Commander #65 "Lucky Dawg"

[Lucky Dawg]

"Born at sea in the tooth of a gale, the sailor was a dog. Scuppers was his name" Still have my copy from 1970 or so... (and Tony - Max is a Wheaton Terrier, actually) I got a new copy for my kids and the new edition is mysteriously missing 4 pages of the story. Doesn't really make sense without the deleted pages. Little Golden Books must be doing some cost-cutting.

By the way... Man, did I do a crappy job reinstalling my portlights. They leak like a sieve.

[Commander 147]

Kyle

I love the photo with your son and Max. Those two look like they will be long time friends. :-) Every boy should have a dog.

[Lucky Dawg]

Sustained 30-50kt blow from the north hit Torresen's last week from its most unprotected side. We moved Lucky Dawg into the protected basin, but nontheless, the bucking motion snapped the port stern chock. That was the only damage.

Anyone have a spare??

[mbd]

Yikes! Glad that's all that happened! I'll check for mine when I get home - I may have already sent them out but I can't remember...

[Lucky Dawg]

Thanks for looking Mike. Yeah - I thought it would have cracked the fiberglass sooner than the aluminum (?) chock.

[mbd]

Hey Kyle - no go. I'm afraid I did indeed send those out a couple of years ago. Sorry for the empty offer...

PS. re: Post 184 is my chain locker. Don't know how I missed your post. The anchor square fits over the top of the mini bulk head. On its back, it's got a wooden cleat on the bottom and a little plastic snappy thing that holds it on top when you push it in. I'd be glad to take some pics for ya if you like.

[Lucky Dawg]

No prob Mike. Thanks for looking.

I'd love some detail pix on your chain locker cover. I've always admired it. And I've always been perplexed as to how to recreate it. So, no hurry, but sometime before 2012 launch!

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I mentioned my crappy window-reinstall job... Sadie Lucas (and Max the dog) and I crashed around on Lake Michigan briefly on Monday afternoon. 16kts or so and healthy 6+ footers piled up pretty steep and frequent at the mouth of the breakwater for the Muskegon Channel. (not nearly so serene yesterday as that photo. It tends to mellow out significantly when you get away from the breakwater, but...) With spray blowing over the cabin as we bashed into the waves, water was coming in my crappy window-sealing job way too much for Sadie's liking. They were both below for that part of the ride and Sadie apparently convinced Lucas that we were sinking... and their blankets got damp to boot. I was assuring them that it wasn't dangerous, just "bouncy" but that did little for their attitudes. My crew was on the verge of mutiny and demanded we return to Muskegon Lake - to which I conceded. We did a big U-turn and surfed back in at 7.5-8 kts. Apparently no enduring damage done to their zest for sailing. Fun while it lasted.

[Ariel 109]

Kyle,

You might think about getting a local welder to fix you existing chock. Somebody with a TIG welder could repair it very quickly.

[Commander227]

Kyle,
I just did a little Google Earth view of your sailing venue, I've only seen it from 35,000 feet when flying to Detroit. You really have the best of both worlds with the inland lake and ready access to the bigger water (and the bigger water being drinkable fresh water). It looks like there are a few options for marinas in the bay, which one are you at? They all look pretty nice from space.
Looks like a great place to sail!
Mike
C227
p.s. let me rummage around for a counter-clockwise chock, I'll let you know if I find one.

[Lucky Dawg]

Thanks for scrounging around for a replacement Mike, and thanks Ben for the TIG welder tip. The guy who built my trailer has a good reputation.

Search in GoogleEarth / Fly to "Torresen Marine, Inc." I'm the green blob (In case you couldn't tell, that is not original GoogleEarth data...) pictured below. It's a great location. The environs themselves are nothing to write home about - compared to your place, Mike, for sure. You wouldn't want to hang out there. Think truck stop as opposed to a nice rest area. But location-wise it is great. 15 mintues from home, ~1 mile to Lake Michigan. Muskegon Lake is a 4200 acre lake that has surprisingly little traffic. Deep except along the north edge. When the "Big Lake" is rough or becalmed, Muskegon Lake is flat and almost always has wind to some degree. Must be how it is situated - some sort of air funnel action. It is well protected... unless there are storm force winds from the north - then it gets blasted. Previous years, we were inside the breakwater (left of the blob) but they took all those moderate sized slips out to make room for much bigger sailboats. Imagery must be from this past spring as you can see the barge building the new docks. Now I am out in the unprotected area, as I mentioned.

[Commander227]

Seeing those beautiful white sand beaches brings me back to my childhood.
My Dad grew up in Lansing, then Grand Rapids (Grandpa was a Tool & Die Maker for Oldsmobile)
Every summer Mom, Dad and all six of us kids would pile into the 1962 Dodge Travco motorhome, cross Wisconsin, drive onto the ferry in Milwaukee and visit Grandma & Grandpa in Grand Rapids. Then we would hit some camp ground around Holland, Ludington State Park, Sleeping Bear State Park. Then across the Mackinaw bridge (of course stopping for some world famous Murdick's Fudge) and home via the U.P.
I have not been back since my grand parents died when I was about twelve. I always meant to bring my boys but never did. (que up "THE CATS IN THE CRADLE")
I have great memories of the long climb up Sleeping Bear sand dune and running down, each stride covering about 20' because it was so steep and swimming in that super clear and super cold water.
Mom still puts Murdick's Fudge in my Christmas stocking every year. I need to retrace those trips some day. One more item for the bucket list.
Mike
C227

[Lucky Dawg]

Thanks for that memory Mike. Sounds like the images are still vivid in your mind.

Funny, the Milwaukee Clipper - the ferry you took across the lake for those trips - is permanently moored 1 mile ENE of Torresen's and Lucky Dawg http://www.milwaukeeclipper.com/ - now the Lake Express Ferry has taken her place for transport, but you can still tour the Clipper. Search GoogleEarth for "43 13 18.58 N 86 17 45.31 W".

Sounds like a trip to put on the docket for you and your grown boys. A sail on the Dawg is of course a standing offer to add to the trip. I can suggest some good craft breweries between here and GR as well!

...and, had to look up your travel accomodations



See: http://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbs...ame-and-genre/

[Commander227]

Oh boy, that's her alright! Four bunks in the back, settee and dinette folded to doubles totaling accommodations for eight.
Geez, we put some miles on that old girl. No better family time than driving across the country in a Travco.

[Lucky Dawg]

Haul-out this morning. Alas...

Had a great final sail of the season on Saturday. We were the last girl on the dance floor - Torresen's: "When do you plan to haul your boat??" Saturday was forecast to be sunny and windy, so I stole one more sail. Winds building from 12 to 20+ kts over the afternoon. My crew weathered the build-up pretty well. When it got good 'n' gusty/wet 'n' wild, they tagged out.

Haul-out is never fun, but she looks good on her refabbed trailer. Off to indoor storage. No snow on her new decks this year.



p.s. I have to revisit my welder. We estimated where that V support on the tongue would go - scooted as far aft as it would go (not scooted yet in the picture) it's about a 1/2" short. Will get Dave to extend the mount by a couple inches. Doh!

[mbd]

A trailer AND indoor storage! I am sooooo jealous! Way to stretch that season Kyle!