Great choice!
Bruce, You will love Door County. I have gone there the last three years, and have always had a great time. We always put in at Peninsula park and then park the trailer in the overflow lot. The annual pass for $20 is the way to go. Then you can park there as long as you like. There is a nice sandy bottom (western side) in Nicolet Bay which is where the launch ramp is located. Nicolet Bay is very popular in the summer and it provides good protection from every direction except the North. The place does get crowded. If the wind is coming out of the North, you can go 1/2 mile north to Horseshoe Island, and you will be comfortable there. If you only have a couple of days, then there are plenty of nice day sails out of Nicolet Bay. There is a nice beach at the north end of Chambers Island which only takes a couple of hours to get to on a good day. Again, it's a popular place, but plenty of room even when it's crowded, and there is a good sandy bottom for holding. You will definitely want good charts, because there are a lot of shoals, but they are well marked. A 4-5 hour sail will get you up to Washington Island, from Nicolet and there is a great anchorage in Detroit Harbor, just past where the ferry boats come in. Good mud bottom, and protection from all directions. Follow the channel markers and watch the charts to avoid the shoals. This is my favorite anchorage. It is relatively shallow, not very crowded even during peak summer times, and it is shallow so the water is relatively warm. At the north end of Washington Island is Rock Island. If there is room, you can stay at the dock on Rock Island, but the bottom is rocky so I wouldn't try to anchor out. Rock Island is a cool place to explore for a day. The water depth is 1 foot or less in some areas so again, watch your charts. You can also go to the north end of Washington Island (Jackson Harbor), but watch the channel markers carefully because there are lots of shallows. There is a dock that has transient slips, but maneuvering is tight. There are a lot more areas that I haven't explored yet, but as far as WI sailing is concerned, it has to be some of the best cruising grounds, and it is well protected from southerly's. If you have other questions, feel free to e-mail me at dclark@c3stats.com. Dave s/v Hakuna Matata O'Day 222
