The North Channel by Sail and Oar

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  • WI-Tom
    Seaside Expat
    • Jan 2009
    • 15902

    The North Channel by Sail and Oar

    So, this past summer, while I was supposed to be building my new boat (Don Kurylko's Alaska http://www.dhkurylko-yachtdesign.com/designs.htm ), I frittered away lots of good warm building time with a three-week trip to the North Channel in my little Bolger boat. This was supposed to be a temporary boat to tide me over until my "real" boat is completed, but it's turning out to be a lot less temporary than I thought it would be.



    Here we're just crossing the border from Michigan to Canada, day 2. When I landed in Hilton Beach, my phone check-in with Canadian customs went something like this: "What make and model is your boat?" Me: "It's home-made." A chuckle. "How long is your boat?" Me: "Fourteen feet." Outright laughter, then: "Good luck." That was about it.



    Hilton Beach marina on St. Joseph island, day 3. As you can see, there ain't a whole lot of sail and oar boats in the North Channel. And all that stuff piled up in this photo? That all fits through an 8" diameter bulkhead hatch. It just doesn't fit out again without a wrassling match.



    On day 3 we camped on Africa Rock. Yep, it's a rock. Happiness is a boat you can drag up on shore just about anywhere.

    Not a single small open boat anywhere so far. Covered about 40 miles (about 15 miles rowing, 25 sailing) from the start. Some big sailboats, all of them motoring downwind with furled sails. Made me happy to be in my little boat.

    But of course, the new boat ain't getting done...

    I'll post more later if there's any interest.

    Tom
    Ponoszenie konsekwencji!

    www.tompamperin.com
  • Yeadon
    𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝
    • May 2006
    • 10497

    #2
    Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

    I'm hella interested in hearing more!
    Originally posted by James McMullen
    Yeadon is right, of course.

    Comment

    • WI-Tom
      Seaside Expat
      • Jan 2009
      • 15902

      #3
      Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

      Well, there it is then; I'll post more tomorrow. Especially since you, Big Food, and a certain other West Coast balance lug yawl enthusiast are at least partly to blame for inspiring my own voyages.

      Tom
      Ponoszenie konsekwencji!

      www.tompamperin.com

      Comment

      • emf
        Senior Member
        • Oct 2007
        • 281

        #4
        Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

        Great thread.

        I'm from superior wis. originally. Some beautiful waters up there. Must be nice not having to worry about tides.
        "I see!" said the blind man who picked up his hammer and saw.

        Comment

        • James McMullen
          老板
          • Apr 2007
          • 12054

          #5
          Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

          All right! This is my kind of thread! More, please!

          Comment

          • G. Schollmeier
            Senior Member
            • May 1999
            • 1084

            #6
            Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

            Almost home waters for me, but the only time on the North Channel for me was in a big charter. There is some shore line like that around Duluth but not much, it's mostly cliffs. I would like to hear more and photos lots of photos.
            "The hand feeds the mind."
            Weston Farmer

            Comment

            • Ron Williamson
              Rocketman
              • Apr 2000
              • 7884

              #7
              Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

              +1
              We've gone up there for a few years now.
              A while ago there were a few groups of small boats that we had seen,but not in the last coupla years.
              They hang out at beaches like on South Benjamin or Croker Island.
              A notable one is Raggedy Annie,IIRC, a retired American Coastie who spends the summers cruising on her wee boat.
              More pics please!
              R
              Sleep with one eye open.

              Comment

              • WI-Tom
                Seaside Expat
                • Jan 2009
                • 15902

                #8
                Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

                Must be nice not having to worry about tides.
                That's what I used to think, too (it's a common misconception about Great Lakes sailing). But take a look at the picture below. Turns out that at low tide, the water level can drop so far that it leaves the islands themselves high and dry.



                Thanks for the interest, by the way; more to come today, uploading my photos to Photobucket now.

                Tom
                Ponoszenie konsekwencji!

                www.tompamperin.com

                Comment

                • gstanfield
                  Senior Member
                  • Jun 2010
                  • 560

                  #9
                  Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

                  Can't wait to see more. I'm stuck up here in Wyoming with nothing but one river and a few lakes so there is no "adventure" to be had really other than going around in circles You guys keep me going by following your adventures.

                  George
                  George

                  Comment

                  • StevenBauer
                    LPBC member
                    • Jan 2000
                    • 23277

                    #10
                    Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

                    Originally posted by WI-Tom
                    I'll post more later if there's any interest.

                    Tom

                    We're interested. Is that a Windsprint?


                    Steven

                    Comment

                    • Songololo
                      Senior Member
                      • Dec 2006
                      • 790

                      #11
                      Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

                      For others like me who don't know where North Channel is, here's a google maps link (when on the page in this link, click on the map thumbnail to go to the full map window where you can zoom and pan).



                      And a Wiki link...
                      "Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors". African Proverb

                      Comment

                      • Paul Pless
                        pinko commie tree hugger
                        • Oct 2003
                        • 124833

                        #12
                        Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

                        Originally posted by WI-Tom

                        I'll post more later if there's any interest.

                        Tom
                        i'm interested too
                        Simpler is better, except when complicated looks really cool.

                        Comment

                        • WI-Tom
                          Seaside Expat
                          • Jan 2009
                          • 15902

                          #13
                          Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

                          Is that a Windsprint?
                          Nope; actually it's a Pirate Racer (called the "Child's Pirate Boat" on Dynamite Payson's website, a name my wife would argue is more fitting...) built from the small plans included in Boats With An Open Mind.

                          Originally, it was supposed to have an 85 sq. ft. lateen rig, like this:



                          But that was an 18' yard in a 14' boat, not the perfect cruising rig. And besides, things like this:



                          kept happening, since I made the yard of solid fir (!!!!) but still made it the size Bolger designed for his hollow, box-section spar. Oops.

                          So I experimented with a boomless spritsail for a while, then a spritsail with a sprit boom (better), before installing the 68 sq ft balance lug from Jim Michalak's Mixer design (best!):



                          Later,

                          Tom
                          Ponoszenie konsekwencji!

                          www.tompamperin.com

                          Comment

                          • Breakaway
                            Senior Member
                            • Mar 2007
                            • 28419

                            #14
                            Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

                            Great thread! More please!
                            There are two kinds of boaters: those who have run aground, and those who lie about it.

                            Comment

                            • rbgarr
                              43.50.918 N, 69.38.583 W
                              • Apr 1999
                              • 25479

                              #15
                              Re: The North Channel by Sail and Oar

                              Fritter away with the photos! I've always wanted to sail at least one of those lakes, and the North Channel looks very promising. Africa Rock looks wonderful for a lunch stop... if you can keep upwind of the seagull crap.

                              Bucket list stuff.
                              For the most part experience is making the same mistakes over and over again, only with greater confidence.

                              Comment

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