Last week was spring break for our high schoolers, so Owen, The Boy, and I headed to Michigan to work on the boat Wednesday-Friday. We got off to a rocky start because someone had to go to court to fight a speeding ticket Wednesday morning. We could make fun of that certain someone about getting a ticket if the rest of us hadn’t decided to wait for him at a park along Lake Michigan, fallen asleep, and woke up to a dead battery. It took surprisingly little time for that to happen. Thankfully, there were two women at the park in a car with jumper cables. They came to our aid with cables and a little bit of mission work. We were very, very grateful to them.
Five and a half hours later, we made it to the marina office to prove our ownership of the boat and sign some paperwork for the marina. It appears the previous owners of the boat are much beloved in the marina. That’s nice to hear. Then we were free to get to work. The storage unit is on the back side of some lakefront condos. It’s a hike.
Checking out the engine room. 
We were determined to get this life ring clean. Owen used just water and a Wipeout Eraser to clean it. This method didn’t work on the fenders, though. 
Ta-da! 
The Boy was in is happy place in the engine room. He may try to make that his room. 
His architectural design class helped immensely with measuring and diagramming the V-berth mattresses. 
Docktails in a hotel bar. Hey, we’re new. Soon we will take our docktails outside to the actual dock. For the record, the marina was closed. 
The mattress-free aft cabin. 
Aft cabin. 
Salon. It is in pristine condition. The previous owners really took care of this boat. We’re thankful for their diligence. 
Galley. 
Bonus points for whoever can tell us where the other end of this phone is. 
The men in our family received lanterns for Christmas from Grandma. Owen is forever grateful for his. He uses it all the time. It now has a special place on the boat. Good idea, Grammy!
Bowlines Thrown 