Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Memories and Cold Winters

Today we have had record low temperatures...Susan and I are relaxing next to the fire; Christmas tree and decor are all aglow as our light source for the evening. Tonight we decided to update the screen saver on our Apple TV. We changed it from our RV trip we took with my parents in 2008 to our pictures from our most current summer boating trip. For the last 4 hours we have been watching our photos stream by. Actually, there are a lot! 537 pictures were taken between the four of us! As we sat all night watching them go by laughing an commenting on them, we really were taken aback. (Pierce even got into determining what picture he took and Peyton took.)


We have sat here and contemplated our life and how blessed we are. So many photos and so many memories. We now look back and really love the memories and think about how frustrating the time was and blame ourselves for a lot of the frustration, we both need to relax and enjoy. The pictures are moments in time that always seem so fun and relaxing. Tonight we are both planning the cities and marinas we want to got back to. Even though it was such a rough trip last year it was worth it as we suspected. There would be much regret if we did not take the risk in going. Yeah, we kind of got screwed by the weather and the this caused so much stress, but in the end we love it.  The best is when while watching the pictures stream by Pierce says "I love the boat". When a 5 year old is in love with our passion we know we are doing the right stuff.

A little update on life...As I feared after our trip I did end up losing my job. However, because of my wonderful, beautiful, intelligent wife and her stable job and income we were able to survive without a hiccup. It took about nine weeks for me to find employment. I was off for the end of August through October. During that time I was able to get the boat waxed and ready for storage along with a long list of honey do's. We have been blessed and are able to continue with our lifestyle. My job is perfect and I look forward to the future. We can't wait for April to get the boat out and enjoy her for another season. Once again making these wonderful family memories! (sweatshirts in late July should not be a thing!!!)

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Crossing Back Home, day 10 & 11

The near shore forecast for the day was wave 2-3 feet and winds at times 20kts. Susan got up early and went for a walk down to the beach to look at the lake. When she returned she said it is time to go. She said the waves were not as bad as the day before, so I agreed lets go for it. After getting out on the lake I asked her if she really thought this was better.  In my estimation the wave heights were more like 3-5 feet. She then told me that the open water forecast was for 3-5 footers with occasional 6 to 8 foot waves. Yup it was all of that. Again these waves were coming at us so again it was a long ride. There were larger swells that were fairly steep that were quartering our bow and causing me to drive the boat more north then I would have liked. We ended up going off course by 5-6 miles to accommodate the wave and swell action. Luckily, this time we thought ahead and before we left the boys both took motion sickness pills so they did not get sea sick as yesterday they both were vomiting when we arrived in Frankfort. The crossing took us over 3 hrs due to having to go slow and steady due to the seas.

When we where about 20 miles out it began to settle down. By 5 miles out we were able to run the boat at our normal cruising speed. We were so glad to see the big red buoy at the entrance to Sturgeon Bay and were greeted by a large rain cloud when we finally tied up at Centerpointe Marina. The intention was to get the boat on the trailer and go home, but the rain stopped us from doing that. It was actually a good thing as we were all just exhausted from the ride and needed some time to relax. The plan was now to relax and pull the boat in the morning and go home.  It was a good feeling once we got home to unpack get everything put away and take the boat down to the launch to put it back in it home port slip in Neenah. When I came under the bridge and saw our little city and the docks it was almost a sigh of relief to be done with this vacation.


Susan and I both discussed if this was going to be our last trip across the lake for awhile. Although the adventure is fun and exhilarating we just were unable to enjoy it. There was only one day that we "enjoyed" ourselves. It was the day in Suttons Bay when we road from Frankfort to Suttons bay. We did not get a good week of weather and when we can not get the boys off the boat for that long of a period it is just not that enjoyable.

Next years plan is to just put the boat in Door County for a month and take some long weekends rather than push for a big trip.

Frankfort, Day 9

On Saturday we decided to try to get home to Sturgeon Bay. The forecast again was not great. We ended up making our way down to Frankfort and the waves were again brutal. With the exception of Mondays ride we have had wind and waves directly on our bow. We left Leland with the waves at our bow and when we went south to Frankfort they were quartering us. About 10 minutes from the break wall both Pierce and Peyton were vomiting from sea sickness. These can be the toughest waves as they are steep and pound the nose of the boat repeatedly. Then when we went south they still pounded us but also were rolling us. All you can do is go slow and make your way trough them. After about 3 hours we were again back at Jacobson Marina in Frankfort. They accommodated us with a slip and we were greeted with a rainy day.

Once we were situated I got the kids off the boat and went up to there boaters lounge. They have a big screen television, pool table, books and board games to relax and rejuvenate. We played a game of Sorry with Pierce and Peyton watched a Harry Potter marathon that was playing on ABC Family. The staff also made us a nice breakfast from the leftovers they had from the Grand Banks Lake MI Rendezvous that was at the Marina the last few days.




After Breakfast Susan did some shopping as they were having a sidewalk sale and bought Peyton a raincoat and some other items that caught her eye. When she returned we were all still relaxing up in the lounge when we saw some bigger Sea Rays coming into the harbor. Susan and I were both wondering if these boats possibly came across the lake from Sturgeon Bay and wanted to see if they had a report on how the lake was. I guess the day before this area saw 12-14 foot waves and said it was more like October weather than late July weather.

Turns out the boats were from Sturgeon Bay and we actually knew them. I stopped to talk to them and they said the waves were OK as they had following seas and it did not get really bad until they were about 15-20 miles out. With this news Susan and I figured tomorrow would be the day to attempt to go back.

Later in the afternoon I went to the downtown to get some tools at the hardware store to replace some allen wrenches that were dropped in the lake on accident. When walking downtown I noticed their little theater in town was playing the Despicable Me II movie, so when I returned to the boat I told everyone that I had a plan. We did dinner at a brew pub next to the movie theater and went to the show at 8 pm. This was the best thing we could do on such a rainy crumby day. The rain clouds ended up lifting in the afternoon and we did actually see some sun but for the most part it was still too cold to go to the beach and spend the day on the water. While at the brew pub the boys decided to play a game of tag while waiting for the food.



Saturday, July 27, 2013

Making the best of a rainy day... Day 8

Although we were stuck in Leland, MI for a couple of nights we made the best of it.  After all, I could think of worse places to be stuck.  Leland is a beautiful little town with infamously named “Fishtown” due to the history of the quaint fishing village that borders the shore of Lake Michigan.  The weather was quite windy so we decided we would find a bike trail and try to make our way to Sleeping Bear Dunes, recently named the most scenic area in the United States.   According to Paul’s calculation the park entrance was a short 4 mile jaunt.  So on our way we went…unfortunately the path took us on M22, a very busy highway with barely any shoulder for riding a bike.  After 4 miles Paul “recalculated” and found we were still a couple of miles out, and I was getting nervous with the 55 mph traffic zooming by.   We decided to scratch the bike ride and turned around. 
Due to the fun looking waves crashing on the beach, we decided to pack lunch and make it a beach day for the kids.  The town has a beautiful beach that is not too rocky yet has some decent depth to it for swimming.   The kids had a blast chasing the waves and it gave Paul and I an opportunity to relax a bit and strategize on how we were going to get home with Mother Nature not cooperating. 




Mother Nature continued putting a damper on our vacation by sending rain on our beach day.  We quickly had to pack up the kids and make our way back to the boat.  Paul took the kids to the boat while I stopped by the local store to pick up a few needed items.  Paul was able to beat the rain, I however, was not so lucky.  On my 2 block walk back, it down poured, causing me to resemble a drenched rat...
We dried off, pulled out the rain gear and decided to have dinner at the Blue Pelican.  Paul and I enjoyed some pecan encrusted walleye and a nice glass of wine prior to heading back to the boat and turning in.  We decided before bed that we were going to try to make our way to Frankfort in the morning.  Hopefully the waves won't be too bad!!

[Paul edits] after dinner we did not turn in right away.  We all went the the boater lounge and attempted to download a movie that we were going to watch after the kids went to bed. While the movie was downloading we did a puzzle that was there. 

The bike ride was also the day before. When on vacation the days tend to blend together....




Friday, July 26, 2013

The weather is not cooperating, day 7

It was decided that we should try to get back home as the forecast for not only weather, but the winds and waves were getting worse as the weekend went on. We knew if we did not make it across today there was a good chance we would be stuck for a while. Talking with many veteran lake MI vacationers many have not been stuck across the lake like this in late July early August. This time of year is usually good and does not have repeated days of bad weather and high winds.

When we left Elk Rapids the winds were from the south west which provided us a quartering following sea. This was pleasant and we were cruising along quite nice out of Grand Traverse Bay. Once we turned the corner we now headed into them. this was a much different ride. I needed to slow down as the waves continued to build. We had planned to stop in Leland for fuel and check the forecast again. 

Once we got there and filled up we decided to try to see if we could continue across. Needless to say we did not. We got ten miles out and turned back. It was way to wavy and the worst part was the were crashing square on the bow. I was only able to comfortably go 15 mph.  It would have been a long day had we kept going and the fact the longer we were out there the larger the waves were forecasted to get. The other thought we had was if it was too bad we would head down to Frankfort. The more I contemplated this the more I thought I'd rather just turn around. We were still 25-30 miles away from Frankfort and only 10 from Leland. Heading back in following seas is the best in this wave condition anyway.

When we arrived back at Leland Harbor we checked in and went for breakfast at the Early Bird restaurant. After breakfast we hit the farmers market and a winery (yup for breakfast). By this time Susan and I were doing all we could to not stress-out on the boys. Susan thought it would be nice to take them to the Leland Toy Shop and buy them something to keep them occupied on the boat. After the toys became more of an issue than they were solving Susan decided it was time for her to go to the downtown on her own for a bit.  When she returned we ended up going for a bike ride which ended like most we have done on these trips. Me determining a route based on a nearby attraction that is further away than I estimated. The terrain too challenging for everyone and eventually after pushing everyone too much I get frustrated or give-in and we turn back.  After we got back we ate lunch/dinner (it was already 4:30) at Rick's Cafe below The Cove restaurant in the little historical fish town. 




With little sleep from an early start and stress from not being able to go across and the waves, the day quickly turned into a crabby crew members kind of day. It was a early bed time for all. Hoping tomorrow brings a better day. 




Thursday, July 25, 2013

Elk Rapids, Day 6

Sleep was hard to come by due to the perfect wind and wave angle happening all day Tuesday. The rolling and lapping kept Susan and I both awake for awhile, however, upon waking up it was all done blowing. Once everyone was up, I got the bikes down from the bow and we trekked out to find a grocery store to resupply the food on board. I found fresh wild caught MI lake trout, some great marinade as well as a local wine. Susan grabbed some sweet potatoes and broccoli, along with various other items.


When we got back to the boat we decided to go down the famous dam slide that is in Elk Rapids. Peyton was the first to go down it and did great. Then it was Pierce's turn which meant it was also mine. Susan said it was much too cold for her. Once I had taken Pierce down he and Peyton went together. After about 10 min Susan decided to give it a try and join in the fun. After all the rapids fun we moved down to the beach. The beach is nice, but not great. The shore is full of zebra mussels so you have to be careful where you step. It is also very rocky and shallow. The shallow part is nice and it was much like Suttons Bay with regards to the shallowness but was much more rocky. The kids had fun moving all the rocks around and collecting ones to take home. Peyton dug the biggest hole in the beach. He said he was trying to make a hot tub...

After relaxing on the beach it was time to get back to the boat and start our dinner. We were all looking forward to our fresh fish dinner. Of course everything turned out great and everyone over ate. While cooking we met a couple who are part of the High Cliff Yacht Club from back home. They were sailors and trailered their Hunter 25 to Grand Traverse Bay.

After dinner we thought we would go downtown to see what was going
on. We had seen children coming back to the dock with fire hats and thought there must be something interesting downtown. Since we were all very full from dinner we thought it was time for a walk and check it out. It turns out on Wednesdays in the summer downtown Elk Rapids have a block party and close the street for different storefronts and vendors.  They even had many fundraising activities and games for kids. I was at this point a bit disappointed we ate so much at the boat.  There was all kinds of great food to try, but we were all too full!


The forecast for crossing is not looking great. We either need to go on Thursday or may have to wait until Monday.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Small Craft Advisory, Day 5

The first lesson in boating is safety, the second lesson is safety and the third..... well you get the point.  Boating really is about safety first and fun only after you ensure you are having fun safely.  I learned a great lesson on Day 5 of our trip, make sure that you check the forecast for wave heights BEFORE you leave to your next destination. 

We were scheduled to leave to go to Elk Rapids, where a slip reservation was awaiting.  It was windy in the morning and we knew the waves would be building and thought we would be ok if we left early enough.  And needless to say, we were ok, but WOW, did I gain more respect for this lake.  When leaving Suttons Bay I checked out the wave forecast on my phone and saw that the Grand Traverse Bay was under a small craft advisory, with 4-6 foot waves.  Paul assured me that there was no need to worry, as the waves would be at our back once we rounded the center.  I thought, how bad could they be after all, we were in the bay not in the middle of the lake, and we have hit some pretty bad waves on Lake Winnebago (our home lake) so I felt we could handle it.  Well, in the end we were able to handle it, thanks to Paul's patience and skill driving the boat, but oh man I will say I was praying along the way.  Once we reached Elk Rapids and was comfortably in our slip, Paul learned from the Harbormaster that they were watching us come in to the harbor through binoculars.  They said that at some points while coming in the hull of our boat was at a 45 degree angle, and that they were surprised to "see the captain smiling."   All, I can say to that is ugh!!!

Once situated we walked around the town and stopped for lunch at the Liquor Club, which actually does serve food.  It was a fairly interesting place with an old fashioned bowling game. Throughout our walk around town Peyton was taking pictures with his camera (thank you Grandma and Grandpa) and I let Pierce take pictures with mine.  The shot to the left is from Pierce.  Once we were back to the boat we took a look at all the kids pictures and they are actually pretty good and interesting.  Their perspective definitely gives you appreciation for what they see.  We continued our trek through downtown just to check it out and then went back to the boat.   The day was exceptionally windy and cool, so we took the opportunity to do some laundry, clean the boat and just hang out.   Paul took the boys fishing and made some very interesting catches. 

For dinner we grilled out and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.  Tomorrow is scheduled to be less windy.... thank you Jesus!





Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Suttons Bay, Day 4

After getting our friends in Frankfort situated it was time to move on to Suttons Bay. We had a brisk south wind which created a nice following sea and was able to run at a good rate even though it was a bit rough out. We ran very close to sleeping bear dunes national park and Susan was able to get some nice pictures.

Point Betsy light house
Once we turned the corner after the sleeping bear dunes things flattened out. It was beautiful! We were able to take many pictures while running and passed many boats through this area before reaching Grand Traverse Bay.
This was the Yacht Tresor that parked behind us the night before



The trail on Sleeping Bear Dunes (look closely you can see people)


We headed south into the bay and were expecting some rough water considering we had south winds at the start of the day, but everything was great. There is nothing like the water up here. We just love it! As soon as we got situated in the bay it took everything we had in keeping Peyton from just jumping in right away. I wanted to get the dingy down so we could get to the ladder before anyone got off the boat.




This little gem of a town is great. The marina is a municipal with limited amenities. No pool or cable, but we did not miss that. We really did have a wonderful day swimming and playing on the beach. The only downside is the town is not very pedestrian friendly. It has no traffic controlled intersections and cars really zoom through. It is hard with little ones to get across the street. The other downer is the sunset is not the traditional Lake MI sunset were you watch the sun disappear into the lake. The bay is on the west shore so the trees and bluff block the sunset we have become accustomed to.

Our view of the beach from our slip

Picnic tables and grills
 

There was one thing we wanted to do while here, but did not due to spending so much time at the beach; this area is known for its wine. There are many wineries very near by. Oh well possibly next time. Tomorrow we move on to Elk Rapids. Looking forward to it, but forecast is for more wind tomorrow, however, we are fairly protected traversing throughout Grand Traverse Bay.




We had one other surprise here in Sutton's, Greg and Sue from our home dock were here and we shared stories in the evening of our trips past and present. 

Monday, July 22, 2013

Day 2: a little R&R and Day 3: The Crossing

Day 2 - A Little Rest and Relaxation
After a great first night on the boat we decided that we would be staying in Sturgeon Bay and not leaving until Sunday AM. This allowed us an opportunity to stop at a few favorite stops within Sturgeon Bay. We took down the bikes and decided to get some exercise while running some errands.  For us, no vacation is complete without a stop at Target in Sturgeon Bay. We decided that the rugs we placed under the bikes, to prevent tire marking on the hull, needed to go. After rain they turn into a soppy wet mess, so we decided to replace with some cupboard lining as an alternate solution, so far it seems to be working like a charm. We then proceeded to go to the bakery and farmers market to pick up some items for dinner.

Peyton with his beautiful artwork... aaarrrggghhh!
It was a great morning with the boys and I must say, I am so VERY thankful to Paul's family for taking our dogs this year. Not having them with us is amazing... less dog hair, less 5AM wake up calls to go outside and more peace and quiet. Don't get me wrong, I love my pooches and miss them dearly, but this is really nice!!!  In the afternoon we enjoyed some well deserved pool time and wrapped up the evening with dinner and s'mores by the fireplace. 







Day 3 - The Crossing
We decided the night prior that we would head out at 6:30am to take advantage of the calm winds and morning light. Our target was Leland, our result was Frankfort. The waves were projected to be 3 ft or less with and occasional 6-8ft.  Occasional, my a$$!  Our initial start seemed fine, then after about 10 miles in, it was quite rough. I considered telling Paul that we should turn around, but Pierce was getting scared, so I bit my tongue. I knew it could create some serious discussion, and a 5 year old that is already scared just needs reassurance, not talk that the waves were too big, so we forged on. The waves were not as large as some we have navigated on Michigan, but a few of them ranked up there. So I did the best I could to keep Pierce calm and bit my lip.  Fortunately for us, about half way across the waves subsided a bit, making it a bit more comfortable. The closer we approached Michigan, the better the waves became which was fortunate for us. We were getting close to the Manitou islands, and after hearing the famous "land ho" from Peyton, the lake smoothed out beautifully.

Unfortunately, for our travelling companions, their ride was not as good. Paul radioed that we were going to veer off course to look at the shipwreck near the south Manitou island and take a few pictures. Our companions informed us that they needed to get to Leland as soon as possible due to taking on some water. We didn't realize the full severity of their predicament until after we approached the shipwreck and then had to steer back towards them because they came off plane. The decision was made to head to Frankfort instead of Leland so that in the event they needed, they would have more facilities to support their situation. They put in a call to the Coast Guard to let them know that they may require some assistance, even though they were fine and under there own power the USCG escorted them in and helped out. In the end they had to pull their boat out of the water, putting a huge damper on their vacation plans.


Nope, he has not seen Titanic!


Our companions were able to find a hotel in Frankfort allowing them to figure out their next steps. We enjoyed a great dinner at a new wine bar/restaurant in town called Cru and ended the evening with some ice cream and a beautiful sunset.

Tomorrow we are on our way North to Sutton's Bay to continue our progress towards Elk Rapids!

  

Saturday, July 20, 2013

We're Getting Good at This

It was a struggle to get all the things done this week in order to leave Friday morning. It did not help that we had the hottest week of the year so far and everything we did was slow and sweaty. In addition to the heat, our lives get busy with kids that is for sure. Pierce had his last soccer game in the heat as well on Wednesday. The league cut the skills portion out and just played the game. His coach ended the game with a water balloon fight.


Susan ended up leaving work earlier on Thursday so she could get the grocery shopping done and get a head start on the packing. It was still so hot and we ended up trying to wait until the sun would be lower to get the bikes on the boat. When I finally grabbed Susan's bike that was hanging in the garage  I noticed her front tire was flat. Yup it had a hole! It was already after 8 and all of our bike shops where closed. Quick trip to the local Walmart and we were back in business, however, this delay was enough to give the mosquitoes a jump on us. As soon as the sun went down it was on and we were still putting the bikes on the boat. We quickly finished up covered the boat and called it quits.

Friday morning we ended up getting out about 10:30am. I wanted to clean up the boat's hull and polish some of the repairs I had done. Once that was done we where on our way. We ended up taking a back route to Green Bay to avoid road construction. Around 11am tummies began to rumble. We ended up stopping at a truck stop and getting some food in Forest Junction. The thought was to eat now verses waiting until we get there as we had much to do once getting to Sturgeon Bay.


Once we arrived in Sturgeon Bay we called Center Point Marina to get our slip assignment. After getting into the slip Susan and I had a plan on how we where going to get the boat back together and entertain the boys.  Remember the heat index was well into the triple digits on this day!!!! Once we got into our slip we started re-installing the canvas and electronics. The original plan was to have Susan take the boys to the pool once the canvas was removed from the cabin and in place. Not completely installed just pined in place. I needed to get the electronics on the arch before we can zip the canvas into place. It went so smooth that the boys helped out and everything fell into place quickly and we all went to the pool afterward. 

On a very positive note: my Sister and Brother-in-Law offered to watch our dogs because of the conflict that my parents had. This was a wonderful surprise and we appreciate it very much. It was amazing to not have the dogs amongst the chaos that ensues when we have to put the boat back together.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Getting Ready...Summer Trip 2013

The time is here where we are starting to get ready for out trip. We leave July 19th and will return on the 27th. This year we are taking the dogs and the kids. We had talked about not taking one or the other. The plan was we would have the dogs stay with my parents, but it just is not going to work out, so they are coming with us again this year. When planning our trip this year we were determining were we would like to go. It was determined that we really enjoyed the area on our 2010 trip and would like to go back. This time instead of visiting all the same places we are going to go into Traverse Bay and explore that area. Our destination is Elk Rapids, but may spend a night at Suttons Bay or Traverse City. If time allows we may even go to the famous Torch Lake area. In order to do this we would have to rent a runabout or a pontoon from a local marina as there is not access from Lake MI.  There is a dam that separates the water way in Elk Rapids

The weather this week is looking great and Susan is worried that we may not get a good week again based on the law of averages. I am thinking an praying we will continue to have this weather for sometime to come. It would be great to be able to leave right away on Saturday and make the most of our time across the lake.

In preparing to go we have already been racking up the expenses. The truck's brakes needed a surprise repair. I had already replaced all four pads, rotors and calipers three years ago. With the little I drive the truck they should have been fine. However, as luck would have it the passenger caliper had froze and needed to be replaced. I was fortunate to be able to warranty the pads and calipers, but labor and the rotors did cost us. I decided to do both front brakes because that is what was recommended. With pulling as much weight as we do with our boat I thought I better listen to the experts. Because of the way I had warrantied the parts I elected to replace the driver side caliper on my own (the driver side caliper was not available when the truck was in the shop). While bleeding the line, the line that comes from the master cylinder to the rear of the vehicle burst. It had become corroded and rusted through. So it all went back to the shop again. That was some more money sucked out of the wallet.

Even though it kinda sucks spending the money it will be nice to have confidence in the fact it is one less thing that may go wrong while towing. While the shop had the truck I also had them look it over and replace a few more brake lines that were suspect. That is the last thing I want; to have the brakes go out with a boat behind you!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

On the Hook - High Cliff State Park


It was decided late in the evening to run over to High Cliff State Park for a night on the hook. For Susan and I it was our first attempt at this. The same for our friends Scott and Jill who accompanied us in their Regal 2760. Our largest barrier to doing in the past is the hassle we have with two dogs requiring the land to do "their business".


When we made the decision after dinner to do it, Scott and I needed to run back my house to grab the dinghy. Susan and I normally do not leave our dinghy on the boat when we are on Lake Winnebago. There is really no real benefit from having a dinghy on this lake, however, getting the dogs to and from land when anchored it was a must. The dinghy ended up working great and everyone used it to entertain the kids as well as getting Scott and his wife back and forth for their ritual morning runs.


We really lucked out with the weather which was the driving factor for doing this, especially so last minute. Scott and I had talked about it during the week, however, I was having difficulty convincing Susan because she did not want to hassle with the dogs. It turned out the night could not have been better for anchoring. There was absolutely no wind that night and throughout the following day it continued to be eerily calm. 

The area is so beautiful, it is the largest natural shoreline on the lake about three miles of uninterrupted natural shoreline. We woke in the morning to cook breakfast for the entire crew as Scott and Jill are not equipped with a generator. Susan and I were more then happy to cook as they took care of dinner on the dock the night before. While Scott took the kids out on the dinghy he was able to get some great shots of our boats tied up.  



We had both a great evening and morning and all agreed to do this more often. The only downside of this trip was Scott and Jill needed to cut the weekend short. They needed to leave early Saturday afternoon to get their oldest to a Girl Scout Camp and to attend a party at Jill's mother's place for Manitowoc county's annual fly-in airshow.

So many boaters are fearful of anchoring out from the horror stories that many tell.  Many include scary nights on the hook from either storms or tide. Scott and I agreed we really have nothing to worry about and should not over complicate things. We do not have extreme tide effects, being an inland lake, and storms were not going to be an issue this particular night. Even having that security, we did use our Drag Queen app on the iPhone. This is actually a great app as you always have your phone near by and it really never gets turned off. At least my never does...