Just Curious ~

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 11:13 pm

Two very simple words : not enough.

Audrey II · Post by **Audrey II** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 7:58 am

Six months of the year we are on the boat every weekend. I try to leave the dock at least once a week and more if tides allow for it. We often don't go far, just to the local anchorage. Tides are a big problem where I keep my boat, I need to come and go either two + hours before or after low tide. If tides don't permit and we want to go for a ride we use our Jetski. We plan a few weekend getaways two to three day trips and the one to two week trips which we either bring or travel with friends whenever possible.
As others have said, still not enough use. I wish I could spend more time on board but this working for a living really gets in the way of having fun.

Allen Sr · Post by **Allen Sr** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 9:27 am

Audrey II wrote:Six months of the year we are on the boat every weekend. I try to leave the dock at least once a week and more if tides allow for it. We often don't go far, just to the local anchorage. Tides are a big problem where I keep my boat, I need to come and go either two + hours before or after low tide. If tides don't permit and we want to go for a ride we use our Jetski. We plan a few weekend getaways two to three day trips and the one to two week trips which we either bring or travel with friends whenever possible.
As others have said, still not enough use. I wish I could spend more time on board but this working for a living really gets in the way of having fun.

I have to agree working for a living sure gets in the way but it does pay for the gas on the other hand!

rbcool · Post by **rbcool** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:18 pm

Our story is almost exactly like Jamie's, but we start right after work on Fri. and will fish if it's 130 outside, b ut the wives might nap in the A/C at that point

I'll shovel snow to get on the boat and to grill !!

Ron

jon_e_quest · Post by **jon_e_quest** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 8:22 am

My wife and I are on the boat normally every weekend from June thru Aug. And less frequently until it's pulled out in Oct. The Hobbs meter racks up an average of 70 hrs in our short Northern MI season. We'll go down to the dock after work on Friday and take her out to 'the island' some seven miles distant. Power Island (a.k.a. Marion Island) is a 202 acre park in the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay. We stay aboard the entire weekend, rain or shine, docking again late Sunday afternoon. We always raft up with any number of friends in a group we call the Island Fun Yacht Club or IFYC. We had pennants made up with the IFYC 'logo', but that's about as organized as we get. I was nominated 'Commodore-for-life', I think because I've been boating the longest.. which stands to reason because I'm also the oldest. Everyone else gets to be a vice-commodore. I think there's ten core boats now, ranging from 22' - 36', and several more occasionals. Some of us spend up to nine days aboard every year in August. We'll call at any number of ports in the bay throughout the season, including Sutton's Bay, Omena Bay, Northport, Elk Rapids, and Bower's Hbr. Longer trips might include Charlevoix, Leland, the Manitou Is, and Beaver Is. The water up here is cool and crystal clear, and I'll never leave...

The rest of the year is spent working on the boats, of course!