Coming Home to Charlevoix, Michigan for the Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats 2017 Charlevoix Rendezvous!

Charlevoix Michigan was home to the Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats 2017 Charlevoix Rendezvous. What a spectacular setting for this year’s event. Lisa and I have a fondness for Charlevoix as this was once our homeport. That was before we became enamored of trailering our Ranger Tug all over the United States. So being in Charlevoix again was like coming home.

Arriving on Monday morning, for our 3-day event, we had nothing but clear sunny skies while greeting attendees as they arrived. With 40 people in attendance, we had boaters from Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Washington, Ohio, Kentucky, Ontario, Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. Also in attendance were sponsors and representatives of Reed Yacht Sales, Manitowoc Marina, and Volvo Penta. The event was also sponsored by Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats and Global Marine Insurance. By the very nature of being able to trailer these boats, Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats have a broad, ready-made, community spread far and wide.

When we get together at events like this some of the boaters may already know one another, if not, we’re a friendly bunch, we are here because we all want to have a fun time with other tug owners.

We spent the first day getting settled in. For us, being boatless meant first checking into a local motel and then setting up chairs and a table on the end of the dock for the Pot Luck dinner the first night. Day one was a casual affair, making sure people get their ditty bags, and questions answered. For some, it meant finding a parking spot in town for their truck and maybe their trailer.

For 2018 we’re planning on heading to Ontario’s Trent Severn Waterway.

During Happy Hour on the dock, Jim welcomed everyone with an overview of the agenda and introductions of attendees just before we dug into the potluck offerings.

Matt Hartman and Christine Carlson (above), from Volvo Penta, were with us for our three-day event. Although they were working on Public Relations and Marketing projects for Volvo’s “Where Does Volvo Penta Take You” campaign they both did a good job of blending in seamlessly with our Ranger Tugs and Cutwater boats community.

Mark Derene (above), the representative from Reed Yacht Sales, always had a friendly smile, you could tell he was having a good time. He brought the beautiful red Ranger Tugs R29S to the rendezvous, I think so Jim and I could drool over it. It is just like the one we have on order, we’ll take possession in a few weeks. Thanks for letting me crawl all over your boat Mark!

Everyone is enjoying the Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats 2017 Charlevoix Rendezvous.

We started day two off with a catered breakfast followed by US Coast Guard Safety inspections and a boat crawl. We offer the boat crawl in order to learn about enhancements people make to their boats. It’s also an opportunity to share maintenance tips that can save us time and money as well as keep us on the water.

No rendezvous would be complete without a happy hour on the docks, we had one every night. We had a wonderful view of downtown Charlevoix and Round Lake. The day was capped off with a catered dinner on the town’s waterside park lawn.

Matt and Christine were kept busy most days interviewing attendees. Can’t wait to see the photos and videos they took.

Charlevoix has one very special ambassador in their Harbor Master!

Hal Evans is a legend in the boating community, at least to those who have visited “Charlevoix the Beautiful.” You will never encounter a more friendly greeting when docking your boat. Most often Hal will shout a warm “Welcome Home” as you approach to dock your boat. Hal is a one-of-a-kind individual – one of those rare people whom the sun shines through so naturally and radiates out even brighter to all in close proximity. A genuinely good man. Retiring next year, Hal’s shoes will be hard to fill.

Hal helped to make our rendezvous happen in Charlevoix this year. We invited him and his wife, Mary Ann, to dinner Tuesday night and he, in turn, brought his guitar to sing a few old sailor songs during happy hour. Thanks, Hal!!!

After dinner, we played a short game of LAST PERSON STANDING. The last person standing won a parts certificate from Fluid Motion (Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats).

The Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats 2017 Charlevoix Rendezvous ended Wednesday on a high note with a tour of John and Zita Winn’s exquisite boathouse and fascinating maritime collection.

Winn’s collection includes unique, and mostly one-of-a-kind boats, outboard engines, seat cushions, paddles, burgees, toys, artifacts and so much more. After crawling around the boathouse, John invited us upstairs to his “Chart Room.” Lots of activities and memorabilia to keep a boater entertained.

John and Zita’s view of Round Lake from their Chart Room.

Later, we had a catered lunch on the dock followed by a presentation about marine insurance by Matt Anderson and Ben Belyea, President of Global Marine Insurance (below). There was also some free time scheduled each day, so people could explore Charlevoix, relax and or go for a cruise out on Lake Charlevoix. The last night we had a pizza party on the dock where many discussed their departure plans for the next day.

Pictures are great and we know not everyone can always attend, however, we hope this gives you a small taste of what a Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats Rendezvous is all about.

A fun time was had by all! Thanks to the attendees, the sponsors, the marina staff, the dealer representatives, the City of Charlevoix, and John and Zita Winn for a one-of-a-kind tour of their boathouse and maritime collection.

The post Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats 2017 Charlevoix Rendezvous appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

Boaterhoming – Sault Ste. Marie – Soo Locks Campground and RV Park – 

Tonight we will be boaterhoming – Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This border town is just south of the Soo Locks on the St. Mary’s River. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada is to the north, over the International Bridge, and is about the halfway mark to our destination. We will arrive in Little Current, Ontario, in the North Channel, one day early for the 2015 Ranger Tug/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous.

Some friends of ours gave us the idea to camp at this RV park several years ago when they sent us a photo of them sitting on the grassy shore, in front of their RV, watching the freighters go by. As luck would have it, the park had an opening for a much-coveted site on the water.

We only stayed for one night – that’s all we needed while boaterhoming.

We pulled right in and before we knew it our new camper neighbors were making us feel at home and helping us to get settled in. It was important that we check out where the showers were and find where the free coffee awaited us at the lounge in the morning. Many of the campers return to this same campground every year and many are long-time friends. Needless to say, we love boaterhoming.

We saw one freighter make its way towards the locks at dusk

Wouldn’t you know it that we’d run into another camper who is from Traverse City (above).

Boaterhoming – Sault Ste. Marie was excellent.

The canal above is right alongside the park and has a long dock for boats to tie up to.

The next morning, after coffee in the lounge, we hitched up the boat and headed to the International Bridge to pass through customs.

Not long after our RV campground stay, Kismet is dropped into the water so that we can enjoy boating in Canada’s North Channel.

The post We Call it Boaterhoming – Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

We left Roche Harbor to go whale watching in Haro Strait, the water was glassy smooth. It would be the last chance for a whale sighting this trip to the PNW – unfortunately, it was not meant to be, but we had fun looking.

Our next stop was Garrison Bay and a long-planned rendezvous, by boat, with fellow members of Grand Traverse Yacht Club, our boating club in Michigan. Richard and Diane, Steve and Deb, Jim and Geri, Fred and Lisa, and Mike and Carol had all flown out to the PNW to charter two sailboats to cruise the San Juan Islands. We arrived mid-day at different times to anchor in the well-protected bay just off Mosquito Pass.

Garrison Bay is home to English Camp Historical Park, where British soldiers set up camp during the boundary dispute that was settled in 1872.

Today, one can tour the restored buildings and grounds, visit the cemetery and hike to one of the highest vantage points on the island. We joined friends, Lisa, Diane, and Richard, to walk almost to the top, although it was steeper and farther than we thought it would be, we were rewarded with unencumbered views of the harbor, Haro Straits, and Vancouver Island sitting clearly visible off in the distance. First, we explored English Camp and the original garden site.

After we got back to our boat and had dinner, we were famished, everyone gathered for an after-dinner happy hour in the cockpit of one of the sailboats. Who’d ever thought we could be 2,600 miles from home sharing boating stories and laughing with friends from our hometown? When we’re away from home cruising, especially in new territory, we’re usually actively making new friends, so this time, cruising time in the beautiful San Juan Islands with friends from home was special for us.

The Wandering Eye (above) appears to be a long way from home.

The next morning we all departed the anchorage and went our separate ways, we were headed back to the mainland while the GTYC sailors were going to spend a few more days sailing and exploring the islands.

The post Grand Traverse Yacht Club Contingent Overtakes Garrison Bay – San Juan Islands, WA appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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 boat ramp at Whitewater Township Park where we left our truck and trailer a few days ago. We got the boat out of the water before the wind really kicked up, thankful for good timing.

The post Winding Down Our Torch Lake Weekend appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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 in front of their cottage we decided it might be a little shallow so we anchored out a little, in front of their cottage, and Jim rowed out in his boat to fetch us. We spent the whole evening catching up with each other, grilling brat kabobs. The delicious dinner was followed by a cruise on Kismet to enjoy the setting sun.

After we dropped Jim and Cindy off we headed back up the lake to our favorite anchorage and we still had some daylight left. We were sitting in the cockpit enjoying the perfect weather when a pontoon boat stopped by. Larry & Jeannie told us they were one of the newer cottages that now line our anchorage. We were warmly welcomed to their neighborhood and invited to stop by their cottage if we had time before we left. Boaters are such friendly people.

The post Dining with Friends On the Torch appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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 its shape, but for the practice of local native Americas, from the Ojibwa Tribe, who used torches at night to attract fish

Torch Lake, Michigan – A Boating Paradise

After we squeaked under the Torch River Bridge and entered the lake we did a slow cruise around the lower perimeter of the lake passing by our friend Gene’s house on the east side of the lake not far from Clam River. We called ahead of time to see if he was home and since he doesn’t have a dock, we said we’d just buzz by so that he could have a glimpse of the new Kismet.

After seeing Gene we headed back across the lake to the west shoreline where we used to anchor many years ago. There used to be a little point adjacent to a large farm and we remembered how it stretched out along the water and made the perfect secluded place for us to anchor. It was just as we remembered, but now has more cottages lining the shoreline. We threw the hook out and settled in for a peaceful night on perfectly still water.

We’ve boated in a lot of water, all over the United States, Canada, and even the Bahamas, but the crystal clear water in Torch Lake continues to amaze us to this day. There aren’t many anchorages where you can actually see your anchor stuck into the lakebed under your boat.

The next morning we were like little kids on Christmas morning getting up early to have coffee on the back deck to enjoy our million-dollar view. Our friends, Jim and Cindy were out for a boat ride and knowing we were anchored out here this weekend found us and stopped to say hi and to also extend an invitation for dinner at their cottage that night.

The post Torch Lake – Kismet Likes to Anchor Here appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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 could hardly contain our joy as we were packing up to head off to our all-time favorite inland lake. We launched the boat at Whitewater Township Park in Skegemog Lake and quickly pointed the boat in the direction of Torch River which connects the two lakes.

We followed the boats in front of us all the way through Torch River taking our time to enjoy the pristine waters and wildlife around us.

Torch Lake boasts a nineteen-mile length (about a two-mile width) of beautiful turquoise waters. It is Michigan’s second-largest lake with a maximum depth of 285 feet making it Michigan’s deepest inland lake. The lake gets its name, not from its shape but, from the Ojibwa name Was-wa-gon-ong, meaning “Place of the Torches.” The name refers to the practice of the local native American population who once used torches at night to attract fish for harvesting with spears and nets. For a while, it was called, by local European settlers, “Torch Light Lake” and eventually shortened to Torch Lake.

“My name is Franny, the River Dog” (above). We think Franny keeps track of everyone cruising the river.

Here is our first sighting of the Torch River Bridge (below); we need to get under this bridge to enter Torch Lake. Jim researched the height of the bridge ahead of time (the clearance is about 10 feet), so we were fairly confident we’d make it through. We dropped our mast so that our profile would be only about 8 feet 8 inches.

Made it through (above).

Looking back at the bridge it sure looks low. We’re glad it worked out and we are on our way to a very fun weekend.

The post Have You Ever Been to Torch River? appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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 daily walk, we came across this ice shanty (below). Interesting!

The post Winding Down Memorial Day Weekend in Charlevoix appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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, that now our friends Jean and Gary (below) reside on First Sight.

Charlevoix used to be our homeport, now we try to visit at least once a year. The Charlevoix Municipal Marina is one of the best around.

On our daily walk, we picked up a few pots of chivse (below) from a garden club summer sale. Fresh herbs for dinner.

The harbor in Charlevoix lit up like Christmas on a warm spring night. Charlevoix the Beautiful!

The post Charlevoix the Beautiful appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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 glad to see we’re almost caught up to our current cruising on the Great Lakes this summer. We’ve been to Charlevoix, West Grand Traverse Bay numerous times, and Torch Lake so far and have plans to do an extended trip to Canada’s North Channel soon.

See you on the water, Rob!

The post Our Biggest Fan in Charlevoix appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

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 people that we are often attracted to, desire to have as friends, and make good examples for the rest of us. Charlevoix’s harbormaster extraordinaire, Hal Evans, is one such person and, in our humble opinion, is the best possible ambassador the City of Charlevoix has.

Upon a long overdue return, by boat, to CHARLEVOIX on our Ranger Tug, Kismet we were greeted, by Hal, with his often-heard shout, “Welcome home, welcome home Kismet.” Big thanks to Hal, for making us always feel warmly welcome in our old homeport, which we still consider our home away from home.

The post Charlevoix Used to Be Our Homeport – Welcome Home Kismet! appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

Dinner in the marina tonight with friends Scott and Cyndi Perkins, on Chip Ahoy. It’s always a pleasure to bump into this couple whom we met on our first Great Loop boat trip in 2006. Also from Michigan, Scott and Cyndi sail down Florida’s West Coast to the Keys every winter. Cyndi is a talented writer/editor (Cyndi has also written chapter’s in both of our books When the Water Calls and Women On Board Cruising). Scott is a gifted musician and performer.

Click on the CD covers below to read more about and listen to some of Scott’s excellent boating music.

Ships & Giggles

Tiller Dreams

Palm Trees in Da Keweenaw

Bits & Pieces

Long-time guitarist, singer, songwriter, sound man, and sailor Scott Perkins took inspiration for “Ships & Giggles,” (above-left) his fourth CD, from the sea, specifically his freshwater to saltwater travels aboard the 32-foot DownEast sailing vessel Chip Ahoy.

All of the songs are original tunes. Some arrived organically, during travels on the Gulf of Mexico down to Key West. Other songs were “born” some time ago and now arrive fully evolved on “Ships & Giggles.” “Check out when you’re through” was written 30 years ago in a Milwaukee hotel room; recently rediscovered in one of Scott’s blue composition notebooks aboard Chip Ahoy, it became one of his favorites on the CD, thanks to the addition of keyboards by Paul “Fergie” Keranen.

As he makes his way through Jimmy Buffett country, performing in southern Florida and the Keys, Scott is quite frequently compared to Buffett. “The comparison is flattering, but when people ask me who I sound like or play like, I have to say that I mostly sound like – myself,” says Scott.

The post Dining in the Keys with Crew of Chip Ahoy appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

CHEERS… Here’s to Here & Here’s to There.

Whenever we meet up with boaters from our homeport of Charlevoix, Michigan, we have a special toast, and it’s always the same. The HERE is always where we currently are and the THERE is always where we love to be and it’s always the same… Charlevoix. We’ve been meeting up with Hal and Marianne (above) in Florida for the last few years. (Hal is our harbormaster in Charlevoix, Michigan and they are both dear friends.)  This year they decided to try the Cape Coral area so it worked perfectly with our schedule.

Before we left home, we were in touch with friends Bill and Mary (below – also from Charlevoix), and we weren’t surprised that they would be in the Naples area during the week we planned at Moss Marine for the Ranger Tugs Rendezvous. We thought it would be fun to get a group from Charlevoix together to catch up far from home.

First drinks on the boat and dinner at Bonita Bills after.

Okay, Hal is completely missing everyone kissing his wife. It was so good to see all of these guys that hugs and kisses were numerous.

The post Cheers with Good Friends appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.