Nine small boathouses stand sandwiched on a slip of land that juts out into Chequamegon Bay, just beyond downtown Ashland, Wisconsin.
Gene Brinker says growing up he and friends spent hours exploring the peninsula, which locals strangely call “an island”
“This peninsula here is called Gilligan’s Island and there’s some makeshift areas where kids can hang out and the waters always warm in the inside of here so it’s a great place for people to come and that’s been the case for long before I was here,” Brinker said.
Brinker was also attracted to the modest boathouses lining the shore. Traditionally their owners passed them down to the next generation.
But this spring, an opportunity fell into Brinker’s lap.
“I’m good friends of a neighbor here and he mentioned that an old classmate of his was thinking about selling it and I called him that night and bought it the next morning and the rest is history,” Brinker said.
The boathouse Brinker felt lucky enough to buy was one that looked pretty shakingready to collapse.
With water lapping over its edges, the foundation and structure were crumbling.
“All of the studs that are rotten, I’m replacing them one by one. We need new underneath framing that was just about gone. There was just dirt, so now there’s a usable floo,” Brinker said.
Brinker is repurposing materials as much as possible – including the galvanized tin to coat the exterior.
“Is just the way they were built back then. And I’m reusing every piece that hasn’t rusted through. And if it’s even bits and pieces, we’ll put that up and just overlap it to keep out the weather,” Brinker said.
And he doesn’t plan to gussy up the outside with paint. "Nope, I like the rustic look. This is what you expect to see when you come down here,” Brinker said.
But its interior won’t be rustic. Brinker hopes his three kids come to love the boathouse.
"Insulate it and put in electricity because I want to be here in the winter too, if people want to ice fish. I’ll put in a loft with a bed and a gable window to look out at the lake from the gable end…..I’m sure the girls will have their girlfriends here and they’ll be studying during the year and horsing around on the weekends, whatever. It’ll get passed on to them and hopefully if they decide to have kids, it’ll be passed on to them,” Brinker said.
Brinker admits he doesn’t fit the traditional mold of boathouse owner. In fact, he doesn’t even have a boat.
“I’m probably the rare breed. I don’t fish or boat. I just love to be on the water watching it. It’s the sound of it, the views. You can’t beat it. We’re very fortunate,” Brinker said.
Brinker is a patrol sergeant in Ashland.
Tonight, he’ll don his uniform with his fellow officers and firefighters for the annual “fire run” parade. Then he’ll dash to his boathouse to experience the fireworks over Chequamegon Bay with his family.
Brinker is philosophical about his new investment. The city owns the land. He’s allowed to maintain the structure on which it stands.
“Maintain what’s there. You can’t change dimensions or put it out further into the water than it was. Or infringe on your neighbors on either direction. It can’t be moved physically from this spot. If for some reason the weather came and blew these all into the lake and it’s bits and pieces, that’s the end of it. That’s my understanding,” Brinker said.
In the meantime, Brinker aims to enjoy every minute of it.
