SMALL BOAT CRUISE: Apostle Islands by Wayfarer


by Robert Mosher


Twenty-two jewels are strung out into Lake Superior, right off the north end of Wisconsin’s Bayfield Peninsula. The northern shores of these gems tend to be steep cliffs, some of which are cut into wonderful sea caves, and seamounts. Their southern tips are often graced by sandy spits. Both north and south ends shoal out, sometimes a mile or more. Te mainland shore is dotted with nine ma- rinas, providing access or a safe harbor as needed. Te Apostles themselves provide many good anchorages, though none are fully protected. A major wind shiſt can turn a protected anchorage into a danger- ous lee shore. So be ready to up-anchor even at night. Fortunately this usually means a short move to a new protected shore, either around to the lee of the island, or upwind to the next island. So chart out your options and route before turning in. Following our 2011, West Meets East


Wayfarer Rally, the other Wayfarers leſt, and I headed out on my own. But not un- til I got a call from my 97-year-old mom. She said she was in the hospital with an irregular heartbeat, but it wasn’t that bad, and I should go sailing. (She lived to be 102.) Te lovely day soon turned gray


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with winds pushing over twenty knots. Near Madeline Island, I hove to and reefed as the wind became brisker. While reefing, I stayed to the windward side to keep the boat from heeling uncomfort- ably in the short, sharp waves. A Capri 16 altered course to sail close by and asked if I needed help. My response was friendly and negative. Te top portion of the Capri’s main sail was pumping back and forth threatening a gybe. Made me wonder who was going to need help first. Once reefed, I headed on to Long


Island…or was it Long Peninsula? It’s one or the other depending on water levels. Here the shores are protected bird-nesting areas, so care must be taken. With the strong northerly wind, my planned anchorage looked uncomfort- able for a boat with a tent up and was perhaps in the birds’ area. So I rounded up and repassed the Chequamegon Point Light (it was moving quite slowly!). A southerly direction would have taken me into Chequamegon Bay and several all-weather marinas. But north took me to a large cove off Madeline Island State Park. It protected me perfectly. In the morning a 30-plus-footer of-


fered me hot coffee, such a nice group to be part of. Rowing north parallel to the beach I stopped to see the little creek


and lagoon, but the creek was too shallow for my Wayfarer to make it up into the lagoon. Once all these islands were named


after states, but today only Michigan Island has a state name, and that’s not the one it started out with. The lighthouse on Michigan gives a good excuse to dock, walk up and enjoy a tour with the docent. Fresnel lenses are always a delight to view, better than any diamond. I cast off from Michigan and sailed away to another uneventful night on Stockton. Te island is a lot more fun than I make it sound. It’s just that sunny pleasant days do not stick in my head as well as the more chal- lenging parts of the trip. Tis time I was anchored very close to the SE end of the long beach, very Bahamas like, or what I think the Bahamas are like. This time I got the outer and inner anchor system going perfectly, so that I could pull myself into the beach or back out. I had a lovely walk along that very long sandy shore, and a perfect night’s sleep. Monday morning, one of the least


visited islands beckoned me, the aptly named Outer Island. Te short, curved beach on the north end—an exception to the usual pattern—offers protection just from the southerly winds. But that’s where I spent the night, and this was a


SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR


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