Many Moons Goes To Bed

Our floating home isn’t floating any more. After her 6,200-mile journey through 19 states followed by 2+ leisurely months in her home waters, Mainship Many Moons has been lifted from the water at tiny Pequaming Marina on Keweenaw Bay. She still flies the gold burgee that identifies her as a “finisher” of The Great Loop.

Here on Lake Superior, the wintertime threat to boats is ice; if they aren’t pulled out, they will be crushed by it. In salt water, the threat is corrosion; many boats in the south move to land for that reason.

Pulling a 20,000-pound boat out of the water is no small thing. It takes a heavy-duty boat lift, precise adjustments, and patience. First, you put the boat into a huge canvas sling. Then you lift it up (slowly) and move it forward (slowly) until it hovers above the trailer, precisely positioned over the center. Then you let it down. (Slowly.)

The next step will be to tow it to Jeff’s yard. That’s no small thing either, since it must travel up a steep hill. I’ve seen it towed twice, by Jeff’s half-ton truck, and I held my breath–partly because he had to move phone lines in order to pass under them. He’s worked hard this summer to lower the boat’s tow profile by lowering the trailer, welding new supports and adding pads and jacks for security. Unfortunately, I won’t be here to witness the tow since I leave for the East Coast tomorrow. But after all that boat has been through the past year, I think it’ll survive its final journey of 2022!

Good night, Many Moons. Thank you for keeping us safe. See ya next summer.

See photos of the boat-lift operation below. (To read the statistics from Many Moons’ Great Loop journey, click here.)