sturgeon bay 7-29

Ships Log July 29 - August 2, 2005Fish Creek

The Alibi Marina was full for the first few days we arrived in Fish Creek, so we anchored in the bay. This was the first time we had anchored on this trip and so we were a bit nervous. There was a buoy mooring field at the far end of the bay and anchoring was allowed in front of the mooring field. Rana brought Raven slowly around the anchorage while Mike stood in the bow and readied the 45 pound CQR on 5/16" chain. Since we were the only boat anchoring, we could easily choose a spot clear of the channel and an optimum distance from all shores. We laid down 70 feet of chain in 12 feet of water. We spent some time lining up objects on the shore to assure that we were not dragging anchor. We also set an anchor alarm on the chart plotter, just to be sure. Next, we inflated the dingy and lowered it into the water with the spinnaker halyard. We put the folded bikes into the dingy and Mike rowed them to shore. Since we were intending to bike into Peninsula Park to watch a performance by the American Folk Theater, Mike rowed to the Park shore, rather than to the dingy dock in Fish Creek, on the opposite side of the bay. This saved a few miles of biking, but meant wading the dingy ashore and hiding it in the bushes - a wet proposition. Mike assembled the bikes and rowed back to pick up Rana (there was only room in the dingy for passenger or the two bikes). We biked into the Park at sunset and just made the curtain for "Bone Dance", a spooky international folk tale musical created and performed by the American Folk Theater. It was terrific, especially the masks and innovative puppets. We have been attending AFT performances for years, including "Lumberjacks in Love", "Loose Lips Sink Ships", "Packer Fans From Outer Space" and this year "Bone Dance" and "Muskie Love" the following night.

The ride back to the dingy and the row out to Raven was under a moonless but blazing star-dense sky. These late night bike rides through the Park are some of our happiest memories. The quiet anchorage under the stars was the most romantic moment of the voyage to date.

We have to do much more of this!

We really enjoy Door County for the beautiful surroundings, good sailing, fresh air and numerous cultural opportunities. We decided to stay five nights in order to see the two performances of the AFT, "Red Herring" by the Peninsula Players and "A Comedy of Errors" by the Door County Shakespeare Troupe in Bailey's Harbor. The excellent live performances are substantially enhanced by the atmosphere of the natural surroundings, play of waning light and smells of the deep forest. It's magic! 70th anniversary of Pen Players; original barn stage being torn down end of this season.

For a bit of a change, our final night in Fish Creek, we took our bikes to the drive-in to see Johnny Depp in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

During the days, we visited Fish Creek, Sister Bay, and Gills Rock, including the Door County Maritime Museum and spent much time in Peninsula Park. The park was established in 1909 and is a 3776 acre state treasure. Nearly seven miles of Green Bay shoreline wrap around a landscape of northern pine, cedar, birch and hardwood forest, meadows, wetlands and dolomite cliffs. The first permanent settler of Door County was Increase Claflin who built his cabin on the current site of Peninsula State Park in 1830.

"A jolly good town is Old Fish Creek. The best on the pike, I know; With it's back to the rock and it's face to the sea, Where the rollicking breezes blow. As snug as a bug in an old woolen rug, It lies there embowered in green; You may go where you like, on any old pike, No cozier village is seen. When Old Father Claflin discovered Old Door, Some four score years ago, With Indians and black bear galore, And sturgeon - a wonderful show! He roamed the timber and cruised the shore, Delighted with all he did see; But when he saw Fish Creek he roamed no more, But said, "My home here shall be!"

From Old Peninsula Days - Tales and Sketches of the Door County Peninsula, by Hjalmar R. Holand