Hi Seas Marina Oconto Wisconsin

We made the huge decision to move Mystic to a new marina for winter storage this fall. We were lucky to find space at Hi Seas, a small marina in Oconto, Wisconsin. 

We left Nestegg, late in September, with friends Dan and Nena Mooney on board, prepared to sail the 27 miles south. The bay was dead calm with no wind so we motored under a beautiful blue sky, dotted with late summer clouds. It was an easy 4.5 hour cruise.

When we arrived at Hi Seas, Andy was there to catch our lines. We could hear voices all around us from boaters enjoying the unseasonably warm temps on their vessels nearby. The vibe was very different from where we'd come from. 

We got started on dismantling our summer home right away with removal of the sails. We carried them to a grassy area where we flaked and folded them for storage. After dinner we settled in for the night. We were all snuggled in with our curtains drawn when I happened to peek out our porthole and was awed by a black sky dazzled with a gazillion stars. 

The Oconto Harvest Festival was on Saturday. We walked into town and found the festival overflowing with attendees. Main Street was shut down and the roadside was filled with vendors who enticed patrons with a variety of food and crafts. In addition, there was a antique car show. Several people from the marina were at the festival. We gathered at the Garage Bar outdoor patio to chat in the shade of the tent. We found we had a lot in common. Many of the slip holders have been at Hi Seas for decades. One couple told us they were on their third boat and third marina owner over the 26 years they had docked at Hi Seas. 

We all left downtown to attend a chili cook off at Hi Seas. Everyone worked together to put a huge meal on the table. We had 10 different chili options and a huge turnout of boaters. It was a great opportunity to meet other folks from the Marina. After dinner, we joined boaters on the outside docks called the peninsula. We had a great time sharing boat stories around the fire pit.

We were surprised to learn that sand hill cranes stop in Oconto as a staging point for migration. The Oconto Marsh and Rush Point Refuge is across the street from the marina. We heard the flocks coming in from late afternoon until past midnight. They settled down for the night in the marsh and the swampy area across the river from Hi Seas. They were gone each morning, making room for the next batch. The refuge covers over 800 acres and offers a 2.8 mile walking path. It is rich with bird life and a breeding ground for the yellow headed black bird. We look forward to hikes there, camera in tow. Unfortunately, it is hunting season making it unsafe in the fall.

We left Oconto on Sunday to bring a full load of boat gear home. Bret contacted us to schedule our haul out for Friday, September 4th. We arrived on Thursday night to prepare Mystic. The process was very different at Hi Seas compared to our past experiences. Their travel lift is powerful enough to life up to 60,000 pounds but it is short. Our backstay would connect with the frame of the lift so it had to be removed. Our deck stepped mast requires a forestay, backstay and mid stays on each side to remain upright. To make up for the lack of a backstay, we ran our main and jib halyards, one on each side of our boat, to our traveler to stabilize the mast while we were being hauled out. Mystic was lifted out stern first. It had always been bow first in the past. Things went smoothly. In fact it didn't feel different at all.

Mystic with backstay in place

On the travel lift

Backstay removed, halyards attached
at traveler

Coming out of the well

Setting her on jack stands

It takes about 16 hours to winterize Mystic. This entails adding antifreeze to the engine, the water system and the head. Water tanks and bilge must be emptied and cleaned. We replace our halyards with sacrificial ropes. Our anchors are removed and stored. Most of the contents in Mystic's hatches are removed, especially anything made of fabric. All through hulls are closed. Our batteries and shore power are removed. Our final task is securing the winter cover. Unfortunately, Green Bay was under a gale warning with high winds expected all day and even higher winds overnight. Putting the cover on in windy conditions is difficult but we managed to get it done before bed time. We left the back entry open but tied down tight overnight. As predicted, the wind picked up and woke us around midnight with 50 mph gusts that felt like we were going to be swept off our jack stands! It finally tapered down around 2:00 am. No one at the marina got much sleep!

In the morning we spent a couple hours unloading our travel bags and bedding. We finished tying down the cover and bid Mystic a mild winter. We headed out for the five hour drive home for the last time this year. New adventures in 2025 will begin in Oconto. We've navigated a lot of change this fall. Sometimes change is good!

Changing Scenery - Moving Mystic

The summer of 2024 turned out to be a different kind of year for us. Our buddy boat friends, Dan and Nena Mooney, who are also our partners in adventure, did not launch their boat Shoo Fly this year. Family responsibilities kept them on the hard, sitting directly behind our slip, where each day we were reminded that they weren't next to us on the dock.

Shoo Fly in our line of sight

Dan & Nena visiting Shoo Fly

Last year, we cruised the panhandle of Green Bay together on a fabulous eight day sail, getting our appetite wet for the longer trips and introducing Team Mooney to the excitement of cruising. We didn't take any long trips this year but we got in a lot of amazing sailing off of Menominee, Michigan with other boats from our marina. We danced beside Ric and Kathy aboard SuziQ, John and Jen took us for an evening sail aboard De Cabin, we jetted along the Menominee River in Jeff's 25 hp skiff Carolina II and followed 79 year old Paul on his solo adventures aboard his C&C Prima.

SuziQ passing us on Green Bay

We've been at Nestegg for three years now, arriving in 2021 after completing our America's Great Loop adventure. Things have changed greatly during our stay. The marina sold two years ago and has slid into a steady decline in spite of the increase in prices last fall, this spring and now again this fall. In addition, we've had issues with homeless folks boarding boats, thefts, and overall trespassing along the docks. Lack of security is a huge issue. It doesn't feel the same.

Several folks left Nestegg this summer due to the reasons above. One friend, Jeff on the Shannon Departure II, received a $1,000 increase in his slip fee. He gave up his deposit, (the marina puts in small writing that it is non-refundable but did not warn him of the increase before he put money down.) Jeff moved 25 miles south to a tiny mom and pop marina called Hi Seas. The price dropped for him by half. 

Departure II under sail

In addition to the culture and cost changes at Nestegg, we are not huge fans of the noise from highway 41. The sound of ambulances crossing the bridge and trains honking their way through town is nearly constant. The ship builder just south of us smells terrible under an easterly wind and our boats get covered with welding and grinding dust. We tolerated all of this because the cost to stay was lower than any marina around. Not anymore though! Nestegg is charging top dollar for a bottom dollar experience. Frankly, it's a bit insulting! 

Ship builder just south of our dock

After a couple unpleasant incidents on our dock, we decided to take a drive down to see Jeff and check out Hi Seas. We met Bret who owns the marina with his wife. The yard was clean and organized with boats already on the hard lined up neatly on jack stands. We were on a cradle at Nestegg, which raised our boat an extra three feet off the ground. It is quite unnerving to add Mystic's winter cover from 12 feet up with no safety net below us. At Hi Seas we'd be on jack stands with a surprising cut in cost of 50% for winter storage!

Change is hard. We've made friends at Nestegg. We will miss our dock neighbors and the late night gatherings around the fire pit. Next year, we hope to finally cruise again. This is just the beginning for us. It is the nudge we needed to kick start our plans for next year. 

Sunset on Menominee River