“Liquid Heaven” (3) – Special Pictures and Memories – Boat Landing and Dock (1) – 1945 – 2022

Our Family Island Retreat was purchased in 1945 from Rusty Heurlin’s family because they no longer used it and Grandpa’s family was growing. Grandpa and his children thoroughly enjoyed any time they spent there.

I am on the Island spending time with my daughters and their families – and even a few days by myself – a very special time to restore my soul.

From now until the end of summer or even into the fall, on the weekends, I will be posting pictures of locations on the Island and sharing stories and memories of these unique places. I hope you can enjoy a few peaceful moments while I share these memories with you.

1. Dock and Boat Landing

2. The Point

3. Bathtub Rock

4. Big Rock

5. Sunset Rock

6. Sandy Beach, Big Flat Rock (to the left, Baby Beach)

7. Toothpaste Landing

8. & 9. – Screen Porch and Cook Cabin

10. Sleeping Cabin

11. Fire Pit and Sheba 

This dock was a replacement dock constructed after about 20 years of use. It followed the same construction principles of the first dock and was in the same place, on the lee side of the Island, between the Island and the mainland, only about 75 feet away.

When I was very young and my family went to the Island, there was an old dock at the end of the Island closest to States Landing, the Town Beach. It was about 3 feet wide and 20 feet long. It was destroyed by a winter storm or hurricane. The Following spring, my Father (Lad) and his buddies designed a new dock, 16 feet by 16 feet, made of wood and designed to float on 55-gallon plastic barrels. It was anchored to the Island by chains imbedded in the rocks. 

The dock is out of view to the left of the Boat tie-ups. This way, the children could swim off the dock without having to move the boats every time. The water was about 15 feet deep and was a perfect place to jump or dive off. When we had a 25 foot speed boat, water skiers would take off from a sitting position to one ide of the dock, make two large circles around Little Ganzy Island, then my Dad would drive the boat into the entrance to the small pass between the Island and the mainland, the skier would make a big circle outside the wake and turn so that they could sit down on the dock and their bathing suits would remain dry the entire time.

One afternoon, the younger children were swimming off the dock and it was quite wet and slippery. I took off from the side and after my turn, made a big circle to come in and sit down on the dock. The problem was that the dock was so slippery that I sat down at one end and slid on the wet wood all the way to the other end and landed in the water. I was upset that I actually had to get wet…

Next weekend I will post some more Special Pictures and Memories of “Liquid Heaven”, our special Island Retreat.

Judy Guion

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