Wrapping Up Summer 2023

It's late September and we are preparing Mystic for winter haul out. The weather has been warm, giving us a taste of Indian Summer and making our last few days at the dock pleasant. The rain that we've missed for months is making up for lost time and waking up the flora that has been dry and brown all summer. Life at Nestegg is becoming more and more quiet. Folks only stop by on the weekends. Saturday night bon fires with our Stephenson Island dock mates are a common thing; as we hang onto summer as long as we can. 

Beth and Dave
Photo by Ric Mellon

Sharing Sailing Stories
Photo by Ric Mellon

Each time we visit, we empty more and more from Mystic's lockers and drawers. Our scheduled haul out date was on September 28th but we ended up coming out of the water on the 27th. As Mystic was raised high in the hoist we watched as the operator pitched her bow forward placing her in a dive-like position. Our hearts missed a beat at the sight of it. We'd never seen her slip into the cradle quite like that before. It was unnerving until her stern gently lowered back to level.

Mystic in dive position 

Balanced on her cradle

Winter storage line up

Once Mystic was settled on her cradle and lined up in the row of sailboats already on the hard, we gathered our kayaks and paddles and carried them home along with another truckload of gear. We will return one last time to wrap her up in her winter cover. It's a bittersweet time of year for us. We'll miss life living aboard our Alberg 35 on the Menomonee River but will fill the long winter months with planning for next year's adventures.

We returned to Nestegg early in October under stormy skies that chased us and teased us with scattered showers for the entire 5 hour trip. We found Mystic tucked between two larger boats that seem to be protecting her under their wings. It was far too windy to start installing the cover. Tired and hungry, we went to Brothers Three for their Friday fish dinner, our last one of the season.

The temp dropped dramatically into the 40's overnight but we have small electric heaters and a heating blanket that make overnight stays bearable. The winds were still howling in the morning. Reluctantly, we started the process of installing the cover in spite of how difficult we knew it would be. I stayed on deck and added each of the three cover segments while Dave tied temporary lines so the whole thing didn't soar off to Kansas! Each year, things go more smoothly for us. This year was no exception although it did take us longer than usual. After a day of hard labor we had the cover secured neatly except for the aft section which is designed as a back door entry for us to come and go from. Exhausted, we grabbed a pizza at Ellie's then headed off to bed early. Someone had a roaring fire going on Stephenson Island but we retired for the night.

Sunday morning we woke to a chilly 55 degree cabin. The outside temp was in the 30's. We had packed the coffee pot so we quickly dressed and went to grab a cup of coffee then took a ride around Marinette/Menomonee with the heat and the seat warmers set on high. Dave noticed a cargo ship coming in off the bay, led by and followed by tugs. We drove over the Ogden Street Bridge and parked at Menekaunee Park then hustled to the bridge to watch the Pacific Fortitude be escorted up the river and through the bridge. At 139 meters long with a 20 foot draft, Pacific Fortitude is a big girl. She is taller than the deck of the Ogden Street Bascule Bridge in the open position. Traffic was stopped for about 20 minutes. It was a treat to observe this miracle of navigation.

It took another couple hours to get all our bedding and last minute gear off of the boat. Dave tied the aft section while I shoved our gear in every little corner of our small car. She was all wrapped up by 10:00 am. It's always sad to walk away from her; withdrawal kicks in immediately!

Under the cover and out of the wind

Sailboat Row

Beth inspecting our hard work

Ready for winter