Windbound

First time this Summer we had to spend a day holed up on an island because of the wind. Ron S and I went up to the Apostles for the weekend to check out some Islands. I hadn't been to Michigan Island yet, or the Northeast side of Stocton ... this wasn't the weekend to be on the lake, much less go exploring unknown bays. We had checked weather before we left and knew there would be small craft warnings, but the forecast could be wrong ... one just never knows for sure. Cold fronts usually bring strong winds, and wind shifts. This one was no exception. As soon as we passed Basswood Island towards Hermit we knew the lake would keep us entertained. The winds were from the South ... how much fetch could the lake have along the South Shore? The crossing from Hermit to Stocton proved to be the most interesting with 3 to 4 foot following seas. Perfect surfing waves! The Nordkapp has proven to be a solid performer in conditions, I never once felt anything but complete confidence throughout all of the crossings. After the great surfing waves we got into the reflection stuff that was bouncing off the rocks on Stocton, kind of gives you that washing machine effect. We ended up ducking into Quarry bay that night, hoping for better conditions the next day. The winds grew stronger ... waves grew bigger ... we decided to hang out at Quarry bay for the weekend, and do some hiking.

I paddled back solo on Sunday through some fun conditions. The crossing between Stocton and Hermit is pretty exposed to the Northwest, exactly were the the winds were coming from. Ron stayed up for a couple extra days to hit a couple more islands. Wish I could've stayed longer, but I've been burning up vacation time this year at an alarming rate!