Remembrances

A friend just sent a link to Nathan Rogers sings the Northwest Passage
I had to listen to it..Nathan is good, like his father Stan.
So I looked for some of Stan's Music and found a documentary about his life.    
Stan Rogers, One Warm Line  It starts with Stan singing Northwest Passage.

I had read about the Franklin Expedition and the search for the Northwest Passage in a series of books called "The Trilogy" by Farley Mowat. They might have been edited by Farley, not written...I read them over 30 years ago...ugh time flies.

  I stumbled on Stan in an old record store in Calais, Maine.  Coming home from New Brunswick and backpacking in Fundy National Park I needed a rest stop.  Calais is on the Maine/New Brunwick border and I just wanted to walk around town for a break from driving.  I found this album by Stan..."Between the Breaks"...had to wait until I was home before I could listen to it, but the cover and songs sounded maritime folksy. Loved it and still do.
"Witch of the Westmorland" rocks and little did I know that 20 years later I would be one of those in the "White Collar Holler"  Enjoy his salty air.

Going on the "hard" in the Penobscot River, ME

The ships are arriving for Winter Layup 1-16-2011

On Monday, the 17th of Jan, 6 or more ships are expected to arrive in Sturgeon Bay to layup for the Winter.
The John Boland arrived this morning and the Mesabi Miner is heading in now...going through the ice stern first is a long process, but since the 1000 footers berth stern first it is easier than turning around in the ice after they arrive

The Mesabi Miner

I drove past a friends house after watching the Miner and saw his dog enjoying the warm sun.

Noah looks part wolf...long legs, large feet, but friendly as can be.

He is sitting in front of a Tahitiana Ketch, designed by Weston Farmer

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/wf/tahitiana/index.htm

The Tug Erika Kobasic was heading into Green Bay ice, following the track broke by the Coast Guard's Mobile Bay

The Tug Erika Kobasic

dodging Ice shanties

Not Really!

January 16, 2011 HARD WATER

It was -3 degrees this morning, so far the coldest day of the winter.

Yesterday, the Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay had made several passes out into Green Bay. It has been pretty warm this winter and the ships haven’t come in to Bay Ship Building for winter layup yet. The water is getting hard now and they are arriving.

When I walked out to the shop this morning I noticed the tug Susan L., breaking Ice and heading out into Green Bay.

Before building the morning fire, I turned the scanner to the marine channels and heard a ship calling the Oregon Street Bridge for an opening in 20 minutes or so. After the fire was goin well, I went back into the house, grabbed the camera, some warm clothes,…oh yeah, a caramel pecan roll.

While driving toward Michigan Street I could see the lift was up for the Oregon Street Bridge. I parked on First Ave near the Great Lakes Yacht Works and walked/ran onto the Michigan Street Bridge, which was starting to open too.

The Ore Carrier, John J Boland was about 100’ from entering the Oregon Bridge, with the Tug Jimmy L following. Smoke was steaming off the broken water into the -3 degree air and I could hear the bow thruster throttling up and down, keeping the ship centered in the bridge opening. The John Boland did well and didn’t need assistance from the Jimmy L to navigate from one bridge to the other…the bridges are 1000’ or less apart, the shipping channel makes a slight turn to the North, so the ship has to make continuous corrections while trying to stay lined up between the span of both bridges. The Boland took about 20 minutes to navigate both bridges. It looks difficult in the winter with the ice trying to shove the ship one way or another. The sea smoke was pretty cool adding a haze to the air. At Bay Ship the John Boland looked like it was going to berth in the South Yard of Bay Ship. In order to see over the chain link fence I climbed the 50’ snow pile in the parking lot across the street. That is convenient. Every winter Bay Ship piles their yard snow up there, so I can climb the “mountain” and get a clear view of the yard…it is large enough that sometimes it doesn’t totally melt until mid June. After watching the yard tug Bay Ship run around in the ice, I was frozen…so I headed home to throw more wood in the fire.

The yard tug Bay Ship

Ah...remembering those warm summer days

For Great Lakes Shipping News, check out  http://www.boatnerd.com/

August 26 Kayak Chamber's Island

Paddle to Chambers Island, by Moonlight

Launched from the Tennison Bay Kayak Launch about 6 PM
Landed on Chambers about 7:15
Left Chambers 7:25
Arrived back at the put in at 9 PM

Launch in Tennison Bay

Nice paddle…wind started out light from the SW and built into the mid-teens from the S with 2.5+ waves, before I reached Chambers.   I hurried getting a snack and drink as I wanted to get headed back so I would be through the larger waves before it became dark. 

On the beach at Chambers

The sun was going to set in about 20 minutes so I left. The wind was still building up into the high teens aand the wave were pushing 3 feet just before I reached Adventure Island. They gradually calmed down as I closed the distance to Adventure Island and reached its lee shore.  The rest of the paddle was more sheltered by the Islands and mainland so the waves gradually calmed .

Shortly after I left Adventure Island the moon rose just about where the landing should be, but as I got closer to shore it was actually blinding me from seeing the shoreline until I was close enough so the trees blocked it out.  Of course in the dark, finding the landing was difficult…I was counting on someone to sit on the ramp and watch the stars…if they bring kids, there are always flashlights. The couple there didn’t have any kids, but the dude was smoking a cigarette, and I saw the glow. I yelled to them if that was the boat ramp, yes came the reply and I yelled back that I thought you were going to built a bonfire so I could find my way back…they chuckled and he offered to help carry the boat up.

The trip was about 11 miles as I wandered a bit to be in the shelter of the Islands on the way back.

I had a light on, kept eyes and ears sharp for boats...saw none.   Had a radio, flares, strobe and cell.
I enjoy paddling or sailing in the dark...usually little to no boat traffic and basically a different world

August 21, Kayak, Fish Creek, WI

This evening I went to Fish Creek. My daughter was curating a showing of new artists at the Peninsula Art School. I visited for a while, had a few snacks, and chatted with some folks. Stayed about an hour. I was dressed for the showing, but just so happened to have my paddling gear in the truck. Since I had not paddled in Fish Creek Harbor, this seemed like a good opportunity. Launched at Nelson’s Point about 7 pm, near the picnic area and paddled into town.

A small Drascombe boat anchored behind the breakwater of Weber’s Point caught my eye. The light was good, a low sun with the moon rising behind the traditional looking lap strake boat…nice. Then headed across the harbor and just cruised around.

The Steel Schooner "Friendly"

There were a couple steel ketches about 40 feet, a 38 foot wooden Ketch and a steel schooner. I didn’t realize there were so many small cottages with dock space along the water…It would be a nice place to stay for a week if you had a large or small boat (kayak)... So I followed the shoreline North, it was getting dark by the time I found Fish Creek and followed it up stream a ½ mile or so to “Not Licked Yet” a good ice cream/sandwich place. It was dark by then, but I took a few flash photos of patrons taking photos of the kayaker in the dark.

Up Fish Creek at "Not Licked Yet"

http://www.notlickedyet.com/

As I went back down the creek, 4 deer jumped across not more than 15 feet ahead of me, gee that would have been exciting if they had run me over...in a kayak. So the paddle back was in the dark, with a 3/4 moon. Had a little trouble making out the landing as it was just a path down to the water form the picnic area, with really not much of a landmark... After loading the car, I called Mag on the cell to see if she was still in town. She was, so we met up at Malabo Moos for a couple cones on the way home.

August 18, Kayak Sawyer Harbor

We launched in Potawatomi State Park about 5:30 at the

Park's boat ramp.

Light Winds, Partly Cloudy,

the water temperature was in the mid-60’s

Laurel, Tim, DD, Terrie, and I showed up.

Lost Creek

Headed over to the mouth of Lost Creek following the winding shoreline and found it pretty much choked with weeds, but I cut a path up the creek to the first old dock and turned around. Saw an ugly snapper, covered with moss and weeds peering up at me as he grabbed some air.

Lower end of Sawyer Harbor

We headed over to the mouth of Sawyer Harbor and around Cabot’s Point toward the Sherwood Point Lighthouse…one of the last manned lighthouses on the Great Lakes.

Heading Toward the Light

Sherwood Point Light
Now it is used as rental for military who need a little R & R.

Sherwood Point Light

A few small waves, but the water was mainly flat.

We rounded Sherwood Point passed the picturesque light house and headed at a leisurely pace back to Sawyer Harbor and the launch, enjoying the warm sunset as we pulled out.

Watching the Sun go Down

South of Sherwood Point

Inside Sawyer Harbor

The launching area at Potowatomie

We traveled about 10 miles.

The next few photos are from a trip I took to Saint Martin a few years ago.

It was nice to see Terrie during this paddle, so we got caught up on where we have been and she had just been to St Martin Island...with Laurel, Tim and some others.

They spent couple days on Rock Island, which my daughter and I visited last month, and a few on St Martin, exploring the islands with feet and paddle.

St Martin is private and about 5 miles N of Rock Island State Park.

It is pretty much out there subject to weather...20 miles to the west is Michigan, 15 miles to the North is Fairport, Michigan and 70 miles or so to the East is the other side of Lake Michigan. It experiences alot of severe, variable weather.  Each time I have visited, I was windbound by 25+ winds for an extra day.

St Martin Island

An old map of a previous trip to St Martin

St Martin Island Lighthouse

 

Poverty Island Light

They managed to take a side trip over to Poverty Island, which is an island 5 miles North of St Martin.

Cold fronts are coming through now, with the daytime highs in the mid-70’s and in the 50’s at night…summer is leaving and fall is creeping in…the warmth of summer is barely long enough to burn off the chill memories of our long winter…sometimes as a friend tells me, ya just want to walk south carrying a snow shovel until someone asks what it is, then you know it is warm.

August 16th, Kayak...chasing Europa...Sturgeon Bay

The Europa

Sometime today, I suspected the Tall Ships would be coming through town on their way down Lake Michigan to Chicago and other ports. Several are involved in a race starting Tuesday morning off the eastern entrance to the canal…racing down to Chicago

http://www.sailtraining.org/tallships/2010greatlakes/index.php

I had asked my kayak buddies to keep an eye out for the boats and several either e-mailed or called my cell to let me know ship locations. Some were at the city dock after work, so I hung out there taking some photos, then went to the boat launch in Sunset Park as I could get a good look North into Green Bay…and here was the Europa, under full Sail…I ran home changed into some paddling clothes came back and launched just as she sailed by about a ½ mile away.

So I started following, taking pictures along the way. The problem with picture taking when you are trying to overcome a ship that is traveling at close to your hull speed is I would lose several hundred feet every time I stopped. Finally I was right up on her stern after several miles, got some close-ups, then peeled away to check out the seven other boats now docked around town. The “Friends Good Will”, “Royalist”, “Dennis Sullivan”, “Niagara”, “Lynx”, “Pride of Baltimore II”, “Unicorn” and the “Roseway”.

The Royalist

Safety net under the bow sprit of the Niagra

Information about the ships; http://www.sailtraining.org/tallships/2010greatlakes/participatingvessels.php

Where are they now? Going to Chicago.

Check on their progress here; http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/tsc2010.phtml

Bear in mind that some of the data is several days behind.