I have talked about my love for sailing, and our sailboat, Celebration. With the 4th of July falling on a Thursday, which is the normal delivery day for the Northern Sentry, everything moved up a day. Stories and ads were due on Monday at Noon. The paper went to press on Tuesday at Noon. And well, it just made a lot of sense to just pack up the boat for what would be a 5-day holiday weekend vacation.

Thinking Ahead
A sailboat is limited in space, so packing for 5 days is more like packing for a tent camping trip than an RV vacation. You need to have enough cooler space for lots of ice, and lots of food. Remember, no grocery stores out on the lake; let’s see, that’s a total of 12 meals. We certainly don’t want to skip on meal quality, so lots of fresh fruits and veggies to go along with the normal meat and carbs (a health way to say meat and potatoes I guess).

We go with 3 different coolers on longer trips. We just purchase a YETI. (not supposed to be commercial when writing articles, but I am sold on YETI products). The quality of the YETI made it perfect for packing a lot of ice, and frozen goods like fish, chicken, and beef. You plan limited access to the YETI. Once a day to get your frozen food out for the day, and maybe a second trip for drinks like milk, etc. I could go into more details on our food packing rationale, but in short, the second cooler was for drinks, and the third cooler-an ice box on the boat, was packed with the “don’t need to keep them super cold” items like cheese, veggies, etc.

A Spectacular 4th of July
We had made the decision to spend the 4th of July on the dock at Ft. Stevenson’s Garrison Bay Marina. In recent years the two cabin sites on the Garrison Bay have provided a great 4th of July fireworks display, and this year was absolutely amazing! I wish I had been able to have my grandkids with us. First, there were no mosquitoes. Second, it got dark a little earlier because it was cloudy, so the fireworks started shortly after 10 PM. Third, the temperature might have been a bit chilly, but is was comfortable with a hooded sweatshirt and a blanket. Last, the display lasted for well over 2 hours. We aren’t talking firecrackers and bottle rockets, there were several, probably 20, cabins that had continuous fireworks. Amazing, awesome…and a sure family pleasing event to put on your calendar for next year. Lots of room to park your car in the marina parking lot and watch the fireworks display. There are even restrooms on the west side of the marina concessions.

Passion
In almost everything you do that we may call a hobby, there is a passion for the final outcome. So, it is with sailing. With a sailboat, you just don’t point and go. You use the wind to propel your boat to a pre-determined destination. We will skip over a couple of our evening destinations to Moose Bay. As the crow flies, Moose Bay is straight south of Ryder, North Dakota. Tucked into the landscape, the bay provides protection from both the wind and the waves of Lake Sakakawea. Your boat is tied to shore and protected from the elements. A thunderstorm appears on the horizon. No problem. Sailboats were built for dealing with inclimate weather. If you are secured to shore, which we were, the thunderstorm was just kind of an inconvenience. Eventually it blew over and we got on with the business of cooking supper. A bit of a disappointment, no moose in Moose Bay. Stories go that early boaters would catch a glimpse of them once in a while, but not on this trip. Instead, we watch as the sun emerged from behind the storm giving an absolute gorgeous orange glow to the hills around Moose Bay. Yep, well worth the trip. And then reality hits, we need to return to the marina tomorrow. All good things must end…

Sailboating 101
People question us about our sailing passion. Most common question? How do you guys get along for 5 days on the boat. Don’t you disagree (argue)? Think about it…if you have a knockdown, drag out argument, where are you going to go? On a boat each has their responsibility. It’s a “get ‘er done” attitude.

Next, we get asked; is there a stove? Yes, a small 2-burner alcohol stove and an outside BBQ propane grill.
Is there a bathroom? Of course. Like an RV, there are holding tanks.
Is there a shower? Yes, but it isn’t very practical. Probably more accurate to say, no shower.
How many can sleep on your boat? Well in the sales information it says 6. Comfortably 4. Best case scenario, 2.

And Then It Ends
We’re not sailing experts, but we are passionate about sailing. There is nothing like the sound of silence. You hear the water rushing under the boat, but soon it is just part of the ambiance of a sailboat. We live just 48 miles from one of the greatest lakes for sailing in the United States. The opportunity is there, and we have grasped that opportunity.

Best Kept Secrets
I am going to go with the fireworks on Garrison Bay. I know it’s a year until it happens again. But you heard it from me, “they were awesome!” Mark your calendars, and we’ll see you next year. PS-Except for the park entrance fee, the fireworks display is absolutely free!

Today’s Chuckle
The reason it’s taking scientists so long to map the human brain is all the dead ends and detours they’ve found along the way.