It's late April but we're still dealing with a mix of rain and snow. Mystic is on the hard, waiting for us to unveil her. We're on our way to the marina in Marinette Wisconsin for the weekend. This extended wintery weather is delaying boating season. We are happy for this opportunity to have a look at her but we are itching to get in the water.
We arrived late afternoon after a five hour drive and began the laborious work of reloading our boat gear. This trip, we brought our cabin cushions and our bank of four batteries and electric heaters so we can sleep on board. The shore power closest to us is full so Dave has to extend our cord with a second one to reach the next pedestal. To warm up the cabin, we turned on the electric heaters once we had juice. Mystic looks great and is bone dry with no obvious mildew smells like we saw in the southern states. We are well versed in the tradeoffs of cruising the ocean vs the Great Lakes.
The floating docks are in place at Nestegg Marine and a few boats are tied up in their slip. We'll be on the hard for a few more weeks. Living on the hard is not easy. Each time we board, we have to climb up a 12 foot ladder. Everything we put on the boat goes up that ladder with us, one slow and careful trip at a time.
Hungry after a day of driving and work, we headed to Brothers Three for their delicious Friday fish fry dinner. White fish, fries, cole slaw, baked beans and fresh rye bread on the side for only $8.99. Before COVID it was $5.99. The increase is just another sign of the times we live in today. Everything is up by at least 30%!
Our friend Dennis stopped by to visit. He brought his black lab, Apollo, who doesn't go anywhere without a stick to play catch. He left it right outside the Captain's lounge door. As we parted ways, Apollo grabbed his stick and nudged me, just as he did every day last summer. Apollo could play fetch 24/7 if someone would just play along and he knows I'm a sucker for his antics.
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| Apollo with his walking stick |
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| Apollo |
I didn't sleep much but Dave settled right in. I listened as he purred into a deep sleep. He woke me at 7:00 sharp with an offer of coffee and donuts which got me up and going for the day. We drove around Marinette and Menomonee to check out our favorite places while we nibbled and sipped. We spent the day taking Mystic's winter cover off. It's a challenge maneuvering around the wooden frame when we are 15 feet off the ground. The many pieces that make up our frame are removed from the boat and transported home for storage until fall.
Our friend, John, was at the marina working on his boat, Avocet. He and his wife Jen asked us to meet them at Three Bridges Brewery. Afterwards we popped across the street for dinner at Ellie's. Dennis joined us for a lively Saturday night on the town in Menomonee.
After dinner, we were early to bed. Dave was up the next morning at dawn, reporting that we had ice on the deck. We can't do much in icy conditions. Eager to get on the road, we packed up, carefully dropped the slippery extension ladder and headed west.
Spending the weekend aboard Mystic gave us a glimpse of the summer to come. It also reminded us of the boat projects that must be completed before our departure. Repairs and improvements are a necessary part of boating but they take time. Messing around at the marina is better than spending the day at work though. It's a simple life and we are thrilled to be one step closer to returning to it!
