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Steadman Uhlich · 12-02-2018, 16:47

I hope to do some cruising on Lake Superior (and sailing on the other Great Lakes and down the St. Lawrence too) some day in the future (in case anyone needs crew). So I am learning about them when I can.

Today I saw a nice set of facts shared by George Harper on a Facebook trawler site I read, as I look at many sources about boats. I am sharing that same list down below as it may interest or inform others here on CF.

_______________

Why It's Called Lake Superior

Pretty amazing..... Didn't realize how big this lake is !!

LAKE SUPERIOR FACTS

Lake Superior contains ten percent of all the fresh water on the planet Earth.

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

The average depth is 147 meters or 483 feet.

There have been 352 shipwrecks recorded in Lake Superior.

Lake Superior is, by surface area, the largest lake in the world.

A Jesuit priest in 1668 named it Lac Tracy, but that name was never officially adopted.

It contains as much water as all the other Great Lakes combined, plus three extra Lake Erie's!!

There is a small outflow from the lake at St. Mary's River (Sault Ste Marie) into Lake Huron, but it takes almost two centuries for the water to be completely replaced.

There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover all of North and South America with water one foot deep.

Lake Superior was formed during the last glacial retreat, making it one of the earth's youngest major features at only about 10,000 years old.

The deepest point in the lake is 405 meters or 1,333 feet.

There are 78 different species of fish that call the big lake home.

The maximum wave ever recorded on Lake Superior was 9.45 meters or 31 feet high.

If you stretched the shoreline of Lake Superior out to a straight line, it would be long enough to reach from Duluth to the Bahamas .

Over 300 streams and rivers empty into Lake Superior with the largest source being the Nipigon River

The average underwater visibility of Lake Superior is about 8 meters or 27 feet, making it the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes. Underwater visibility in some spots reaches 30 meters or 98 feet.

In the summer, the sun sets more than 35 minutes later on the Western shore of Lake Superior than at its Southeastern edge.

Some of the world's oldest rocks, formed about 2.7 billion years ago, can be found on the Ontario shore of Lake Superior.

It very rarely freezes over completely, and then usually just for a few hours. Complete freezing occurred in1962,1979, 2003 and 2009."

Mike OReilly · 12-02-2018, 17:00

My old stomping grounds. Cruised mostly the north and east shores (the Canadian side) for a decade. I know it fairly well. Happy to share or answer any questions.

Superior is one of the great undiscovered wilderness cruising areas. If it wasn’t for the winter thing, I might never have left. I miss it dearly, although finally feel at home again now that we’re cruising Newfoundland.

Tayana42 · 12-02-2018, 17:54

“Except for the winter thing.” That’s a big except. It is beautiful there and challenging sailing but the season is too short and the winter is too long.

Mike OReilly · 12-02-2018, 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tayana42

“Except for the winter thing.” That’s a big except. It is beautiful there and challenging sailing but the season is too short and the winter is too long.

Yes, it’s difficult to be a cruiser when water turns hard

. But the season thing is interesting. In reality, it’s not a lot different than most areas in the northeast of North American (Canada and USA), and that includes the lower Great Lakes.

In Thunder Bay we’d typically go back in the water in May, and come out in October. Some tougher than me would stay in into November. This isn’t much different than lower Lakes sailors, or those in the Maritimes/New England states.

Perhaps the greater challenge for Superior cruising is the remoteness, and the summer coolness. Get a bit offshore and the water temps are alway cold. They warm up in the bays, but only on the surface, and only when the seas have been calm for a while. So sailing is usually brisk, even in the heat of summer.

Personally, I’m much happier cruising where it’s cool, compared to where it’s hot. You can always put on more clothes when it’s cold, but at some point you can’t take any more off when it’s hot.

Steadman Uhlich · 13-02-2018, 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yes, it’s difficult to be a cruiser when water turns hard

. But the season thing is interesting. In reality, it’s not a lot different than most areas in the northeast of North American (Canada and USA), and that includes the lower Great Lakes.

In Thunder Bay we’d typically go back in the water in May, and come out in October. Some tougher than me would stay in into November. This isn’t much different than lower Lakes sailors, or those in the Maritimes/New England states.

Perhaps the greater challenge for Superior cruising is the remoteness, and the summer coolness. Get a bit offshore and the water temps are alway cold. They warm up in the bays, but only on the surface, and only when the seas have been calm for a while. So sailing is usually brisk, even in the heat of summer.

Personally, I’m much happier cruising where it’s cool, compared to where it’s hot. You can always put on more clothes when it’s cold, but at some point you can’t take any more off when it’s hot.

Mike,
Thanks for adding your experience to CF. I have read your comments in several other threads that mentioned the Great Lakes, and do appreciate your POV and writing, and offer to provide tips. Thanks!

ArmyDaveNY · 13-02-2018, 09:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Personally, I’m much happier cruising where it’s cool, compared to where it’s hot. You can always put on more clothes when it’s cold, but at some point you can’t take any more off when it’s hot.

In my case there are civic beautification issues. Unless everyone looks like those YouTube video sailors on S/V Delos, then perhaps it's best to sail where it's a little cooler!

ArmyDaveNY · 13-02-2018, 10:03

I've always been fascinated by the Great Lakes. I've done a very small bit of boating on Lake Erie and I loved it. Sailing the Great Lakes is essentially sailing on a small ocean, but it's fresh water.

There are some interesting contrasts between fresh and salt water, other than the obvious lack of salt and it's corrosiveness and stickiness. Salt water weighs more than fresh water (I believe the difference is around 2.5%), so a boat will have more buoyancy in salt water. Also, based upon stress tests in freighters, the stresses on Great Lakes freighters is much higher than in ocean going ships of similar size.

The gales of November on Superior, Huron and Michigan are legendary. If you are a diver you'll be very happy. The wrecks in the great lakes tend to be well preserved.

Mike OReilly · 13-02-2018, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

I've always been fascinated by the Great Lakes. I've done a very small bit of boating on Lake Erie and I loved it. Sailing the Great Lakes is essentially sailing on a small ocean, but it's fresh water.

True… And in the case of Superior, not that small. Superimpose Superior over your favourite cruising area. Most people will be surprised how big it really is.

The other interesting thing is the range of cruising options available on the Great Lakes. Each lake is quite different in character. My favourite is definitely Superior, but you could spend many seasons exploring each of the five Lakes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

...The gales of November on Superior, Huron and Michigan are legendary. If you are a diver you'll be very happy. The wrecks in the great lakes tend to be well preserved.

The Edmond Fitzgerald wreck is the one made famous in that Gordon Lightfoot song (not one of his best songs, btw). There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of wrecks in Superior, but this one is well marked and named on the charts. Always sent a little chill up the back when sailing over it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

In my case there are civic beautification issues. Unless everyone looks like those YouTube video sailors on S/V Delos, then perhaps it's best to sail where it's a little cooler!

Yes… I was thinking of starting a youtube channel featuring me in a speedo. People would donate to make it stop

ArmyDaveNY · 13-02-2018, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yes… I was thinking of starting a youtube channel featuring me in a speedo. People would donate to make it stop

LOL. Isn't that called extortion?

ArmyDaveNY · 13-02-2018, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Perhaps the greater challenge for Superior cruising is the remoteness, and the summer coolness.

I think that is one of the great things about it. There are some areas that are just positively overwhelmed with boats at times. It's nice to be able to find and area where you can actually not worry about finding a spot to anchor.

The coolness is nice since you have the best of both worlds. It's warm enough to wear shorts at times, but also cool enough that you don't swelter.

naitaka322 · 14-02-2018, 09:04

I sailed my boat from thunder bay to toronto in 1998. I launched the boat on june 15th just before the regular launch by the thunder bay yc. the story is posted in searoom.com. I think it still titled "sailing IllusionV down the great lakes". I also may be under my name James Upfold.
I moved from Vancouver to Toronto and the boat launched in tb and took 28 days to do it as I was in no hurry. singlehanded until I reached tobermorry.
one of the best trips of my life.

Mike OReilly · 14-02-2018, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

I think that is one of the great things about it. There are some areas that are just positively overwhelmed with boats at times. It's nice to be able to find and area where you can actually not worry about finding a spot to anchor.

The coolness is nice since you have the best of both worlds. It's warm enough to wear shorts at times, but also cool enough that you don't swelter.

I’ve gone for weeks without seeing another cruising boat, especially over on the eastern coast along Pukaskwa National Park. You’ll often see more kayakers than sailors.

Beginning my cruising life in Superior has kinds spoiled me on the lack of crowds thing. I’ve cruised in places (North Channel, 1000 Islands) where anchorages sometimes feel more like busy mall parking lots or RV parks — YECK!

Quote:

Originally Posted by naitaka322

I sailed my boat from thunder bay to toronto in 1998. I launched the boat on june 15th just before the regular launch by the thunder bay yc. the story is posted in searoom.com. I think it still titled "sailing IllusionV down the great lakes". I also may be under my name James Upfold.
I moved from Vancouver to Toronto and the boat launched in tb and took 28 days to do it as I was in no hurry. singlehanded until I reached tobermorry.
one of the best trips of my life.

I must have just missed you naitaka. I started hanging out at the TBYC right around that time. Had a friend with a Mirage 26 (“Auspicious”). It is a great trip. We sailed south to L. Ontario in 2014. Took nearly two months. “Why go fast, when you can go slow ”

ArmyDaveNY · 14-02-2018, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by naitaka322

I sailed my boat from thunder bay to toronto in 1998. I launched the boat on june 15th just before the regular launch by the thunder bay yc. the story is posted in searoom.com. I think it still titled "sailing IllusionV down the great lakes". I also may be under my name James Upfold.
I moved from Vancouver to Toronto and the boat launched in tb and took 28 days to do it as I was in no hurry. singlehanded until I reached tobermorry.
one of the best trips of my life.

What a great trip! This further reinforces my desire to sail the great lakes. Thanks for the info.

Here is the link:
Searoom I For the Cruising Sailor | Sailing down the length of the Great LakesSailing down the length of the Great Lakes - Searoom I For the Cruising Sailor

Steadman Uhlich · 14-02-2018, 13:08

I think this thread needs some illustrations of what a cruiser sees when cruising Lake Superior.

Anyone have photos of sites and anchorages or remarkable things, please post in this thread. Pictures may help stimulate more interest in the cruising on Superior.

If you have a bunch on a personal blog, consider posting a few photos or excerpts here with a link to your blog for more details on your own cruising.