Well, first things first...GO RED WINGS!  They actually beat up on Chicago for the first time this season.  Maybe there's life to the winged wheel after all.

Now, back to boating.  I woke up this morning to the pitter-patter sound of rain on the deck.  Same as it was ALL night long.  At least the lake levels are rising.

Since the weather wasn't suitable for boating, I began to tackle the unfinished chores.  First on the list was to install a new stereo radio in the empty hole.

I pulled the wires out and read the installation instructions for the new unit, and what's this yellow power wire for?  Problem is, there's no power to it.  Ah hah! I think I've discovered the problem.

I checked the fuse on it and that's OK but there is no power.  So the search begins.  Where does this wire go after it disappears into the cabin headliner?  I searched all the obvious places where wires come together in the boat but can't find the yellow power wire anywhere.  As a last ditch thought, I check near the battery.  After all, the manual said the yellow wire goes to the battery. 

...and what to my wondering eyes should appear? The yellow wire with a fuse holder.  Oh my, I think I hit the jackpot!!!

Of course there's already a fuse in this run right behind the radio where it's easy to locate.  So what is this doing here in the bilge of all places?

So I open the fuse holder and son of a gun, there's the gremlin I've been chasing for a few weeks.

Problem solved.

Next item on the list...launch the dinghy.  That's really no big deal and in an hour I had it in the water and ready to go.

While I tended to the chores, the clouds parted, the wind died and I took the opportunity to cast off and head out the channel to test the motors and if all goes well, maybe put a few lines in the water.

Off to the "Double Zeros" north of the harbor.

And set a few lines.  Since I have no mate yet, I'm limited to three rods.  It's not warm enough for "her" yet.

With lines set, I meandered toward deeper water hoping to find a fish somewhere nearby.

Marks on the sonar.  Maybe I'm on to something here.

And then it happened,  The first fish of the season...and the only fish of the day.  A small salmon but it's a beginning.  Like I've said, I'm pacing myself.  No need for a trophy the first time out.  Baby steps.

I continued to wander around the lake for a bit.  It was a perfect lake this afternoon.

But all good things must come to an end.  It was time to head back to the harbor. 

The carburetor adjustments that were done a week ago seem to have the motors running well.  It's kind of hard to tell so I'll give it a couple trips before I decide if I need any further work done.

So the day is done and the sun is setting in the west.  There's promise for a calm lake tomorrow.

Until then...

It's been a struggle this year to get everything "ship" shape and the enthusiasm to maintain the blog hasn't been there.  I did leave the dock for a shake down run to evaluate the motor performance.  The result was, I probably won't be stranded anywhere, but the starboard motor is not running as smooth as it should.

Even then, it felt good to be back in the saddle again.

I've been busy all day, every day that I've been in Ludington so haven't caught any of the famous Lake Michigan sunsets yet this year.  I did happen to get a peak at a Ludington sunrise.  It's not nearly as dramatic as the evening event.

Last Sunday, a couple friends kept me company for a while.

So, what follows four days of warm weather and calm seas?  Friday, of course...and a forecast of rain, wind, and cold.  I'll concede to Mother Nature this weekend and use the time to get some things done around the ranch. 

The mechanic was at the boat this week and found the carburetor needed some adjustment.  Hopefully, that will clear up the motor ills.  Everything else is ready to go for the season.

Until next week.

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I arrived Friday to find the boat in the slip as expected...

...but then the issues surfaced and the weekend full of work began so I did not take time for photo opportunities.  This year's photo story will have to wait for just a bit later.

The weekend "fun" included cleaning and waxing the deck (oh, my aching knees!), installing a new fresh water pump, troubleshooting a dead stereo, and loading and stowing all the summer gear.  There's also the issue of a rough running starboard motor.  I suspect it's a case of some winter cobwebs but that is yet to be determined.  At least it runs.

Up next is to solve the motor problem, install a new bilge blower, and replace the valve seals in the head.  After that trio, we should be ready for summer fun.