On behalf of myself and my office staff I would like to thank Captain Gregory of Sail Superior.com Yacht Charters for the wonderful evening sail charter we took out of the harbour in Thunder Bay into Lake Superior. It was a beautiful evening of peaceful sailing to the Welcome Islands to watch the sunset over the city. Our dinner was catered by The Good News Cafe. Greg and his crew made the staff who were new to sailing comfortable and relaxed with a fun briefing and introduction to the sensation of sailing so it was a great experience for everyone. We look forward to chartering with Sail Superior.com again perhaps out to Thompson Island for a day trip or even overnight this summer.

I have had the opportunity of sailing with Greg and Laura on Frodo and it was very enjoyable indeed: Greg is a very nice guy, a patient captain, and a great sailor. He turned a short sail out to the Welcome Islands into a very nice experience, tailored to my request and I would highly recommend sailing with sailsuperior to anyone in or visiting Thunder Bay. Greg has sailed internationally so he has a lot of stories to tell and he also shares the boat with experienced sailors! I hope to sail with you again soon in Thunder Bay!

Many thanks!

Sabrina

The first time we vacationed with Sail Superior was the Summer 2000. When Capt Greg, sailing the Belinda Blue, took us on an unforgettable 4 day tour around Superior. By sunset of day 1, we were totally enchanted and had no difficulty at all understanding why Capt Greg loves the area and enjoys sharing it with others as much as he does.

Nightfall: Thompson Island where we enjoyed a hot relaxing sit in the Suana, a giddy run off the end of the dock and a cool splash in Lake Superior. Later around a roaring fire, clasping steaming mugs of hot cocao, we listened and laughed to some of Capt Greg's more colorful sailing experiences.

Day 2: We beat down to Horseshoe Cove, where we spent the afternoon hiking, photographing mooses, and watching otters swim.

On day 3: We weighed anchor early and started tacking our way north. By this time we thought of are selves as old salts, having taken control of the helm and sails while Capt Greg relaxed and offered the occasional tip. By noon we were anchored off Silver Islet and all suited up for the greatly anticipated dive of the Kakabeka. With Capt Greg guiding we submerged to 90 feet and found the 68ft keel of the wooden tug which sunk in 1895. Great Dive! Late afternoon and we were headed north again. The wind speed had doubled and Superior was showing a bit of teeth. When the first big wave crashed over the bow, we happily gave command back to Capt Greg and started following orders again. After a half an hour of taking it on the nose, we rounded the cape with a deeper respect for both our captain and Superior. The lake seemed to sense that we'd been humbled and rewarded us with an absolutely amazing sunset and a gentle beam reach all the way to Sawyers Bay. After a great dinner, we lounged on deck wearing satisfied smiles. Each of us quiet in our own introspection. As if to set the mood, the night sky burst wide open as the Aurora Borealis kicked in.

Day 4: After a morning "HOO CHA CHA" swim, we relieved Capt Greg of command and close hauled it back to Prince Arthur marina. Souls cleansed, batteries recharged, slightly sad because we knew our vacation was coming to an end, but still excited because we'd already started mentally planning next year's trip.

Thanks Greg.

Thanks to Joram for inspiring me to get back on the blog wagon. To start with I thought I would pick up where I left off. The summer was full of fun travels. Not too long after my trip to Oregon (see last post), I was off on an amazing sailing trip. Along with 5 other crew mates and a captain, I went on my longest sailing excursion to date. The adventure started with a drive up to Thunder Bay Ontario. According to our captain it is home to the number 1 natural attraction of Canada, the sleeping giant. Sadly I didn't get any good pictures of it.

From there the group ventured out on Frodo accompanied by owner Captain Greg. Isle Royale National Park was our destination, a 40 mile crossing from Canada to the largest of the Lake Superior's islands. Our focus for the trip was the North end of the island. The crossing was perfect with plenty of wind. The first stop was Rock Harbor to sign in with US Customs. From there we worked our way down into Moskey Basin. The following day we did some hiking which included a wolf sighting and also checked out the Edisen Fishery. At the end of the day we sailed for McCargoe Cove where we stayed two nights. On the way we spotted a Moose and her calf. We spent two nights in McCargoe, a beautiful spot. There we relaxed, hiked (to Chickebone Lake) and swam. One of my favorite parts was eating Thimbleberrys as I hiked. To add to taste experience, one of my crew mates Julia caught a fresh Northern. It was grilled up for breakfast the second morning of our stay in the cove. I can’t imagine a more idyllic scene. Another favorite part was swinging out of the water to jump into the lake.

Thanks to an adventurous group, our sail back was undertaken as a night sale. In watches (shifts), the crew started for Thompson island, just a few ours from Thunder Bay. Lucky for us the night also happened to by highly active with meteor showers, and filled with enough wind to make using the engine unnecessary for the crossing (~30 miles). At Thompson island we were greeted by a lovely cove. The area had been converted into a haven for boaters. There was a sauna, trails, scenic views and a playground. My favorite memory of Thompson island was running from the sauna to jump into Lake Superior. Again, I can’t imagine a much more idyllic scene.

After the wonders of Thompson island, it was the start of the trip home. We spent one more night on Frodo before heading back to Minneapolis. We made a brief stop to tour Fort William on our way out of Thunder Bay. The trip home was pleasant, the whole crew getting along to the very last second. I was happy to retreat into a book (David McCollough’s John Adams).