Thunder Bay, Ontario to Duluth MN/Superior WI - August 8-19

August 8

We ended up staying an extra day in Thunder Bay.  A day to do laundry, changed water filters (they were still pretty clean), washed topside and deck.  And then a great dinner out at Silver Birch (bouillabaisse, duck meatloaf, and a decadent yet light white chocolate mousse.) 

August 9

We estimated how long it would take to get to Duluth and with a rainy day forecast on Tuesday, we decided to head for Wauswaugoning Harbor rather than an intermediary stop at Thompson Island.  It ended up being a calm 5.5 hour run.  I got excited as we approached the US border expecting AT&T to kick in.  No such luck. 

Wauswaugoning Harbor turned out to be a wonderful stop.  It was somewhat open to the southwest but winds were light.   We were the only boat.  There was a small gravel beach to land and take a short walk.

We could not report to US Customs and tried to get advice from the Coast Guard and they said to get closer to shore to see if we could pick up a signal.  We felt we made a good faith effort and will deal with Customs tomorrow.

August 10-11

The VHF weather reports indicated that there may be thunderstorms in the afternoon so we left the anchorage at 7 am and arrived in Grand Marais, MN shortly after 12 noon.  The water was like glass the entire way.  Fog cloaked us on our portside while our starboard side was clear.  AT&T’s signal became stronger and stronger as we approached Grand Marais.  Along the way we checked in with US Customs by telephone.

There was no dock space at the marina so we opted to tie up at the Forestry Dock rather than take a mooring ball.  It has turned out to be a good move although we put out every fender we have just in case there is any rocking.

Grand Marais is a touristy, artsy town with a food coop, a few good (reportedly) restaurants, a couple grocers, and the World’s Best Donuts (we are going to try them although the donuts in Campbellford, Ontario are hard to beat).

It started to rain Sunday evening.  Looks like Monday will be wet too so we will stay until Tuesday morning.

We arranged for our mail to be forwarded to a marina in Duluth UPS ground 1-5 days.  (HA…it ended up taking seven days.  UPS does not work on the weekend).

There is a great little fish deli shop next to the Angry Trout Restaurant.  We purchased some delicious pickled herring in a cream sauce and Johnson’s grocery store provided us with delicious smoked trout.

August 12

We left at 6:15 am and reached Silver Bay, MN at 1:30 pm.  Silver Bay Marina is very well maintained and looks new. The diesel was only $3.79 per gallon so we filled up.   We met boaters who cross Lake Superior at Silver Bay to cruise the Apostle Islands.  Something to think about for next time.

There is nothing in the area but a campground and a taconite processing plant. 

Rusty put the dinghy up on the swim platform as it looks like we will not be anchoring for a while.

August 13-19

Leaving at 8 am, we reached Barkers Marina in Superior, Wisconsin at 2:10 pm.  Superior and Duluth, MN are twin port cities, situated side by side at the western end of Lake Superior.  We had to cross a couple shipping lanes and sure enough there was one freighter that was moving faster than we were, requiring a little “get out of the way” maneuver.

We rented a car with Enterprise (only $18.05 per day) for five days and that enabled us to do some touring, shopping, laundry, and visiting.

Rusty’s cousin Lyn and John came up from Minneapolis to see us and the boat so we took them for a ride up the St. Louis River as far as Silver Springs Marina where we found Indonesian art and ice cream bars.   Dinner and breakfast the next morning rounded out a very pleasant visit.

We drove to Minneapolis for a short but thoroughly enjoyable time with Rusty’s brother-in-law Keith and nephew and niece, Scott and Beth.  They will be coming to Naples in December so the conversation will recommence then.

The short review of Duluth and Superior is “eh”.  We have never been here so we were curious.  It is the furthest point west on Lake Superior so that was something to strive for.  It was the closest point to Minneapolis on our route and that was important to see family.  But for a boater destination, it does not have enough to offer to justify going out of one’s way.  The marina closest to downtown Duluth has issues and the one we stayed at on Barkers Island is so removed that one needs a car. (See Active Captain for more info).

The landscape is overwhelmed with industrial buildings and roadways and overpasses.  The gardens at Enger Tower were an exception and one day we had a picnic lunch there.  A foodie highlight was to restock our freezer with meat from Superior Meats.  Good, old fashioned butcher.  We had a filet mignon last night and it was outstanding.  I don’t know why we bother with other cuts.

Gigi spent Monday at the Smooth the Pooch groomers and she looks magnificent again. 

The weather has been hit and miss lately.  We stayed an extra day (Tuesday) because of threats of thunderstorms.  The sole laundry washer at the marina is on the fritz so you know what I did today with the rental car.  Tomorrow looks good for a run to Cornucopia, WI and the start of the Apostle Islands.

Rossport to Thunder Bay, Ontario - July 28 to August 7

July 28

We were looking forward to our trip to Nipigon today.  It is the most northern point on Lake Superior and has us crossing the 49^th parallel.  On the way we passed by more rock paintings.  We did take photos but truthfully we could not make out the art work.

Nipigon lost its paper mill plant about eight years ago and with it went most of the jobs in town.    The town looks depressed.  In spite of that, the people we met were welcoming.  The marina had the most interesting docks we have seen.  They were made with skinny planks and appeared to be quite sturdy.  The marina had a small park and sitting area.   The wifi did not work.

We did some shopping at the local grocery store but passed on the laundry.  The machines were antique looking.  Although we were going to stay for two days we opted to head to Red Rock the following day, a trip of 5 miles.

July 29-30

Red Rock is doing something right.  The town is well maintained and the marina facilities are excellent.  We asked one of the residents about jobs and they admitted there were few in town and most of the husbands worked out of town/out of province.

The marina center has brand new restrooms and showers, a laundry room with two new washers and dryers, an exhibit hall, and a restaurant.   Laundry is done.

We met the owners of another Monk36 who kept their boat at the marina.  It is a 1989 and was purchased last year.  He told us that owners have to get their boats on trailers and the town provides heavy machinery to pull it out of the water.   No boat travel lifts in this part of the country.

July 31

We are in for a few days of light winds.  So we plan to rough it for a few days and then head to Thunder Bay.

 It was a pleasant five hour cruise to the CPR anchorage/dock on St. Ignace Island.  This spot is owned by a Thunder Bay family and maintained by a group of boaters from the area.  Visiting boaters are invited to use the facilities free of charge.   On land is a cabin with a screened in porch, a separate building with a sauna, and three outhouses.  There are well marked trails, including one that leads to the other side of the island where benches have been placed.

Rusty napped a little on the way and that was when I saw two moose in the water, seemingly swimming from island to island, a span of about one mile.  By the time I decided Rusty would be disappointed not to see them, they had leaped to shore. 

We were the only ones here for about four hours and then one of the regulars from Nipigon arrived.  They have been coming for about 24 years.  A few other boats are expected tomorrow.  We may head to Otter Cove tomorrow.  If we get up this way again we will aim to arrive during the week and spend a few days.  It is truly beautiful here.

Rusty is still not 100%.  He is taking a treatment of Zantac.  No drinks.  Oatmeal, yogurt, rice. 

August 1

A four hour run brought us to Otter Cove.  We expected to see other boaters anchored there as it is a popular spot.  We had the place to ourselves.  There were only four boats on the water the entire time we were underway. 

Otter Cove is beautiful.  There is a small inlet at the end of the cove that leads to a waterfall.  We took the dinghy as far as we could and then hiked a short trail to water.

 It is hard to describe the extraordinarily beautiful landscape we have seen over the past few weeks.  It takes ones breath away.  The eyes feast constantly.

August 2-3

Two hours and we are now in Loon Harbor, another popular anchorage and we are alone again until the afternoon of the first day.  Four sailboats appeared.  It felt crowded after our weeks of solitude.

 It is beautiful here! There is easy access to shore and we took Gigi for a walk.  There are a couple of wood and rock benches along with a fire pit on shore.  We read that this is a place where boaters congregate for shore fires.

Four kayakers from Iowa camped on shore the second night.  They were headed for Rossport, travelling about 16 miles per day.

Rusty is feeling better.  YEAH!

August 4

We thought we would  head for Thunder Bay today but along the way we changed our minds and headed for Tee Harbor (east) where we picked up one of three mooring balls set out for boaters.  There were beautiful walking trails on shore.  It would have been easy to spend a few days here.

August 5-7

We are now in Thunder Bay and have rented a car to get around.  Yesterday was a trip to the Fort William Trading Post where there is the largest group of furs we have ever seen.  It was interesting to find out about this industry.

On the way back we stopped at a Dutch cheese farm and store.  They make a tasty cumin and clove cheese. Croquettes are in the freezer.  All is good.

We have had two chance meetings here.  The first was another gold looper (Tom and Barbara) Toba travelling around Lake Superior but in the opposite direction.  We got together over drinks and shared each other’s experiences, as they had just been to where we were going and vice versa.  The second were friends from Naples, Bob and Dianna, who are travelling by RV.  We had a terrific dinner with them at the Bight and tonight we will grill at their “home”.

We are off to Kakabecka Falls now.  Holland Bakery is a stop.  We also found a great Italian bakery and a Maltese grocery that has everything that might need to reprovision.