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ABOVE —Uncle Al and Tony sailing Shades under Honeymoon Rock during the Rally. or not. Te sand flies hatched out that morn-


ing; they and Lyme ticks run in cycles. We were lucky to have missed the flies during the Rally week. You need to have protective clothing as they will win the long war. Except for the biting flies, the morning started blissfully enough. Aſter starting out with full sail I quickly turned back for shelter from the wind while putting in a reef. As the wind picked up and the waves rolled I saw a large rock that looked to be eight feet down at most, yet at this spot the water is 200 feet deep! Tat optical illusion was truly amazing! While the boat was moving smartly along I did not seem to make much progress, between tacking and killing flies. Good thing Uncle Al suggested having a fly swatter aboard. A thunderstorm slid from the SW over


the land, then came out over the islands. This is unusual and the storm was not forecast to be over the islands. I was soon counting seconds between lighting strikes and thunder claps which did not get closer than about eight miles. Te worst of the storm stayed about a mile away on the south end of Outer and Cat Islands. Tis is why “Mother Superior” must be respected and NOAA listened to regu-


14


larly. Not all storms give long warning, and they can be unpredictable in their course, as I found out. Te water is deep and cold. Te surface


water warms up to 50°F plus in August, but a strong wind can quickly mix up the water layers putting an end to that. Dry suits are a good idea for small boats and solo sailors. I wished I had one. Count on quick response only from yourself and crew. People do die in these waters and quickly. Yet this is the most protected area in the tricky waters of Superior and with proper caution you will enjoy these glorious cruising grounds. Much later, by email, Craig informed


me that the wind and waves were so wild seven miles south that he could not safely land on the sandy southern tip of Outer Island. He paddled back north a bit along the eastern and protected side of Outer Island. Tere he climbed up on a rocky shelf and pulled his kayak up aſter him- self. Craig got under an overhanging rock just in time to avoid the rain. I had hoped to make Rocky Island,


which now seemed very far away. To star- board was North Twin, the only island with no landing spot so it was not an option, even for a small boat. Tat’s why it still has virgin forest. So with the wind


dying, I bailed out onto the east shore of Cat Island, my third mile-long beach. Te sand flies and I had it to ourselves all of Wednesday as I sat out the “34-knot gusts, and sudden gusts.” A 40-foot Jean- neau sailed by to play in Lake Superior proper. Its solo skipper came back to anchor off my beach, only to go back out for more fun. Reasonable with that boat’s safety margins in these conditions, but certainly not for me. I pulled my boat ashore in case the


wind changed direction, which was un- likely. Actually, big waves would roll right over the low, short beach right into the forest. Spent the day drawing a mile- long line in the sand which the waves crossed in a few place. Also tried walking through the thicket/forest where there was no proper path or animal trail fit for humans. Te main sign of civilization was a dozen spent helium/Mylar balloons from a birthday party. I picked up the balloons and later disposed them in a trash can. I can guarantee that Cat is not a party island, and why the winds dumped them there I do not know. Wednesday brought an end to flies and


the sail was easy and relaxed. So much so I only recall arriving at Rocky Island’s east dock which held a park boat and a 30-


SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR


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