News from Rivertown

By Heather Lake

The phrase “come hell or high water” dates back to the late nineteenth century. It is a declaration of intent, professing determination to do whatever it takes to overcome difficulty or obstacles. Everyone has been affected in some way by the challenges 2020 delivered, including Walstrom Marine.

The five-week closure of our facility, mandated by COVID-19, was unprecedented. With winter projects and service nearing completion and commissioning on the horizon, everything came to a sudden and unexpected halt in late March. When and how would we be able to complete the jobs requested by our customers? With our storage buildings filled to capacity, we had full schedules for our technicians, and each week of the closure put us further behind. A few of us were able to work from home, answering phone calls and email messages, or check in at the office long enough to retrieve the mail or prepare bank deposits. We did our best to stay on top of things in a very uncertain time.

With a pandemic wreaking havoc across the globe, Walstrom Marine rose to the occasion to give back to the communities that support us, and donated cases of gloves to McLaren’s Cheboygan Campus and to McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey. The items were received with much appreciation and made everyone on the staff feel proud to be members of such a thoughtful and generous company.

When we finally returned to work, masks and social distancing were strictly adhered to, and we gave it our all to complete the winter jobs, commissioning, and get all the boats launched in a timely manner. We had a busy crew! A few jobs were postponed, but with hard work and determination, our team was able to deliver either on time, or with only a slight delay. For the customers who opted not to launch their boats this summer due to COVID-19, Walstrom Marine graciously waived the summer storage fee in an attempt to ease any financial burden during an already difficult time.

Having made it through the “hell” of the closure and the ensuing long and busy days to get the season underway, we then had to deal with “high water.” Like many other marinas across the state, the water level in the Cheboygan River created issues at some of our docks, leaving the

junction boxes under water, resulting in no electricity. Because of this, we weren’t able to utilize sixteen of our slips, but once again, we made the best of the situation.

Our team is strong with great resolve and we pulled together to overcome the challenging start of the 2020 boating season. Several impressive projects were completed in Cheboygan, including the installation of new electronics and a custom dash panel in a 70’ Marquis Motor Yacht, as well as the removal of the entire aft section of its flybridge floor to redo the coring. Custom woodwork, electrical system updates, and the replacement of the galley appliances on a 75’ Burger led to a major paint job to be done during the 2020/2021 storage season.

Our service department remained busy throughout the summer and our storage buildings were filled for the 2020/2021 season earlier than ever. We even have a list of potential new customers interested in storing their boats with us for the 2021/2022 season!

It was a big day in mid-August when a barge arrived at our facility carrying the 82-ton Travelift from Walstrom Marine’s Harbor Springs location to swap with Cheboygan’s 70-ton lift. Cheboygan stores the larger vessels, so it was a logical move. The crew watched as the lift was offloaded at its new home in Cheboygan. The loading of the 70-ton lift required a bit of finesse, but before long, it was gliding down the river on the barge, en route to Harbor Springs.

We made it successfully through hell and high water and came out on the other side. It is through adversity that we gain strength and prove what we are made of. It was a historic year, with much conflict in the world and close to home. A severe storm in mid-July tore the roof off the back of Bishop Baraga Catholic school, causing extensive damage and flooding. In another gesture of goodwill, Walstrom Marine donated $10,000 to the rebuilding of the school, which is attended by the children of three of our employees.

As we begin our 75th year in operation, we thank you, our customers for your continued support and wish you good health in 2021. Be safe, and together, let’s look forward to the return of bright and carefree days!