[Rhodes22-list] Facilities Available In The Apostle Islands?

[ROGER PIHLAJA]

Hi Jesse,

Thanks for the info, it’s very helpful.  We usually try to beach camp on trips like this.  I know there is a small NPS pier and 3 backcountry campsites on Sand Island.  But, the NPS pier is on the east side of the island and pretty exposed.  There are nice hiking trails, a lighthouse, a sea stack, and sea caves on Sand Island.  The best sea caves in the whole archipelago are in Squaw Bay, which is only a few miles southwest from Sand Island.  We put-in at a beach on Siskiwitt Bay a few miles south on the west side of the Bayfield Peninsula and did a day trip loop in our kayaks to visit the Squaw Bay sea caves.  But, it was a calm day and I remember some boats at anchor just offshore from the Squaw Bay sea caves.  On our sea kayaking trip, we beach camped on a deserted beach in the southeast corner of York Island.  But, there is no good anchorage there and it’s a pretty exposed site, so that’s not a viable option this time around.  Is there any way to dock or anchor overnight in the vicinity of the Visitor Center on Stockton Island?  Supposedly, Devils Island has a lighthouse, sea caves, and arches.  It would be nice to spend a night there.  But, it could be pretty risky as Devil’s Island is the northernmost island in the archipelago.

By the way, the next time you visit the Apostle Islands, if conditions permit (i.e. dead calm), you should consider anchoring out and taking your dingy into the sea caves on either Sand Island or Squaw Bay.  You can’t really appreciate the sea caves from the mother ship and you can’t see them from the hiking trails on top of the cliff.  You have to get into them in a small boat.  Some of the sea caves will be too narrow for a dingy; but, there are many caves you will be able to explore.  Remember to bring a headlight and wear gloves so you can move hand-over-hand along the rock.  Canoe paddles will work better vs. oars and don’t even think about firing up your outboard inside the caves – too many prop killing rocks and ledges!  It’s an experience you will remember all your life!

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10

From: Jesse Shumaker<mailto:jesse.laten.shumaker at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 10:20 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Facilities Available In The Apostle Islands?

Hi Roger, I had good experiences on both trips to the Apostle Islands this
summer and learned a lot.  Your request gave me an excuse to do a brief
writeup on the trips including an overview, general info, and some
photos..  You can access that at the following link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11de_-DynpiEc6D-zMGJbfU9BvzTBvDDK/view?usp=sharing

I will definitely return to these sailing grounds.  I would really like to
make a trip to Grand Marais and Isle Royale.  If there's any specific info
you're looking for that I didn't cover in the attached document, please let
me know and I'll try to help.

Jesse Shumaker
S/V Zephyr

On Wed, Sep 16, 2020 at 8:55 AM ROGER PIHLAJA <roger_pihlaja at msn.com> wrote:

> Hi Jesse,
>
> Before I propose the idea of a Sailing/Kayaking High Adventure Trip in the
> Apostle Islands next summer to my family, I would like to have some local
> knowledge about the archipelago.  From your recent charter trip, do you
> have any insights regarding good anchorages, transient boat slips,
> restaurants, grocery stores, marinas, etc.; especially in the outer
> islands?  Do you have a good navigation reference resource?
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
> Windows 10
>
> From: Jesse Shumaker<mailto:jesse.laten.shumaker at gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 4:23 PM
> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] sailing in Grand Traverse Bay in Michigan
>
> Jeanneau 379.  Definitely bigger than what we need, and a couple of steps
> up from the Jeanneau 33 that we chartered in Apostle Islands, but that is
> what is available on short notice.  We'll have some family on board, one of
> which is a sailor out of Traverse City so that will be helpful.  I'm
> curious to try the IMF on a larger boat.  Our itinerary will depend on
> weather conditions.
>
> Jesse Shumaker
> S/V Zephyr
>
> On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 2:41 PM Tom Van Heule <
> tom.vanheule at intrinsicprograms.com> wrote:
>
> > What are you chartering?
> >
> > I spent 20+ years in west michigan.  Beautiful.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sun, Sep 13, 2020, 6:05 PM Jesse Shumaker <
> > jesse.laten.shumaker at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > My wife and I had sailing plans out west, but that has been rescheduled
> > due
> > > to the wildfires and resulting air quality.  I really feel bad for
> > > everyone affected by that on top of everything else delivered by this
> > crazy
> > > year of 2020.
> > >
> > > We swiftly changed plans and will be chartering a sailboat out of
> > Traverse
> > > City, Michigan
> > > later this month.  We're actually going to be up there again in the
> > middle
> > > of next summer.  We have some family nearby that will be joining us on
> > > board for part of the trip.  For this round we plan on spending most of
> > the
> > > time within Grand Traverse Bay and going as far North as Charlevoix or
> > > possibly Harbor Point in Little Traverse Bay.  Next summer we would
> like
> > to
> > > make it over to Beaver Island if weather permits.
> > >
> > > For the first day, we're going to hire a captain and practice docking
> and
> > > other boat handling since this will be a bigger boat for us.  We had to
> > go
> > > with what was available on short notice but end of season discounts
> help.
> > > It has IMF so it will be interesting to try that on a bigger boat.
> > >
> > > Tentative plan:
> > > Thursday  9/24 1 Captain - spend the night at Elmwood Marina in
> Traverse
> > > City
> > > Friday    9/25 2 Power Island & Sutton's Bay
> > > Saturday  9/26 3 Northport / Old Mission Bay
> > > Sunday    9/27 4 Charleviox / Harbor Point in Little Traverse Bay
> > > Monday    9/28 5 Omena Bay / Ingalls Bay
> > > Tuesday   9/29 6 Elk Rapids / Old Mission
> > > Wednesday 9/30 7 Return to Traverse City
> > >
> > > Would anyone on the list happen to be familiar with the area and have
> any
> > > recommendations?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Jesse Shumaker
> > > S/V Zephyr
> > >
> >
>
>