haul out? when?

marcusn · #1 09-13-2008

Wow! What a summer!
My first ever 'big' boat, I bought an Ericsion 27 late in fall '07, and finally got her in working order late in June '08. We've got a slip in Northpoint Marina (Winthrop Harbor) and live about 30 minutes from the slip. It's been great getting to know this boat, and have so many family members and friends along to dimensionalize the experiences. I've come to love this boat more and more, and while I've got great respect for the power of lake Michigan, this Ericson has the ability to tame 'giche gumee' quite a bit.

While I thought I'd end up doing some single handing this summer, it seems I've never been wont for crew. That's great right? Well, the ONLY part of this that isn't ideal for me, is that none of the crew I've had are willing to cruise. In other words, no one (other than me) thinks it's a cool idea to cruise up to Racine (easily reached in a day), spend the night, and then return to Northpoint. While I've now had two separate transient Racine reservations this summer, neither has been met. One due to waves that my 12 year old daughter was not at all comfortable with (maybe 3-5 feet), and the other due to a friend admitting to me that he's not entirely comfortable sleeping in the boat.

Oh well, the day sails have been wonderful, and I'm hoping for at least a few more good weekends of sailing. I'll be putting her to rest at Larsen Marine in Waukegan, but have yet to decide on a date. I'm thinking of haul out early Oct. so I have some fair weather to do some dry land work on her this fall.

How's everyone else facing this change of season, and when will you haul?

Best of luck to all,

Marcus

wolfmt · #2 09-21-2008

Congratulations on your new boat Marcus. It sounds like you've had a great summer. I moor just down the shore from you in Monroe Harbor and am too struggling with the coming end of what has for us been a spectactular season of sailing on the big lake with a new-to-us boat.

We went out Friday night with friends and had great conditions (10-15 kts out of the southeast, flat water and warm weather). Those kind of nights, particularly in late September, cause me to think about pulling the boat as late in the season as I can. That being said, while I know there will be more nice days, by the end of October, the weather windows for a safe and relatively comfortable passage to our winter storage facility start getting narrower.

Your comments about overnighting resonated with me. If it gives you any hope, this season, I talked my wife and three kids into accompanying me to Michigan City for their first overnight weekend in late June. I waited for the right weather and it paid off. We had a beautiful sail, had a great dinner when we arrived, explored the harbor and nearby beaches, and settled down to a great night of sleep. They all had a fantastic time. Based upon that experience, my oldest son (10) readily signed up for a crossing to South Haven, which of course didn't go as smoothly, but hey that's sailing.

Fortunately, we had enough great memories from this summer, and my to-do list is long enough this winter, that I should be able to survive until drop-in next May (just barely).

arisatx · #3 09-24-2008

Hi Marcus

We're with you...commission early, haul out late, home port at NPM and store at Larsen's.

Oct 29 is our haulout - hope it won't be as wet and windy as last year's ride down south.

re: cruising - you might try Burnham Harbor - a little further south from WolfMT. There's plenty of shore-based activities that your crew might enjoy, including local hotel options.

sailortjk1 · #4 09-24-2008

Just curious, but why don't you guys that have a slip in North Point haul out and store at Skipper Bud's? That would save you a trip to Wakegan and might extend your season a couple of weeks. Is Skipper Bud's too expensive?

We are on the otherside of the Lake and plan on sailing through the weekend of October 24-26.
Hope to get 5 more weekends in.
Haul out is anythime after that.

arisatx · #5 09-24-2008

I'm just a satisfied customer of Larsen's and it's only about an 10 nMile sail down there, so it's worth a day's trip for us. I appreciate your suggestion though!

wolfmt · #6 09-26-2008

Arisatx - I just noticed in your header that you may live in Evanston. We do as well. I'm curious. NPM is a pretty could haul from Evanston. With closer options available, why do you moor there? I've been giving some thought to mooring in Montrose but haven't really considered anything further north than that.

Mark1948 · #7 09-26-2008

North in Milwaukee, First year with a Catalina 27 tr. Going to do Louie's 10 annual last regetta this weekend. Looking to haul out likely late October early November. Currently using Milwaukee Marine/Cramer Marine - nothing but good to say about Gene Cramer. He has been most helpful in my first year. I to have stayed close to home but will likely do a couple of overnights next year. I may even consider the Queens Cup if early events go well. For the hardy, Gene Cramer and his Chinook 34 usuall do a Thanksgiving Day sail. PS - Milwaukee is a boat-friendly town, but McKinley Marina is usually very full. If you come to visit and want to stay overnight, try the South Shore Marina.

arisatx · #8 09-26-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfmt

Arisatx - I just noticed in your header that you may live in Evanston. We do as well. I'm curious. NPM is a pretty could haul from Evanston. With closer options available, why do you moor there? I've been giving some thought to mooring in Montrose but haven't really considered anything further north than that.

WolfMT:
We used to sail out of Burnham - great skyline and location, but we like to spend our weekends on our boat... in terms of facilities, good dock neighbors and a nice, peaceful marina - we've enjoyed our time up at NPM.

C'mon up to NPM next season and see how you like it! It's only about 1 hr from Evanston to NPM. We considered Waukegan but weren't too fond of the fixed docks. I see they put in floating docks on the south side but haven't been down there yet to see how it looks.

I was hoping Evanston's marina plan would get approved, but alas, it was not to be.

arisatx · #9 09-26-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark1948

North in Milwaukee, First year with a Catalina 27 tr. Going to do Louie's 10 annual last regetta this weekend. Looking to haul out likely late October early November. Currently using Milwaukee Marine/Cramer Marine - nothing but good to say about Gene Cramer. He has been most helpful in my first year. I to have stayed close to home but will likely do a couple of overnights next year. I may even consider the Queens Cup if early events go well. For the hardy, Gene Cramer and his Chinook 34 usuall do a Thanksgiving Day sail. PS - Milwaukee is a boat-friendly town, but McKinley Marina is usually very full. If you come to visit and want to stay overnight, try the South Shore Marina.

Hey Mark

We've been up to McKinley and do enjoy visiting there, except for their policy of checking in at the gas dock. It's great to walk up to the Brady Street area for some Good Eats. We stumbled upon Cempazuchi for some great authentic Mexican. Will look into South Shore next time, thanks for the tip.

sailortjk1 · #10 10-10-2008

thanks, I could use a good massage! Next time I'm in Shanghai, I will be sure to stop by.