September 3 & 4, 2014 - DAY ONE AND TWO OF THE JOURNEY
Left Ludington at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 3, with plans to make it to Grand Haven.  Thanks to Susan Hamm and Jim Webster for the send-off from our Pere Pointe dock (including a bottle of wine) and thanks to a group of Pentwater friends who came barreling out of the Pentwater channel on LaBeeber's pontoon to cheer and wish us well. It was a great rush of joy to have our friends...Nauta's, LaBarge/Beeber, Messerlie, and Jenna Winn racing alongside with their cameras glued to their faces and their arms waving with vigor.

Taken on the dock at Pere Pointe

Our pontooning friends sending cheers

Taken by our friends on their pontoon

The weather was so beautiful that we continued cruising all the way to Holland, where we pulled into a slip at Macatawa Bay Yacht Club next to our "Bearly Movin'" friends Bill & Lisa.  Our first day could not have been better...great weather, loving send-off's, welcoming friends and "new friends" at MBYC where we were included in a cook-out and fine wine.  Today was spent getting things settled on the boat and this evening our friends Tom & Amy Hamel came to join us for dinner.  We had a delightful evening ride on the boat to Boatwerks restaurant where we enjoyed dinner on the deck and a leisurely cruise back to the slip.  As I write this we are enjoying a tremendous light show...lightning dancing and thunder rumbling in the distance.

Friends Bill & Lisa Ruoff

View from the top deck of MBYC