BB22: Lake Superior and the UP

My first stop back in the United States was Sault Sainte Marie, MI to hang out at the Soo locks and marvel at the 1000 foot ships as they inch their way into the lock chambers with only a little more than a foot to spare between their side hulls and the lock walls.

The marina where I stayed is right at the entrance of the lock so I could watch them from my boat as they pushed massive amounts of water toward me, rocking my little trawler. Our friends on Andreas Fault were nearing their hometown and the end of their loop, just past the Soo and on the northern side of Wisconsin in Lake Superior so we spent as much time as we could with them before we had to tear Kali and Dozer away from each other..

Wade-ing Around and I met in the Soo by design because we were planning to take a short side trip up into Lake Superior as far as Pictured Rocks, a really unique experience in one’s own boat. We were carefully watching the weather (you know – with the Edmund Fitzgerald story and all) and relying on Andreas Fault’s local knowledge to see what they were comfortable with. Mother Nature did not like our plan and by the time we had an opportunity to go, we risked getting stuck in Grand Marais for longer than we wanted. We changed plans and decided to make it to Whitefish Point to experience just a taste of Lake Superior and visit the Shipwreck Museum. The Soo locks are BIG and since we were only going for one night, we decided to leave my boat and hop aboard Wade-ing Around so that I could be an extra set of hands going through the lock. It also gave me flexibility to work while Paul drove the boat.

We shared a meal with Paul and Andrea from Andreas Fault at The Palace Saloon the night before we left and then gave big hugs before we followed them through the big MacArthur lock into their home waters the next morning.

Lake Superior is no joke! Because it holds freshwater which is less dense than saltwater and storms develop over less fetch, the waves arrive faster and are steeper than ocean waves. This short period between the waves means large boats can be suspended on top of two crests leaving their middles to sag. This has resulted in an estimated 200 shipwrecks just in the stretch between the Soo, around Whitefish Point, and to Grand Marais a short distance beyond. The most famous of these is of course the Edmund Fitzgerald which sank November 10, 1975 in a ferocious storm that produced 30 foot waves and 45+ knot winds. Buckle up!

We made it to Whitefish Point without incident except for a bumpy ride and tied up to the free dock in the Safe Harbor there. There are no reservations and no one mans the dock, so it is first-come, first-served for the mere four transient slips. We had no other options, but we got lucky and there was only one other boat docked. The only thing to do within walking distance of the dock is a very interesting Shipwreck Museum that documents the stories of some of the sunken ships and their sailors. It was well worth the visit and I learned things I didn’t realize I should know. I highly recommend a short stop here if you are ever in the area. The dogs had a private beach and we all took a swim in chilly Lake Superior just because we could and then made our way back to Soo the next day.

We went through the Canadian side on the way back which won’t fit the big ships but is popular for small vessels and the tour boats.

It was time to start making our way south and the winds in that area were relentless. Wade-ing Around and I found a short window and we had a lovely ride down to a well-protected anchorage just north of DeTour, Michigan.

We set our anchors but as I was tying off my anchor rope to my cleat, I stepped on the wrong button and my anchor windlass tried to eat my hand instead of winding out more line. My pinky finger and ring finger got sucked in before I could react but I quickly hit the right button and it spit them back out. FUCK! My anchor was already set, thankfully, as I felt the nausea and wooziness start to set in. I yelled to Paul that I broke my pinky and needed to lie down. His face said WTF?! I laid down on the bow of my boat until I could pull myself up and climb over the gunnel to my couch inside. I was very glad that I had my lifejacket on – not that I needed it but I see how quickly some dumbass thing could have sent me overboard. Paul got his anchor set, rafted his boat to mine, and then climbed aboard The ‘Nati Nomad to check on me. He strongly suggested we pull anchor and find professional help, but it was not bleeding profusely and it was still attached at least. I knew the ring finger was just a flesh wound. My pinky was broken but the pinky is the least important finger anyway. Besides, Paul spent his career in healthcare so he was as good as anyone else I might find. He soaked my sad little fingers in hydrogen peroxide, slathered them with Neosporin, used my wooden travel knife as a splint, and wrapped me up. I iced my hand heavily while Paul whipped up dinner and I went to bed early. I figured this was the Universe’s way of telling me to slow the hell down. Heard, Universe, heard!

The winds were shifting the next day so we decided to pull our anchors and head out. But wait…there’s more. As we were pulling anchors, we realized we must have turned during the night and our anchor lines were twisted. Again, FUCK! It took about 20 minutes to get untangled but I used my lobster claw of a hand to work the anchor rodes apart while Paul drove his boat in a circle around mine to unwind. Another mariner skill learned. My anchor was up but just as we were getting ready to pull his, Mother Nature gave us another test just to make sure we got the previous messages. She sent a thunderstorm to delay us another 45 minutes. Okay!

The story of the loop is that a good day can turn bad in an instant, but a bad day can turn great just as quickly. As we were leaving our anchorage, a flock of hundreds of cormorants (I think they were cormorants, but my mom might correct me) flew right in front of Wade-ing Around as a giant 1000-footer passed in the distance. It was perfect timing to catch his expression over my VHF radio. A moment later, a bald eagle flew in front of my boat and then dove down to catch a fish along her way. I paused and realized how fortunate I was to be able to say “I broke my pinky because my anchor windlass tried to eat it while I was anchoring in Maud Bay, Michigan on a fabulous year-long adventure on The ‘Nati Nomad.” instead of “I broke my pinky because I slipped on ice going to visit my friend in the hospital.” Also, how lucky am I to have been with Paul at that point who took such good care of me? Fingers heal. If my niece Molly can rappel down a skyscraper in her wheelchair, I can certainly manage a boat with a broken finger. As my mom would say, carry on Warrior! And that I will…but more slowly and carefully.

On the morning we left Maud Bay, we did not know where we were staying that night. We were ultimately on the way to Mackinaw City so we were either going to Cedarville, Hessel, or an anchorage along the way. We did consider that a town might be smarter in case my finger situation went south and we needed to visit a doc or get supplies, but the weather and slip availability ultimately led us to Hessel anyway. Hessel was a perfect little summer cottage town to spend a few days waiting out MORE windy weather. Hessel is in the Les Cheneaux Islands and is filled with wooden boats, great food, lots of whitefish, and small-town charm. The first night, we had a fabulous meal at the Les Cheneaux Culinary School – garlic butter rolls, tuna poke, green curry whitefish, and quite a few specialty cocktails including a smoked whiskey drink that was out of this world. Every bite was fantastic.

The next day, we visited a great farmer’s market and stocked up on whitefish dip, breakfast quiche, farm fresh eggs, and produce. We had whitefish with a greek spin on it for lunch at the NibbleLungen convenience store and then tried the other dinner place in the town, the Islander, for dinner. Every place we visited was so cute and upscale. Hessel is a Yooper hidden gem!

I am weathered in Hessel with 15 knot sustained winds and 30 knot gusts until probably Tuesday. The plan is to try for St. Ignace when the winds calm which leaves us an easy approach to Mackinaw City by Friday where I will pick up two very special visitors who I am very excited to see. Can’t wait!

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson

To support the adventure or to track The ‘Nati Nomad’s progress, visit greatloop.thenatinomad.com.