I had lots to do with my online class today, so Mark decided to clean the Isenglass in the fly bridge. (the clear plastic "curtains" that surround the fly bridge). It takes a special cleaner and a lot of elbow crease to restore the sparkling clear surface.



Mark is thinking about auditioning with the Wallenda Family after walking the rail.

In other news, a research vessel from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is docked nearby at night. During the day the boat is out in the Bay of Green Bay doing research on the oxygen levels of the water. The Neeskay was a T-boat around the time of the Korean war and carries a crew of 3 plus 10 researchers.

And of course, the catch of the day:



This one has nothing to do with the today's Supreme Court ruling!

We had a wonderful day on the water today! We left Menominee and headed northeast on Green Bay. (Green Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan, is 120 miles long and 10-20 miles wide.)  We encountered submerged fishing nets- this was the scariest part of the trip. The nets are marked by small flags on tiny buoys, and are not easy to spot in the waves. They seem to be placed anywhere. The thought of running over one of those and wrapping it around or props was enough to keep us very alert.


We cruised around the north end of Chambers Island, where we spotted a sailboat stuck on the rocks. We talked to them on the radio, but could not assist them. We rounded the island and continued past several smaller islands, and the villages of Fish Creek and Egg Harbor. The total trip took just under 6 hours and covered about 45 miles, and waves were 2 feet or less.

We are getting comfortable using our new Garmin radar and chart plotter to plan and follow routes. It's so much nicer than the old green radar display. That and the auto pilot are indispensable for open water travel.

We were back in Sturgeon Bay for the 2:30 bridge opening....

and a couple more of those ubiquitous sturgeons.

Patriot sturgeon

Camo sturgeon

After stocking up on groceries, topping off our water tanks, and pumping out the holding tank, we cast off our lines and headed across Green Bay today! It was a gorgeous day to be on the water-sunny and fairly smooth.

Being a river boater, I find it a little disconcerting when I can't see land in front of me. But our chart plotter takes us where we want to go.

We are  now docked in Menominee, Michigan, where we plan to spend a few days. Mark is getting to be such a pro at docking-- a man watching us come in asked if we had both bow and stern thrusters- what a laugh! We don't have any thrusters at all- it's a matter of using the twin engines properly.

An Eventful Sunday

First of all, the 23rd marked our 40th anniversary! We celebrated by taking the Mara Beel out on Green Bay for an afternoon cruise, followed by dinner at John Martin's.

The day brought other excitement, in the form of a motor home that was smashed on the Michigan Street bridge near our boat. It was quite a spectacle! Ignoring alarms and red lights on a draw bridge is never a good idea. Those counter weights are heavy, and crunch vehicles quite easily.




Photo from the Door County Daily News

When we walked back to our boat after dinner, we found a Coast Guard vessel tied up next to us, with five very pleasant men aboard. Of course Mark was there like a shot, and was rewarded with a special tour of their boat! He was impressed by the twin 800 MTU engines.

Savour Green Bay

Today we savored Green Bay. In other words, we attended the "Savour Green Bay" fest held downtown in the heart of Packer Land. Think of "Taste of Chicago" on a smaller scale. A much smaller scale. A downtown parking lot was filled with vendor tents- restaurants, breweries, and wineries- all offering small portions of a few dishes. Mark tried the Ribeye Slider with mushrooms and onions; and Fresh Rhubarb Crisp with whipped cream.  I had the Chili Lime Shrimp, and my favorite by far, the Lemon Rosemary Salmon Salad on a bed of tabouleh topped with olive tapenade. Oh my goodness. So fresh and flavorful!

Next we went to Cook's Corner, advertised as the country's largest cooking store. They have EVERTHING imaginable for the kitchen. It is one of our must-do's in Green Bay.






After seeing all of the cooking utensils I was inspired to make Mini Turkey Salsa Meatloaves and Lentil Salad for supper. The meatloaf is from Iowa Girl Eats and the Lentil Salad is from Mark Bittman's latest book, VB6. Mark gave both 2 thumbs up.

And the Sturgeons around the Bay keep popping up! Today's catch:





One Fish, Two Fish, Brown Fish, Blue Fish

I learned more about the sturgeons of Sturgeon Bay today- These fish will be auctioned off at the end of the summer, with the proceeds going to various charities. Next spring, a new batch of fish will be decorated by volunteers and displayed around town to repeat the process. What a great idea!

Morning thunderstorms kept us safely tied to the dock today, instead of setting off on a cruise around Green Bay. Tomorrow is another day!

The Queen B', a 64-foot Grand Alaskan, left Sturgeon Bay early this morning. Jeff and Brenda are headed for the eastern US this summer.

More Sturgeons By the Bay:

Masonic Fish

Silver Fish

Harmony by the Bay

Free concerts each summer Wednesday evening in Martin Park! Two blocks from our boat -- we take our bag chairs for this musical treat. Tonight we were joined by two new friends, Jeff and Brenda aboard the Queen B'.

Tonight we listened to Big Mouth Band and the Power Tool Horns:

http://bigmouthband.com/Big_Mouth/Intro.html

More Sturgeons by the Bay:

Star fish??

Copper fish

Easy delicious supper

This recipe is both yummy and easy- even when prepared in a trawler galley. The recipe is from Iowa Girl Eats

Creamy Herb Chicken

Something is Fishy in Sturgeon Bay

It doesn't take too much pondering to figure out where Sturgeon Bay (the body of water and the city) got that name. The town celebrates the fishy part of its name with decorated sturgeons placed at strategic points (i.e., where a business pays to sponsor a fish) around town. From what I can determine, the frolicking fish are decorated and redecorated annually by locals. It's a wildly varied assortment, and I am on a hunt to track down these statues. Here are the first two:

The Jester Sturgeon

The Wooden Sturgeon

I will share more fish photos each time I post. It's either this, or write about washing the boat- again.

Spring in Sturgeon Bay

Spring in Sturgeon Bay is interesting. It seems that all sorts of weather happens each day. If the day begins with clear skies and warm sunshine it ends in thunderstorms. Conversely if the day starts out with rain, it clears up nicely by late afternoon. There are frost warnings for inland areas tonight- in June! But the sunsets here are gorgeous.

 Earlier today we drove up to Fish Creek and Peninsula State Park. We took a tour of Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, built in 1868. The lilacs are in full bloom throughout Door County now,

 We have plenty of entertainment next to our humble little boat- we get to watch as the finishing touches are put on the "Lady M", a 210 foot luxury yacht built right here in Sturgeon Bay by Palmer Johnson. Wow! We've heard they are behind schedule, so workers are busy from about 5 A.M. to 10 P.M. daily.

 They seem to be having problems with the roller system that hauls the smaller of 2 tenders into the stern.

 Our favorite breakfast spot in Sturgeon Bay is Mel's Place- I love the Salmon-Spinach-Tomato Omelet topped with goat cheese. Mark had the Cherry Stuffed French Toast. We didn't even think about having lunch!