2019 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous – Day Three

Day three of the rendezvous was the most fun of all! –

This is the day when everyone is better acquainted, more relaxed, and in the groove. We’ve seen people make lasting friendships at these rendezvous. Owners all have a lot in common and it’s more than just our tugs. People who enjoy boating, as we do, seem to share similar traits, the adventure-seeking, nature-loving kind.

The last full day of the rendezvous began with coffee on the dock followed by a slow dinghy ride around the perimeter of Round Lake and around Park Island, a small island near the mouth of the channel into Lake Charlevoix. Garmin sponsored lunch at Stafford’s Weathervane and included a presentation by Greg Richmond. We left the rest of the afternoon open for attendees to explore Charlevoix at their leisure. The evening brought us all together again at the end of the dock for Happy Hour and a Pizza Party. John Winn gave us all a thrill when he took his beautiful old wood boat, Zita Anne, out of his boathouse for a sunset cruise on Round Lake.

Three fun-filled days of the 2019 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats Rendezvous came to a close Saturday morning.

One after the other, tugs tooted their horns and waved goodbye as they left for home or their next cruising adventure. Jim and I met some fun, friendly tug owners from as far away as Florida. About half of the attendees trailer’d their boat to Charlevoix, Michigan for the rendezvous. Many are continuing on to explore other ports in Michigan or Canada’s North Channel—a couple of owners are in the middle of “Looping” around the eastern waterways of the U.S. We are a diverse group!

Jim and I said goodbye to Charlevoix after a two-day hiatus in the area, using the time to recharge our personal “battery banks.” We strolled through the Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair, took long walks, bought some whitefish from Cross Fisheries, visited with old friends, and did some shopping. Looking forward to our trip to the North Channel for a little end-of-the-summer slow cruise.

Twenty-five Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats, with 49 owners present at the 2019 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous.

Seventeen Ranger Tugettes at the rendezvous (above). Ranger Tugettes is a private Facebook Group for women Ranger Tug/Cutwater Boat Owners. Have one of those boats? Request to join: Ranger Tugettes

As the sun set on our pizza party on the dock, we were happy to see the Zita Anne leave its John and Zita Winn’s boathouse for a sunset cruise of Round Lake.