The Mission Trip (Sept. 2022)

Shari enjoyed last year's trip to Fayette so much that she couldn't wait to return to the Perseverance in 2022. Unfortunately, foot surgery and a full-time job prevented her joining us until quite late in the season.

It was quite lovely when we set out from Dexter on Friday afternoon (September 23, 2022). We had a delightful side trip to Legs Inn in Cross Village where we enjoyed crystal clear views of four lighthouses, numerous islands, and a passing cruise ship. All that before the main attraction, amazing Polish cuisine including pierogi and cabbage rolls to die for. It's a feast for the eyes and the tummy well worth the extra miles. Pro tip: you can avoid the crowds by arriving mid-afternoon...at least on a weekday. Also, we didn't realize Legs Inn is famous for Bloody Marys...next time.

Stuffed to the gills and with enough Polish pancakes in the cooler for a hearty breakfast we headed over the bridge for a glorious trip across the UP.

The rain didn't start until we were unloading in Escanaba. After consulting numerous weather apps we concluded that we were in for a wet, cold and windy weekend with no good cruising weather until midweek. So much for Shari's anticipated return to Fayette. She was very disappointed but also not eager to tempt fate with another voyage on rough seas.

Shari was inadequately warned about some potential "boat improvement projects" that might be going on during her visit. While we have considered the full sized fridge/freezer in her galley to be one of Perseverance's most endearing features, the 30 year-old Kenmore has clearly been on its last legs for some time. Although the ice-maker did continue to crank out ice, nothing froze hard anymore, and the fridge unit often drifted into the "dicey" temperature range despite nearly continuous compressor operation. Finding a replacement was challenging, but eventually our contact at Escanaba's Pioneer Appliance store located one with the approximate correct dimensions and equipped with an ice-maker. Better yet, the staff seemed relatively unfazed at our request to deliver the fridge onto a boat, though they tacked on an additional delivery charge for an extra man. On Saturday morning, Shari gamely joined us on a quick visit to Pioneer Appliance to take some crucial measurements, and we returned to the boat to prepare for the transplant. Rick Ness dropped by to provide emotional support and to assure us that a) the boat was not actually built around the fridge, and b) that "that window comes out real easy."

"That window," the only one which would fit the fridge, is normally on the port side facing the water. In spite of the weather we would have to turn the boat around before Monday's fridge delivery. Sunday morning gave us a relative break in the weather. The wind was still brisk from the west but not howling. West wind is my least favorite for docking at Esky because Perseverance is pointed straight into it and the least deviation in wind direction or boat heading results in the bow getting blown violently to port or starboard.

Given the suboptimal conditions, we decided it would be prudent to recruit some experienced crew to help us with docking. Our boat neighbor Roy and his grandson Nick obliged. Nick was in town to help patch up a freighter that had limped into the shipyard with a hole at the waterline near the bow. He is a diver and gets these gigs occasionally...it's a nice sideline for him. Fearing that Shari might not get another chance to cruise at all, we took the opportunity to make a brief turn around the old harbor area of Escanaba. That let us get a closer look at the freighter with all her ballast pumped into the rear tanks to lift her bow out of the water.

The contrast is not too good because that's the kind of weather we had.

Of course Nick had to get a tour of the Perseverance while we were out. It was most gratifying when Jim showed him our unusually spacious engine room...Nick gave it an appreciative "Holy wah!" an exclamation unique to the U.P. and northwestern Wisconsin.

With good help from Shari, Roy and Nick we got docked so that the correct window lined up between the pilings. I learned that it's easier to dock with the stern to the wind--knowledge I'm sure I will use in the future. It took Jim most of the weekend to loosen the old fridge (bolted through the floor with bolts only accessible by taking down the ceiling in the forward cabin and engine room) and to remove the window.

Monday morning, the crew showed up with the truck and the swap was performed (see video here) and the new fridge fit perfectly. Fastening it down and replacing the window took another day, even with Shari's help.

We did manage to get the boat sufficiently patched back together in time to take Shari on one more quick boat outing before shuttling her to the airport for her flight home, but she still was grumbling about her visit being more of a "mission trip" than a vacation. Maybe next year she'll get that 5-star service she was hoping for.