Fine Time

Wednesday morning, we pack up the truck with luggage, food, and drink. Mom makes a yummy avocado toast breakfast and gives us big hugs goodbye…or so she thinks. Dad drives us down to Irish’s where the boat is shining in its slip. Hold up. As I near the boat, I see the engine hatches are up. Well, that can’t be good. There is a man in the engine room looking hot and irritated. I ask him how long he thinks he’ll be, and he says a couple of hours for sure.   I call William, who has gone to the office to settle up, and give him the news. He is not pleased.   The boat has been at Irish’s for weeks now, and it is clear that they just started working on it. Labor is in short supply, and they have been backed up all summer. We head back to my parents for some deep breaths. Mom says she won’t strip the beds just yet, ye of little faith. Two hours later, William calls for a status update. “Well sir, we’ve run into some electrical issues, so it’s going to be a while.” William says, "I...

  We return to Michigan to have a quick visit with the fam. Meade and I fly up Sunday and watch the final polo match of the season. Unfortunately, we miss my brother Mason’s earlier win against my father. There is much rejoicing from one and a bit of grumbling from the other. Moose Jaw Junction serves up another fine meal to celebrate. The next day, we enjoy the porch, some swimming, and catching up. We head to Chandler’s in Petoskey for dinner. Everyone is in good spirits, and Liz joins me for a late-night airport pickup. Mason and William are standing on the curb patiently (?) awaiting our arrival. Liz and Uncle Mason have to leave the next morning for Saratoga. We spend the day swimming and helping Dad with boat repairs. Mason and William pump out the water in the sailboat (the venerable Proud Mary) from a recent storm so go ahead and pump out the neighbor’s listing boat while they are at it. Picture hands on hips, superhero capes fluttering in the wind. Meade and Mason de...

  As our cousin Maclean said, what a cliffhanger! Sorry about that, we got sidetracked by other activities.   In short, we put the shorn bolt back in place where it nestled right in and got us safely to Harbor Springs with no issue. We stayed in Harbor Springs for 10 days, enjoying the 4 th of July with the ever hospitable Kastens, Ryans, and Garrards, a cocktail cruise, a fishing charter with the fabulous “Fellowship“ crew (thanks for the tip, Ed James!), lots of swims and porch time with Lulu and Big Mase, and a bit of polo. Auntie Liz and Uncle Mason were there for the end, Liz sweetly giving us a “Fine Time” welcome mat that now graces our boat (note to self, work on thoughtful gestures). Winslow joined Mason for this stint, and they explored every body of water around for fish. Meade had Sims come up, and they were off on their bikes at every opportunity. Both Winslow and Sims were excited to do all of our motley activities and made great additions to our crew. We had ...

  So, I am a guest blogger and have been relegated to give some background on how this forced family fun came to pass. This is not the Cogswells’ first boat trip.   Twenty years ago to the month, I took a much smaller boat with no electronics, very little planning, ample Budweiser, and Toastchee crackers on a similar but slightly more aggressive trip north to the St. Lawrence Seaway.   From there, we went down and through the Great Lakes, into the Chicago Canal and Illinois River, down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, then cut through Florida’s Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic before heading back north up the east coast back to Charleston.   It was a memorable trip as Lucile and I met on the first leg.   I had friends switching out along the way to do different sections. Chandler Collins had the first leg with me. She and I went to Sewanee together, and she grew up with Lucile. She introduced Lucile and me in New York where Lucile was living at th...

 Today was a bit of a doozy. We wake up in Mentor and are ready to hightail it. There are a lot of bugs and nothing gets you moving like mosquitos.  Again a strangely calm day on Lake Erie. We are supposed to have some work calls but have apparently entered Canadian waters and have zero reception. We enter the Detroit River, and all looks well in D-Rock as we pass by. Up we go to Lake St Clair and roll by beautiful Gross Pointe.  William and I are up on the flybridge, enjoying the view. Mason texts a photo of the gas gauges (both side tanks full and main at 1/2, we're in good shape.) Yet another smooth lake crossing till we get about midway. The clouds in the distance quickly darken as we get closer. Just as I am pulling up the radar, a lady comes over the VHF announcing a squall warning. Ruhroh. Oh look, lightning! We continue crossing the lake (what else are we going to do) and pass a few sailboats, chugging along as fast as they can to get to safe harbor. Right before ...

 After a great road trip and Buffalo visit, we leave the docks to head into Lake Erie. We pull into a gas dock to fill up before the crossing. A boat from Mississippi is at the diesel station, looking like it spent the night there. The dockhand shows up as we are trying to figure out how to knock on the door of M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I...He asks us how long they've been there and we shrug, not really sure. In the commotion, two men emerge and say they need to gas up. Supes. They slowly fill three tanks, then say they need to do a pumpout. To be clear, these things can be done at the same time. They were not. So we're filling up the water tank, giving the children lots of chores (Mason's response: I'm listening...I'm hearing you....my ears are open..." Mr. Funny guy.) Thirty minutes later, they're still pumping out and announce the gas tanks did not fill. The dockhand says, "Oh, we have issues with this pump all the time." Whaaattt?? Load up kids, we out! W...