Back at It

Friday, May 23rd was my last day of work for the school year. I sat on an interview panel and had a meeting until 1 PM. The kids spent the night at friends' houses the night prior and would be back close to 4. The plan was to have one more night in our beds, wake up and leave on Saturday morning at 4 am. Imagine my surprise walking home from work when I answered my phone and Ben told me we would be leaving as soon as I finished whatever I needed to do, no matter what time it was. I did NOT want to do this.

I had several loads of laundry I wanted to finish, medication to pick up from Walgreens, and closets to organize a bit more so our family could use them while they stayed at our house while we were gone. Quickly, I prioritized what HAD to be done before we left and what would have to wait until August. 

As we pulled out of the driveway in the rental car at 6:50 pm, I suggested that we pick up Good Times for dinner before hitting the road. I planned ahead and had a whole bag of car snacks to get us through the drive on Saturday, but didn't consider how those snacks wouldn't be needed if we left on Friday evening instead. Our ETA at the boat yard was 10:39 AM Central Time, but that didn't consider stops for fuel, potty, or meals. I figured it would be after 1 by the time we got there, possibly pushing it close to the 5 PM closing time. Ben wanted to get to the boat on Saturday to unload the trailer before they closed for the day, which is why we left on Friday instead of really early on Saturday.

Ben drove, the kids and I slept on and off. At one point, around 3 am, I woke up because I felt the car slow down, then stop. Ben took a 30 minute nap and then kept going. 

At the World's Largest Truck Stop in Iowa, we let the dogs run and potty in a little dog park, got some breakfast, and swapped drivers so I could drive for a few hours while Ben slept.

Arrived at Cartermaran at 11:40 am, just 1 hour later than Google predicted yesterday! Crazy!

Everyone was involved with an assembly line of unpacking everything we stowed for the winter- things like the cockpit cushions and pillows, couch cushions and pillows, tubs that absorb moisture, and bedding, among other things. Most of those things went to their regular places on the boat while we occupy it, but the moisture tubs had to get thrown out and the bedding had to go to the hotel with us so I could wash it.

Besides unloading the UHaul trailer, Ben had 5 other projects he wanted to complete before the boat went into the water on Wednesday. No particular order: remove old washer/dryer and put new one in, put new lifelines on, install new tender davit pads/cushions, install a new shifter, replace the old water lines on the AC. Of course, there are always MORE projects on the to do list, but these were the initial tasks for the summer.

Not only did we have to unload the UHaul, but we had to get everything onto the boat, which was on blocks, meaning the base of the swim steps (where we get on and off the boat while it is on the land) were 6 feet in the air. 

How do we get the 248-pound washer/dryer into the boat, that requires us to step up a ladder, and around all of the railings at the stern? I suggested using the davits to lift it, then moving the UHaul to set it on there like a platform, and finally load it onto the swim steps from there. It worked! 

Prior to pulling out the old washer/dryer, we had to unscrew and unplug it from the cabinet it sat in, take the railing off the stairs, and remove the door and door frame from the master. Ben decided to pull heavier items off of the old one to lighten the load a bit and see what he could take off the new one to make putting it in easier. Getting that thing through the doorway (and the new one afterward) reminded me of birthing children. Whoever was on the pushing end had to count, breathe, hold, and shove simultaneously, until after 4 or 5 pushes, it had been released to the other side.

Ben got a few more things started and then we got kicked out due to the yard closing for the day. We returned the trailer, grabbed food by our hotel, checked in, got settled, showered, and went to bed by 7:30 PM. We were all ready to go to sleep in a real bed! By this point, I honestly was grateful we left Friday night. The timing of it all worked out better than I thought it would!

Over the next few days, Ben took the rental car back and forth to work on the boat, while the kids and I stayed local at the hotel, did laundry, dishes, worked out, explored the mall, and enjoyed the pool.

End of the 2024 Season

DuSable Harbor is home to boats for police, coast guard, and firefighters.

Last night, we had each of the 3 boats all urgently leave the marina. They were going so fast that the boats waked us, several times over. Ben was angry about how much wake they put out in the marina, potentially destroying os many boats, but saw they were gearing up for a call and realized something was going on and that the wake was necessary. 

We left DuSable Harbor in Chicago and cruised south to the Calumet River.

On the VHF Radio we heard a warning to beware of divers in the water at 31st street harbor area who were looking for people. I did an internet search to see what information I could find on this incident. Ben figured someone drowned, but we didn't realize it was to this extent! A boat capsized the night before with 16 people on board. When the police and firefighters flew by us on their boats and Ben got angry about their wake last night, I bet they were all headed there. I wish I knew what time it was. Probably 7:45 or 8, so it checks out. This is yet another dangerous Lake Michigan incident that occurred to boaters while we were on the lake. 

The Calumet River connects to Lake Michigan close to the border of Indiana, so we were technically in Indiana waters for a little bit too! This river is very industrial and the taller boats use it to bypass the city of Chicago and all of the fixed bridges along the way to the Illinois River. Upon turning at a bend, we came across a giant ship to pass. The river had giant deposits of sulphur on the riverbanks that were dropped in mountain-like piles about 30 feet tall.

Marine Services on the Calumet River in Dolton, Illinois was highly recommended to us. Since January, Ben had been arranging winter storage for the Cartermaran. He is always very clear that we are a catamaran and wide (18' 8"). Leading up to our arrival, he reminded the boat yard multiple times about the width, which they said was not a concern and we'd fit in their 19' 2' lift.

We tied up to their dock and were there for 2 nights, doing all kinds of cleaning, preparations, and packing to end our time on the boat. 

Ben got a Lyft to the airport to get a rental truck so we could run errands and get things we needed to wrap up this boating season.

Getting on the road in the rental truck running errands, I realized couldn't handle riding on an actual road. It felt incredibly fast and we were too close to other cars. It made me miss the water. I'm sad we are off the water for the summer, but happy to be done with the lake (except for a small part at the beginning of next summer to get back to the Chicago River). I'm ready to be home. I don't like boating on Lake Michigan. 

This morning, we started off waiting for the employees to come so we could haul out at 9 am which would leave us enough time to get to the airport, return the rental car, get through security, and board the plane by 1:30 pm. The goal was to head to the airport no later than 9:45 am.

Of course, as we packed up the luggage and brought everything to the truck, it started to pour. I had the kids wait in the truck while I hyperlapsed the haul out in my raincoat.

Around 9:05 am, I stopped recording as the employees and Ben were trying to haul out in the lift that is 19 feet 2 inches wide. Knowing we are 18 feet 8 inches at our widest spot, it looked like they seemed to be having trouble. Ben approached the slings and the lift and then backed up a few times. It was still raining and the kids and I were in the truck. I was holding my breath that this works.

Watching from the truck, I was not sure this lift was going to work for us. The frame of the lift was touching the rub rails so they put it back down in the water. From my observations from afar, I think the first part of Plan B was to get the wider part of the boat out beyond the frame.

Five minutes later, the Cartermaran was back in the water. Ben was back on the boat with a tape measure. He was sure of our measurements and was going to prove to them that their lift is the problem. It was not the lift that wasn't wide enough, it was the frame over the well, which is the rectangular wall/cutout part of the water.

Seven minutes later it looked like they adjusted something on the straps and decided to try again. This was Plan C. It looked like they were literally pushing it from side to side to clear each side as it got lifted up.

Meanwhile, I was getting increasingly worried about getting the rental truck back and getting to the airport in time. I said leave 9:45 latest and at this point it was 9:30, looking like they still didnt have a solid plan in place. My sister corrected me,  insisting that we had plenty of time even if we left at 10:45.

Ben's phone was connected to the truck's Bluetooth and we kept intercepting phone calls, both incoming and outgoing from the same number. I looked up the number and saw it was another marina in the area, so I assumed we would be moving to a different winter location because it was clear we didn't fit, even after all of the disclosures Ben made about our width.

It was a mad scramble, and Marine Services recommended a marina 2 miles away with a wider lift and had space for us for the winter. Ben called me, told me they had the lift ready and thay he would take the boat while i drove over with everyone else. I put the address into my phone and hopped in the driver seat and drove with the kids, dog, and all our luggage 10 minutes down the road to the new marina, Sunset Bay Marina. He sped the boat back through the river, we parked the truck and saw him coming around the bend. He pulled the boat right into the slings, watched that it cleared the sides, and hopped into the rental truck for the airport. The boat got lifted out. We didn't see it all the way out, but it was just about there when we drove away at 9:38 am.

As Ben stated, "Well, today was a train wreck." We were probably 4 inches too wide, so Marine Services should probably update the width of their lift to 18' 4".

Kenosha to Chicago, Illinois

Lake Michigan was providing us with not comfortable travel conditions again. Following 2 footers. Personally, I don't know how people love boating these waters! Luckily, we only have today and one more lake travel day of the trip this summer. Next summer we will be on the lake for just a short time from the Calumet River, where our boat will be kept this school year, to the Chicago River.

Approaching Chicago, the number of boats near us dramatically increased! There was a group of 11 mini-sailboats- learning how to sail. (On these waters?! Daring, but I bet they learn how to handle a lot of situations!) Once we got inside the breakwater, the waves calmed down and we were able to go sit out on the foredeck to admire this new-to-us city. It is always a unique opportunity to approach a city by boat. We get to see sights other people don't see, and have different vantage points. I don't let that pass me by. I soak it all in and take many photos to remember it, since a lot of this is a once in a lifetime experience. 

DuSable Harbor doesn't have people on site- they work remotely with phone and email being their main points of contact. Before we got to our slip, we needed to pump out on the head of C-dock. Ben, Moose, and I worked together to get that done before moving to the head of B-dock which was our slip assignment. 

Everyone was hungry, so we sought out Al's Italian Beef, one of the food places recommended to us by some friends at home who lived in Chicago and know it well. We walked just over a mile to get there and got to take in so many sights along the way. We walked along the river and up Michigan Avenue. On the Chicago Riverwalk, there is a submarine door with a plaque about Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the submarines built there, and their journey south. We thought that was pretty cool, having just been in Manitowoc and learning about this just a few days prior.

Along Michigan Avenue, Ben said how this is a cleaner New York and he likes this city. I was blown away by how quickly he decided this! Then, we walked along (skibidi) Ohio Avenue to the restaurant. Al's doesn't have options for kids, so Ben and Bear concocted their spicy sandwich to share, Moose and I concocted our plain and cheesy sandwich to share, and Roo picked a chicken sandwich- she didn't want beef. We also got a side of loaded fries and an order of plain fries. The 4 of us were a bit of a mess, but we all scarfed it down and thought it was very good. (Thanks, Morreales!) 

Our plan for the rest of the day was to see the Bean (aka Cloud Gate) and get back to the boat in time for Ben's meeting. It started at 5, so we were a little crunched on time. Ben wanted to walk back a different way so we could see more of the city. We went through security at Millennium Park and got to the Bean. It was cool to spot it from the security line because it blends in so well, reflecting the city, sky, trees around it. I wasn't expecting it to be so hidden in plain sight! It had some construction fences up and those were also reflected onto the bean, so I walked us around to another area where they wouldn't be in our pictures. We captured our reflections in the Bean for a fun perspective, then sat on the steps and used the selfie stick to get a cute family photo as well. We walked under the bean, into a sea of people taking photos in there as we left. It was 4:45 so Ben and Bear walked back to the boat. 

Moose, Roo, and I went to the gift shop for a magnet and postcards, then started our journey back to the boat. We had a twisty path to follow back through Maggie Daley Park and stumbled across a super fun park. This park had several different off chutes with themed-playgrounds. There were at least 8 different stops- bridge, nest swings, regular swings, mirrors, whale, nature path, ship, lighthouse, among others. Of course, we stopped to play for a little bit at each one, but wanted to get back since my phone battery was running low and we needed it to navigate us back to the boat.

The next day, we got our bikes out for a longer venture. Cupitol Coffee and Eatery was our first stop for breakfast. It was a cute little shop that Ben found. Instead of sitting at tables, we sat in a little couch area, which was a cozy way to start our day. I branched out a bit and got a sweet potato bowl that had brown rice, kale, sweet potato, vegan coconut curry, and a poached egg. It was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had!

After breakfast, we went to the Field Museum. We saw 2 shows, Sue the T-Rex, and explored the ocean exhibit. Sue, if you don't know, is the largest (40+ feet) and most complete (90%) T Rex fossil found in 1990 by Sue Hendrickson in South Dakota. 

$200+ and 5 hours later... we left and biked 6.2 miles to Pequod's Pizza (another recommendation from the Morreales). We rode along the Lakefront Bike Trail. I was surprised to see so many boats anchored accompanied by people swimming, picnicking, and laying out on the cement "beach" area. 

Once we got to Pequod's (at 4:30), they told us it was reservations only and the next opening they had for 5 people was at 11 pm. Skip. We had a few more recommendations for some deep dish pizza, so we stopped at a Lou Malnati's (a recommendation from a Chicago-lover at home) that was on the way back to the harbor. Typically I don't eat deep dish. It hasn't ever been authentic deep dish, so it was never any good. I was determined to try authentic Chicago-style pizza though and hoped it would change my mind and it did! I loved it. I understand the hype about deep dish pizza, just wish it could be successfully recreated outside of Chicago. When a cookie comes in a pizza pan, I can't turn it down. Oh, who am I kidding, I can't turn any cookies down. So, we got a pizookie a la mode to enjoy. (Thanks, Mrs. Drase, for the Lou Malnati's recommendation!) After stuffing ourselves full, we biked the rest of the way back to the boat. 

Everyone showered. I did the last load of laundry for the trip. In between trips back and forth to the laundry. I sorted through what stays on the boat, what we needed for the next few days, and what we'd wash when we get home, while simultaneously creating the inventory boat list on my phone. I reference this list several times each year to see ones of what we need to buy, what we are leaving on the boat, and what we need to bring back next summer.