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Three boats and fourteen people sailing together for a week!  What are we thinking?  This summer our family is getting together for a week long cruise on Lake of the Woods.  The group will consist of my mom and dad and my sister and brother and their families.  All together we will have eight adults and six kids. 

We have cruised Lake of the Woods for over twenty-five years but never all together.  We decided that this summer we should put together a flotilla and enjoy the lake as a family.  Once the idea was formulated the next step was deciding on what to do for boats.

We determined that for fourteen people we would need at least three boats.  The first boat will be the Alpha our old and trustworthy 1978 Chrysler 26.  This boat has spent over 1000 days cruising on Lake of the Woods and is a perfect boat for handling the winds, waves, and anchorages.  The Alpha will host my family and sleep five.  The second boat will be my brother-in-laws brother’s (did you follow that?) Chrysler 22 the Mai Tai.  This boat will house my sister and her husband and kids.  It will be a cozy fit but as they say closeness builds togetherness… or is it hostility?

The third boat will make the flotilla interesting.  Originally we looked into chartering a third sailboat but the largest boat we could charter on Lake of the Woods was a 26-foot Aloha.  This boat is small inside and not suitable for the remaining family members.  We then decided to charter a 44’ houseboat, which could easily sleep six and had the amenities that we needed to make my mother comfortable!  The houseboat has a very large water capacity, which allows for a shower and comfortable restroom facilities.  The boat has a complete galley with a full size refrigerator, microwave, stove, and oven.  The boat also has a generator, which allows for other fun perks such as a toaster.  Other fun features are the second story fly bridge and sun deck.  This is a great area to relax and from which to watch the world float by.  The boat also has a water slide, a large outdoor cooler filled with ice, and a great outdoor storage area for garbage.  We will also tow a 14’ kicker boat. 

The houseboat will serve as the home base for our flotilla.  All the food will be stored and prepared on the houseboat.  This will really simplify life on the two sailboats and reduce the supplies needed aboard each boat.  We have charted houseboats before from Houseboat Adventures on Lake of the Woods and have always enjoyed our cruise.  House boating is not sailing but there still is pleasure in driving the boat.  The biggest challenge to cruising Lake of the Woods is successfully navigating the 14,000 islands and the many more rocks and reefs.  Regardless of boat type navigating is still navigating and arriving safely to a new anchorage is just as rewarding aboard the houseboat as in the sailboat.

Our basic cruise plan is detailed in our cruising itinerary.  Basically, we will awake each day and prepare the boats for departure and then head out onto the lake for a full day of travel.  The boats will rendezvous for lunch and at the evening anchorage.  During the day people will swap boats and all take turns sailing or house boating.  It will be a challenge to keep the boats together but with the marine band radios communicating should not be a problem.  Once we arrive at the evening anchorage there will be some chaos while we anchor the three boats, but once that job is completed the fun begins.

Late afternoons and evenings at anchorage are a lot of fun.  We can swim, fish, hike, berry pick, explore by dingy, relax, read, and visit.  This is a time for the adults and kids to really relax and have fun.  Once the dinner is complete we move ashore and light the evening campfire and sit up late into the night.  This is a great time for stargazing, telling stories, and even singing.  With all of us together I expect we will have extra fun at the campfire. 

Mornings are traditionally slow for the crew of the Alpha and I assume for the others as well.  It is fun to sleep in and start the day laying in bed reading.  For this trip we have a couple of early mornings planned so that we can reach Whitefish Bay and this should challenge our group.  I am sure we will all “arise” to the challenge.

Our cruise will take us south to Whitefish Bay, which is on the east side of Lake of the Woods.  This part of the Lake has deeper and clearer water.  We have cruised primarily the southern, western, and northern sides of the lake and because of its distance from the Northwest Angle we have not spent nearly as much time in Whitefish Bay.  This trip will begin in Kenora, which will allow us to cruise Whitefish Bay.  For some of the members of our family this will be their first time in these waters.  Whitefish bay is a very beautiful area and not only does it have much clearer water but also much whiter rocks that add to the beauty of the area. 

Cruising together as a family is going to be a lot of fun and it should be very interesting cruising two sailboats with a powerboat.  Not only will be exploring some new waters but we will be introducing some family members to a new part of the lake.  And for two of our youngest members this will be their first cruise on Lake of the Woods. 

Lake of the Woods has been a very special place in my life and to spend a week cruising with all of my family will be a very enjoyable and memorable experience. 

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Contact larsond@cambridge.k12.mn.us