without getting into too many boring details, due to current employment situations my wife and I have a tough time getting multiple days in a row off, my wife in particular. Three day weekends are pretty much it right now so the majority of that would be taken up traveling to and from the boat if it were someplace other than here.

Anything on a trailer here is, in my opinion, no longer a viable option. Strange as it sounds, with the invasion of zebra mussels and the concentrated effort to clean up the lake and bay over the last 10-15 years, this has become a national hot bed for fishing. The local launch ramps are now packed past capacity with trucks and fishing boats, Bassmasters, the National walleye tours and other fishing contests fill the water and local hotels. Never saw anything like it Larry. Trying not to stereotype either, but frankly I have never met a fisherman at a launch ramp that wasn't rude and inconsiderate. Put them in the mix with the clueless pleasure boaters and the stress level goes sky high.

My plan is to look at what we have in our area and use it in a different way next summer. There is a basin in the marina on the local state park that is very pristine and an overnight anchorage. Perhaps a nice daysail, followed by overnight stays in the basin will give the illusion of a destination. In addition, there has been money designated for dredging of a very picturesque, but very shallow harbor just over the NY state line. That would be just about the right distance for a long weekend sail. Right now it is so shallow that anything but a skiff is out of the question. Dredging was started but the weather prevented much progress from being made. The third plan is to go west and use a small state park marina just over the Ohio line as a destination. I have talked to them on the phone and they assure us that the marina is deep enough and that transient slips are available most weekends. We plan on investigating both of those this fall in the car.