Arctic Solo Sail

On the 7^th of April, 2009, I have departed Two Harbors, Minnesota, after months of preparations and 25 years of dreaming, en route to Nome Alaska over the top of the world through the Northwest Passage.  Of course Nature will have the last say in that. 

The sky is bright and clear with a 12 – 15 knot wind from the North West.  It couldn’t be better.  This day I’m bound for the Apostle Island group off Wisconsin.  I own the lake!  Not another vessel in sight once I clear the harbor.  To the North East the horizon is so clear and sharp a star sight could be taken were it twilight.  The Gitchee Gumee is big.  The boat is sailing well, fast and very stable.  The auto-pilot is now my best friend!  (Or my worst enemy should I fall overboard.  For that reason, I’m tied to the mast at all times.)

At day’s end, I’ve traveled 47.2 nautical miles including some downwind tacks and one false try to go between Sand Island and the mainland.  Ice!  Well, guess I best get use to it going to where I’m going.

I sailed past the site of the wreck Sevona, an ore carrier sunk in a storm in 1905 on my way to my anchorage for the night.  The sunset over the Lake is so beautiful it rivals those I’ve seen at sea.  I anchor at Latitude 46 degrees 59.07 minutes north, 090 degrees 55.49 minutes west.  Google Earth will show you exactly where I anchored at Sand Island.  You may even find the little cabin about to fall into the lake as the storms wash away the shore. 

During the night:  The ice has found me!  Startled is an understatement when woken from a dead sleep by ice crunched against the hull. What’s going on!  Up and out I go into the cold wind in my shorts, but not much to do.  The wind and ice will have their way.  Two large pancakes have lodged themselves between the main hull and the ammas (the name given to the outer hulls on a trimaran by the Polynesians).  I help them along the way with my trusty crowbar. 

Sailing out of Two Harbors, MN

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 6:48 am and is filed under Lake Superior. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.