Cruise North Shore of Lake Superior in August 2010

Suzanne Tuck - June 15, 2010

We are planning on cruising the North Shore of Lake Superior from Sault Ste Marie to Michipicoten island and back in August.  Alizann is a 48' Kadey Krogen Trawler and has a 5' draft.  Any ideas of awesome anchorages to visit and areas to explore?

Duane Flynn's picture

Suzanne,
The best of Lake Superior is on the north side. As Je mentioned the Slate are very nice and very safe. Battle Island Light near Rossport is another worth while stop. There are anchorages every 5 to 10 miles once you get past the Slates all the way to the US border. Bonnies book as well as our own info will give you more info then you'll ever need.
We may be in that area after the Rendezvous in Mac. Have Fun!!

Duane

Suzanne Tuck's picture

Thanks Duane for the input. Maybe we will cross paths later this summer. We are presently in NC at Beardrop in the rain but it is still beautiful.

J.E. Fordyce's picture

We did the circuit of Lake Superior in 2007, clockwise, in conjunction with the Rendezvous at Duluth. As I think ytou know, we have a KK 48 Whaleback.

The key here is having a weather window which should not be too difficult in early August. The first anchorage north of the Soo is Batchawana Bay, which is not that interesting (low and flat) but it is strategically located. In a westerly wind you could shelter behind Ile Parisienne on the way to Batchawana if need be. From Batchawana north there are not a lot of spots suitable for boats our size until Gargantua Harbour, which can be done easily in a day from Batchawana. We haven't stayed there, but did use Indian Harbour a bit north and found it beautiful. Brule Harbour, a bit further north is well recommended. From there I would suggest jumping across Michipicoten Bay to the north side of the bay and going to Ganley Harbour, Richardson Harbour or even Otter Head, which we found very nice. We were disappointed in Quebec Harbour on Michipicoten Island. Not all that scenic compared to places north of Otter Head on the mainland. From Otter Head north almost to Marathon there are lots of interesting anchorages. We liked Pulpwood Harbour a lot. If you have time, try to get to the Slate Islands and even over to Rossport. I don't think there is any reason to go to Marathon.
Start your planning with the Log book and the charts and you will be able to put together a wonderful trip. The scenery is awesome and the only concern can be weather. Also have a look at Bonnie Dahl's book, the Superior Way. Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope to see you this summer.

Cheers,

J.E. Fordyce
Commodore

Suzanne Tuck's picture

J. E

Thank you very much for the input. It confirms much of my studies throughout the cruising guide but as always more input is appreciated. I believe we will be travelling with Idyll Time,North Sea KK48, Jeff & Susie Parker whom you met in Beardrop last summer. We gave them an app to GLCC and they joined up. Hope you have a nice cruising summer. We are off to the North Channel this Friday- June 26, Superior in Aug and Door county in Sept. Hope our paths cross in the near future.