Aug 2-3, Sturgeon Bay, WI

The wind is still blowing 15-20 mph, but we are ready to move on to another port. So we batten the hatches and head out from Fish Creek about 25 miles to Sturgeon Bay. The conditions on the water (2-3 foot waves) are not as bad as we thought the might be (3-4 foot waves) so we have a pretty nice ride to Sturgeon Bay.

Centerpoint Marina cottages and clubhouse.

We are docked at the Centerpoint Marina, near downtown, and have a pool and clubhouse in addition to 50 amp power, and very strong Internet at the boat. We are here on a Sunday and so there is no construction at the bridge today. We wonder if this marina will be far enough away from the construction noise (about a mile) as they resume work on Monday.

The local maritime museum has an antique boat show and some 'home made boat' races that we go to see in our dingy. Pretty unique. Contestants get up to 4 hours to make their boats out of thin plywood and cardboard and then must paddle the boats around a short course to show that the boats are worthy water craft. Some are. Some are not. But it seems great fun enjoyed by all. We think we have seen this sort of thing on TV.

One of the hand made boats SNAKES ON A BOAT.

Looks like an old Chris Craft.
Sunk at the finish line.

Blues Brothers. Stable boat. Good paddlers.

Snakes on a boat. Unbalanced.
Hard to control.

Fast and stable. This catamaran won last year and probably this year, too.

Some points are awarded for how fast the boats are constructed. There is a four hour maximum for boat construction. Some points are awarded for how fast the boats can be paddled around the triangle course in front of the spectators. Total course distance is about 300 yards.

Fred and Fuzz, local DJ's decorate their boat with polka dots and balloons. These clowns tried to sink everyone else after their finish and succeeded.

JOHN PURVES is a local tug, now retired and part of the maritime museum.

Drew and Kim go exploring on the bay in Sturgeon Bay,

Kim takes Matthew for a sunset cruise around Sturgeon Bay.

The five of us took our dingy over to the Door County Maritime Museum across the bay from our marina and spent the morning looking at exhibits on shipbuilding from the history of the Chris Craft Corporation to the building of warships and luxury yachts (Palmer Johnson boatyard, now bankrupt, was here). Lots of information on the people that made all this happen. Other exhibits are about the weather and storms (November 1913 storm sunk 20 ships) and shipwrecks and salvage operations. All in all one of the better maritime museums.

Antique inboard launch with fringe on the canopy.

Linda and Matt checking the size of a diesel engine. Matt has seen the engines in KOKOMO II and says this engine is much larger. He is right.

Drew, Matthew, Kim and Linda 'acting out' ready to board the lifeboat from a ship in distress. This pilothouse (listing) was part of the 1913 storm exhibit.

Kim and Drew check out the large steering wheel in a pilothouse exhibit.