This is our first full day at sea. We left Antigua yesterday at noon, after having been cleared to leave. We also stopped at a bakery for fresh baked goods.
We have experienced a little seasickness, but not too much.
Departing Antigua
The sailing is nice today. It is sunny, there are small swells and the winds are averaging 19 knots. Yulia and Kirill, owners of this beautiful boat, are wonderful companions. Glad to be here!
Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.
True North – 2014 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409
In the saloon of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409
Tom’s Burned Down Cafe, Madeline Island, Lake Superior
Tom’s Burned Down Cafe, Madeline Island, Lake Superior
Tom’s Burned Down Cafe, Madeline Island, Lake Superior
Bermuda to Portsmouth
This is Part II of a two-part blog. This blog describes the leg of the ARC USA Rally from Bermuda to Portsmouth, VA. Part I detailed the beginning of our trip and the first leg from Tortola BVI to Bermuda. If you want to learn about that leg, who we sailed with and a bit about Bermuda, you’ve gotta read it.
We’d planned to stay in Bermuda just three days: until midday Tuesday, May 7th. However, at the ARC skippers’ briefing on May 6th, we learned that a large-scale storm was schedule to hit the east cost of the U.S. (at Virginia) the evening of the day we hoped to arrive. Because not all of us felt confident that we could reach the U.S. before the storm hit, we opted to delay our departure from Bermuda. I suppose it wouldn’t be a stretch to claim that being “stuck in Bermuda” wasn’t the worst experience of our lives. Certainly none of our co-workers appeared to be sympathetic.
In any event, we explored Bermuda until we detected a favorable sailing forecast.
Colorful homes in Bermuda
View from Railway Trail
Another view from the Railway Trail
2016 ARC USA Rally Part I: Tortola BVI to Bermuda
This is Part I of a two-part blog. Part II details our trip from Bermuda to Portsmouth.
We returned May 27, 2016 from our longest offshore journey to date. A total of approximately 1500 nautical miles, we traveled from Tortola to Bermuda, then Bermuda to Portsmouth, VA. Each leg took six days (seven calendar days, six 24-hour periods). This was not expected, because the second leg is nearly 200 nautical miles shorter than the first. But as all sailors know, Mother Nature, not nautical miles, determines the length of the journey.
Michael and I were fortunate to participate in this journey as crew members on a Southerly 42RST named Dawn Chorus, captained by Martin Whitfield of Bristol, England. Martin was participating in the 2016 ARC USA rally and needed crew. “ARC” stands for Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. ARC is part of the World Cruising Club, which organizes ocean sailing events around the world. The rallies are devised for the ‘average’ cruising boat and crew; helping people to realize their dream of making a long offshore passage. Jason Kyriakou, a trained chef from Toronto, was the third crew member. We were also very happy to have a four legged crew member on board: Buzz, Martin’s Welsh Collie.
“Dawn Chorus” a Southerly 42RST
Captain Buzz
It was our fourth season of sailing. The three previous seasons we’d joined a boat club and had access to a 23′ sloop that we sailed on a fairly regular basis on the St. Croix River. This year we spent a wonderful week sailing in the BVI and we’d captained “Clear Air” in July, but we hadn’t been sailing since then. It appeared that our sailing season might be short this year.
Then, in mid-August, Michael received an email from Superior Charters, alerting us to a short notice discount on “Chat Eau,” a 2010 38′ Lagoon 380 catamaran. With only a month to find crew, we booked it.
We posted a blanket invitation on Facebook and sent an invitation to everyone on a family reunion email list. One of Michaels’ co-workers, Jen, signed up. We also received a reply from the family email list from a woman named Jodi. I sent a text to Michael and asked him if he knew who this person was (he is into genealogy so I knew he could look it up). Turns out she’s a distant cousin. After exchanging a couple of emails, Jodi was on board as well. We heard from many other folks (“ask us again”), but none were available that weekend. We were delighted to have two crew members!
As you know, sailing trips can be made or broken depending on how well everyone on board gets along. We were fortunate that the four of us got along swimmingly; in fact, we hope to sail together again.
Day Zero (Friday): We drove to the boat together Friday afternoon. When we got to the boat and unloaded our gear, the food and . . . the booze, we realized that we had enough alcohol to completely satisfy the four of us for about three weeks. It was a four-day sail! We had our work cut out for us.
Day One (Saturday): The winds were light so we had to motor a portion of the way to Devil’s Island for some sightseeing and cliff jumping.
Michael stayed with the boat at anchor while the three women took the dinghy to the island. Before going to the island, we explored the caves. They are stunningly beautiful! If you’ve never been there, we highly recommend that you visit. After exploring the caves, we motored to the island. We attached the painter to a rock, stripped to our bathing suits and walked the short distance to the cliffs. I’d jumped off the cliffs in July so I knew the water was cold enough to take one’s breath away. Once in the water it was okay; but that initial dunk was pretty chilly. Continue reading
After a great week of sailing in the BVI in March, Michael and I were eager to charter (and captain) a boat on Lake Superior this summer. We were able to reserve Clear Air, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 379 from Superior Charters. Our crew consisted of my cousin Carol and her son Michael, and our daughter Taryn and her husband James.
“Clear Air” – 2012 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 379
We all met up at Port Superior Marina in Bayfield, Wisconsin on a Thursday afternoon. Michael and I arrived a bit early, so we had time for a beverage on the deck. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and the sight of the sailboats from the deck created a peaceful feeling.
Port Superior Marina, Bayfield, Wisconsin
After everyone arrived we stored our gear and crammed food and beverage items anywhere and everywhere there was an unused space on the boat. That’s how sailors roll!
We ate dinner at the marina’s Portside Bar and Restaurant . At some point, I remember asking Carol how much time she’d spent on a sailboat. She asked me how long it had taken us to unpack; that’s how much time she’d spent on a sailboat. Taryn and James had spent next to no time on a sailboat either. This was going to be a great adventure!
Friday – Raspberry Island
We decided to go to Raspberry Island to see the lighthouse. When Michael and I visited Raspberry Island the previous summer we were in a boat with a shallower draft so we’d docked right below the lighthouse. This time we couldn’t use the dock so we set anchor on another side of the island and took a path to the lighthouse. It turned out to be a blessing because it was a nice walk. There was foliage everywhere and it felt good to walk after being on the boat. It was a tad hot, though.
The lighthouse tour is very interesting and informative. The guide takes you back in time to when the lighthouse keepers lived on the island. It was a tough life. They were often separated from their families for months at a time. The guide also describes the amazing Fresnel light that used to be in the lighthouse. Note: Even though the Fresnel light was removed from the Raspberry Bay lighthouse in 1957, this is still a functioning lighthouse, critical for marine traffic in the area. The beacon now consists of a light on a pole. Not quite as sexy as a traditional lighthouse but very functional.
Raspberry Island Lighthouse
View of Lake Superior from Raspberry Island Lighthouse
When we returned to the boat we took turns jumping into the water to cool off. That took about 30 seconds per person. The water was chilly but refreshing!
Saturday – Devil’s Island
There was no wind on Saturday so we decided to motor to Devils Island. Devils Island has three really awesome things: caves, cliffs and a lighthouse that still has a Fresnel light. It was another hot day. We took the dinghy to the island and hiked a fair distance to the lighthouse.
Devils Island Lighthouse Keeper Residence
Devils Island Lighthouse
And now, I have to talk about the Fresnel light. (If you aren’t interested, skip this and the next paragraph.) The Fresnel light was developed for lighthouses by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel. One of the greatest improvements in lighthouse technology came in 1822 when Fresnel introduced a new lens design that revolutionized lighthouse optics and made waterways safer for sailors around the world. Fresnel’s lens resembles a giant beehive with a complex system of multi-faceted glass prisms mounted in a brass framework. The prisms reflect and refract (bend) light and magnify it, thereby taking rays of light that would normally scatter in all directions and focusing them into a single beam. Because of this design, a Fresnel lens is much more efficient than traditional light sources. Tests show that an open flame loses nearly 97% of its light. A light with a reflector placed behind it loses 60-80% of its light. A Fresnel lens, however, loses a maximum of 20% of its light. This concentrated light of Fresnel’s lens vastly improved lighthouse effectiveness. Before its invention, the brightest lighthouse beams could only be seen from 8-12 miles away. The light from a Fresnel lens could shine all the way to the horizon, more than 20 miles away.
Another innovation of the Fresnel lens is its ability to produce individual light patterns called characteristics. Prior to the Fresnel lens, most lighthouses had only solid, steady lights. This made it difficult to distinguish one light from another, often causing confusion and dangerous conditions for passing ships. But the Fresnel lens could produce an almost unlimited combination of patterns, depending on the number of installed flash panels and the speed that the lens revolved. Originally a clockwork type mechanism was used to rotate the lens around the lamp to produce a flash. With individual flash patterns, lighthouses along the same coast are easily differentiated and recognized, thereby better aiding mariners.
Third-order Fresnel lens in Devils Island Lighthouse
Third-order Fresnel lens in Devils Island Lighthouse
The Fresnel light itself is not only a marvel of technology, it is a work of art. Our pictures don’t do it justice. If you have an opportunity to visit Devils Island, we highly recommend that you visit the lighthouse.
We hiked back to the dinghy, at which time Michael (Carol’s son) and I (Cindy) decided to jump off the cliff while Taryn and James took the dinghy to explore the caves. By the time we were all back on the boat, Carol and Michael were ready to take the dinghy to explore the caves.
Devils Island
Devils Island
Devils Island
This would be a good time to talk about the flies. Fly hatching = seven days of hell. We arrived when the flies had recently hatched. We had ever experienced anything like this. The flies were everywhere! We lived with flyswatters in our hands. Dead fly carcasses littered the boat. No amount of bug spray kept them at bay. They were flies on steroids!!
But I digress . . . when Carol and Mike decided to take the dinghy to see the caves they attempted to thwart the flies by wearing long-sleeved jackets, long legged pants, socks and shoes. Those darn flies still managed to bite their ankles. Taryn had a eucalyptus spray that seemed to fend off the flies better than the bug spray, but even Taryn’s spray didn’t cut it.
I’m just saying: we were lucky to make it out alive.
It is important to note that the flies in no way ruined the trip. The company and the scenery were top notch. The nights were peaceful.
Food and Ice
This is also a good time to talk about food and ice. We had plenty of the former and not enough of the latter. As I recall, we ran out of ice on Saturday, the second day of our trip. Our beverages (other than coffee) after that point were room temperature. Given that “room temperature” was about 80 degrees, drinks were pretty warm. Picture yourself on a hot day craving a cold one. You are sweating, hot and thirsty. You want something cold to drink. You grab a soda or a beer and . . . it is the temperature of warm bathwater. Ugh.
But, the upside to this tale is that we ate well. Not only did we prepare good food in the galley, Mike (Carol’s son, not my hubby) was an excellent griller!! He grilled meats, fruits and vegetables to perfection. My goal is to sail with Mike as much as possible from this point forward.
Sunday – Madeline Island
The Beach Club, Madeline Island
Tom’s Burned Down Cafe, Madeline Island
Here are some random pictures from our trip.
This trip marked our first time chartering with Superior Charters and our first time chartering on Lake Superior. We sailed on Breeze, a 2010 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 33i. We are accompanied by Sheila and Marty Berger, which brings us to the topic of couples sailing.
We’ve met dozens of sailors since we began sailing, including many couples who love sailing together. We’ve also met several men whose wives have no interest in sailing. And we’ve met couples who sail together, but only the male partner sails the boat. This last scenario describes Sheila and Marty. It works exceedingly well for them. Sheila does all of the cooking and Marty does nearly all of the sailing. Marty loves sailing, and Sheila loves how relaxed she feels while sailing.
This brings us to our first day.
Day 1 – Stockton Island
The wind was light our first day on the water so we motored to Stockton Island. We walked along a lovely trail.
Julian Bay Trail
After a time we reached Singing Sands beach. Its name is derived from the sound made when walking on the sand. Certain conditions have to come together to create singing sand:
Regardless of the cause, the sand does make a sound when you walk on it. Even if it didn’t, the beach is nice and the view is wonderful!
Cindy at Julian Bay beach where the “singing” sand squeaks underfoot
We spent the night at anchor in Julian Bay. It was a lovely and peaceful evening. Just what sailors desire!
Sunset in Julian Bay
Day 2 – Manitou Island, Devils Island and Raspberry Island
The winds were light (or on our nose) on day two so we elected to motor to our desired destinations. Our first stop was Manitou Island. The southwest coast of Manitou Island is home to an old fishing camp. A volunteer stays in one of the cabins and provides tours.
The earliest cabin was built in the 1890s by four Swedish loggers, while the other structures were built in the 1900s to the 1930s. The cabins and other structures contain a wealth of objects and implements remaining from the first historic occupants of the site to the most recent.
Manitou Island fishing camp
Cindy, Sheila, Marty and our guide at Manitou Island fishing camp
Inside one of the restored fishing cabins on Manitou Island
After touring the fishing camp on Manitou Island we headed to Devil’s Island.
Samuel Fifield wrote in 1899 that, “The Indians in the early days declared it to be the home of Matchimanitou, the “evil spirit,” whom Kitchie-Manitouo, the “great spirit,” had imprisoned there. Hence its name, Devils Island.”
Devils Island is the northernmost of the Apostle Islands. It faces the vast expanse of Lake Superior and all that Mother Nature delivers. It was a calm day so we were able to visit the sea caves. One can visit the caves via kayak, swimming or dinghy. We chose the latter.
The caves are spectacular. We will visit them every time we have the opportunity.
Sheila and Marty taking the dinghy to the sea caves
Devils Island sea caves
Devils Island sea caves
Devils Island sea caves
Devils Island sea caves
Devils Island sea caves
While Michael and I were exploring the caves in the dinghy we caught a glimpse of Marty (the small dot) taking a dip in Lake Superior. When we returned to Breeze, the rest of us (Sheila, Michael and I) took a refreshing, yet chilly, dip as well.
Marty taking a dip off of “Breeze” – 2010 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 33i
After a brief visit to Devils Island we motored (still no wind) to Raspberry Island. Since Breeze doesn’t have a deep draft we were able to use the dock. This is a view of Breeze from the island.
Raspberry Island
Raspberry Island is one of the islands in the Apostle Islands that still has a working lighthouse.
Lighthouse historian Terry Pepper has described the lighthouses in the Apostle Islands as “one of the more interesting geographically centered collection of [lighthouse] structures” in the United States. Another lighthouse historian, F. Ross Holland, has called them “the largest and finest single collection of lighthouses in the country.”
Cool, yes!! The tour is very interesting and definitely worth taking. And the view from the top of the old lighthouse is beautiful!
The view from the Raspberry Island lighthouse
Day 3 – Madeline Island
We reached our third and final day far too quickly. We needed to be back to the marina by 3:00 p.m., so it was a short day. We stopped at Madeline Island for an adult beverage at Tom’s Burned Down Cafe. Here are a few random pictures of us underway, from the Marina, and at Tom’s Burned Down Cafe.
Madeline Island Marina
View from Madeline Island Marina
Tom’s Burned Down Cafe
It was hot the Sunday we returned. Marty and Sheila stayed for a bit at the marina so Marty could take a dip in the swimming pool. Michael and I headed for home, with great memories of the weekend filling our heads.
Today was our first day of sailing this season. Those of you in warmer climes cannot begin to comprehend of a sailing season that begins in late June. Welcome to our world. The Northern Breezes Boat Club sailboat we use, a Hunter 23, was just put into the water about a week ago; since that time we’ve been waiting for a day that we had time to sail, the winds were good and it wasn’t raining. It took a few days.
We sail on the St. Croix River. The water level is so high that half of the parking lot at Windmill Marina looks more like a pond than a lot. Not kidding. Kids were splashing around in the water in their bathing suits. The river is a no-wake zone, and the three-foot decent we usually take to get to the sailboat was replaced with a two-foot rise. Suffice it to say that the river is high. But who cares? Once one is in a sailboat all else is irrelevant. Well, mostly.
Cindy sailing on Lake Saint Croix, St. Croix River
Michael sailing on Lake Saint Croix, St. Croix River
We haven’t been sailing for about eight months so we were rusty. For example, we didn’t notice until we tried to raise the mainsail that the halyard wasn’t attached to the sail. Oops! We took care of that problem and raised the sail with a reef.
The wind was favorable with gusts that required attention. For us sailing this sailboat with tiller steering, the helmsman usually manages the mainsheet, but since we didn’t have the jib out, I managed the mainsheet. (The mainsheet is attached to the boom, and is used to control the mainsail.) It was interesting to have one person manage the mainsheet while the other person was at the helm. It worked okay but reminded us why managing the mainsheet and the helm simultaneously helps the helmsman get the feel of what the boat is trying to communicate.
Our first jibe was less than ideal. It is interesting how something that seemed so easy the previous season is a little bit new all over again. As you fellow sailors know, it only takes one jibe to remind one of what is entailed.
Overall, our first sail of the season was good. It was a beautiful day, the wind was good for sailing, we nearly broke the no-wake rule (yes!) and we reminded ourselves why it feels so good to be on the water with nature nipping at our heels.
“Now Mother Nature is just being bitchy,” I joked this past summer as the rain changed to sleet while we were motoring down the Keweenaw Waterway. We had just completed our first overnight sail on Lake Superior as Nature put this final touch on an exciting few hours of sailing. But before we go there, let’s take a step back.
Cindy on Lake Superior
My husband, Michael, and I had started sailing in the spring of 2012. If the stars align, we hope to own a sailboat and circumnavigate the globe in our retirement. Preparing for such an event takes time on the water . . . in a sailboat. By the summer of 2013, we had completed the necessary courses for eligibility for the ASA106 – Advanced Coastal Cruising (ACC) class. Continue reading
This sailing adventure started at Spirit Lake Marina in Duluth, Minnesota at 8:00 am on Saturday, May 25, 2013. We were sailing on Aerie an Islander 36. The conditions for our first day and evening included 30 mph winds and swells that averaged five feet. We sailed with everything from full sails to double reefed main and furled jib. We arrived at Siskiwit Bay Marina, Cornucopia, Wisconsin at 9:30 pm.
The next day we sailed through the beautiful Apostle Islands on our way to Madeline Island. Sunday night on Madeline Island we had pizza and drinks at Tom’s Burned Down Cafe.
We sailed from Madeline Island to Pike’s Bay Marina, Bayfield, Wisconsin late Sunday night.
