Has anyone ever sailed the Apostle Islands? I was wondering if the wind/water would be too much for my 17' Daysailer.
Apostle Islands
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I keep my O'Day 25 near Bayfield, WI in the Apostle Islands. It is great sailing with 22 Islands to explore. The water is crystal clear but shockingly cold. The wind is usually pretty light in the summer so if you picked your day, kept an eye on the forecast, and stay in a protected area, you should be OK. I see smaller boats out on nice days.
Also, is anyone aware of a boat that would be safer, reasonably inexpensive, trailerable, and make my transition from large lakes to The Big Lake a little more smooth?
That'd be the obvious solution, but it's awfully difficult to use a keelboat on a smaller lake, so I would have to make the drive to Lk Superior every time. And repeatedly trailering one doesn't look like much fun...
The trailerable O'Day 25 that we sail has a centerboard that swings down. Even in a crowded anchorage, we just go inside everyone with our 2'8" draft. We keep it in a marina. It is about the smallest, lightest boat I would want on Superior and we have to be cautious when we get outside the islands. Superior can be anything from glass to 10ft+ waves. But on the right days, you could sail any small sailboat with the understanding that if it is a wet sailer, the water will be cold.
We drive from Minneapolis to Bayfield (4-5 hours) each way almost every weekend.
We drive from Minneapolis to Bayfield (4-5 hours) each way almost every weekend.
A little advice andersailing...don't listen to anything sPk has to offer! That guy is nuts! His wife on the other hand makes him tolerable.
Your daysailor would be just fine if you plan to use it as the name implies. You can sail all over the islands in it but just know that the weather changes in an instant up there and you're plans may need to change. The great thing about the islands is that there is always an island to duck in behind to get protected.
To really utilize the islands to their fullest you should look into a boat with a cabin so you can anchor out for a couple of nights. At minimum, something like a Catalina 22... and I just happen to know someone selling a great Catalina 22 MkII. Let me know if you're interested. It's in Superior, WI.
Your daysailor would be just fine if you plan to use it as the name implies. You can sail all over the islands in it but just know that the weather changes in an instant up there and you're plans may need to change. The great thing about the islands is that there is always an island to duck in behind to get protected.
To really utilize the islands to their fullest you should look into a boat with a cabin so you can anchor out for a couple of nights. At minimum, something like a Catalina 22... and I just happen to know someone selling a great Catalina 22 MkII. Let me know if you're interested. It's in Superior, WI.
No swing keel but it has a wing keel so it only draws 3 feet or so. It's easy to launch at most ramps. Here's a link...
http://www.dannysaathoff.com/boat-for-sale/
The price is $14500.
http://www.dannysaathoff.com/boat-for-sale/
The price is $14500.
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