It is raining here today so.... I have to use my imagination....and your photos got me curious.... what charts would I need if planning such a trip? And where would you recommend putting in? And how would a Yank get a visa for such a trip?
http://www.waypoints.com/tradcharts/can3superior.html
Traditional paper charts here. You may need 4 or 5 depending on where you go...for the Apostles all you need is one. The cost of 5 charts is approaching the cost of the Richardson chart book for the whole lake..somewhere around $110 I think. That's what I use though mine is quite a bit older, I remember paying $42 for mine. Have the Richardson book for Huron too. Electronic charts I have no idea as I don't use them. Navigation is dead simple in the Apostles as there are few hazards. Same on the north shore...the water is deep...some shoals, rocks, and hazards but not like Georgian Bay and the North Channel in Lake Huron.
No visa required though you do need your passport and if trailering you will pass through customs like anyone else arriving by car. In theory you can ask for a form stating your entry in case you would get checked out on the water. That said I have never been asked or approached to show such a form. If arriving by water one has to sail into Thunder Bay to check in or Sault Ste Marie if one comes from the east. It's been 12 years since I sailed across the border so maybe this can be done by phone or computer now. Not sure?
Thunder Bay has a really nice marina and is the usual launch point but we usually use Rossport for haul out and catch the bus. For the Apostle you have several marinas to chose from we always use Red Cliff Campground/Marina as it's closest to the islands. It's on the Red Cliff Indian Res, rustic and nothing fancy but we have never had any problems. We don't spend any time in marinas so to us it's just a launch point, the closer the better. I would not use any marinas further south than Bayfield. They aren't bad, it's just they are further from the islands.
In Lake Huron we put in at either Spanish or Little Current. Spanish is a good choice if you are going to do the North Channel. Little Current separates the North Channel and Georgian Bay so you can do a little of both or just go east to Georgian Bay. The Richardson book is great for this area with lots of small scale details that are really needed in this area. Or just get the electronic charts if you have the plotter. This is one area where you have to know where you are at at all times and pay close attention to navigation.
There is an operators license requirement but it does not apply to non-residents spending less that 45 days in Canadian waters.
They are mostly a windbreak with the nice benefit of additional privacy. We like sun showers in the cockpit. On Superior the water is always quite cold so the breeze can be a bit cooler too. They make the cockpit much more comfy...it's just nice to have a place to get out of the wind. On this trip to the North Channel we had a break from the hot summer and had a little cool spell so we used them. If it had stayed hot we may not have put them up. They really came in handy on the cool, cloudy, blustery day we sailed to the Benjamins. 
