Lake Superior Grand Tour & Facts

[LakeSuperior]

Another nice picture from the Lake Superior North Shore.

[JC Reefer]

My wife and I have been looking to purchase a boat in the Great Lakes area and have been doing a lot of research. Seems like an amazing place to sail and to possibly start our adventure.

[danfarrell]

This will be my fifth year sailing, and my third in the apostle islands region of Superior. Ill share some thoughts from a newbie perspective.

While I found the big lake intimidating, and it certainly deserves the utmost respect, I was surprised by just how easy it is to sail the apostles. Sure, the weather can be pretty bad in the summer, but most of the take bad storms happen out of recreational boating season. The apostles are very approachable and it's ready easy to get started sailing up there. I'd encourage anyone in the vacinity to bring their boat, if it can handle bigger water.

In my experience, the weather in the apostles is not typically challenging. There's a decent amount of fetch from the south-southwest over chequamegon Bay, but you can avoid it and still have a fine sail. Same with Northeast winds, which can travel the length of the lake before hitting the apostles; but though this can kick up some intimidating waves in the North channel, the West channel is typically more protected at this Angle. The other wind directions are all over the mainland or over the islands, minimizing fetch and thus wave height.

I have had many more days up there with too little wind than too much. It's frankly a great place to have a reliable engine, as it's a big area and the wind is often inconsistent, standing you several miles between your dock and your destination. There's been many weekend where if I wasn't willing to kick on the engine to get through several calms, I would not have reached my target islands. The area is big!

Speaking of which, though it's not empty or remote by any means, there's a lot of space on the water because it's just so big. So it doesn't end up feeling busy if you're not competing with the La Pointe / Madeline island/ bayfield area ferry and recreational traffic. Lots of room on the water.

It's been a great place to up my skills and feel like I'm on bigger water and I've really enjoyed it. However, I don't want to give you the wrong impression; it's probably not a good idea to take an open boat far from shore. The water is deathly cold. Last summer someone fell off their boat and died before they were found. There were lots of boats looking, but without a life jacket they couldn't be spotted above the water. I wear one, and if I'm alone or the weather is blustery, I clip in too.

[Mike OReilly]

Nice post Dan. I spent a little time sailing the Apostles. Actually purchased my current boat from La Pointe. It’s a great cruising area; interesting, protected, and not too busy. Close to interesting urban areas as well, if that’s valued.

Another great protected area on Lake Superior is near Rossport/Nipigon Bay on the north shore. It is a large archipelago of islands which offers great protection from the Big Lake, but is quite interesting and diverse. Lots of good anchorages.

https://www.waterwayguide.com/explor...0&mode=service

[LakeSuperior]

What Mike is really saying, IMHO, is you are missing the best part of Lake Superior cruising. The Apostles are fairly low lying and with a fair population of boaters.

When you are ready to venture further from civilization the cruising gets much more interesting, the scenery becomes spectacular, and the anchorages are pretty much owned by you. As mentioned before, Isle Royale and the North Shore are pretty special cruising grounds.

[ArmyDaveNY]

I remember an IMAX special called North of Superior. It really gives you a great idea of the amazing Lake Superior. The link below isn't the documentary itself, but is a talk with the bush pilot who filmed it. The short video includes much of the video. If you can find the documentary, it's worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UbmPNTxfOk

[SaylorMade]

Originally Posted by Steadman Uhlich

It covers 82,000 square kilometers or 31,700 square miles.

That's a big lake.
Twice the size of my country

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

I remember an IMAX special called North of Superior. It really gives you a great idea of the amazing Lake Superior. The link below isn't the documentary itself, but is a talk with the bush pilot who filmed it. The short video includes much of the video. If you can find the documentary, it's worth watching.

Beautiful… I haven’t seen the film, but it sure reminds me of the place I used to live. I’m pretty sure that opening shot is of the Sleeping Giant, swooping around the foot. Had they flown to the right you’d have seen one of the good anchorages where I’ve spent more days that I can count.

I bet the other river shot is the White River.

Lake Superior truly is one of the great undiscovered cruising areas; most especially the north and east shores (the Canadian shores). If it wasn’t for that thing called winter, I may never have left.

[GordMay]

➥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91n-d1ZFjcs

➥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDRur4wIkZg

[Mike OReilly]

Thanks Gord… makes me miss it even more.

[naitaka322]

My experience wasn't very long as I had a southerly destination. I did not see the Apostles but I did go north to Rossport and found many anchorages
pointed out to me by members of the Thunder Bay YC They were very helpful.
The scenery was spectacular!! As far as sailing my only time not under sail was from below Miccipicoton Island to Whitefish Bay. I went from Rossport directly to the Sault.
As Mike says "a very short season"

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by naitaka322

My experience wasn't very long as I had a southerly destination. I did not see the Apostles but I did go north to Rossport and found many anchorages
pointed out to me by members of the Thunder Bay YC They were very helpful.
The scenery was spectacular!! As far as sailing my only time not under sail was from below Miccipicoton Island to Whitefish Bay. I went from Rossport directly to the Sault.
As Mike says "a very short season"

When did you make the run Naitaka? I left the area (and the TBYC) the summer 2014.

Too bad you had to go so fast through there. You missed some spectacular stuff along the shores, but I bet the sailing was great.

That’s the grand thing about Lake Superior; it has it all. Amazing and plentiful anchorages, truly wild and remote places where you will see no one else for days, big open water, and big wind and seas if that turns your crank.

That said, during the peak summer sailing months (July to mid-september) winds are more often light than heavy. Superior can conjure up massive storms anytime, but I’d prioritize light-airs sails over storm sails.

… but beware the gales of November that come early .

[naitaka322]

I left TBYC on June 15th 1978 and was probably in Sault in 4 days. I was still working and only one month to return to Toronto

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by naitaka322

I left TBYC on June 15th 1978 and was probably in Sault in 4 days. I was still working and only one month to return to Toronto

Ah… well before my time. I was in Ottawa in 1978. Sailing and cruising was no where in my thought…

Glad you had a good run. Too bad you couldn’t spend more time though. Come on back

[SuW]

Originally Posted by JC Reefer

My wife and I have been looking to purchase a boat in the Great Lakes area and have been doing a lot of research. Seems like an amazing place to sail and to possibly start our adventure.

It is an amazing place (or series of places) to sail. Boats are relatively inexpensive, and in good shape for their age especially as they are hauled out at least half the time, often with the mast down...(a bit like me!)

Your best bet for good choice in used boats is on the north shore of Lake Ontario, Kingston to Toronto to Niagara, it's the largest population center in Canada. Certainly for sail boats. Although people I know have gone to buy boats as far afield as Sarnia, Detroit, Cleveland, Traverse City and Manitoulin Island.

There are about 100 yacht clubs (power and sail) around Lake Ontario alone!

Do you check Kijiji?