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PostPosted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 4:06 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
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Location: Rockford, IL
I went camp cruising on my Sunfish, with another Sunfish sailor, and a guy on a Hobie 16, through the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior. We sailed for 4 days, camped on the islands for 3 nights. It was SO MUCH FUN!
Matt, the other Sunny sailor, has camp cruised for a week around Isle Royale. And we're talking about camp cruising the Slate Islands in Canada.

Does anyone know of any other places you can beach your boat and camp, on the Great Lakes? State Parks, county parks, National Forests or Lakeshores that allow beach camping? It was, like I said, SO MUCH FUN!

I'm fortunate to live in the upper Midwest, so all the Great Lakes are easily accessible. And there is a lot of shoreline there! I'm good with US or Canada camping.

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2022 8:57 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
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Location: Rockford, IL
Summer plans!
Camp cruising the Apostle Islands again this summer, this time on my Getaway with a buddy. I plan on hitting the outer islands we didn't have time (or speed enough on the Sunfish) to see.

THEN, the Slate Islands in northern Lake Superior! Some friends with my on my Getaway, and my Ely buddies from last year, on Nate's Hobie 16. Wild caribou, wolves, some arctic flora, shatter cones from the meteorite strike. Fun!

Next year? Maybe Isle Royale? I'm still looking for shoreline camping on the Lakes. It'd be big fun to do a coastal sail up Lake Michigan from Chicago to Sault Ste. Marie, but where to camp, where to camp?

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 09, 2022 5:10 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:05 pm
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Location: Franksville, WI.
I'm not sure where to camp. I've been doing a lot of jetsking over the past 25 years between Racine & Milwaukee & there is a lot of secluded county land in the Oak creek area for starters. We get a lot of west winds in the summer here as you know, would be so much fun to cruise straight up north.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2022 2:06 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
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Location: Rockford, IL
It's taking some digging, but I'm finding some great places. It occurred to me to search for kayak camping spots on the Great Lakes' coastlines, because we have the exact same needs. I'm finding some very nice possibilities.

I'll post information and a few photos from my upcoming Apostle Islands trip and Slate Islands trip in this thread if anyone is interested.

Here's a link to a youtube video of the Apostle Islands trip I took last year.
https://youtu.be/SyhUSHPB_nE
Matt shot and narrated the video. It's his Youtube channel, Adventures in Reach. Matt and I were on Sunfish, and Nate was on his Hobie 16.
Matt has a 5 video series here also, of his circumnavigation of Isle Royale on his Sunfish the year before!

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 5:12 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
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Location: Rockford, IL
Back from camp cruising the Apostle Islands!

We departed from Sand Bay on Saturday morning. Planned on camping on Stockton the first night, Outer the 2nd night, Rocky the 3rd, and Sand Island the 4th night. But the best laid plans of mice and men oft go agley!

No wind. We drifted east in the general direction of Stockton. So we paddled to Raspberry Island for lunch. No camping there, so motored (Torqeedo) to Oak Island where the ranger found a place for us to camp. Mosquitos were brutal, I thought. The next day the ranger commented on how few mosquitos there are this year!

Sunday, with lousy wind forecasts, we decided to go back to Sand Bay and camp there, and day sail to the nearer islands as wind permitted. Sailed in thick fog for much of the day. I realized I had no foghorn. Took most of the day to get back.

Monday, the winds looked promising. There are cool sea caves on the mainland about 10 miles from Sand Bay. We set sail in a light breeze. Ran up the spinnaker for a while, then the wind shifted. Then the wind died. We motored back to Sand Bay.

We were planning on staying until Wednesday, but you can't fight Mother Nature. We left on Tuesday.

The Apostles are so pretty, and who ever heard of 3 days on Lake Superior with no wind?? Still, any day on the water is a good day!

Next month, sailing the Slate Islands in Canada, northern Lake Superior.

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:41 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:32 pm
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Location: Montague, MI, USA
I have often dreamed of sailing/camping along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

I sail off a spot north of White Lake, near Montague.

I know there are county access points and parks every few miles, but few real spots to overnight.

Dream of pulling it off somehow even so.


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:39 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
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Location: Rockford, IL
I just got back from camp cruising the Slate Islands in northern Lake Superior, Ontario.
What a great place! The islands are beautiful. Great camping. Didn't see any of the wild caribou there, though.

We were going to spend 5 nights on the islands, but no wind the first day meant another hotel stay. Cut the trip a day short too, so we spent 4 days/3 nights there.

There's a channel between the 2 major islands with little islands in it. Interesting sailing with swirly winds. We explored the bays, went into an old copper mine, hiked the caribou trails. Built a fire under an old iron bathtub that's there and had a hot tub!

Very fun time. I'll post a link when my friend gets the video done.

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:43 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
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Location: Rockford, IL
sjPdB wrote:
I have often dreamed of sailing/camping along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

Here's a youtube video of a couple of guys who did exactly that on a NACRA.
https://youtu.be/ETIYRotdNrU

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 6:42 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
Posts: 736
Location: Rockford, IL
We went up to Canada, to Terrace Bay, Ontario. Sailed 8 miles out to the Slate Islands. 3 people on my Getaway, and 3 on Nate’s H16. Camped 3 nights (we lost the first day due to no wind).
I’m definitely going back there! And there are other islands along the north shore to explore!
Here’s Matt’s video of the trip. Let him know what you think!
https://youtu.be/MnrcSXdnmDI

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:10 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:05 pm
Posts: 105
Location: Franksville, WI.
Awesome, lots like a lot of fun!


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2023 2:19 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 12, 2022 1:07 am
Posts: 10
For the metro Detroit peeps, on lake St Clair: the St Clair River delta has many islands. If you go during the off season you can have many islands to yourself. If you go on the party season, you'll be there with 1000 other people.... If you don't mind the suspect smell of burning grass...

The many islands have lots of mosquitoes, so DO get the highest deet possible spray and go to town.

From the metropark, to the delta takes about 2.5 hrs in modest conditions.

There are State park launches much closer which will be idea if you don't want to sail over open water.


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 10:02 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:02 pm
Posts: 736
Location: Rockford, IL
We have two trips planned this year, I'm taking my boat to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan to N. and S. Manitou Islands, then later I'm going to meet up with my Minnesota buddies for several boats in the Apostle Islands.

That is, if my rotator cuff permits. I had rotator cuff repair a couple of months ago, and it's slow going coming back. I haven't had either boat out yet this year...

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks


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