Luke and Christie’s Family Boat Trip; Sandusky, July 2025

Choosing A Location

Our first major destination this summer was to get to Sandusky for Luke and Christie’s family boat trip in early July. They’ve sailed with us in many different locations, but this was their first time on Lake Erie. Ha! It’s our first time on Lake Erie also! Lake Erie is shallow compared to the other Great Lakes and as a result it is warmer for swimming. A little different than Lake Superior swimming!

Sandusky

Planning to have family visit you on a Great Lake that you’ve never sailed before can be a bit daunting. I did my normal thing of researching, networking, and asking other boaters for their recommendations for places on Lake Erie to have family visit us. Sandusky, OH and Erie, PA were the repeated suggestions. We decided Sandusky would work for Luke and Christie’s family coming early in July. And Erie, PA would work for grandchildren coming later in July.

Fireworks

I continued gathering info including where we could see fireworks from a marina slip on July 4th. Cedar Point has a nice fireworks show on July 4th and July 5th. Tony and I watched it both nights; once with L&C from our slip at Battery Park and also on the 5th while anchored out ready for an early departure the next day.

With a family of five coming, we opted to rent an Airbnb near our marina so everyone had a comfortable place to sleep regardless of the weather. During their trip last summer, we learned how you can’t count on good weather for sleeping in the cockpit. Adding a cockpit enclosure is on our list of future improvements, but for now, it works to rent a land base when we have a bigger group.

Sailing

Thankfully, the weather was favorable and we were able to do at least a little sailing each day! Hanging out on the bow is a favorite spot while underway. For Luke, he will take the helm whenever he can. But, when Kayla showed interest to sail Meraki, he gladly let her have a turn.

father and young adult child at the wheel of sailboat, sails up and water, deck of sailboat

Birds

Another one of Kayla’s interests is birds. We saw and learned about many species such as: Great Blue Heron, Chimney Swift, House Sparrow, Osprey, Double Crested Cormorant, Rock Pigeon, Purple Martin, Least Sandpiper, Common Starling, American Crow, Black Ducks, Mallard Ducks.

Water Fun

In addition to sailing, L&C’s family love to spend time at the beach or in the water whenever they can. From a sandy beach (with Cedar Point Amusement Park in the background) to a rocky beach on Kelley’s Island or just jumping off the boat into the water, they have fun whenever they are on or in or near the water!

dinghy ride to beach, man bringing dinghy to beach, sailboat at anchor

couple in water with sailboat at anchor in distance, mom and young adult walking down beach with birds flying

beach football throws and catches cedar point in background

sand creation of a duck, beach blanket with beach supplies and mom and son, cedar point in background

young adults doing handstands on the beach, parent relaxing on the beach watching waves roll in

at a rocky beach; men skipping rocks, father and child out on some rocks in the water, two women at waters edge

During many of Travis’ sailing trips, he and Tony would often have rock skipping contests. At Kelley’s island, it was time for a rematch!

Jumping Off The Boat

Jumping off the boat for a swim at anchor is often a highlighted activity. Luke and Travis took jumping off the boat to a whole new level.

father and son doing different poses while jumping off a sailboat into the water

Food

Feeding a group of seven while onboard a small boat presented another preparation challenge. Since Luke & Christie came by car, I suggested we could make frequent quick trips to the grocery store instead of trying to stow everything onboard. Christie was a fantastic galley helper both with planning meals for our days on the water and doing food prep. And Luke was a willing grocery store runner for items on my list. One time, I sent him to grab mustard and he came back with two; regular Dijon and one with habanero (or some type of kick to it). I guess it’s good to have mustard choices!

meals aboard sailboat; salad spread with toppings, meat and cheese spread with crackers, two ladies in galley

Speaking of their taste for spicy foods, we found a unique pizza place where Travis requested the I-270 which had dill pickles, bacon, and hot sauce.

group going into pizza place, pizza with pickles, bacon, hot sauce, young man smiling about the pizza

Another fun meal out was at Wake Up and Waffle. Our server explained how the waffle batter is different depending if you order a savory dish or a sweet one. Speaking of sweets, I tend to have a sweet tooth. It’s no surprise we usually find ice cream shops while visiting different harbor towns.

ice cream cone, adults eating ice cream while walking, two adults eating ice cream overlooking the water

Area Attractions

During one of our sails, we made sure to pass close enough by Marblehead lighthouse to get a good view and some photos. After all, it’s “the most photographed lighthouse in Ohio”! Not everyone thinks of passing freighters or ferrys as an attraction, but we enjoy taking notice of all the different types of boats we see while on the water. On Kelley’s Island, we visited the Glacial Grooves. They claim “our grooves are the largest and best accessible example of this geological phenomenon anywhere in the world!”

family visiting Glacier Grooves on Kelly's Island, adults reading the info signs and close up of the rocks

Boat Project

When we mentioned a boat project that requires going up the mast, Luke didn’t miss a beat and adamantly exclaimed “I’ll do it!” We wanted to add a halyard off our starboard spreader so we could fly a courtesy flag when in Canada during our trip. With a climbing harness hooked to a halyard and a climbing carabiner for safety (we like to have safety backups), Luke needed to climb up in a manner similar to climbing a palm tree. Meraki doesn’t have steps going up the mast like Terrapin did, so it’s not as easy to go aloft.

We started this boat project while Luke’s kids were on shore. So as they walked down the dock towards Meraki, it was fun to see their expressions when they spotted their dad going up the mast. The project went smoothly other than a momentary question how Luke would descend. Tony & Luke didn’t think ahead to explain or test unlocking the climbing carabiner which has a one way clutch. This clutch is so you can ascend freely without descending accidentally. When Luke was ready to come down, he wasn’t familiar with this carabiner. Therefore, he was temporarily stuck. Tony has a loud teaching voice and explained the locking mechanism. Luke figured it out and came down safely!

man going up the mast of a sailboat, family on dock watching

Active and Relaxing

seven adults in a small inflatable dinghy on a calm day

Sometimes there is ample energy onboard and other times are more relaxing and chill. And sometimes we’re just goofy – like trying to see how many people our dinghy can transport to shore. Yes, all seven of us took a ride to shore on a super calm anchorage. It was overloaded. We probably won’t do that again.

Whatever the mood or the activity, we love having family visit us on Meraki. Thanks Luke & Christie and family for coming to Sandusky! It’s always hard to say goodbye, so we say “until next time!”