our add-in’s were?

Swimming:
In Sister Bay, Tony & Travis walked to the beach while I stayed onboard to prepare lunch. When they returned, I asked “how was the beach?” With big grins on their faces, they replied “profitable!”. Puzzled, I asked “profitable?” Travis held out his hand displaying a fistfull of coins. Tony explained “we sat down in the sand and everywhere Travis looked, he found another one!”

Anchored in Egg Harbor, Tony & Travis took the dinghy to check out the public beach. They returned fairly quickly. As usual, I asked “how was the beach?” “Well protected from boaters” Travis replied. “There is no way and no place to pull up a dinghy” Tony explained. We swam off the boat.
Swimming is a favorite activity. We swim, swim, swim wherever we are. In wavy or calm waters, shallow or deep, warm or refreshing (very cold!) - we swim.

Trav developed a “no hesitation” method of getting in the water for a swim. Starting from the boat or a beach, he didn’t hesitate and just immersed himself right in. He encouraged me to try his method and I admit it works quite well! Once in, it always felt fabulous! Jordan might not agree. We finally got him to take a dip and all he kept saying was “it’s cold” “it’s cold” “it’s very cold”. Despite the cold, I think he was glad he went swimming.

Luxury Marina: We spent one night at Centerpointe marina; a high end, resort-like, luxury marina. Our old, smaller boat didn’t quite fit in with the other yachts at dock, but it was a fun experience compared to our normal cruising on a budget. We saw six huge mega-yachts at one end of the marina that had been brought across Lake Michigan to Door County by hired crew. The owners arrived by plane and taxi to enjoy a weekend aboard. We learned they were all heading to Horseshoe Bay. How will they all fit in there?! Horseshoe Bay is barely big enough for a handful of small boats, maybe 1 big yacht, but not all 6 of them. We heard later from sailing friends that were there with the megayachts that it was like being near a floating city. The yachts rafted up near the island and had their lights and generators on all night.

Boats of all kinds:
As we were motor sailing with Travis from Sister Bay to Escanaba, a huge freighter passed by us. In Escanaba, we learned about the freighters and the iron ore they carry. On the North side of town there are railroads that bring the ore from the mines and make big piles near the waterfront. Conveyors are used to unload it from the trains and the piles resembled sand dunes, but made of iron ore pellets. Other conveyors pick it up and load it onto the ships at dock nearby. They have a special procedure for loading into the freighters being careful about the distribution of weight of the cargo. If they put too much concentrated into one area of a ship, it could crack the hull and sink it. Our sailing trips become a learning lifestyle and we never know what we’ll discover next!

We made a couple stops In Nicolet Bay this summer and saw boats of many kinds; kayaks, standup boards, sunfish sailboats as well as powerboats and sailboats of all sizes and styles. One of the most unique watercraft we saw there were two handmade hovercrafts. We were just ending a hike on one of the trails in Peninsula State Park as the owners of the hovercrafts were preparing to launch. Tony loves asking questions about homemade boats and they were anxious to share how they built their boats and how each performs on the water. Later in the day, we got to see them in action, zipping along between our anchorage and Egg Harbor.

Surrounded by fishing boats! Anchored at an inlet to Sturgeon Bay, I woke very early one morning and went out into the cockpit. My eyes were barely open and I was a bit started to see fishing boats all around Sparrow in every direction. We were in a prime fishing spot! I wish I would have asked one of the fishermen to hand me up a couple fish for our breakfast.

We were approaching a lift bridge in Sturgeon Bay when Tony alerted Trav & I to “look at those tall masts on the other side of the bridge!” We thought all the tall ships would have left S.B. by now for their trek to the next tall ship festival in Duluth. What an unexpected treat to see two of the tall ships up close; one from Norway and one from Spain, as we motored alongside them on the way to our marina. After we got tied up at dock, we walked over and marveled at their design and details some more. “Look at the size of those dock lines!” We chatted with a young man on the ship from Spain; “How many crew are onboard?” “25 of us” “How long do you live aboard?” “3 months”.

Lost items: How can you lose something on a 32’ boat? Good question. Some of our temporarily “lost” items were found easily and others took a thorough digging through all our gear.

One day as we were getting ready for a swim, Tony could not find his swimsuit. Jordan was with us and offered his so the search was postponed for a later time and Tony was able to take a dip in the lake. You might be thinking “you live on a sailboat for the summer and Tony only has one swimsuit onboard?” Yep. I know! I’ve already purchased him a spare swimsuit to have onboard next summer.

Getting ready for bed one evening, Travis could not find his pajama shorts. A few days later the missing PJ’s were found at the very bottom of his duffel bag. How did they get at the bottom when they are used so regularly? Hmmm, it was after laundry day and his duffell was stuffed to the seams with clean clothes.

Near the end of our summer sail, I lost my sunglasses. I wear them every sunny day and it was a tough adjustment to deal with the intense sunshine without my shades! Again you might be thinking “you live on a boat and only have one pair of sunglasses?” Yep. That is correct. It was hard enough to find one pair of sunglasses that fit my face, are comfortable, don’t give me a headache and don’t change my depth perception when I wear them. I almost counted my losses when I still hadn’t located my Costa shades even after we returned home. On our last trip to Sturgeon Bay to winterize Sparrow, I moved a couple of the spare backpacks we keep onboard and happened to notice a bulge in a side pocket. I dug in and there they were! I was so happy to find my sunglasses!

Games: Trav was the all around winner of card and board games aboard Sparrow this summer. In the game of SET, Trav remains undefeated. Tony didn’t wane in enthusiastically teasing him about getting a win on the next game, or the next, or the next. Maybe next summer Tony...

Packing up Sparrow in Sturgeon Bay:
On one of our walks across the bridge, Travis noted “the bridge tender house looks a lot bigger from up here than from the water”. Things sure look different from the vantage point of the water vs. being on land. When we’ve visited the same town by boat and later by car, we’ve noticed a difference in our perspective as well. Why is it when you arrive by one means of transportation compared to another, it changes your experience of the place?

We happened to be packing up Sparrow in Sturgeon Bay during the Antique and Wooden Boat Show. Walking to the Maritime Museum to participate in the festival provided much needed breaks from end of the season chores and packing. A highlight of the event is the make your own boat competition where teams of two people construct little boats with minimal supplies and tools. Seeing their boats in action during the timed sea trials was impressive and entertaining. Fireworks concluded the festival and we had a prime viewing spot on the bow of Sparrow. Our summer sailing trip ended with a bang!

We fell in love with Escanaba before we even were tied up to our dock. You can see the care and pride of the city as you enter the harbor entrance with a public beach on one side and a walking path and viewing benches on the other. Once settled at our dock, we learned the marina offers yellow bikes for visitors to use for free. The bikes enlarged our radius to explore the town substantially. One day we rode all around the marina park complex and to the beach. Another day to the movie theater to see ‘The Secret Life of Pets’. Twice we made the trek to the grocery store and filled our bike baskets and back pack with provisions for Sparrow.

Before leaving Escanaba, we were sure to ride to the Swedish Pantry for brunch. The restaurant walls are lined with colorful, whimsical cuckoo clocks. As we waited for our food, we took note of all the combinations of clocks and chimes and chose our favorites. There was an airplane with a parachuter, a cat with a mouse, a boat with an anchor, sewing machine with a scissors, mixing bowl with a cupcake, just to mention a few.

Of course we scouted out an ice cream shop; DeBacker Family Dairy. We took the scenic route there (got a little lost), but the ice cream was definitely worth our effort and perseverance. Red Hot Cinnamon ice cream, yumm!

The yellow bikes are numbered and we quickly learned which ones to request. On our first ride, Travis had one we named the “rattle trap”. Tony started out with one that sounded like the “chirping cricket” and slowly turned into the “screaming eagle”. The bikes can’t keep our nicknames though because the marina staff attended to the needed repairs promptly.

It’s haircut time for Travis. Grandpa Tony’s barber shop is mobile and for Trav’ appointment, they utilized an outdoor stylist chair (picnic table) on the spacious lawn of Escanaba Marina Park. How many barber shops can boast a view of boats in the harbor in one direction and a lighthouse in the other!

While in Escanaba, we were inspired by some older (older than us) cruisers. We met Warren and Marti who in their 70’s are still dreaming and heading out on adventures of all kinds along with being active in their community. In addition to sailing, they also canoe and are accomplished musicians. As we sat visiting in the cockpit of Jubilate; their gorgeous Cabo Rico 38, we noticed the fold-up bikes stored astern. We mentioned that we had one fold-up bike and were on the look-out for another used one. What do you know, they happened to have one they weren't using back home and offered to send it to us. So nice! This is just one example of the ease of friendships developed among boaters. What is it about being out on the water, or on the docks or beaches, that seems to foster friendships so naturally?

Tony enjoys Bluegrass country music so Trav and I decided to make his day and attend a community concert in Egg Harbor. Tony was all smiles and in his element! Although it wasn’t Trav’ style, he mustered up a positive thing to say, “I can look past the genre and appreciate the instruments, they are pretty good musicians.”

Travis had his turn for music highlights with a community concert in Escanaba - rock music. Another highlight for him was a custom guitar shop “The Brilliant Stranger” in Egg Harbor. Both of the owners are artists; she makes clothing and he makes guitars. We learned the history of the shop and how they both learned their trades. The guitar maker let Travis try one guitar after another as we learned about the process, decisions, and materials that go into making each one.

The live music on Sparrow grew progressively more enjoyable as the summer went on. Travis and Tony showed steady progress in learning the ukulele. Some of our anchoring neighbors even thanked us for the evening concerts.

Life on a sailboat prioritizes and intensifies our observation and engagement with the weather. Conversation with fellow boaters on the docks often include some reference to the weather; sharing past experiences in difficult weather or jotting down a website or app that is useful for forecasting. We aren’t just making small talk with weather comments. Weather is a relevant and important topic of conversation for live-aboard cruisers. It impacts our daily activities and decisions about destinations and anchorages.

We often feel overwhelmed by the extravagant beauty of our natural surroundings. The sky above and water below us, sunsets and sunrises, the landscape on shore...all around us we are regularly reminded of the indescribable beauty of God’s creation.

The moon was unusually bright one night at anchor in Sister Bay. It seemed like there was a spotlight shining down our V-berth hatch. The next day while conversing with fellow boaters about the weather, we learned the technical term for the previous night’s moon and how it only occurs every 10 years. What a treat to see it while dozing off to sleep!

The days preceding Luke & Christie’s family trip were sunny and calm as we dinghied back and forth to shore multiple times to do laundry, get groceries, go to the library, and visit with others on the docks. After one hard day’s work, and a quick jump in the lake to freshen up, we went out to dinner with sailing friends Bruce & CJ whom we had met in Kewaunee. It is always a pleasure to share sailing stories and get to know other boaters more personally over dinner conversation. The next morning we slept in a little later than usual. Our routine is to have a cup of coffee and wake up a little before turning on the VHS to listen to the weather. This morning, Tony casually mentioned “it is a little hard to have overcast skies after all those beautiful, sunny days”. “Maybe we should turn on the weather” I suggested. We turned it on to learn that a substantial storm was moving our way. Knowing our anchor wasn’t set well for a storm, we quickly raised anchor and headed into the marina. “Sister Bay Marina, Sister Bay Marina this is Sparrow” They answer and tell us which channel to switch to. “We are a 32’ sailboat requesting a slip”. “Can you hold?” they ask. I think to myself, not really, we are moving into the harbor and don’t have the best ability to maneuver in small areas, the storm alarm just went off on our radio and our adrenaline is pumping…they come back “you can tie up to the wall”. Great! that is where we were heading. As we were tying up, CJ & Bruce walked by and offered us breakfast and coffee on their boat. Perfect timing for a display of friendship! A true blessing! We were a little unnerved from hearing the severe storm warning alarm which brought fresh reminders of our worst storm ever. How ironic to be in the same anchorage one summer later after our knockdown and hear that severe weather alarm! Sipping coffee and eating delicious scrambled eggs with toast on a friend’s boat while the wind howled and their boat heeled (while tied up at dock) brought smiles to our faces, laughter to the conversation, and a calm to our spirits. Thank You!

Our summer seemed full of weather contrasts. Near the end of our summer, one day’s passage was 20+ knots with whitecaps covering the horizon and the next day we had glassy calm waters with muggy, hot air. Contrasts.

We arrived in Escanaba a few days before Jordan and Grace were scheduled to join us on Sparrow. Just a few slips down the dock from us, we were fortunate to meet Marilyn and Glen aboard Adena. They are active members of the Great Lakes Cruising Club. Marilyn was generous to spend time with us and answer questions about our upcoming sailing trip with Jordan and Grace. We couldn't take notes fast enough as she shared highlights and insights from their years of cruising in this area. Marilyn is not only a storehouse of knowledge about the waters, she also knows the history and businesses on land in Escanaba as well. We gleaned a lot of history about the town which made our time there all the more memorable.

Grace came sailing with us last year and was anxious to come again and learn more of the tasks involved in sailing and the liveaboard lifestyle. Our first passage from Escanaba to St Martin Island brought steadily increasing winds. We let Grace take the wheel much of the way so she could get a feel for how to handle the boat in different wind conditions.

Our anchorage, although well protected from the direct wind, was near one of the entrances to Green Bay waters. We were rocking and rolling all night long from the large rollers coming in from the big lake. It reminded Tony & I of York Island in the Apostle Islands. Every single time we anchored there, we experienced big rollers and felt like we were living in an oversized cradle; rockaby, rockaby.

In order for Grace to get as much hands-on learning as possible, we tried to be hands-off sailing except for teaching and coaching. Jordan and Grace studied the charts, took us on and off anchor, hoisted and dropped sails, trimmed the sails, and took the wheel. They let Travis in on the action also. He took us a big leg of the way from St Martin to Fayette.

We were so busy marveling at the bluffs that lined the shoreline that we almost passed right by the harbor entrance. Once anchored, we dinghied to shore to explore the historic buildings. On our way in, one of our crew (can't remember who) pointed toward the shore and exclaimed "Hey! it's a huge turtle!" Actually, it was a person snorkeling in the shallow water. Funny how he actually was floating in a way that looked like a turtle at first glance.

Walking around the historic townsite and exploring the restored buildings, we could imagine a once-vibrant industrial community. Inside the old houses, Tony & I both felt what we call "land sick". We were off balance and had to really concentrate to walk straight. Grace, on the other hand, mentioned that her stomach finally was settling down to a normal state after all the motion of the boat.

On the edge of town are paths in the woods that lead to a visitor center and campground. Grace gleefully played hide and seek with some of the deer in the woods, getting within 10 feet of one of them! I'm not sure who had more fun with the game, Grace or the deer.

I was waiting in line to use the women's outhouse when an older woman (older than me) walked up and said "I really can't wait". I replied she certainly could go before me. A few minutes later she had an idea. Pointing to the men's outhouse, she pronounced "I think I'll make use of that new law". Problem solved.

Let's go for a swim! Initially everyone went swimming except Jordan. Grace asked "how is it Jordan grew up living on a sailboat in the summer and doesn't like to go swimming?". "Oh, he likes to swim, he is just spoiled from our summers in the Keys and Bahamas" I explained. For the record, Jordan did go swimming and concluded "it is cold, it is cold, it is very cold!" Tony, on the other hand, thought it was the best swimming spot so far this year.

On shore, there were sandy areas and rocky areas - what more could a kid like Travis want? The sandy beach was ideal for swimming and the rocky shore provided plenty of opportunity for rock skipping. "Wanna play jenga?" Jordan asked pointing to a tall rock sculpture on the beach.

We had heard from other cruisers to be sure to eat at Sherry's Restaurant while in Fayette. Standing at a junction in the road not knowing which road led to Sherry's, we were about ready to flip a coin to decide which way to walk. Just then, a car drove by. Maybe they could sense the indecision and confusion on our faces. They stopped and pointed us in the right direction. Perfect timing!

We never tire of watching the sunset from the decks of Sparrow. Anchored in Sand Bay near Fayette, we were treated to one of the most stunning sunsets of the summer.

In the morning, Travis and grandpa Tony were hopping in the dinghy to go to shore and skip rocks. Jordan, with his eyes barely open, mumbled "I like to skip rocks". I handed him a granola bar as he joined in the shore going expedition. I think Travis and Jordan could skip rocks all day.

We happened to be at Fayette during a free kayaking tour by park rangers. Jordan, Grace, and Travis paddled with the guides along some of the bluffs of Big Bay De Noc. It was a bright, sunny day; perfect for a paddle and another swim. Grace especially enjoyed swimming all around the harbor in the crystal clear water and with the lovely backdrop of the historic town. Watching her swim, she looked so happy, peaceful, and graceful in the water. She looked like a mermaid. Grace could swim all day.

Jordan couldn't take it any longer; "Travis, where are you getting all those fruit snacks!?" Travis had been part of Sparrow's crew long enough to know all my secret places to stash things, like fruit snacks.

Back at dock in Escanaba, the marina fest was in full swing. We enjoyed live music well into the evening. Jordan and Grace couldn't go home without taking the yellow bikes for a spin. Travis led the way as they checked out the park grounds and nearby beach. All too soon it was time to say goodbye. Jordan handed Grace the keys. "I drove here, you can drive home."

The normal routine when Luke & Christie's family arrives for a boat trip goes something like this: Christie, kids, and all their gear is unloaded from their truck before Luke turns the engine off, they run down the dock - actually no running on the dock - they walk very quickly down the dock, and then hop onboard before Luke throws the dock lines and we're off! Luke wants to get out on the water! This year he endured a slower departure due to lunch. Who needs to eat?! The plan was for Christie to order pizza while we stowed all the gear onboard to be efficient with our time and still get out on the water sooner than later. She ordered pizza at the local pizzeria in Sister Bay, but unfortunately pizza was also the lunch of choice for the rest of the vacationers in Sister Bay. The wait time for their order was long, but it was delicious pizza. As the wind was picking up, I wondered if pizza was a good choice for their first day out sailing. We’ll find out.

Once out on the water, we enjoyed a brisk sail with a south wind pushing us up to Washington Island. We were happy that Luke got in a good day of sailing as captain of Sparrow! We always remind our crew that we can’t control the weather. When family comes for a weekend, we hope for the best and then make the best of whatever weather comes our way.

Anchored off Washington Island for two nights, we enjoyed leisurely days of skipping rocks, swimming, eating, skipping rocks, swimming, eating, you get the idea. Those were some hot, hot days in July! We swam and swam and swam some more to stay cool and refreshed. Schoolhouse beach is one of the best places for Travis to refine his rock skipping skills. The competitions for longest, highest, most skips was fierce between Travis, his dad, and his grandpa. Let the summer olympic rock skipping begin!

On Saturday morning, we left Washington Island with an initial plan to make a lunch stop at Rock Island on the way to Peninsula State Park. As we left our anchorage, we noticed a little black smoke from the engine. After ensuring there wasn’t an immediate problem with the engine, we opted to head right to Peninsula State Park.

Arriving to an overflowing anchorage, we saw many boats were rafted and a few were weaving their way through the maze of boats to find a spot close to shore. We decided to drop our hook at the outskirts of the bay and avoid the crowds. How many boats can fit in P.S.P. anchorage? How many people can fit on Peninsula State Park beach? We didn’t count, but we think it was nearing capacity.

We spent the afternoon swimming off the boat and playing a guessing game about which boats would leave before nightfall and which would be staying. With a keen watch for a day boater to leave, we were ready to pull anchor and move into their vacated spot. Around dinner time, we attempted to do that once, but another boat beat us to the coveted spot. Altering our course, we noticed another boat was preparing to leave. The sand hadn’t even settled when our anchor went down to settle into their vacated anchor spot below.
Christie, Haylee, and I went for an evening hike in the park. Peninsula State Park has an extensive system of trails for biking and hiking. We took the sunset trail around the point to the lighthouse and then came back via a trail that cut straight through the woods. Along the way, Haylee named all the animals we saw; chipmunks, a snake, wood peckers, and frogs all received candy names such as M&M, Skittles, and so on.

Christie decided to take advantage of the variety of trails at Peninsula State Park for one of her training runs for a marathon at the end of the summer. After studying the park map, off she went; up and down hills, through the woods, up on a bluff, all the while being careful to navigate the rocks and ridges along the way. When she finished and met us at the beach, she went straight into the water for a swim in her jogging clothes. “You don’t want these smelly clothes on the boat” she reasoned.

While Christie was running, the girls were building complex sand villages with a little help from their dad and Travis. Haylee named hers ‘dogtopia’ and Kayla’s was ‘cattopia’. We headed back to the boat before lunch as a steady stream of boaters and campers were filling up every available spot on the beach, picnic tables, and grassy areas. This State park gets good use!

The next day, Luke sailed Sparrow back to Sister Bay and saw 6.8. Not bad! How nice he was able to start and end their family’s trip with excellent wind for sailing.

Of course we followed tradition and walked to get some ice cream in Sister Bay before their trip’s end. It tasted extra delicious after walking uphill on a very hot, steamy day. It was so hot that some of us found a spot in the shade to prevent our ice cream from melting quicker than we could consume it.

During this trip the following awards are given:
Christie earned the chop, chop award. She chopped vegies daily, sometimes twice a day, to add color and flavor to our meals - yum, yum!

Grandpa Tony won the de-spidering award as he faithfully would clear the pests out of the cockpit before bedtime sleepers settled into their sleeping bags.

Luke gets the most head bonks award - he hit his head on our defunct, low laying metal dodger frame at least 4 times in their 5 day trip. Fixing that dodger frame is on our project list.

Luke also earns the title “Captain Luke” for his time at the wheel balancing his desire for a fast, exhilarating sail with his daughters’ comfort level with higher wind sailing. The girl’s are learning to enjoy heeling and rougher rides while sailing more and more each year.

Kayla earned the ‘most waterlogged’ award. She was in the water swimming more than she was on land. She never seemed to tire of jumping off the boat and climbing back up and jumping in again. Treading water for long periods of time, swimming the length of the boat or using the dinghy as a swim raft, whenever it involved being in the water, she was happy!

Haylee is the family naturalist with her eye towards any and all forms of nature; insects, birds, squirrels, snakes, trees, leaves, rocks…she loves it all!

Travis get’s the “captain Ron” award of driving and landing the dinghy. It only took a few practice runs with ‘bumper car style’ stops before he had perfected the timing to turn the dinghy alongside a boat’s hull or a dock. He was a pro by the summer’s end.

One evening, we played a close game of Banana Grams as teams with Luke & Christie. I think they won. Playing as husband/wife teams has proven an effective way to get the guys into the game. Maybe it will become a tradition to play it on every sailing trip with our married children.

The last night in Sister Bay we were back at dock and treated to a postcard perfect sunset!

It is always hard for us to say goodbye to our family crew. This time was made a tad easier because Travis was staying onboard with us through the end of the trip. Easier for us, but harder for Luke & Christie and girls to leave. Trav was a good sport with all the attention and tight embraces from his sisters. We wove goodbye and then took a walk and talked about the transition from having a big group onboard to being a smaller base crew. We’ve learned to plan for a little adjustment period.

Soon it was time to make our list and get started on our between trip tasks like cleaning, groceries, laundry, pump-out, and to plan our passage to Escanaba where we’ll be meeting Jordan and Grace in a few days.