2023 Sailing Milestones

2022 ⛵ Recap

It’s difficult to put into words our 1st sailing season on Lake Michigan.  I went through a whole range of emotions – nervous, scared, excited, satisfied, happy, frustrated, content, proud, fearful, uncomfortable, relieved … the list goes on … 

And that was just the first week!

Our Journey Home

Our season started in late May in Cheboygan, MI on Lake Huron just past the Mackinac Bridge.  With Scott’s help (Kyle’s dad), we sailed SV Zeke E Boy home to New Buffalo.  We learned to have a healthy respect for the lake and resolved to get better at weather watching and prediction. It was not a pleasant delivery, but humbled and sobered us for the season.

We decided that we’re cruisers – not racers, which means that we can be more cautious with our travels, take our time and go when conditions are more favorable.

We Survived!

With God’s grace, we survived the journey home and spent the next several weeks fixing up all of the systems that broke so SV Zeke E Boy was in better condition as we learned to sail in southeast Lake Michigan.  We took 14 more solo trips this summer, where we learned to work together, improve our communication and know our limits.  We know the weather window that we’re comfortable sailing in, and while we want to push ourselves, we don’t want to push too hard.  But there’s still so much to learn and grow as we adventure along Lake Michigan.

Making Memories for a lifetime

One of our most memorable times this summer was when the lake was dead calm, and Kyle and I both were able to jump off the boat and float about 5 miles offshore in crystal clear blue waters.  It was the best time! 

But we made many other memories on and offshore as we explored New Buffalo in late summer and early fall.

Winter Projects

This winter, we’re working on several projects to make SV Zeke E Boy even more comfortable and enjoyable next season. 

This means that we can stay on the boat for longer periods of time, and we’ll get even more familiar with her systems and how she operates.

Dreaming of the 2023 Season

During this off-season, we’re taking time to think about our 2023 sailing season goals and milestones.  Lake Michigan is big and beautiful but it’s also dangerous.  We need to continue to develop our sailing skills. 

This will improve with each passing season, but we also want to set goals & milestones to continue to get better – and to push ourselves out of the comfort zone.

Here’s our current list so far:

SMART Goals

Most of the items on the list are measurable, but some – like me (Kara) learning how to drive the boat – are difficult to quantify.  Regardless, it’s a goal to push towards. Perhaps a more measurable goal would be for me to drive the boat while leaving or coming into the harbor – Yikes! Again, something to strive for.

This list is a bit daunting.  If we accomplish it, we’ll triple the number of times that we’ve taken SV Zeke E Boy out in 2022!  And we’ll learn even more as sailors. 

Regardless if we succeed and complete the list of milestones or only get through a few of them, we’re looking forward to another exciting season on Lake Michigan in 2023!

What are your thoughts?

Let us know what you think of our exciting sailing adventures by sharing your feedback in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you – especially if you have any advice for us as new-ish sailors!

– Kara from Zeke Life

Live like Zeke
You’re such a good boy!