Another Year of Adapting

We finished our America's Great Loop adventure last August and began making plans to cruise to new places for the summer of 2022. The Georgian Bay was tempting us with it's scenic and secluded islands and anchorages. There are, literally, thousands of islands to explore. It is the home of Baie Fine, the largest fresh water fjord in the world. Dave cruised there in our 23 foot Coronado, S/V Keewatin, back in 1982. He hasn't stopped talking about it.

Canada across from the Detroit River

We've been planning our visit all winter. Covid restrictions were loosening and Canada was opening up to boat traffic. Unfortunately, it was easier to enter by any means other than by boat. Most of the small craft customs entry reporting sights were closed. We would have to go back to Detroit to enter Canada. We began to rethink our plan A. 

After wrestling with what we wanted to do as opposed to what we could do, we decided to go with Plan B and stay put in Marinette, Wisconsin. We are right across from Door County where there is much to explore. We love Lake Michigan and are excited to see more of it as well. We can hang out at the marina and make lemonade from the lemons of the current world condition!

Just as we were about to reserve a slip at NestEgg Marina for the summer most of the Canadian entry ports reopened. This gave us options; lots of options, for our summer adventures. Much of our cruising involves adapting. We've changed plans, course, and schedule countless times aboard S/V Mystic. Unfortunately fuel prices are continuing to rise. The number of cruising boats has increased and marina space is limited and at a premium. Instinct and experience is telling us to stay put. We will go with the flow like we always do. Door County, Green Bay and Lake Michigan have a lot to offer. Once we launch Mystic our summer plans will come together. They always do! 

Last weekend, we drove five and a half hours to NestEgg Marine where Mystic sat for the winter. As soon as we arrived we noticed that the cover was sitting oddly at the bow. We figured out why when we unzipped the sections, relaxing the tension. A ton of water poured over the side. Apparently, heavy snow created a pocket that collected rain. Our cover looked a bit stretched out but the water did not make it through to the boat. The Surlast fabric held up well.

Weighted pocket just inside our lifeline
Fabric puckering caught our attention

Our next discovery was a tiny squatter setting up housekeeping on our cradle. Mama Dove built a sparse twig nest and laid two beautiful eggs between our hull and the cradle. They are larger than we expected. She watched us do our work but showed no signs of leaving.

Dove keeping an eye on Beth

Unfortunately, our new foster chicks will delay our launch further. This wasn't part of the plan but we're looking at it as an opportunity to finish up projects at home and on the boat. We'll spend another year of adapting with adventures slipped in wherever we can! We can't complain; messing around with boats is not a bad way to spend the summer!

S/V Mystic - America's Great Loop Statistics

We left Knife River Minnesota on September 4th, 2016, aboard S/V Mystic, our 1966 Pearson Alberg 35. Our goal was to make it to the ocean. We became "Loopers" after our friends Jim and Linda Weckman shared their dream of completing America's Great Loop. The first stop on our Loop was to visit Jim and Linda in Bayfield, WI. They sent us off with support and encouragement and then followed us all along the way. 

September 4th, 2016, the day we left Knife River, MN

We completed our Great Loop adventure on August 21, 2021, crossing our wake at St. Ignace, Michigan. Our trip took us just shy of five years. This included two extended delays that kept Mystic on the hard for long periods of time. The first was in 2018 when Mystic sat in the yard at St. Augustine Marine Center for 22 months while we took care of things at home. We didn't intend to be off our boat for that long but life had other plans for us including a new hip for Dave and a trimalleolar ankle fracture for Beth. The second delay was in 2020 during the Covid shutdown. Mystic was on the hard at Frank Hall Boat Yard in Avondale Rhode Island for 22 months. We could have continued on our journey during the pandemic but heard that marina's would accommodate us but may not let us off our boat. This defeated our number one reason to cruise; we wanted to explore new places and meet new people. We decided to wait for things to open back up.

August 21, 2021 Crossing our Wake
St. Ignace, MI

Our Great Loop Stops

We kept track of a few statistics along the way. The following are the stats that best tell our story:

6557.5 Miles covered from Knife River, MN (start) to  St Ignace, MI (wake crossing)

452 Days on the Loop

1361 Days on the hard:
22 months in St. Augustine, FL
22 months in Avondale, RI

$1366.52 Diesel Cost (Average = $2.72/gallon)

502 Gallons of Diesel: We burn about 1/2 gallon of diesel per hour and averaged 13 miles per gallon at about 6.5 miles per hour travel speed.

61 days Anchored

65 days Free docks/walls

15 days Free Mooring 

16 days Paid mooring

208 days Paid marina dockage (Average dockage fee $36.00)

$7,450 Transient Marina cost (does not include when Mystic was on the hard)

Cheapest Marinas: 
$15 at Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchie, FL (due to no-seeums swarm).
The MI Harbor of Refuge Marinas were also less expensive than other parts of the Loop.

Highest Dockage price - Half Moon Bay, Croton-on-Hudson - Published "Looper Rates @ 25% off" but charged us $2.85/FT. Gave us 10% off the length of our boat ($3.50 total) saying it was no longer Looper Season in early July. There were about a dozen Looper boats at this marina with us.

Mast stepping/un-stepping: 
Mast down at Anchors Way Marina in St Joseph, MI, $150.
Mast up at Turner Marine in Mobile, AL, $250.
Mast down at Castleton Boat Club, Castleton on Hudson, NY, $50 to use their crane.
Mast up at Perry's Landing Marina in Erie, PA, $150. Stepped by Pennsylvania Port Authority.

Longest 1 day distance: 100 miles - Atlantic City, NJ to Atlantic Highlands, NJ (14 hour day)

Shortest 1 day distance: 14 miles - Erie Canal Brockport, NY to Albion, NY. Our buddy boat Osimo got stuck by a lift bridge failure. We waited for them at Albion.

Warmest temps: in the 90's from Florida through the Carolina's 

Coldest Temps: 28 F with frost on the boat on the TennTom

Largest tide: 9 feet at Thunderbolt GA (along with much of the AICW)

Number of pump outs: zero (We used a composting toilet)

Locks: 69 
1 -   Sault St Marie
24 - Inland waterway
2 -   ICW at Cape Canaveral
5 -   Crossing Lake Okeechobee
1 -   Great Bridge VA
35 - Erie Canal
1 -   Black Rock Lock

Buddy Boats:
Mucho Gusto - Looper
Sea Marie - Looper
Life's TraVails - Looper
Delphinea - from Hawaii
Andromeda Sol - from South Africa
Osimo - Looper

Long term stays at marinas:
Columbus Marina - Columbus, Mississippi
Turner Marine - Mobile, Alabama
SAMC - St Augustine Florida
Anclote Marina - Tarpon Springs
Frank Hall Boatyard - Avondale, Rhode Island
Titusville Municipal Marina - Titusville, Florida
Osprey Marina, Myrtle Beach - North Carolina

Erie Canal: 12 Stops
Waterford
Scotia Landing
Amsterdam
Canajoharie
Ilion
Slyvan Beach
Baldwinsville
Lyons
Bushnell Basin
Brockport
Albion
Tonowanda

Forced layovers on the Erie Canal 10 Days:
2 Days - Waterford
5 Days - Canajoharie
3 Days - Baldwinsville

Tows by Towboat US:
1. New Smyrna, FL - Ran aground, towed back into channel
2. Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY - Lost our transmission, towed from anchorage to mooring ball

Ran aground (Mystic's draft is 5.6):
St Mark's - Local family pulled us off,
Bradenton Beach - Waited for tide to float off 
Peck Lake - Got off on our own
New Smyrna - Towboat US 
Isle of Palms, South Carolina - got off on our own

Major Repairs
New Transmission
New wooden spreaders built and replaced
Bilge pump repair

Microbreweries - 55:
Castle Danger - Two Harbors, MN
Keewanaw Brewing Company - Houghton, MI
Vierling - Marquette, MI
Blackrocks Microbrewery - Marquette, MI
Lake Superior Brewery - Grand Marais, MI
Storm Cloud Microbrewery - Frankford, MI
Silver Harbor Brewing Co - St Joseph, MI
Tangled Roots Microbrewery - Ottowa, IL
Rhodell Brewing - Peoria, IL
Serda Brewing - Mobile, AL
Fairhope Brewing Company, Fairhope, AL
Tin Roof - Baton Rouge, LA
Props Microbrewery - Fort Walton Beach, FL
Oyster City Microbrewery - Apalachicola, FL
Silverking Microbrewery - Tarpon Springs, FL
DeBine Brewing - Palm Harbor, FL
Stilt House Brewery - Palm Harbor, FL
Cage Brewing - Tampa, FL
3 Daughters Brewing - Tampa, FL
Millennial Microbrewery - Fort Meyers, FL
Bury Me Brewery - Fort Meyers, FL
Playalinda - Titusville, FL
A1A Alehouse - St Augustine, FL
Prohibition - St Augustine, FL
Hidden Springs Microbrewery - Tampa, FL
Dog Rose - St Augustine, FL
BOG Microbrewery - St Augustine, FL
Old Coast Ales Microbrewery - St Augustine, FL
Intracoastal Microbrewery - Melbourne, FL
Bugnutty Brewery - Merritt Island, FL
Dirty Oar Brewery - Cocoa, FL
Hell and Blazes - Melbourne, FL
Gordon Bierscht Brewing Co - Myrtle Beach SC
Fishtown Brewery - Beaufort, NC
Legend Brewery - Portsmouth, VA
Oozlefinch - Hampton, VA
Grain H20 - Summit Bridge, DE on the C&D Canal
Carton Brewing Co - Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Greysail Brewing - Westerly, RI
Outer Light - Groton, CT
B'eerd Brewery - Stonington Borough, CT
Barley Head Brewery - Mystic, CT
Shunock River Brewery - North Stonington, CT
Bank & Bridge Brewing - Mystic, CT
Stony Creek Brewery - Brandford, CT
Oyster Bay Brewery - Oyster Bay, NY
Subversive Malt House - Catskill, NY
Crossroads Microbrewery - Catskill, NY
WT Brews - Baldwinsville, NY
Seven Story Brewing - Bushnell Basin, Perinton, NY
Stoneyard Brewpub - Brockport, NY
Noble Beast Microbrewery - Cleveland, OH
Masthead Microbrewery - Cleveland, OH
Put-in-Bay Microbrewery - S Bass Island, OH
III Bridges Brewing - Menomonie, MI

Boat Improvements:
New RIB Dinghy
New E-propulsion dinghy motor
Custom winter boat cover
Custom mast cradle that doubles as frame for boat cover
Dinghy Chaps
Solar Panels
Upgraded Refrigeration
Rain Tarp
Sun Shade
Wind Scoop
New dock lines
New laminated fir spreaders
Storm Tri-sail and mast track
Tiller bracket reinforcement
Settee tabletop refinish to mahogany
New mahogany interior doors
Solar anchor lights
45 pound Mantus anchor

Maintenance:
Oil changes every 100-200 hours
New water pump impellers every year
New Alternator belt yearly
Bottom Paint (2 times on the Loop over 5 years)
Teak varnish (3 times on the Loop over 5 years)
New lines, docking & running rigging
Bilge pump float replacement
New Batteries

Best Looper Docktales: (This was always tied to the Number of Loopers present although some of our very best docktale memories were with our buddy boats.)
Green Turtle Bay
Turner Marine
Canajoharie
Baldwinsville
Cleveland

Questions about our Looping experience:

In 2018, our Looper friends, David Taylor and Susan Beabes, completed their Loop aboard Veritas, their 40 foot Island Packet sailboat. We posed the following list of questions to them, knowing that one day we'd be able to answer them for our adventure. Here are our answers in reference to our America's Great Loop experience.

1. Favorite Marinas:
Titusville Municipal Marina (FL)
Chagrin Lagoon Yacht Club (Lake Erie)
Castleton Boat Club (NY)
Turner Marine (AL)

2. Favorite Town:
Frankfort (MI)
Tarpon Springs (FL),
St Augustine (FL)
Avondale (RI)
Baldwinsville (NY)
Presque Isle (MI)

3. Scariest Moments:
Leaving St Joseph, MI with mast on deck
Entering Dog River with mast on deck
Near collision by tow on the TennTom while we were anchored

4. Most Special Moments: 
The day we left Knife River
Meeting our first buddy boat and friends Scott and Rhonda Joiner on S/V Mucho Gusto
Seeing family and friends along the way
Crossing our wake

5. Biggest Relief: 
Surviving Frankfort, MI storm
Getting off Lake Michigan
Making it through the shallows of the AICW
Arriving at Turner Marine

6. Worst Weather:
Frankfort, MI (3 day storm)
Atlantic City (4 day storm)
Lake Erie (80 mph winds)

7. Coldest Day: 28 F in November on the TennTom

8. Hottest day: In the 90's Mosquito Lagoon near Titusville, FL

9. Best decision in hindsight:
Not going to the Bahamas due to timing (Can't be in a hurry on the Loop)
Turning back to Cleveland on Lake Erie (80 mph winds)

10. Favorite Crossings: (weather is everything when making a crossing)
Gulf of Mexico
Lake Huron

11. Favorite Restaurants:
Bobby's Fish Camp - Alabama
The Blue Gill - Mobile, AL
Ivy - Robertsdale, AL
Meg O'Malleys Irish Bar - Melbourne, FL
Blue Hen Cafe - St Augustine, FL
Don and Paul's Coffee Shop - Waterford, NY

12. Favorite meal on board:  Nibbles, (finger foods for docktails)

13. Windiest day: 80 mph - Cleveland, OH

14. Best Sailing Areas:
Great Lakes
Gulf of Mexico
Chesapeake Bay
Green Bay

15. Biggest Boat Repair: Transmission Replacement, Oyster Bay, NY 2021

16. Favorite Comfort Item on the Boat: Fans and Wind Scoop

17. Greatest lesson learned on the Loop: Plan for A, B and C, but be prepared for none to work out

18. Best Advice You Got on the Loop:
Delaware City Marina Dock Master Tim helped us plan our timing for tides on the Delaware bay
Transmission replacement advice from friends Jim Weckman and Mark Sauchuk
Advice to try yacht clubs if marinas are not an option.

19. Where do we wish we'd stopped but didn't: Bahamas, Cuba, Key West

20. What would we do differently?
Add a dodger
Made fewer long term stops
Talked to more yachts clubs for dockage

21. What's next: Cruise Lake Michigan, Georgian Bay and Canada, Return Mystic to the Ocean

22. Biggest Surprise on the Loop:
The color of the water in the Detroit River, St Clair River and Lake Huron
How little we could sail on the Loop due to head winds and our mast being on deck.

Beth & Dave on Mystic - Reflections; Lake Superior

We had the time of our lives on this journey of a lifetime.
We can't wait to get back out on the water to continue exploring...beyond the Loop!

2022 Winter Road Trip - Microbrew Tour

Dave and I completed our winter work schedule on the same day and started packing for a well earned reprieve to the warmth of the south. Our journey began with a wintery mix of rain, sleet and snow. We didn't hit springtime until just before Paducah Kentucky, where we found magnolia blossoms, wild daffodils and the strong smell of farm fertilizer coming from the fields along the highway. We could feel our bodies shedding the hold of winter as we shed our layers of clothing. Day two brought sunshine and a bright blue sky.

We're off to revisit the Panhandle and Gulf Coast locations we enjoyed in 2017 during the early days of our Great Loop adventure. We stopped in Apalachicola aboard Mystic and had so much fun there that we put it on our list of places we may like to live. On this trip, we were surprised to see how much had changed. 

The Tin Shed Flea Market & Antique Shop and Oyster City Microbrewery were gone. Apalachicola was the Oyster capital of Florida in 2017. They produced 90% of Florida's oysters. Oysters are almost gone from the bay now due to the change in the once brackish water. The water that had flowed naturally is being redirected to reservoirs which changed the salinity of the bay water. Florida has stopped all oyster harvesting in Apalachicola bay through 2025. This has been devastating to the local economy. The changes to this cute little town are undeniable. 

Visit our 2017 blog post for images of our first visit to Apalachicola.

https://cruising-teamrogers.blogspot.com/2017/04/apalachicola-fl.html

The Ice House, limited openings in 2022

The oyster shell piles are gone from Apalachicola

We arrived in Tarpon Springs and were happy to see that our modest Airbnb rental was clean and cute. It was located in an old neighborhood, central to much of what we wanted to experience. Our friends Yvette and Ray met us in Dunedin for a mini microbrew tour. We stopped in at House of Beers and then Caledonia Brewing after passing by several of their favorites which were closed on Mondays. 

Ray, Yvette, Beth & Dave, Dunedin, Florida

We made a lunch date with friends Michelle, Kay and John at Bar Fly in Palm Harbor. We share a love of craft beer and always look forward to catching up with them. After a delicious lunch, we moved over to Stilt House Brewery where we met a guy with a half blind, half deaf cat that entertained us with his antics. He had a funny way of cocking his head to get the best reception for his good eye and good ear. His disabilities didn't seem to hold him back and he was obviously a regular at the Brewery!

Sunset Beach, Tarpon Springs

Kay, Dave, Beth, John & Michelle at Bar Fly, Palm Harbor
(photo by Kay Rhoades)

Bar Fly Patio

In 2017, we got to know Tarpon Springs, the docks, beaches, microbreweries, and community. We headed out on a long walk to revisit the sponge docks. As we sauntered along the sidewalk a 4 foot black racer snake blocked our way. We gingerly slid past on the grass but only made it a few steps before a second snake rose up to check us out. I screamed out loud as Dave chuckled at my reaction. 

On our way back, we stumbled upon Brighter Days Brewing Company. This brewery did not exist in 2017. We sat on the patio enjoying a nightcap next to a lady with two dogs, one blind in one eye, the other totally blind. They had a connected harness so the one-eyed pup could lead the blind pup around. Like the Stilt House kitty, these sweet fur babies were welcomed and a part of the microbrew community experience. One puppy found a warm spot on my lap and settled in, which delighted us both!

As we strolled home in the dark, we chatted about the changes we were seeing. The city docks we'd stayed at on our sailboat are private now. Many restaurants and stores are closed for good. The "art bikes" are all gone from the sponge docks of Tarpon Springs. So much had changed over the past five years.

Visit our 2017 blog post for images of our first visit to Tarpon Springs.

https://cruising-teamrogers.blogspot.com/2017/04/tarpon-springs.html

No more art bikes on the sponge docks

Silverking Brewery was one of our favorite breweries in Tarpon Springs. We stopped in for a beer and found the bartender lounging with his feet up on the empty bar. He mentioned that the place was barely afloat. The beer was $7.00, expensive for the area and $2.00 over the other microbreweries in town. The vibe at Silverking had changed. We left after only one beer. 

Two Frogs Microbrewery was nearby. We walked the few blocks and grabbed the two open seats at the bar. It appeared to be a favorite with locals. We enjoyed the beer and the ambiance much better than Silverking. 

The day was coming to an end. We drove to Sunset Beach hoping to capture a magnificent Gulf Coast sunset before turning in. The beach and parking lot was full. It seemed this was a daily ritual for locals in the area!

Two Frogs Brewing

Sunset Beach

Dancing under the sunset

Our last day in Tarpon Springs began with heavy rain and thunderstorms so we drove to Ozona Brewery in Palm Harbor. It reminded us of a Key West bar; colorful, artsy and airy. The brewery was packed with a large group of women taking up several tables. We found a spot at the bar to enjoy a cold beer. The rain cleared enough for us to get out and explore the village of Ozona. We walked through all two blocks of the town, then meandered into the neighborhoods leading to the Gulf. Along the way we passed the historic Ozona Village Hall and realized that the large crowd of women at the brewery were members of the Ladies Improvement Society. We'd heard them chatting and giggling about the "meeting" they were having.

Ozona Brewing Company

Ozona Village Hall
(Ladies Improvement Society)

Yard Carvings, made us smile

Troll House

Our visit to the Gulf Coast came to an end, but we were not finished with our America's Great Loop revisit. Next, we headed for Saraland, Alabama. It's just outside Mobile where we'd spent four months aboard Mystic at Turner Marine. My uncles lived nearby and we were able to spend a lot of time with them. 

We were very surprised to find that Turner Marine had many open slips. During our stay, they were bursting at the seams! The biggest change in Mobile, though, was the loss of my uncles. Both have passed on. We stopped by the mausoleum at Magnolia Cemetery and drove past their home where we'd spent hours chatting with them under the live oak tree. The new owners were on the porch and seeing them deepened our feelings of profound loss. 

In spite of the changes, we found comfort in our visit to Dauphin Island where things remained much as we remembered. We ran the bike path to Fort Gaines then lounged on West End Beach for the afternoon. 

Lounging at West End Beach

Remembering Mr. Fred & Mr. Ron

During our five month stay in Mobile, we visited and enjoyed many of the wonderful restaurants. Blue Gill was a Looper favorite. We've been there several times before and were excited to return for the famous flame broiled oysters. The price had increased dramatically but the flavor was just as fabulous as we remembered and they were worth every penny! A new patio bar had been added. In spite of the increase in cost, the place was mobbed!

Flame broiled Oysters at the Blue Gill

We drove to Fort Monroe in Gulf Shores hoping to spend the day on the beach. The water in the Gulf looked like boiling coffee. An offshore wind whipped the sand into mini tornados that sandblasted us. The shoreline was covered with large dead fish all the way up to the dunes. It was not a beach day at all.

Instead, we headed back to Mobile, making stops at Big Beach Brewery and LuLu's Restaurant. LuLu's is Jimmy Buffet's sister's place. On our Loop, we had passed by so this was our first time there. We enjoyed a great crab dip lunch at one of the outdoor bars. On our drive back to Saraland we stopped at Fairhope Brewery. The beer was just as good as we remembered! 

Sunny Big Beach Patio

Fairhope Brewing Patio

Our visit to Mobile was wonderful and bittersweet at the same time. So much had changed but we found comfort in the few things that remained as we remembered them; the beauty of Dauphin Island, great microbrew options and the oysters at Blue Gill. 

When it was time to leave we set our sights west toward Collinsville Oklahoma where we'd make our last stop of our road trip with a visit to friends Yolanda and Scott Moody. We drove all day, making it to Conway Arkansas just in time for severe weather which included warnings of softball sized hail and tornados. I sat up until 2:00 am listening to the weather guy say, over and over, "FIND YOUR SAFE LOCATION AND GO TO IT!" Dave, however, slept through it all. 

We had a quick but fun-filled visit to Collinsville. Scott and Yolanda are busy building a hobby farm. It was exciting to tour their property and see their progress. We went to Taps on Tracks in nearby Claremore for trivia night and competed against at least 10 enthusiastic teams for the top prize of $100. We managed to pull of a three way tie for second place. Dave represented us in a sudden death question about the distance from earth to the moon. HE WON! This put us in third place due to a tie breaker for first. We enjoyed a free flight of beer for our efforts and we had a blast!

Beth, Dave, Scott & Yolanda - 3rd place winners

The temperature dropped from 80 degrees to 40 overnight. The drive back to Minnesota got colder as we moved north. We arrived home under snow flurries; our winter reprieve ending much as it began. Now we will wait for spring and Lake Michigan to melt. We look forward to our return to Mystic. It's time to continue our cruising adventures.

Mystic waiting for our return

Marinette Wisconsin - Home for the Winter

Our overnight stay at the dock on Rock Island was, at best, unpleasant. A big wind blew in and was slamming us into the dock creating a racket that made sleep almost impossible for me. Dave slept through the noise but I moved to the bow of the boat and covered my head with extra blankets. In the morning we found Mystic was held tight to the dock by a southwest blow. It was a challenge to get ourselves off and heading out of the cove. We released all of our dock lines except the stern. Dave put Mystic in reverse to release the tension while I grabbed the line and hopped on board. He pushed Mystic in hard forward and made a sharp curve to head away from the shallows. 

Mystic at Rock Island

Our short list of options included a stop in Door County on the east side of Green Bay but we'd made the decision to go all the way to our final destination, Marinette Wisconsin. We were very tired from pushing so hard over the last 10 days. Getting to Nestegg Marine would allow us time for a rest which was looking very appealing. We have next summer to explore Door County.

Bundled up on our way to Marinette

There always seems to be plenty of big ships to avoid

It took us about 8 hours to navigate the 47 miles from Rock Island around the tip of Door County then across Green Bay to the Menominee River. The bascule bridge tender at the mouth of the river didn't answer our radio calls. Dave contacted Nestegg to get the phone number. Finally, we were able to pass under the bridge and slowly work our way up river past an industrial area and a lumber yard that were flooded by high water. We'd learn later that the lake was up two feet above average. We carefully passed Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipbuilding Company which sits just south of Nestegg Marine. 

Menomonie North Pier Light

Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipbuilding Company

As we approached Nestegg a man yelled a greeting to us from a sailboat on the dock. We waved and asked where we could find the gas dock. He directed us toward the interstate bridge ahead. Nestegg Marine is nestled right under the bridge which separates Marinette Wisconsin from Menominee Michigan. There were two boats already there but yard workers came to help us slip safely in between. 

We were so excited to be at our final destination for cruising season 2021. We fueled up then walked to the Ships Store to talk to Leah who has been working with us to set up winter storage. When we told her we'd begun our season in Rhode Island we learned that she lived in Newport and spent a lot of time at Watch Hill. Our chat about New England brought this year's journey full circle for us. She sent us to slip S13 on a dock near the shipyard that is used for temporary visitors. 

Nestegg Rowing Club

Park Sculptures at Stephenson Island Park

Fairy Garden

On the way to our slip we noticed a beautiful, mast-less, Island Packet 35 being moved to the haulout bay. It reminded us of our friends Susan and David and their IP, Veritas. We learned that Soy Amada was getting shipped to new owners in Mystic Connecticut. It no longer surprises us to have close encounters with folks who have shared connections but it always make us smile. Our slip was sandwiched between two sailboats, a Hunter and a Catalina. We'd soon learn that we had a connection to the crew of the Catalina too.

Soy Amada being moved to haulout bay

The Egret Nesting Tree on Menominee River

Mystic at the Nestegg dock

We walked over the interstate bridge in search of III Bridges Microbrewery which was about a mile away. We toasted the end of our 2021 cruising season with a Belgian Dark Breakfast Stout. It was laced with flavors of coffee and maple. We tried their brown ale too. Both were very good. 

III Bridges Brew Menu

Belgian Dark Breakfast Stout

We stopped at Jack's Market for groceries before returning to Mystic. The folks on the Catalina were on deck when we arrived. Mike and Donna are married; Tom is Donna's brother. Tom just purchased the sailboat at Nestegg. He plans to rename here MoorSea before departing for the inland waterway and south. They are intermittent Loopers. This section of the journey will take them to Florida. We chatted about our Loop experience and discovered that Tom and Donna were born in Connecticut. They've cruised Long Island Sound and know Mystic and Groton well. We all marveled at just how small the world really is!

Dave, Beth, Tom, Mike and Donna
between Mystic and MoorSea at Nestegg Marine

With our new friends from Mystic Connecticut

We had a couple of days to explore Marinette Wisconsin, (the quiet, industrial town),  and Menominee Michigan (the happening town). We met the marina workers including Mark who is retired but works for Nestegg during the spring and fall migration of boats. Mark has a beautiful Catalina 34 named Pearl. He has done a bit of work on her including adding a custom hardtop dodger and a hydraulic dinghy davit storage system. In addition, he added a stack pack to his main. We were surprised to learn that he took all the teak off the deck and replaced it with maintenance free composite lumber. I have to admit it looks great, but I prefer the beauty of teak.

Mark's beautiful Catalina, Pearl

Marinette is an industrial town where the main work option is the local shipbuilding company. We discovered Ironworks restaurant while on a walk through town. It honors the local blue collar community with an iron cast sculpture of workers eating lunch on the roof of the building. We didn't eat there but we enjoyed the art. We found our favorite restaurant at The Brothers Three which boasts the best pizza in town. It is very good pizza however we enjoyed the Friday beer battered ocean whitefish which comes with French fries, beans, coleslaw and rye bread, a steal for only $5.99. In addition, the happy hour beer price is only $2.00 a pint. 

Lunchtime at Ironworks

Brothers Three Logo

By the time our daughter arrived to bring us to the airport, we'd settled in nicely. Nestegg was not able to haul Mystic out while we were there but agreed to wait for our return from Connecticut to do so. Mystic would stay at the dock in her slip next to MoorSea. Tom, Mike and Donna would keep an eye on her until they departed. We would drive back to Minnesota to unload our truck then return to Marinette to settle Mystic on the hard for the winter. Leah and the staff at Nestegg made everything easy for us. We are very happy with our choice of Nestegg Marine for winter storage. We are already looking forward to our next cruising season of 2022.