Haul Out 2015

We stayed overnight aboard Mystic on September 28. She's on the hard early, even by Minnesota standards. One of the best things about Knife River in the fall is that it's quiet and peaceful. The marina is empty. We are alone, tucked away in a quiet corner with a nice view of the lake. Dave tried to get a hotel but there was nothing available so we prepared to spend the night tucked into our cozy cabin together. It is cold. The temperature dropped to about 36F overnight. The main cabin settee was decked out with a heating blanket and two quilts along with an electric heater. It took over 200 feet of extension cord to make that happen.

View of Lake Superior from Mystic

Unloading Mystic boat gear for the winter

Comfortable perch

October is a time of change. The fall colors turn from golden yellow and brown to bright red and orange on our drive North. Once we made it past Duluth, the leaves were gone. It was breathtaking, literally, to see that fall had passed and Knife River was headed straight for winter.

Minnesota fall colors

Fall Lake View

Fall colors on the trails

Change is hard. Whether it be a move, or a job change or the end of summer. Change brings both positive and negative emotions. I had my own major personal change when I left my job recently. I'd held this position for 13 years and poured my heart and soul into it. Like summer turning to autumn, it was simply time to move on. As we prepared Mystic for her long winter rest, I thought a lot about the change we will face soon. I realized I have mixed feelings about our journey to cruise for a year. We will be leaving our home and family behind. I wondered how we'd feel about this when it's time to shove off. We will pack up a small array of our possessions and head across Lake Superior on a journey to live a lifelong dream. But our routine will no longer exist. Our habits will change. I'm excited about the idea of this adventure so when I begin to worry about all the things that I can think of to worry about, I realize that my feelings are normal. Change is hard, even when it's exciting and something you really want.

Custom mast supports made by Dave

Aft mast support.

For the winter, we have stuff to do. Dave will replace old mast lights with LEDs. I'll sand and varnish the wooden spreaders and we'll work on our big plan of building a new dodger for Mystic. Dave will research solar panels and I'll be looking for a sun shower (a live-aboard gal has to have a nice warm shower now and then). We'll dream all winter and we'll plan and work on the change that is ahead. When it involves Mystic, it's pretty easy.

Wrapping Mystic

Dave under the winter wrap

Mystic wrapped for winter

   

Into the Myst

We launched on May 23rd, excited to splash our Alberg 35 and get on with a summer on Lake Superior. Myst, our 1966 Pearson Dinghy #283 had been stored in the grass, near her mothership Mystic and the Marina launch all winter. I kept reminding Dave to fetch her and bring her over to our slip. Finally, we sauntered over where we'd left her last fall, only to find that SHE WAS GONE!!!

Myst, tucked into the bow of Mystic

There were a total of 3 dinghy's resting in this spot when we launched in May. The DNR had added a water fill pipe for the local fire station to fill their tanks with lake water this spring. It was possible that the dinghy's were in the way and had been moved. Dave visited the marina office to ask about it. He was told that the 3 dinghy's were moved but no one seemed to know where. He was told we could ask the marine mechanic.

Two Harbors Fire Truck testing pumps at Knife River Marina

Well, it took a month, but we finally ran into the mechanic and asked if he knew where our dinghy was. Looking sheepish, he said that he needed a dinghy and didn't know who owned Myst so he had been using her. He showed us where she had been tied up since she'd gone missing. We had walked by her every day for almost two months and not noticed her. He kept apologizing so I smiled at him and said, "We don't mind that you borrowed our dinghy, but we do want it back!" What I held my tongue from saying is..."Borrowing our dinghy means you have it temporarily. Keeping our dinghy means you stole it!"

"Borrowed" Dinghy

Dave says he's learned a lesson. Don't leave your stuff laying around at the Marina. The $4,000 fee we pay each year does not allow us to assume that our property won't be considered fair game to anyone who finds it unattended. All's well that end's well. Myst is tucked under Mystic's bow once again. We plan to keep them together. 

Is it Spring yet?

We had another long cold winter in the Midwest this year. It was not so much snowy, but bitter cold; the kind of cold that freezes your nose hairs and stops engines from running properly. We made a trek up to Knife River Marina on New Year's Day to check on our fall winter wrap job of Mystic, our Alberg 35. She was fine, tucked in between all the other boats, waiting on the arrival of spring and launch day. She was covered tightly with the tarps, held down with shrink wrap we'd painstakingly applied in October.

Knife River was quiet. Lake Superior was frozen over, smooth as glass. There was a magical scene of ice houses, ice skaters and frolicking families along the North Shore.

Winter has always been exciting and fun-filled for us. In spite of the cold, there is always something to do; snowboarding, x-country skiing, endless winter festivals. It was the Ice Project which brought us back up to Knife River to check on Mystic again at the end of February. Roger Hanson brought joy and delight to everyone who visited Barker's Island Marina for the light show and fireworks celebrating his latest ice sculpture.

The-Ice-Project Facebook Page

Spring surprised us with warm temps in April. By May, we had already experienced lovely days in the 80's. Excited to get the season started, we scheduled Mystic's launch for May 21st; early for Lake Superior waters. The launch went smoothly but Dave was worried about the engine starting. It took a few cranks and we were on our way to slip #68.

Once we were settled, Dave noticed that the water just wasn't flowing correctly out of the exhaust port. The first thing he checked was the raw water strainer to see if it needed to be cleaned. It was fine, so the next step was the water pump impeller.

Dave replaced the impeller but still no water flow. It was apparent that several blades off the impeller were missing and now somewhere in our engine. After a lot of research and a day of pulling hoses and checking for blockages, he back-flushed the heat exchanger and found the missing impeller blades. Lesson learned, replace that impeller annually, before starting the engine. were back in business and ready to start our 2015 season.

It's not goodbye...It's farewell, until we meet again!

My father always told me that a lucky man can count his closest friends on one hand. What he wanted me to understand was that the people we meet will come and go. Close friends come and stay.

In two years at Knife River we have been lucky with friends. We met Scott and Yolanda Moody the day we arrived in July 2013. They had driven from Oklahoma with their Ericson 27, Della Grace towed behind them. We met by chance and our connection was immediate. Scott and Yolanda left Knife River soon after we met for their journey dubbed "Lake Superior Summer." Later that fall, we visited them in Oklahoma and ran the Tulsa Marathon with Yolanda. Every time we meet, it's as though we'd never parted.

Scott and Yolanda Moody aboard Mystic, Duluth, MN

Della Grace; The Moody's Ericson 27

We met Jim and Linda Weckman, our new dock neighbors, after moving our boat to a slip on the outer dock at Knife River. They were preparing to leave Minnesota on a journey to navigate America's Great Loop aboard their Nauticat 38, Pemion. With Jim and Linda, there was always something to talk about. It didn't take long before we were spending a sizable chunk of our weekend aboard Pemion sharing stories, food and good cheer.

Dock neighbors ~ Pemion & Mystic

Pemion, approaching Knife River, MN

When it was time for them to leave on their journey, we bid them an emotional farewell. We did not know when we would meet again but we were certain that this was not goodbye. With close friends, it's never goodbye; It's "farewell until we meet again!"

Jim and Linda Weckman on the Knife River bench

Beth, Linda, Jim and Dave September 1, 2014 ~ Knife River, MN

Footnote:  Jim and Linda fell victim to a massive Lake Superior storm after arriving at Bayfield, WI. They had to chain Pemion to the Bayfield city dock while 26 foot seas pounded the big lake and 12 foot seas crashed over the dock. Pemion sustained damage and Jim and Linda were shaken by a night of rage from Mother Nature. After a series of mishaps they headed back to Knife River to regroup. We found them snuggled into a slip a few spots north of us. We picked up right where we left off, sorry that they had run into trouble but so happy to have more time with them. Life is generous when it offers more time with close friends.

Splashing Mystic...Year Two

The sound of gulls, clanking halyards and the engine of the Harbor Hoist boat lift fill the air. The marina is full of men dressed in layers of old woolen sweaters, many with holes worn at the elbow; but they stand at attention, coffee cup lifted to there lips, watching and waiting for their turn to splash their boat for the 2014 boating season on Lake Superior.

Knife Island ~ Lake Superior

We are at Knife River preparing Mystic for launching. The first thing I notice is the cawing of the gulls. Knife Island is a haven for gulls and pelicans during the warm months. It is barren over winter. Dave has set up a lawn chair for me to sit quietly, out of the way, as he sands, cleans and repaints Mystic's bottom. I'm still in the bright purple cast with a broken heel; waiting to be able to put weight on my foot. Until then, I'm relegated to taking a few photos of our day from my ground level viewpoint.

It's a nice day on Lake Superior with temps hovering around 60. The sun peaks out throughout the day but it is not hot. Dave hand sanded the red bottom paint then cleaned the dust from the hull. We were both surprised at how much paint dust fell from the light sanding. It would have to be cleaned up. As an afterthought, Dave wished he'd put a tarp down to collect the dust. Since he did not think of this beforehand, we used sponges and a bucket of very cold water. If you've never experienced cleaning a blacktop parking lot with a sponge, you are the lucky one. It was not an easy task but we were able to get the mess removed. 

We reserved a hotel in Two Harbors for the night. Dave picked a little mom and pop place called the Voyageur. This motel is the kind of place you don't "stay" at; you only sleep there. It's clean and comfortable but the rooms are small and have no frills. We are both tired so we are content with a warm room and a comfortable bed.

Before returning to the marina in the morning, we stopped at a cute little joint down on the lake called Louise's Place for a hearty breakfast. The restaurant is in the back of The Pub bar by the historic train depot in Two Harbors. Louise's Place is also a craft shop. There were a few small round tables situated within several open rooms. The restaurant is filled with handmade items for purchase like beaded jewelry and custom bags. Beautiful quilts hang from the walls and quilt racks. I sat at one of the round tables taking it all in as Dave ordered our North woods breakfast at the counter, two egg omelets with cranberry wild rice toast. The food is excellent! The place was filled with what looked to be locals. I'm sure it's really popular on the weekend. Everyone was friendly and chatted freely with each other and with us.

It's about eight miles from Two Harbors to Knife River. When we arrived at the marina, Dave got right to work preparing Mystic to be splashed. He suctioned the anti-freeze from the engine then filled it with clean water. Next he loaded supplies from the truck to the boat and finally, he polished the hull. I wasn't much help with these tasks since I couldn't maneuver a ladder or carry anything. My hands were occupied with crutches. My plan was to sit in the truck or the lawn chair and crochet while watching the happenings at the dock. Spending time at a marina is something I have always enjoyed. There is so much going on and so much to see. Today was no exception. From my vantage point I watched boats being launched all day. It appeared that the launching process was filled with glitches but the yard workers took everything in stride. There would be no launch for Mystic today. The marina manager put us on the launch list for Wednesday and we headed south to Stillwater.  Dave would return to Knife River mid week and facilitate the move from cradle to slip.

Dave left for Knife River at 5:00 am on May 28th in order to arrive at the same time as the yard workers. He got there at 7:30 and waited. It was a chilly 40 degree morning with a light breeze blowing. Everyone was wearing jackets and gloves. He talked to the yard workers and found that Mystic would be the first boat going in. The only things he had to do was put a fresh stainless cotter pin on the prop shaft nut and paint the holidays, which are the unpainted spots where the boat rested on the stands all winter. Mystic was sitting close to the launch so it only took about five minutes to pick her up and splash her into the slipway.  After a few cranks, the engine started and ran well. Dave let it idle for a good 15 minutes before he attempted to make his way to our new slip along the lakeside shoreline dock. The wind was coming off the lake which is the perfect direction for the move. He was able to gently ease into the slip all by himself. There were very few boats in the water, which helped. He tied Mystic to the dock, put out the fenders and set the spring line. The wind was picking up and was too strong to put the sails back on. He went through the boat and tightened every bolt and nut he could find. He was surprised at how many had loosened during our first year. Dave chatted with the guy a couple slips over who was planning to keep his boat in Bayfield for the summer but couldn't get there because the Apostle Islands were still iced up. We didn't know it at the time but it would be late June before the ice would leave the big lake!

A visit to Mystic - January 1, 2014

The year 2013 came to an end quietly in Stillwater. We stayed in on New Year's Eve but celebrated with Morey's smoked salmon and cream cheese on crackers, fresh lobster and home made clam chowder.The 'chowda' was made from a recipe out of an old cookbook from Mystic, CT which I got from my grandmother. For dessert I made one of our favorites; tofu chocolate moose topped with real whipped cream.

Dave had been working long hours during the holidays. Luckily, he had New Year's Day off. We decided to go on an adventure and headed North toward Knife River. We planned to check in on Mystic, our Alberg 35, then drive North to Split Rock Lighthouse to take winter photos. On the way, we stopped at McQuades' Harbor of Refuge, north of Duluth along scenic 61. It was mighty cold at  -1 F, but the die hard ice fishermen were out on the ice trying their luck. The lake was beautiful. We took photos of the shoreline with fresh snow covering the jetty and ice coating the shoreline.

McQuade's Harbor of Refuge Jetty

Lake Superior, North of Duluth, McQuade's

We stopped at Stony Point Road, our favorite section of Scenic Rt. 61. The view was magical! The lake was open in spots but the shoreline was dramatically frozen in patterns and glazes. We walked along the rocks which we'd used to sun ourselves on all summer after taking a quick dip in the lake. The shoreline is rocky with small round stones. Our instincts reminded us to walk carefully as the rocks can shift under our weight. On this day, there was no movement. Everything was frozen together. Dave made his way onto a section of flat rock and tried to slide on his back. Although it had a coating of ice a couple of inches thick, it was not slippery underneath his clothing. We laughed as he tried to slide to no avail. He was able to get some gorgeous closeups of the frozen flora from his vantage point though.

Stony Point Road Shack

Dave hamming it up on the ice!

Sitting atop the glaze at Stony Pt. Rd.

The shoreline was frozen in layers creating a Dr. Seuss-like pattern. The larger rocks were capped with ice which made them look like crystal mushrooms. Everything else was glazed over like a warm glazed donut.

Dr. Seuss-like scene, Stony Pt. Rd.

Mushroom capped rocks

Glazed shoreline

Ice varnished rocks

Ice varnished rocks

We got cold quickly so we headed for Knife River to check in on Mystic.  It was very quiet in "downtown" Knife River. My chest filled with excitement as we crossed the train tracks and entered the parking lot at the Marina. Mystic was close to the launch and only three boats into the line of vessels standing at attention on their winter storage. We rounded the first boat, sighted the second boat and then saw Mystic as we had left her, on the cradle and wrapped in old advertising tarps. Dave drove a bit past her and we both gasped and exclaimed at the same time, "OH NO!" My excitement was replaced by anxiety. I felt a wave of cold fill my chest, much like the feeling of being dipped in the Great Lake Superior in the middle of June. Knife River had suffered a major winter storm earlier in the season. It appeared that the northern blow had shredded the aft tarps, pulling out the grommets and throwing the tarps off of the cockpit. We could see that the cockpit was filled with a couple feet of snow which covered the cabin hatch as well. With dread we left the truck to survey the damage. Two tarps on the port side were in a tangled mess and were shredded in places, frozen and virtually unusable. We would need a new tarp. We drove to Two Harbors thinking that stores would be closed on New Year's Day but found that the local general store was open and had tarps in stock, but the cost and value were not worth it. In addition, the temperature was dropping. It would be frigid and dangerous to attempt the repair today.  We decided to wait and buy tarps in the Cities then return the next weekend. We would have more time to do the job right in safer conditions.

With some apprehension, we left Knife River for Split Rock Lighthouse. There are two car tunnels carved into the rocky coastline on the way. It was a lovely drive. We were surprised to see a cargo ship out on the big lake headed for Duluth. When we got to Split Rock, we paid $5.00 for parking then made our way down to Pebble Beach. The shoreline was magically frozen here too. The island off of Pebble beach was covered in snow and ice. Our photos captured only some of the beauty we were witnessing. We can see the lighthouse from the beach. It is an amazing view. Dave mentioned that he would like to check lake depths to see if we can tuck Mystic into this gorgeous spot. It would be nice to anchor here and photograph the lighthouse from the lake. Even better would be a photo of Mystic at anchor below the Split Rock Lighthouse cliffs.

Pebble Beach View looking South

Island off of Split Rock Light & Pebble Beach

Ice coated Pebble Beach

Split Rock Light view from Pebble Beach

When we left Pebble Beach, we drove up to the lighthouse to take the trail that leads down the cliffs to a lookout; another great spot to view and photograph the lighthouse. We almost passed the walkway because the path was closed off with ropes and signs. We turned back and looked out over the lake from there.

Split Rock Light

View of Pebble Beach from Split Rock Light

Weather beaten light

Split Rock Light

Split Rock Light

Split Rock Scenic 61 roadside view

Our walk made us cold so we made our way back to the truck to warm up. It was 3:30 and would be getting dark soon. We headed home, planning to stop for dinner at Grandma's restaurant. The Duluth lift bridge is right behind Grandma's. We arrived just in time to hear the lift bridge whistle blow, indicating that a boat would be passing underneath. This seemed impossible with all the ice and snow around us. We ran over to the canal to get a better view and saw a tugboat crushing ice as a cargo ship lined up to pass through the cleared path. It was so cold we were forced to seek shelter in the restaurant. We sat at the bar where we could see the action outside through a window. It took at least 20 minutes before the cargo ship made it's way through the channel and out into the big lake. I was disappointed that I missed this photo op. With luck, there will be another opportunity to witness and record the harsh and raw beauty of these northern winter conditions.

Grandma's Restaurant, Duluth

Ice crushing tug in Duluth Harbor

Grandma's - Taps - Brrr