Wallace Island
Unknown's avatar

Wallace Island’s Conover Cove – A Hub of Activity

Wallace Island's  Conover Cove – Seems like our stay at Wallace Island was the first chance we got to relax and take a breath. The last month has been a flurry of preparation and packing for our trip, along with a grinding 8-day road trip from Michigan to the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Lots of things to remember and take care of before leaving home. We were exhausted! It takes a long time to relax your brain and your body from that kind of stress. No one had to twist our arms to get us to sit back and smell the…

Read more
Prevost Harbor-Stuart Island
Unknown's avatar

On Our Way – One Night in Prevost Harbor – Stuart Island

On our way, with our bow pointed towards Canada Prevost Harbor is a great stop before crossing the border to Poet's Cove, on Pender Island. We have passed customs several times there. Last time we enjoyed time there, we stayed at the dock and could get off the boat easily to hike up to Lover's Leap, or shorter hikes around the woods nearby. Also, more of an opportunity to meet and chat with other boaters. This time, we were too excited to get into Canada and make our way to the Broughton Islands, so we anchored out. We have had…

Read more
Anacortes
Unknown's avatar

After Eight Days We Launched Kismet – Anacortes, Washington

What a welcome sight that Anacortes sign was. After eight long days on the road (towing our boat from Michigan, we were ready to finally float on water. Right after we launched Kismet, the work began. No rest for the weary! We still had to load more stuff from the truck into the boat, clean her, do laundry, and do some major provisioning. We spent four days in Anacortes. It is a huge marina in the town of Anacortes. The grocery store is practically across the street. We didn't have much time to check out the town or sights, as…

Read more
Road Trip
Unknown's avatar

Boaterhoming – Michigan to Washington State

Boaterhoming – Michigan to Washington State After saying our goodbyes at home, we were off on an eight-day cross-country trek, boaterhoming our way to Anacortes, WA. It is a pretty heady feeling to close the door on our house and jump into the truck for a three-month adventure. It took us eight days to reach our destination of Anacortes, Washington. We’ve done this route before, so we knew what we were in for. Our chosen path for this trip is the northern Route 2, which took us the whole way across country, just short of Anacortes. This simplified navigation. The…

Read more
The Long Goodbye
Unknown's avatar

The Long Goodbye!

The Long Goodbye! – Last summer, Jim and I were brainstorming future travel plans, an exercise we engage in once or twice a year as we look forward to new adventures. After ruling out foreign travel, because we had different ideas about where that might be, or the logistics did not feel right, Jim offered up an idea we both immediately liked. As happens occasionally during this process, our picks usually veer back toward where we can “cruise” next. Jim’s suggestion was for us to tow the boat out to the Pacific Northwest to cruise the Broughton Islands, British Columbia,…

Read more
Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats 2025 Rendezvous – Mackinaw City, Michigan
Unknown's avatar

Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats 2025 Rendezvous – Mackinaw City, Michigan

GREAT LAKES AREA RANGER TUGS/CUTWATER BOATS 2025 RENDEZVOUS – Mackinaw City, Michigan – We just put a wrap on our ninth Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs 2025 Rendezvous. This year, we held it in Mackinaw City, Michigan. Twenty-four boats of all sizes and 53 people (representing 7 states) joined us (some came by land) for social activities and presentations from sponsors, including a session by Jared Dunning from the Ranger Tugs Factory. Jared spent all three days of the event walking the docks, talking to owners, getting on their boats, answering questions, or creating a plan to address the problem…

Read more
Unknown's avatar

Trailer Tales – Overland Boating – Power & MotorYacht

Trailer Tales – Overland Boating Jim and I have been trailering our boat, Kismet (we are on our third Ranger Tug, an R25) to cruising areas around the United States and Canada, ever since we completed our second Great Loop adventure in 2010 (we did those two Loops on two 40-foot boats). After experiencing the joys of Looping, many boaters gain a thirst to explore new cruising territory. That’s what happened to us. Once we took to the road, trailering our boat, there was no going back. Early on, we coined the term “boaterhoming” for this type of land/water recreation. If…

Read more
Blackfin Resort & Marina
Unknown's avatar

Blackfin Resort & Marina – Marathon, Florida

 Blackfin Resort and Marina, Marathon, Florida, is an island paradise and a welcome slice of old Florida. Jim and I have been wintering at this marina since 2013. Because of its old Florida character and its relaxed atmosphere, we keep coming back. In our minds, when we leave Traverse City, Michigan, for Florida, after the holidays each year, we head to a warm, friendly place where our friends are also returning. We look forward to soaking up the sun and ending each day with beautiful daily sunsets over Florida Bay. Blackfin is not a high-end, fancy place, and that’s…

Read more
Unknown's avatar

Grandkids Cruise-Big Chute—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-6

The Big Chute Marine Railway—One of the unique locks on the Trent Severn Waterway — Last leg of the Grandkids Cruise on the Trent Severn Waterway. Shortly after we pulled the boat out of the water and left Orillia, we arrived at the Big Chute Marine Railway, in Coldwater, Ontario. Had we stayed with our initial PLAN A, we would have started our trip in Severn, Ontario. The Big Chute would have been the first lock on our trip with that plan. However, in the summer of 2022, this lock was closed on and off all summer. The day before we would have…

Read more
Yamaha
Unknown's avatar

Grandkids Cruise-Orillia—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-5

The Stretch from Fenelon Falls to Orillia Was the Last Leg of Our Boat Trip. Grandkids Cruise-Orillia. We will pull the boat out here to drive to the Big Chute to see the boats being carried over land. If we had gone with PLAN A, the Big Chute would have been our first lock, instead of our last. On this day we had fun taking the Kirkfield Lift Lock (below). This lock is similar to the one in Peterborough. Look what we spotted today (above). We immediately stocked up on Butter Tarts, while exploring downtown and the big park by…

Read more
Grandkids-Cruise-Fenelon-Falls
Unknown's avatar

Grandkids Cruise-Fenelon Falls—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-4

Something for Everyone! Fenelon Falls, Ontario — Grandkids Cruise-Fenelon Falls. We have another fun stop today. Fenelon Falls has it all. The lock is right downtown and there is a magnificent park available within a short walking distance of the lock where we usually try to dock. We remembered from the last time we were here that there is a museum next to the park and they have lots of activities for kids. Grabbing a spot on the lock wall in Fenelon Falls means a chance to have water and electricity access. Sometimes Wi-Fi access is available at the park…

Read more
Unknown's avatar

Grandkids Cruise-Bobcaygeon—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-3

Bobcaygeon Is A Popular Town on the Trent Severn Waterway — Grandkids Cruise-Bobcaygeon. One of our favorite places on the Trent Severn Waterway (TSW) is the charming town of Bobcaygeon. A popular stop for Loopers, Bobcaygeon has many things boaters are looking for while cruising the TSW. We looked forward to visiting this town with the kids. The last time we were in Bobcaygeon was when we cruised from Orillia, Ontario, on the TSW to Montreal, on the Rideau Canal. After we went through the lock wall, we secured a spot on the park side of the lock.       I tried…

Read more
Unknown's avatar

Grandkids Cruise-Buckhorn—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-2

Grandkids Cruise-Buckhorn, On the Trent Severn Waterway — After leaving Peterborough, we made our way along the waterway to Buckhorn, stopping at Stoney Lake to anchor for one night. On the first two days of cruising the Trent Severn Waterway, we traversed 12 locks. That’s a lot!!! Safety First! Jim and I discussed how best to manage the kids while locking through. For safety reasons, we decided they had to sit still, inside or on the “Queen Seat,” while Jim and I handled the mechanics of catching lock wall ropes and securing the boat in the lock. While launching the…

Read more
Unknown's avatar

Grandkid’s Cruise to Peterborough-Trent Severn Waterway-Part-1

Grandkid's Cruise To Peterborough—First Leg of a 12-day Adventure The idea for the “Grandkid's Cruise” came almost a year before we actually set out on the road trip to Ontario, Canada with the boat in tow. We wanted the cruise to be educational by visiting somewhere, by boat, which had some historical content and some boating features. The Trent Severn Waterway (TSW) immediately came to mind. The kids would learn about how early commerce transportation came to be in Canada and the historical significance of traveling a waterway with a lock system in place. PROVISIONING AND PLANNING Our oldest grandson, Silas,…

Read more
2022 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Rendezvous
Unknown's avatar

2022 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Rendezvous — Traverse City, Michigan

Last Week was the Sixth Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Rendezvous — Our last rendezvous was in Charlevoix in 2019, Covid prevented the possibility of a get-together for some time. Thank goodness we could organize the event this year as pent-up demand showed in the number of interested attendees to be overwhelming. With limited space, we had to turn many away. It’s called the Great Lakes Area Rendezvous because we like to host it in many locations around the Great Lakes. This gives attendees an opportunity to cruise or trailer their boats to explore different ports. So…

Read more
Adventure Cruising With Kids or Grandkids
Unknown's avatar

Adventure Cruising With Kids or Grandkids — Canada’s Trent Severn Waterway

Jim and I love to share our cruising experiences! Since 2005, when we headed out on our first Great Loop adventure, it was just the two of us. Our three sons who were engaged in their own adventures; college, jobs, and Marines, were too young to have kids themselves, which left us empty-nesters, and able to strike out on our own. When our first grandson, Silas, made his appearance, in 2013 (and subsequently, our granddaughter, Hadley, in 2016 and another grandson, Declan in 2021) our thoughts and energies eventually turned to how we could share our love of boating with…

Read more
St. Johns River
Unknown's avatar

St. Johns River—Deland to Silver Glen Springs, Florida

This was not the first time we have cruised the St. Johns River. We were living on our Fathom 40, finishing up our second Great Loop boat trip, when Kismet left Key West, Florida, heading north to the Solomon Islands. It was June 2009. Our goal was to spend the summer in the Chesapeake Bay area. That was a fun thing to do. Spending the entire summer in Maryland gave us more of an in-depth experience of another part of the country we knew little about. We made lots of side trips during our stay in the Solomon Islands, either…

Read more
Fort Myers
Unknown's avatar

Legacy Harbour Marina – Our Winter Hot Spot!

We Have Been Going to Legacy Harbour Marina Since 2012 — The Legacy Harbour Marina staff, Harbor Master, Eric, and Office Manager, Sheila, are accommodating, professional and friendly. Over time, we have docked all three of our tugs there for at least a one, or two-month stay. While it’s nice to try out fresh places, and marinas, it’s also fun to go back to familiar marinas, where you’ve made friendships and feel at home. We like a combination of the two when we go cruising, we enjoy finding a balance in life and everything we do. We have not been…

Read more
Des Moines
Unknown's avatar

Outfitting the Boat in Des Moines, Washington

Des Moines, Washington for Ten Days — When you buy a Ranger Tugs boat, Des Moines is one place you would take delivery. It is a great location to become familiar with your new boat and load your belongings. Outfitting the boat is easy, being close to shopping, motels, restaurants, etc. Ranger Tugs is generous with its dock space during this process. We took advantage of the proximity to shopping to outfit the boat with items such as storage containers, bedding, and miscellaneous items we could not plan for until we took possession of the boat. Many items needed to…

Read more
Gig Harbor
Unknown's avatar

Gig Harbor, WA – A Brief Trip to One of Our Favorites

Gig Harbor for a Pre-Christmas Cruise – The weather was iffy most days during our stay at the marina in Des Moines. However, we found a nice weather window to cruise to one of our favorite spots in South Sound, Gig Harbor. We took a three-day excursion to test out the boat and relax a little in Gig Harbor’s scenic location. We stayed at the town’s public dock, a magnificent spot, down from a city park. Downtown, restaurants, and shopping were all just a short walk from our boat. Arriving before the Christmas holiday, we were fortunate to be there…

Read more
Unknown's avatar

Our Ranger Tug Family is Growing to Include a Cutwater Boat

I imagine our blog subscribers are wondering where all the summer posts are. Well, we are still waiting to take delivery of our new Ranger Tugs R25, so we have been taking a little hiatus from the blog during this time. It was a long, hot summer for Jim and me without a boat, but we found a few things to do to distract from our misery. Jim continued working on his house projects until just recently, while I have been working on a new boating book. To keep us sane, at the end of many beautiful northern Michigan days…

Read more
Unknown's avatar

What’s Next?

One Thing Is Certain – We're Not Done Boating Yet!  – As many of you know, we sold our beautiful, hero red, Ranger Tugs R29 last fall while we were in the Pacific Northwest. We had a two-year plan with that boat, which turned into three exceptional years cruising in the USA and CANADA. No; we are not getting out of boating, just reevaluating and tweaking our boating lifestyle as we do every so often. Boat shopping is fun! We took our time deciding on" What's Next" for the crew of Kismet. Our boating needs have changed a little, so we…

Read more
Blackberry Pie
Unknown's avatar

Sweet As Blackberry Pie – Blake Island, Puget Sound

Itching to make some blackberry pie! We stopped at a few of our favorite spots as we worked our way south on Puget Sound. Port Madison was first, then we headed for Blake Island, always a favorite for the crew on Kismet. We are still on our way through Puget Sound to spend some time in South Sound. A new favorite for Jim and me. Blake Island sits across from Seattle. It always surprises us to find slips available when we arrive. Today was no different, It was busy, and we had to jockey a few minutes for one boat…

Read more
Kismet Slider
Unknown's avatar

Ranger Tugs – A Serious Choice for Cruising the Great Loop Adventure

Looking for a Worthy Boat to Take On the Great Loop Adventure? We received a comment on our YouTube Page, asking us why most people planning on doing the Great Loop Boat Trip look for and buy, “Vintage, 20-30-year-old planing hull, fly-bridge boats.” “Why not buy modern, semi-displacement trawlers, that portray a serious dedication to seamanship?” This comment caused me to ask myself the question of why we became Ranger Tug owners many years ago. If those boats had been on our radar, would we have gone with a newer, smaller boat to do the "Loop?" Jim and I did…

Read more
Port Madison Anchor
Unknown's avatar

Party Time While Anchoring in Port Madison Bay – Puget Sound, Washington

We Love Anchoring in Port Madison Bay –  Port Madison Bay is a quiet inlet off Bainbridge Island, on the northeast part of the island. Bainbridge Island sits northwest of Seattle across Puget Sound. We are making our way from the San Juan Islands to South Sound. Anchoring in Port Madison Bay was a simple decision for us. We love it, it is well-protected and scenic, and anchoring in the bay is always peaceful. Because of social distancing, we have been anchoring out a lot. We have everything we need on the boat to keep us occupied. After fifteen years…

Read more
Back To Top