Hello all you happy M folks. First let me take this opportunity to apologize profusely for the lack of web updates. I have been a bit off the grid Marinette wise, but have not lacked for an active winter. With your assistance, I look forward to ramping up in anticipation of the upcoming boating season. AND, by your help, I mean submissions to share with our club members.

Betsy and I have had an exciting off-season thus far. We got to spend some of our winter break from university traveling west to see two of our sons and then a major jump to 2 weeks in Australia. What an exciting and wonderful experience. We traveled with a colleague of Betsy’s who had previously lived in Sydney for 20 years (and that was 25 years ago!). The trip consisted of reuniting with old and new friends and some great sight sightseeing. Over the course of 13 days, Betsy and I were fortunate enough to hike/walk a total of 115 miles.

A highlight of the trip for me was a sail on Sydney harbor on a new friends 44 Formosa ketch. The only words to describe the port of Sydney is WOW! I have never seen a mix of traffic like that in all my boating days. Cruise ships, fishing boats, ferries, day-sailors, kayaks, every type of craft you can imagine, all vying for the same piece of nautical real estate. My time at the helm was magical but not relaxing. Below is a quick picture of the action (Sydney Harbor Bridge).