Shakedown Trip With Grandsons

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After months of working on boat projects, it was time for some shake-down trips in the Apostle Islands. Isaac and Titus, a couple of our grandsons, were happy to join us! During our crew briefing, we explained our motto as “safe, fun, teamwork”. The boys settled into life on a boat quickly and easily. Being safe, having fun, and working as a team all contributed to a successful first shakedown trip on Meraki.

Safety

We went over the main safety procedures and equipment with the boys. They had no problem incorporating safety such as “one hand for the boat” into their daily routine. The boys were not the only safety-minded crew we had onboard. Our animal crew was also ready for action should an emergency arise!

Fun Afloat

The fun factor is easy to achieve! Regardless of what we’re doing, there is usually a way to see the positive and add fun to the mix. With grandchildren aboard, it’s even easier!

A few of our favorite activities while aboard included making string figures, reading, playing board games, and building forts.

Beach Time

Some beaches have rocks for skipping, some have the perfect sand for sand sculptures, and others are open and smooth for running. Stockton Island beach is the place to go if you want to climb on some big rocks.

Learn Something New Every Day

I believe one reason the boys adapted so easily to living on a boat is due to their natural curiosity. They are observant and ask good questions. For example, after learning about our compost toilet, one asked “If a boat doesn’t have a compost toilet, where does the waste go?”  That prompted an explanation of holding tanks and pump-outs.  Another example is when we were preparing our dock lines and crew tasks for docking, “What about the single handlers, how do they dock?”  Good question!  We’re still figuring it out with 2 people, or 3 or 4 when we have more crew. 

Museums and Lighthouse Tour

Museums and lighthouse tours are wonderful places to learn more about the local area. Madeleine Island’s history is well documented in the museum in LaPointe. In Bayfield, the Maritime Museum has many interesting displays of the area’s fishing industry, boats, and shipwrecks.

Namesake Businesses

During some of our explorations around town, we spotted Isaac and Tony had a namesake business in the area. When we walked past Isaac Wing House, Isaac commented “I should keep better track of my properties”.

First Time’s

Because this trip was a shake-down of our refit projects, the boys often heard the refrain “This is the first time….”

…using our propane stove to cook a meal onboard Meraki

…anchoring with this anchor and chain on Meraki

…using our new windlass to haul up the anchor on Meraki

…sailing in high winds on Meraki (as the wind indicator kept climbing and we wondered when it would plateau)

…going this fast on Meraki (and we only had a reefed jib sail out!) 

Thankfully, most of our “firsts” went smoothly.  But we did need to return to dock after one night at anchor because something was wrong with our charging system and our batteries were not getting charged even after motoring for hours.  That was remedied fairly quickly and we were back out in the islands for more time living aboard and testing all the new equipment we’ve added in the past months.

Teamwork

The boys were excellent at working as a team during our trip. They were very flexible, patient, willing to help, and cooperative. Throughout our trip whenever someone spotted evidence of teamwork in action, we listed some of the character qualities that make up “teamwork” and realized there are many!

While we could count on our grandsons to practice teamwork, we never knew what to expect from our stuffed animal crew. Sometimes they were helpful like holding the end of a paracord bracelet in progress. At other times, they would disappear to nap in our Vberth or help themselves to a snack onboard. When we couldn’t find Tony’s shoe we realized it was because Chompie wanted something to chomp on. One time the animals took over grandpa Tony’s morning coffee chair, but grandpa was a good sport about it! Isaac was surprised to find them sipping his hot chocolate. They kept us guessing and laughing!

July 4th Week Special Events

Because this shake-down trip was over July 4th, there were some special events to enjoy. We watched a spectacular fireworks show on Madeline Island and we enjoyed seeing the sailboat races during Bayfield Race Week.

Shakedown Trip Success

We weren’t sure how well it would work to blend a shakedown trip with having grandsons along, but it was a total success! A few times, the boys and I went on an outing and let Tony focus on completing a boat project. Other times we all worked together on a task like deciding what color screen for our enclosure or applying our turtle and port of call decals on the hull. And we took plenty of time to explore, relax, and enjoy the area together!

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