Summer Family Trip - 2007

Days 1 and 2 (the pre trip)

Short video of trip.

Bill at the wheel.

Anchored at Julianne Bay.

46 years old.

Page Index

Days 1 and 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Days 8 and 9
Lists

8/01/07 Wednesday
Port Superior to Julian Bay

I left Cambridge at 6:00 a.m. with my friend Bill and headed up to the boat.  We arrived at Bay field around 9:30.  The highlight of our drive was seeing a bear run across the road near Cornucopia.  We pulled off the road and watched it for a short time before it disappeared into the woods.

At the boat we unloaded the van and packed the boat with nine days of supplies.  This was the start of my seven day family vacation on Nordic Song but I was going to sneak in two days of sailing with a friend before my family arrived.

Once the boat was loaded we headed out into the Apostle Islands.  The day was sunny and hot!  The temperature was in the low 90’s and it was humid.  The good news was that the winds were great.  We had steady 17 to 23 knot SW winds all the way to Stockton Island.  We reefed the main and unfurled about two-thirds of the genoa and sailed a broad reach/run all the way to Julian Bay.  Julian Bay was well protected and we anchored in 14 feet of water.  Once anchored we were very aware of the heat, humidity, and biting flies.  For me being hot, sweaty and food for biting flies is the worst.  We put the netting up in the boat, killed all the flies inside, and abandoned ship for land. 

Once ashore we hiked the beautiful sand beach at Julian Bay and walked the rocks out to the point.  The flies were relentless and pursued us up into the forest where we discovered they didn’t like to be.  So we hiked across to Presque Isle Bay and checked out the activity there and then it was back to the boat.  By this time the sky was clouding up and it was obvious we were going to get rain.

Bill started to make dinner and I made sure the boat was ready for the coming storm.  Then  “CRACK”!  Lightning…

Last summer on this very day, in this very bay Nordic Song was hit by lightning.  Here I was one year later tempting the boating fates by anchoring in the same place.  Was I dumb?  The lightning gave me a scare.  It was very close and ahead of the storm.  We stayed down below and watched the storm pass.  It did not rain a lot but there was scary lightning.  After being hit last year and suffering considerable damage to our boat I was much more afraid about being hit.  There isn’t much you can do but sit and listen.  It was kind of a helpless feeling.  I was glad my family wasn’t here for the storm because I know they are scared of another lightning strike. 

Once the storm passed we had a great pasta, tomato, pesto dinner. After dinner we retired to the deck for a “Nordic non-alcoholic beer”.  We sat on the deck and watched a tremendous lightning display to the SE until we couldn’t stay awake any longer (those non-alcoholic beers really pack a punch!).

 8/02/07 Thursday
Julian Bay to Port Superior

Today is my birthday!  I now can offer 46 years of wisdom to my children.  I am sure they will really listen to me now!

Bill and I had breakfast of oatmeal and granola bars and then made the boat ready for the sail back to Port Superior.  The winds were still blowing out of the SW but had increased to 17 – 23 knots.  It was going to be a wave bash back to the marina.  Under reefed main and partially furled genoa we began to tack home. There were very few sailboats out as we began our sail.  We quickly distanced our self from the other two boats that had left Julian Bay with us.  Our boat was sailing great.  We occasionally had some weather helm but that was controlled by the releasing the traveler during some of the bigger gusts.

We maintained good boat speed as we bashed through the 3’-4’ waves.  On this day we sailed past everybody, including a Tartan 37.  The sail home took nearly four hours and was a lot of fun.  What a great way to spend my birthday.  Last year I spent my birthday looking at my wrecked boat (from the lightning strike)!  This birthday was more fun.

Once the boat was secured in its slip at Port Superior we headed into Maggie’s for lunch.  After lunch Bill headed home and I spent the rest of the day at the marina working on my boat and waiting for my family.

My new crew (the family) arrived around 7:30 p.m. and we went up and ate dinner in the restaurant at Port Superior.  Back at the boat we had birthday cake and presents.  Another great day… but, oh, to be 45 again…

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