Ta-da! We have a home!
It was good we had a firm date on the calendar for some of our family to visit us on Meraki in Bayfield. As the time approached, we switched gears from project mode to “let’s make this boat a home” mode. In short order, we packed away tools and parts (our CRV became a storage unit), purchased storage bins and rugs, and cleaned down below.
Chill Out Weekend
Our son Lucas and daughter-in-love Christie and their three young adult children live pretty busy lives with work, their bands (Shadowlake and The Tolerables), and other hobbies. We are grateful they carved out time to come for a sailing weekend!
We kept hoping the forecast would change from a cold, rainy weekend to more pleasant weather to go to the islands. But as we all know, “we can’t control the weather”. No problem, we’ll pivot and make this more of a retreat weekend to chill out and rest a little bit in Bayfield.
Cabin
Since we didn’t want anyone to sleep in the cockpit in the rain, we opted to rent a nearby cabin for additional berths. Another benefit was having a full kitchen for meals and ample lounging space to play games and visit.
Cold Water Contest
One game we played was “who can stand in Lake Superior the longest?” Six of us started and soon it became four. After standing for quite a while, they added putting their hands down in the water. Then at some point, the three kids (I know they are young adults, but for my grandchildren, I can call them kids) decided to venture deeper up to their waists.
Hike
Saturday wasn’t a complete rain out so we snuck in a hike when the sky looked clear for a bit. The trail to Houghton Falls State Nature Preserve has some boardwalks and some dirt paths. With all the recent rainfall, much of the trail was muddy. I avoided dunking my foot into a mud puddle until almost the end of our hike.
Tea Time
Tea time in the evening is part of our routine on Meraki and the others happily joined in. I have an assortment of teas onboard and one described our retreat like weekend; it was called “chill tea”.
Bayfield
It’s always fun to browse the shops in Bayfield, walk the docks, and stop at the playground.
Sunday Sail
Sunday morning the weather cleared up! Let’s go sailing!
It was a perfect way to end their weekend trip to Bayfield!
The boat looks perfect!
Doris
vs Magic
Thanks Doris! It is starting to feel like “home”.
What a wonderful trip. Your boat looks cozy and comfortable.
looks like a great weekend had by all, and agree with Doris, the boat looks great, good work! Enjoy the summer aboard, big hugs from the crew of Knot Duality
It was so nice to be able to use and share our boat with family after months of focused work on projects. Thanks for your ongoing encouragement and interest in our sailing adventures!