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
Family

Family Boating – The Next Generation Takes the Helm

Boating Provided Great Memories for Our Family – When our three sons were barely teenagers, Jim and I bought our first boat together. The configurations and possibilities seemed endless when we started our search for a used boat for our family. I had one requirement, it had to have a v-berth for overnighters. It didn’t take long to settle on a used, red (of course), 21-ft. Four Winns Sundowner. We did a lot with that boat on Grand Traverse Bay; the boys loved to ski and swim behind the boat. We even did a few overnighters with them at local festivals. Jim…

Read more
Charlevoix Rendezvous

2019 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats Charlevoix Rendezvous

Boats Arriving Early for the 2019 Charlevoix Rendezvous Boating is fun! Guess that’s why it’s a popular recreational activity around coastal waters and inland lakes. If you are not joining in on a rendezvous during your boating adventures, you are missing out on a fantastic social, and informative (mechanical/technical/operational), opportunity. An organized rendezvous is not only a social event. Many times there will be dealers, factory service reps, engine service reps, and/or navigation reps on hand to address boat-specific, or accessory, issues. Topics discussed during scheduled presentations are of interest to any boater. We arrived early for the 2019 Charlevoix…

Read more
Charlevoix

Round Lake Retreat in Charlevoix the Beautiful – Our “Forever” Homeport

Escaping to Charlevoix for a Three-Week Vacation! – When we arrive home after being away for the winter, we typically have a slew of chores to do at home. That's after we put the boat away for a couple of months. Well, we got through the list and soon our thoughts turned to scheduling summer cruising time in the Great Lakes. Jim and I used to have a slip in Charlevoix, Michigan on Round Lake. It was our home port for many years before we retired and started long-distance cruising. Charlevoix is a second home for Jim and me. We still know…

Read more
Trailering

Trailering Kismet North for Summer Cruising in Northern Michigan

On the Road Again! – We were dubious about trailering Kismet back home; it was already mid-April. The temperature should be okay, right? We kept a close eye on the weather as there were serious low digits on the horizon for our hometown of Traverse City, Michigan. Ideally, we'd like to not have to winterize the boat when leaving Florida. Not looking too good as our departure day inched closer. We even stayed a couple more days, hoping not to do this chore. However, as serious blizzard conditions headed for Traverse City, our outlook seemed glum. We couldn't wait much longer as we…

Read more

Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do!

The reality of Life Does Not Stop When You Board a Boat and Take Off for Ports Unknown – The real world will eventually catch up and find us. Such is what happened during our 2017 Puget Sound cruise. My brother, Ken Targal passed away after a long battle with cancer – too soon. We took a time out and flew back to Michigan to be with family for a few days. Ken was a boater, he loved to be on the water as much as Jim and I do. We were raised on summer visits to a family cottage…

Read more
Oneota Trail Sign, Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island – The Path Less Taken

Mackinac Island is our FAVORITE Michigan cruising destination! Mackinac Island is a very busy tourist destination during the day. So when visiting the island, Jim and I try to focus our daytime activities on walking in less congested areas. Our favorite route starts by walking up the steps leading to the steep bluff just across the road from the marina. Most day-time visitors to the island walk or ride bikes along the path at the bottom perimeter of the island. It's fairly busy there at the bottom, that's why we choose to climb to the top of the island. The view…

Read more
Ranger Tugs Kismet at Mackinaw Island Dock

Launching in Mackinaw City – Post Wedding Trip to Mackinac Island

Mackinaw City seemed to be the logical choice to launch Kismet for our trip to Mackinac Island. Our son, Skyler, got married to, Sarah, on Labor Day Weekend. Most of our summer was focused on this big event; except for a few boat trips, we stayed close to home preparing and enjoying all the activities. I have to confess it took quite a toll on our blogging ability. After it was over, we needed to decompress and Mackinac Island came first to mind. This island is unique in its ability to transport a visitor back in time, one of our…

Read more
Festival Charlevoix Harbor, Charlevoix, Michigan

2012 Venetian Festival – Charlevoix, Michigan

Charlevoix the Beautiful! In stark contrast to our time cruising the North Channel this summer was our five-day stop in Charlevoix, while on our way home, for the 2012 Venetian Festival. One of our all-time favorite festivals. We called Charlevoix's harbormaster, Hal (below-right) to receive our slip assignment soon after we arrived in Round Lake. Before we knew it we were tied up snug on B dock ready to partake in the festivities. Thanks, Hal! Our dock mates, Jan and Jean (above), spent considerable time and effort planning a weekend-long dock party on B dock complete with a tiki hut…

Read more
Kismet Cruising Torch River, Michigan

Winding Down Our Torch Lake Weekend

Kismet is heading back to the Torch Lake Bridge after a nice time at anchor during our Torch Lake weekend, we just barely squeaked under the bridge with only inches to spare (below). As we made our way through Torch River we were reminded once again how beautiful this stretch of water is. The river is fairly shallow with lots of dead-headed logs, so paying full attention while cruising through this area is well worth the effort. By the time we ended our Torch Lake weekend and reached Skegemog Lake the wind had picked up. We were fighting whitecaps as we approached the…

Read more
Kismet in Torch Lake

Dining with Friends On the Torch

On the Torch at Last! We enjoyed a relaxing day floating on the hook on Torch Lake, as the day unfolded, we had done a few boat chores, caught up on some reading and before we knew it we were getting ready to join our friends, Jim and Cindy, at their cottage for dinner. We brought up the anchor and had a nice cruise down the lake, back towards the bridge on the west side of the lake, right across from the famous sand bar which is always a big party scene. Although Jim and Cindy have a nice dock…

Read more
Kismet Anchored, Torch Lake, Michigan

Torch Lake – Kismet Likes to Anchor Here

Torch Lake has lots of fond memories for Lisa and me. We each boated here before we were married and began our boating adventures together on this lake. We used to trailer our 21-foot Four Winns Sundowner to Torch Lake to spend long weekends on the hook, but since our mode of boating has changed over the last fifteen years it's been a long time since we've been able to bring one of our boats to any inland lake. We kind of like the flexibility we are now enjoying with our Ranger Tug, Kismet. Torch Lake is named, not for…

Read more
Kismet Cruising Torch River, Michigan

Have You Ever Been to Torch River?

We launched the boat at Whitewater Township Park in Skegemog Lake and quickly pointed the boat in the direction of Torch River. Jim and I started our boating adventures in the early 90s on a 21-foot Four Winns Sundowner. On many weekends during our short Michigan summers, we'd trailer it to Torch Lake for a relaxing few days on the hook. Jim was studying for tests at the time and I'd catch up on reading, we'd fill up a cooler of mostly finger food and we'd be happy campers for a long weekend away from the rat race. This weekend we…

Read more
River, Charlevoix, Michigan

Winding Down Memorial Day Weekend in Charlevoix

Boating activities in Charlevoix Michigan. Winding down Memorial Day Weekend in Charlevoix Michigan with a dinghy ride around the little island and an afternoon at anchor in Oyster Bay (below). These are just a few of our boating activities when visiting Charlevoix when it was our home port. We drove up to Petoskey to visit our friend, Martin. Lunch at Whitecaps and a visit to Martin's home. Monday started with a Memorial Day parade and presentation at the bandshell. Nothing quite brings home the meaning of this holiday weekend more than the five-gun salute to close the ceremonies. On our…

Read more
Charlevoix City Marina and Park, Charlevoix, Michigan

Charlevoix the Beautiful

Just as the Chamber of Commerce slogan suggests... Charlevoix The Beautiful. Charlevoix was our homeport for many years so we consider it a home away from home. It seems this friendly little town exists in its own little bubble and embodies all that small-town America promises. With concerts and festivals in the downtown park during the summer and a high-tech fountain for the kids to play in... all found right on Round Lake. An idyllic and picturesque town if there ever was one, a people's place, for land lovers and boaters alike. Here's Kismet (above) very right next to her old slip,…

Read more
Keri 'D" Away Boat, Charlevoix, Michigan

Our Biggest Fan in Charlevoix

Charlevoix is home to our biggest fan. Every time we see Rob, on Keri 'D' Away, we're reminded how often he reads our blog and seems to know what we're up to on our boat. On our recent visit to Charlevoix we ran into Rob, and his wife Keri, at the downtown marina; Rob was a little perturbed that the blog wasn't more up-to-date. (We were a little behind in catching up with our adventures in the Florida Keys this year. There was so much to write about it seemed to take forever to do the posts.) Rob will be…

Read more
Hal, Charlevoix, Michigan

Charlevoix Used to Be Our Homeport – Welcome Home Kismet!

Missing our old homeport! Today we trailered our boat up to Charlevoix and launched her at Ferry Avenue Lake Charlevoix Municipal Boat Ramp. This ramp is just outside of Round Lake, on Lake Charlevoix by Irish Marina. As you can see (below) we were operating in a cloud of bugs that were hanging out at the boat ramp. The most bugs we've had on our boat at one time EVER! We have all known people who possess what seems like a magnetic force of attraction because of their outgoing personalities, broad smiles, and positive demeanors. They are the type of…

Read more
Crew on Kismet, Power Island, Michigan

West Arm Grand Traverse Bay – Kismet’s First Cruise in the Bay

New Tug's First Time Cruising the West Arm Grand Traverse Bay!  The crew on board Kismet today were excited for the tug's inaugural cruise on West Arm Grand Traverse Bay. Skyler, Sarah, and friend David joined us for an afternoon trip to Power Island (also referred to as Marion Island). We put the boat in at Elmwood Township Marina, their facilities are exceptional. It was the perfect day for a cruise and lunch at the island. Power Island is a 202-acre property located in the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay. It's approximately nine miles west of Downtown Traverse City and…

Read more
Back To Top