Yachting, 365 days and a lifetime: Day 242

FISH CREEK, WISCONSIN USA

Wow, I almost forgot that I even was still keeping a blog. While back in Chicago everything got away from me. A new rhythm, a slower pace of guests on board, and less movement of the boat and I completely forgot to keep writing. Looking back to the last blog post I realize that I have a lot to catch up on.
I did end up asking for a completely new hydraulic pump from Naiad Dynamics in Ft. Lauderdale. For some reason, they thought that something else was still the issue and it wasn't the entire pump. I know they are the experts but I don't know how they could think that. Shortly after receiving the pump I could not put it in. The owners daughter caught the bug for being on the boat and was down with a different set of friends everyday for about a week and a half. I didn't get anything done in terms of projects and most of my time was spent keeping up with making sure the inside of the boat did not turn in to a total disaster. I finally had to let her know that I needed to complete some projects as the summer trip was nearing closer and closer and would not be able to play stew each and everyday.

The hydraulic pump change went very well other than the fact that I chased a tool around town for a couple of hours. I needed an over standard allen wrench and no one seemed to carry them. I am finished with going to Home Depot. Every time I go there the products get worse and worse. I found a great hardware store in the city called Clark and Barlow. They had everything. After the pump got changed everything seemed to check out and the project could finally be closed after about a year. I think I mentioned this project in my first few blog posts.

So besides having the owners daughter and her assortment of guests down to the boat almost every day and the hydraulic pump problem, the summer was fairly quiet up until July 8th when we pulled away from the dock for our annual summer trip around Lake Michigan. The streak continued as I had the owners on board along with his daughter, her husband, and their four kids....the young kind with endless amounts of energy and demands. Don't get me wrong I have a blast with the kids and I'd like to think that they enjoy spending the time with me, but when it's all said and done the piece and quiet is great. On that note, I'm just going to say sorry to my mom and dad for being so obnoxious as a kid :-).

We left Chicago at 0500 in the morning for Milwaukee and ran about 10 knots until Racine Reef where we ran it up to 18 knots. It was the Chicago Power Squadron Rendezvous, and as always it was a circus show at the docks and after about 45 minutes everyone decided where they wanted to go, we changed slips twice, and were finally settled in. It took another 15 minutes of everyone deciding if they wanted the boat two feet forward or two feet back and finally I just starting making the lines. My biggest pet peeve hands down in my job is peoples attitudes while we dock the boat. The owner and I are a great team when it is just the two of us. It's when other people come in to the picture that confusion starts to set in. The owner asked me to sit down and have a talk about the issue and I gladly agreed and was thrilled that he asked. All too often someone shows up on the dock to help catch a line, which is great, we appreciate the help. All too often that person that shows up to help wants to be in charge. I often hear them giving commands, letting the person driving the boat (whether it is me or the owner) know how horrible of a job they are doing. They like to tell my deck crew and me how to tie up the boat. For all who read this I tell you this: If you are on the dock then please be quiet (to be politically correct). First off, my deck crew is rarely experienced yacht crew and is nothing more than some guests on board, so we don't need to add confusion there. Secondly, the person driving the boat is focusing and someone on the dock telling them what to do will just break their concentration. The only verbal actions that the person driving the boat should receive are distances and relays of the boats position, i.e. "six feet to stern, or 15 feet off the beam mind your bow." Thirdly, and most nagging to me is how stupid everyone looks when they are yelling back and forth. My dad and I used to sit on his boat and watch people come in to the docks just laughing. "Look at how stupid these people look". We kind of hoped that they would hit the dock, doesn't everyone? It's like watching Nascar, its boring unless you see a crash. With that being said I cannot emphasize enough that everything should be silent while docking. We don't need someone yelling the full length of a ninety foot boat, it just looks stupid. The owner and I discussed all of these issues and agreed, so hopefully things will quiet down around the dock for the rest of the summer.

I went out with the captain of Plane to Sea on Friday night and it was cool to see some of the city. Summer fest was going on in Milwaukee but I never got down there to check it out. We left around 1000 on Sunday for Sheboygan and ran slow the entire way. It was only about a 40nm run so it wasn't too bad. The owner and a guest invited me to play golf with them at Blackwolf run in Kohler, the home of the 2012 women's open. I was thrilled, and super excited. Our tee time was set for 1040 on Monday. At 0520 Monday morning I woke up to a little rain on the window. I was mad because I forgot to cover the aft deck seats. I glanced at the radar and shot out of bed. The seats were the least of my worries, we were under a severe thunderstorm warning and it was bad. I got some shorts on and threw my foul weather jacket over my bare back...no time for t-shirts. It was quiet in my quarters and other than some rain drops I thought I was going to beat the storm. I opened the aft hatch and found that I was wrong. Wind was whipping down the river and right in to my face, the rain was pounding down and I was instantly soaked to the bone. The morning chill had me shivering in no time. The lightning and thunder had already arrived and I knew it wasn't safe to stay outside long. Being that I'm a fairly responsible captain :-) the boat was already secured very well and other than one or two things on the table I was able to get back inside quick. It was a bad storm but everything went well. Something very close by got struck by lightning and I'm just glad it wasn't us.
Unfortunately that storm ruined my hopes for golfing. We did however go hit balls at the range at Blackwolf run and the course was absolutely stunning. One of the owners guests is a very good golfer and he gave me a few tips that really helped my swing. I did forget to mention that I did end up buying new clubs. I got a swing analysis and was fitted for Mizuno JPX 800-pro with project X 6.0 shafts (extra stiff). I am still getting used to them a little bit but really love them. It was hard not to play the course and I drove away from the range with a bit of a tear in my eye....next time.

The owner decided he was done with Sheboygan despite having two more nights on our reservation. Not only was he in a hurry to get out of Sheboygan but he was in a hurry to get to Sturgeon Bay, our next stop. He asked if I would be O.K. with running at night, you know, like the cruise ships do, then we don't have to waste a day on the water. I told him I was fine with it as long as I got to sleep before and after the trip. With that being said I went straight to bed. I got up around 2300 hours and got the boat ready. We were off the dock by midnight and underway. It was clear, cold, and calm...perfect conditions. One of the owners guests came up and sat with me until about 0300. I refused to drive from the pilot house because I knew the quiet, calm, warm air would instantly put me to sleep. The fly bridge was cold, and I had two coats on but it kept me awake. To my surprise the owner came up around 0300 and I gave relief to his guest to head to sleep. The owner stayed with me for awhile but soon retired to the warmth of the pilot house and salon below. I caught a beautiful sunrise as we steamed north at 10 knots through a glass calm Lake Michigan. We arrived in Sturgeon Bay around 0745 and as soon as we were secure I went to bed.

Sturgeon Bay was O.K., the marina is very nice and the family that runs it is wonderful. I never left the marina other than to pick up a rental car before we left for Fish Creek. The logistics of getting the owners daughter and her family home were a nightmare and I have clearly taken the position of staying completely out of logistics battles. Let me know what you decide and I will do it...after it changes four more times. We rented a car and had a guest drive it north to Fish Creek, our next stop, and my favorite on the Wisconsin side. Again we were way ahead of schedule and leaving Sturgeon Bay after only one night. Luckily all of the marinas could accommodate us despite our early arrivals. The cruise up to Fish Creek is a beautiful one, and a short one. It was only two hours at 10 knots.
Fish Creek is a small little town tucked under a bluff, protected by a small harbor. A small mooring field scatters the inner waters of the harbor as sailboats bob slightly and tug on their mooring lines. Its door county at its finest.

Now as I sit here in the galley the sun has come up on another beautiful, but cooler, Wisconsin day. The forecast is calling for more heat however as the sun works its way higher and higher in to the sky. The owners daughter has left with her kids and a quieter group, the owners son and his girlfriend, are now on board. The dishwasher hums away and the coffee maker clicks back on to warm up today's pot that was brewed 3 hours ago at 0600 sharp. The boat is quiet and other than some soft conversation coming from the salon the air is still and peaceful. The hum of a diesel engine echos against the hull as the Fish Creek tour boat heads out in to the lake, taking another group of tourist for a spin around the sights. A stroll through town early this morning, on the hunt for todays newspaper, was about a tranquil as they get. Loud kids screaming for ice cream, and tourists on every corner were still snug in their beds. Most shops weren't even open yet as I patiently waited for the Fish Creek Market to open at 0800. My newspaper teased me in the window front as 0801 ticked by. The kid earning some spending money over the summer was late for his job at the market, which only extended my relaxing rest on the bench outside on the sidewalk. I didn't care if he was thirty minutes late, I could sit here all day. Just then the door swung open, "Good morning sir, come on in."
Tomorrow we leave for Michigan, and we will be leaving very early. As usual I have reservations but as it stands now there are three different ports up for debate. I was told to call and make more reservations but considering I've already called three times this summer changing reservations I advised everyone to make a final decision before I call anyone...that is after they change it two more times after that.