Can I learn to sail around the world, on Lake Superior?

[Ex-Calif]

Steve R - Nice boat porn - Very pretty setting.

For a little out of the box thinking maybe Marty should sell his house buy a boat and move to the bahamas...

I think the common advice is organize it so you get out as much as possible.

[marty9876]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

For a little out of the box thinking maybe Marty should sell his house buy a boat and move to the bahamas...

Sold.

[Joli]

We're lucky being 15 minutes from the boat. The kids are able to race dinghies 4 nights a week and we can sail the big boat to the islands in a couple hours. If you can find a local sailing club that races you will learn quickly by crewing.

The Great Lakes are wonderful, lots of places to explore and fresh water. You can easily learn to sail here and can be challenged with any type of weather you want to test yourself. The downside is a short season, 5 months floating, 7 months on the hard.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by jdoe71

1. Is East Otter Cove behind Otter Island? Just looking at the charts for the north shore of Superior and I see Otter Cove but not East Otter cove.
2. Looks like a lot of decent anchorages in that area. What's the holding like?
3. Lake Ontario to Thunder Bay in 3 months, doable with rushing?

As Steve says, there are two Otter Coves, on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Both are fabulous anchorages, with lots of interesting attractions nearby.

We’d generally sail across the Lake from Thunder Bay to East Otter, then coastal day-cruise back home along the shore. The outward leg took between 24 to 36 hours (about 135 nm ?); and we’d spend 3 weeks gunkholing back, then scoot the remainder (whatever was left) home on the last day.


1. Yes.
East Otter Cove is located at Otter Head, behind Otter island (about 86.+ W) in Pukaskwa Park.
West otter Cove is located North of Brodeur Island & Loon Harbour (about 88.+ W), and East of Shesheeb Bay, on the Black Bay Peninsula.

2. Yes & good to Excellent.
Good anchorages every 10 to 20 miles along the shore.

3. Certainly.
We departed Lake Superior in 1992, stopping only at Thompson Island, and the two Otter Coves (to say “goodby” top our favourite spots), and haven’t been back up that way since. We departed Thompson Island (20m from Thunder Bay) July 20 and arrived Port Credit (Toronto) August 15 (25 Days Lk Superior to Lk Ontario). I’d consider our trip a "cruise", rather than an express cruise, and certainly not a delivery.

[jdoe71]

Originally Posted by jdoe71

Is East Otter Cove behind Otter Island? Just looking at the charts for the north shore of Superior and I see Otter Cove but not East Otter cove. Looks like a lot of decent anchorages in that area. What's the holding like?
Lake Ontario to Thunder Bay in 3 months, doable with rushing?

Thanks Steve and Gord for the replies on these questions.

My last question should have been "Lake Ontario to Thunder Bay AND RETURN WITHOUT rushing". Just hate when the fingers don't do what the brain is thinking.

This sounds like a great way to spend June to September, I am guessing the anchorages are not going to be crowded which is what we like.

[Steve Rust]

jdoe
I still think 3 months is plenty of time to make the round rip. If you like solitude the North Shore is your ticket. On my last trip there in 2005 we had two weeks and had company in Tee Harbour (3 Boats) Loon (5 boats) CPR/Squaw (3boats) these are some of the most popular anchorages. Everywhere else we were alone. Spent three days in the Slates and never saw another boat. There are very nice wood fired saunas at CPR/Squaw and Thompson Island putting these two places high on the list to spend a day or three. There is one at Loon also but it is well hidden and a little more rustic.

Leave some time for the North Channel and Georgian Bay in Lake Huron. You may not find as much solitude there but it is one of the gems of the Great Lakes and should not be missed.

[jdoe71]

Originally Posted by Steve Rust

jdoe
I still think 3 months is plenty of time to make the round rip. If you like solitude the North Shore is your ticket. On my last trip there in 2005 we had two weeks and had company in Tee Harbour (3 Boats) Loon (5 boats) CPR/Squaw (3boats) these are some of the most popular anchorages. Everywhere else we were alone. Spent three days in the Slates and never saw another boat. There are very nice wood fired saunas at CPR/Squaw and Thompson Island putting these two places high on the list to spend a day or three. There is one at Loon also but it is well hidden and a little more rustic.

Leave some time for the North Channel and Georgian Bay in Lake Huron. You may not find as much solitude there but it is one of the gems of the Great Lakes and should not be missed.

Have been looking at the west end of Superior, looks really crappy, lousy anchorages, too busy, cold, no facilities just rock and trees. Nobody should go there. Except me and my bride.

Gotta keep this gem quiet. Pretty damn tough to find solitude on the water nowadays.

We've done G. Bay up to about the French River several times but never had the time to do the N. Channel. That will change soon so figuring 4 months would give us lots of time to explore right out to T. Bay and back in a leisurely fashion. Thanks muchly for the info and mum's the word.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Steve Rust

jdoe
I still think 3 months is plenty of time to make the round rip...

Me three ...
25 days up, 25 on the north shore, and 25 down = 75 days, allows 15 days for the N. Chanel (Huron).
The 25 day trips only include a couple of overniters, and lots of shore parties.

[Steve Rust]

Yes jdoe, after taking off my rose colored glasses I do remember that it mostly sucks. The fog, rain, and the ice even in July. And the bears and wolves, don't get me started about them.

[Snowshoe]

I have not read through all three pages of this thread so forgive me if I am adding something already stated. Lake Superior is not 4 hours from anywhere in the Minneapolis area. Duluth MN and Superior WI which are two hours away both have adequate marinas. If the Lake gets is particularly uncomfortable or you want a shorter day sail you can always goof around in St. Louis Bay. You will not get the Apostle Islands but you can make it a cruise to there from Duluth or Superior and gain the experience you are looking for. I will agree others that have stated no matter what you choose to do the trick is get out there and do it!

[higgs]

Tim Kent, from Milwaukee, WI finished 2nd in the open 50 class of the last Around Alone race. Until he bought Everest Horizontal, the boat he used in the race, he was a Lake Michigan sailor.

[Rez]

Lake Superior is the 3rd most dangerous body of water in the world. If you can sail Superior you can definitely sail the world.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Rez

Lake Superior is the 3rd most dangerous body of water in the world...

Interesting ranking. How do you come to that conclusion (I’m not debating), and what would be the others?
? Southern Ocean?
? X ?

“According to U.S. Coast Guard data, ‘xxx’* nears the top of the charts in accidents, making it the third-most dangerous waterway in the country.”

I just can’t bear to give this one away.
Goto link, and be surprised by the several most dangerous US waters
Westside Star - Westside News

What about Michigan?

[marty9876]

I think where ever I'm sailing might increase the overall danger level for everyone else there...

[Steve Rust]

We will have to fasten a nice big innertube to your bow so you will bounce off the sides of our boats while we are anchored and sipping our sundowners