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Mad Island Sailing – Adventures of the S/V Egress

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Sail Fail 2017 and a taste of freedom.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Time: Mid-Late August 2017

Location: Madeline Island

Event: Busy busy busy and more busy.

Result: Sail Fail. Two days on the water out of 21 possible.

We arrived on the Island for our August 2017 Vacation and the next day headed immediately back to the mainland to tackle our shopping list as the day after we would be heading to Duluth to pick up Barbs Grandsons. We would entertain them for a week and then it was time to take them back to Duluth and have a two hour break back on the Island before our next batch of guests arrived. This time we would have a few more people than our normal summer guests. This summers batch (hatch?) of visitors consisted of my folks, my brother, his girlfriend and her daughter, my sister and her boyfriend, and a new 2nd cousin and his wife that I had never met before. It was going to be a busy three weeks.

Grandma with the boys.
The boys in the cabin
Hoist the sails

And it was a busy three weeks!

We entertained every morning and evening. Now don’t get me wrong, it is wonderful to spend time with family, but it put a crimp on the boat projects. So I made do with the time I had.

I arose every morning at 5:00, made coffee, grabbed a cliff bar and headed out the door with the promise to return in time for breakfast at 9:30. I was able to wrap up the installation of the Airhead vent fan, and the solar panel/charger installation. I also changed the oil in the venerable old Atomic 4.

So I guess I really did accomplish a lot with a limited amount of time. However we didn’t accomplish much Sailing at all, and that is sad.

Continue reading “Sail Fail 2017 and a taste of freedom.” →

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Oh sing to me sands of Stockton

One day before pulling the Egress out for the year we finally made landfall on our first Island of the 22 Apostle Islands Archipelago besides our home port on Madeline Island.

You can see our You Tube Video Below.

Stockton Island


Stockton Island is the second largest of the Apostle Islands. Madeline Island being the largest. Stockton Island is the largest island included in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The Apostle Island National Lakeshore encompasses 21 of the 22 Apostle Islands.The island chain is located off of Northern Wisconsin’s Bayfield peninsula in Lake Superior. Continue reading “Oh sing to me sands of Stockton” →

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A slow roll to Chequamegon Point Light House

After returning from the Duluth Tall Ships festival we needed to take the Egress out for test run.

We decided to head for Chequamegon Point Light House, we hoisted the sails but the wind was so light and variable that we quickly doused them and motored slowly to get a good view of the Chequamegon Point Light House. We put together a brief video of our slow roll. You can view it below.

Three lighthouses have graced Long Island. Though once an Island, Long Island is now part of a peninsula that stretches nearly eight miles out into Lake Superior, creating a natural breakwater for Chequamegon Bay.

Continue reading “A slow roll to Chequamegon Point Light House” →

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Just call me Captain Crash… 

“I don’t want to be that guy” I told the marina Captain, as I explained why I was very apprehensive about backing out of the slip with a strong wind on the stern and a engine whose idle is set to low so that it dies whenever I retard the throttle. “Everyone gets to be that guy” he replied.

So I had adjusted the idle and this fixed the engine cutting out, yet I still kinda felt jinxed since I missed the marina guys stepping the mast and failing to put the traditional coin on the mast step. I had hoped this didn’t mean bad luck.

.

Barb, myself, my brother and his girlfriend set off and enjoyed a sail. We actually had some really decent wind (10-15 knots)  for a change and where able to hoist the sails and had an awesome day.

A sweet sail
Having a good time
Soaking up the sun
Relaxing
Old sail still catches wind

On our way in to the marina I phoned my Ma and told her to meet us at the dock so that she could take some pictures of us. luckily she wasn’t filming.

Heading in
Slow is Pro
Coming torwards our Slip
Preparing to turn back towards slip

“Watch out kid”! Everyone yelled as we came barreling into the dock. Reverse is up! Not Down! Damn it!

Continue reading “Just call me Captain Crash… “ →

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What I did on my 2015 summer vacation (part 4)

Onward to Canada eh!

Another motor was in store prior to the arrival of our guests and the festivities of the Fourth of July. Our house and lawn would end up looking like an overfull backpackers hostel and a tent campground. So many folks were coming, that we needed one last time on the calm waters to relax prior to entertaining for 5 days.

We left the marina and headed into the North Channel towards Basswood Island, which is the closest Island to the mainland. We had a nice leisurely cruise and circumnavigated Basswood Island. Our first!

I was having such a great time that Barb had to remind me after passing the Northern tip of Basswood to take a 90’degree port turn to head south else we wind up in Canada! Thank goodness for my trusty first mate!

heading up the north channel
a perfect day
basswood island
getting closer
closing in on basswood
a nice sailboat in the distance
around the top of basswood

A quite sail.

After a 6 day lull, we finally hoisted the sails! Joining Barb, Captain Scott and myself were my brother and sister. The sail was wonderful.

We went into the South Channel and heaved-to above the Lucerne shipwreck. The water was somewhat choppy above the wreck and we were unable to catch a glimpse of her. After about four hours on the Lake it was time to sail back to the Marina. It turned out to be a memorable first sail on the Egress and left us looking forward to 2016!

Note: The Apostle Islands area is littered with Shipwrecks, these wrecks make for great cold water diving and viewing from above when the water is calm. For those visiting without your own boat, you can take a glass bottomed ride out to some of the wrecks with the Apostle Islands Cruise Service.

riding the wind!
close hauled
enjoying the ride
south channel bouy #4
the gangs all here!
sails are up
Captain Scott and I

 

One final motor, and a night on the Egress. Continue reading “What I did on my 2015 summer vacation (part 4)” →

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Something old and something new

It’s been awhile I know. Almost 4 months. Just too busy with settling back into to the work life to blog. And focused on our November trip to the Island to visit the house and the old girl “Egress”

Anyhow the November trip has come and gone, but the old owner found a few treasures for us prior to our arrival. Call it an early Christmas present. He found all the old manuals for the boat and its respective equipment. I discovered in this treasure trove the original advertising flyer for when she was in the Apostle Islands charter fleet way back in the later 1970’s. How cool is that! Continue reading “Something old and something new” →

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