Abandon Ship!

Well, not really. The ship is just fine, nestled securely in a dock at Houghton, MI. The crew has disbanded - John and Ed return to work, Scott returns to his family, Ed and Bob are back in Lac La Belle, and Mark is driving across the UP to his wife in Duluth.

I figured the next time I would see Mark, he would be waving to me from the helm of Mazurka, stopping Park Point traffic as the Aerial Lift Bridge rose to let his ship pass.

Instead, I'll see him in about two hours when he drives up in his brother's pick-up truck.

The captain returns to Minnesota to close on his other house, his land-based house, and move his land-based furniture and belongings to our new North Shore 1895 residence.

Mark will then drive back to the UP to retrieve his first home and bring her by water to the Twin Ports with his crew of Ed, Bobby, and Wendell.

Sound confusing? You bet. But the engine will be repaired, the gale force winds will have died down, and the crew will be rested.

I am very glad I opted to stay on land for this trip.

If you still need a Mazurka cruising fix while the crew takes a hiatus, check out my recent article in the Chicago Sun-Times travel section: Third Coast Charms.


(Leaving Milwaukee on a calm day along the Third Coast.)