A year and a half ago we bought our 45 year old fiberglass boat. Everything wobbled, the rudder the life lines, the keel winch. The electrical system was a rats nest, the anchor was a toy and I wanted to burn the outboard motor. But the soft old sails carried it along and we had wonderful times learning to tack and jibe with friends and spending nights on the lake.

Then we were talking to our friends Jo Kibbee & her husband Doug about their cabin on Washington island in lake Michigan. The idea was born to sail up Green Bay to the island.

Suddenly everything about the boat and our skills had to measure up to the trip. Hard Tack spent 6 weeks in a warehouse where I replaced the whole electrical system, rebuilt the winch, added steel rails and a stern arch, new deck hardware, ladder, an electric motor and completely rebuilt the rudder. The old salt says " The problem is usually not too much wind, but too much sail" So we got and installed a roller furler. We bought a radio, emergency beacons, a radar reflector, and a new anchor and chain.

It all came to light a couple of weeks go when we sailed in the strongest wind we had ever sailed in with reduced sail. No problem. That night our anchor held in a sudden storm that had our friends all worried about us.