Life is looking up in Michigan. Finally, we have clear skies, sunny days, calm seas, and just finished up a fantastic visit with our friends Jim and Sherryl.

Craig and Jim have been friends since third grade and Sherryl felt like my long lost sister. We took a two hour cruise to lovely Charlevoix, motored over to Petoskey, ate tons of food, had drinks on deck, and had a grand old time!

Joy Girl caps for all

On the flybridge

On the aft deck

Pond Hill Winery

At the winery

Winery

Beautiful Harbor Springs, MI

A visit from Grace (has done the Great Loop) and Michelle (both with the Maritime Heritage Alliance)

We asked what their biggest surprise was when they first boarded Joy Girl. Since they recently traveled through New Zealand for nearly a month in a camper van, they didn’t expect her to be so large and comfortable. So, be encouraged, there’s room for friends!

Good news: the auto pilot is fixed 🙂 Bad news: now the alternator is intermittently not fully charging the start batteries. The boat still runs but before we go far, we need to get a new alternator. Harbor Springs is a gorgeous little spot to be stuck while looking for a mechanic.

Once that is taken care of, we’ll probably head to Lake Superior for a short jaunt into the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes. It’s also the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, is really more of an inland sea, and a bit intimidating. Gulp. Executive Officer Niki has approved travel to Munising, Michigan only, home of Pictured Rock. We’ll see….