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Post details: July 4-6, 2002 -- Apostle Islands

07/04/02

Permalink 10:45:19 pm, Categories: Adventures, 1076 words   English (US)

July 4-6, 2002 -- Apostle Islands

Posted by Karen A. Brown


We visited the big water for the first time of the 2002 season over the Independence holiday. We couldn't have paid for a better weekend. We got up on the fourth on our usual time, not wanting to get up super early and wear ourselves out. We hit the road shortly after seven a.m. and arrived in the Little Sand Bay harbor before lunchtime. As we're getting better and better at setup, we had her packed, the mast up and the boat in the water before an hour was out.

[Our Cabin on the Lake] Since we had been on the road and working hard for hours, our only interest was in feeling the wind in our hair. We put the motor down and took a ride for Rocky Island. The weather forecast called for easterly winds that night, so we thought Rocky a perfect location for dinner, a relaxing evening on the beach and a comfortable night's anchorage.


It's about a fourteen mile trip depending on the route you take and how much sight seeing you do. We left Little Sand Bay and headed towards the neck on Rocky Island, passing by York, the York Island Shoals and rounding the north end of Bear before finally rounding Rocky. We found a place to beach her where there would be a natural screen of trees separating us from the campers at the other end of the beach. We pulled down drinks and chairs and sat back and breathed a collective sigh of contentment. We watched as other sailboats rounded Devil's, playing in the lake and felt the cooling air of the water off the lake.

After relaxing for a while we built a small fire and made dinner, which we further enjoyed alongside the water. During dinner the wind picked up and shifted slightly to the north, making us wonder about our decision to anchor there for the night. The island is a great one for an anchorage if you're looking for protection from the wind from the east, southeast, south or southwest, but if the wind shifts to much to the north, the island's protection is lost. Because of this shift in wind and the need for a good night's sleep, we decided to return to the protection of the Little Sand Bay dockage if there was space available. We got lucky and found a spot to tie up and got ready for bed.

We had a very restful night, despite being anchored next to a full campground of kids, and started Friday ready for sail.

Since it's always best to have a destination in mind, we chose to visit an island we hadn't seen before and try and get some good pictures along the way. We decided on Stockton Island, hoping for a look at the balancing rocks. An extra bonus, there should be a good anchorage or two on the island for the east, northeast windows expected that evening.

I could not believe the winds that day! We really couldn't have asked for anything better. Additionally, we both felt so much better about our sailing abilities after that sail. We threw out the Genoa and left the main full sending out all the canvas we had. We had winds that were sending out whitecaps and blowing other boats about. But we set the sails and rode the wind. At one point we were heeled over enough that I was standing in my seat instead of sitting.

We flew with the wind as long as we could until we were on the lee side of Oak Island and the winds deserted us. We ghosted along on what wind we could find for as long as we could before we finally gave up and started the motor. I'll never cease to be amazed by the power the wind has as well as how choosey she is. At one part of the islands we're flying along like the four horsemen were upon us. Another we couldn't scare a breath to keep the genny in shape. As we came out of the lee of Oak and began across the open water towards Stockton the winds picked up again and began to show signs of confusion. Also, looking across towards Presque Isle we could count a good dozen boats playing between Madeline and Stockton. In the past we'd been vigilant about avoiding the more popular parts of the area, preferring the peace and solitude of the outer islands to the cacophony that comes from the popular spots. Seeing al those boats, in addition to the increased confusion of the waves, made us decide to find a place to anchor for dinner and maybe for the night. As exhilarating as sailing can be, it's also tiring and we both could use a bit of a break.

We took a look at the maps and listened to the forecast and determined we needed an anchorage suitable for north to northeasterly windows. We decided to head for Cat Island to take a look at the sandspit at the tail of the island or further north to the core in the neck.

Deciding on the neck we searched for suitable anchorage. The map makes the neck of the cat look like an excellent anchorage, however, the clear water quickly belies that idea. The bottom of this bay is strewn with rocks and boulders with the occasional patch of sand. After a while we finally found a good spot and set her down, though not as close in as we would like. Since we were a little uncertain of our anchorage, Troy was a little concerned so he threw out a stern anchor. It turned out to be a very wise decision as the wind shifted in the night waking him up. He reset the stern and we both went back to sleep. It's amazing how well we sleep on the water, the sound of the waves against the land, the gentle rocking, the birds calling to each other. You feel like you're alone in the world. It's amazing.

After a good night's sleep we woke early to a slightly overcast and significantly diminished wind day. We reviewed the map, plotted our course and set of in search of the wind. We knew we had to be off the lake that day so a nice, lazy cruise back to Little Sand Bay was just what the doctor ordered.

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