SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Duluth to Knife River

7K views 30 replies 4 participants last post by  drobarge 
#1 ·
It's winter, dreaming time...

Has anyone sailed from Duluth to Knife River? Is it possible to anchor in the new McQuade harbor of refuge? Any other tips?
 
#2 ·
Has anyone sailed from Duluth to Knife River? Is it possible to anchor in the new McQuade harbor of refuge? Any other tips?
I assume you don't mean right now??? It's a tad cold out here on our Big Lake ;).

I sail out of Thunder Bay, but have never gone that far south along the west shore. Have jumped from the Apostles over to Grand Marais, but never down to McQuade. However, i have driven the shore and checked out all the safe harbours. They all look easy to access.

Looking at the GLCC reference, it says there are docks in as of 2011, but it appears you can also anchor behind the breakwall. The holding may be questionable though. It is described as solid rock. A dock looks pretty appealing in those circumstances.
 
#3 ·
Thanks Mike. No not now.:)

I would love to leapfrog up to Knife River in my 22 footer from Duluth. The weather is so darn unpredictable on the lake it feels a little risky to jump to Knife river in one day in a smaller boat. With McQuade on the way and a close eye on the weather it feels doable. I could like to be able to make a comfortable stop there overnight.
 
#4 ·
We upgraded to a Crealock 34 and made the jump to Knife River. It was a beautiful sail with a light easterly breeze most of the way. I was always a little scared sailing my 22 footer on Lake Superior, it just got knocked about too much when the weather turned. Feel much better on the Crealock, we feel like it can take most of the weather the lake throws at us. In conclusion, I was never confident enough of the weather forecast to take the 22 footer to Knife River.
 
#5 ·
Congrats on the new boat, and the big sail. I don't know the 34 personally, but all Crealock's have great reputations as being very solid, serious sea boats. I have no doubt it can handle most conditions with easy.

Now that you've sailed a little way north, you should plan to come all the way. The north shore of Lake Superior (the real north shore) has some of the best cruising grounds anywhere. East of Thunder Bay the shore is rugged and creviced, with lots of little tuck-ins everywhere. Further east along the far shore the land becomes speckled with big sandy beaches. And best of all, there are very few cruisers out there.
 
#9 ·
What would the preferred anchor and gear for a run along the North shore?
Hi Down, do you mean the real north shore, or what American boaters refer to as the north shore, which is really the west shore, and which is well described by shanedennis? For the north shore (the Canadian shore), there are lots of anchorages to be found in most stretches. Bonnie Dahl's book, and the Great Lake Cruising Club, both have good listings. Active Captain is poorly populated with data up here. I've started to fill some in, but right now it's not very useful.

Most bottoms are mud/clay, although there is the occasional gravel and rock to be found. Weeds are a problem in only a very small number of anchorages. A bigger issue is logs. In those anchorages we toss out a trip line. Mostly you'll be anchoring in 25' or less, so I would recommend a minimum of 40' chain, with a total rode of at least 150'. Make sure your anchor is properly sized for your boat. Bigger is always better.

On my previous boat (a 34-footer) we carried a CQR and a danforth which we would alternate depending on the bottom. We had 60' chain. On my current boat, a 37' heavy displacement, I anchor almost 100% of the time on a Rocna, using all-chain.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Hi Down,

There is not much in the way of anchorages along the Minnesota North Shore. In my limited experience I have found coast line rocky with no safe places to get out off the lake between Duluth and Silver Bay outside of commerical harbors, harbors of refuge and marinas.

It is possible to anchor for free in some of the commercial artifical harbors but sailors up here only anchor in them as a last resort to esape bad weather. If you are going up in this direction, buy a used copy of Superior Way and/or study Active Captain.

The good news is the marina's are very good and inexpensive. The cruise itself is extremely pretty and you will find yourself alone out there unless you are close to a harbor. Along the North Shore you need to be very careful with the weather because the bad stuff tends to come out of the northwest and the hills along the shore line tend to obscure it. You may not see it until it is on top of you. Weather forecasts are notoriously unreliable because the weather in this part of the world changes faster than almost anywhere else.

On our boat we have a Bruce (130' chain) and a CQR (30' chain + 100' rode) but we have not used them on the North Shore. On the south shore we find ourselves using the Bruce to good effect. Seems to work well in mud and sand and the chain lays it down good.

Shane
 
#10 ·
Hi and thank you both for the information. We have been thinking of an extended inland cruise from our home in Maine. The Admiral has twin sisters who live near Bayfield, WI. We paddle and camp in the Apostle Islands with them every couple of years and have gained an appreciation for the exciting weather that comes across the lake with suddenness and authority. I am asking about the Canadian shore. It looks inviting to a couple of Mainers. Our first visit will probably be from a charter out of Bayfield. I am encouraged to learn there are places to "hide" over there. I will look for the references you suggested.

Our anchoring gear would be O.K.. 15K NZ Rocna and 90' of chain with 250' of line and a similar Bruce. No telling what the charter might have. I will post again when things progress a bit. Building a new house this coming year so no long vacations immediately. Everyone comes to Maine this year.

Down
 
#11 · (Edited)
Once you've nailed down the area you plan to visit, let me know. I'm happy to tell you what I know about your planned cruising ground. I've travelled the whole stretch, from Thunder Bay to the Sault, a many times.

I love our Rocna (a 25 kg for our 27,000 pound boat). We also carry a large danforth, and a 15 kg Bruce as a stern anchor. There are some anchorages where a bow and stern tie are useful. In other places it is good to tie to shore with a stern anchor. But we hang off our Rocna probably 98% of the time.
 
#15 ·
Thank you for the offer of information and advice. I will take you up on it. Our "little" boat at 7,000 pounds is happy with the 15k Rocna. I sleep well. Do you set yours with a trip line?
Your Rocna is well suited (oversized!) for your boat. Good choice indeed.

I deploy a trip line perhaps 5% of the time. I only use it when I know, through visual inspection or reputation, that an anchorage has a lot of logs or debris on the bottom. On Superior you can usually see down 20' or more, so the bottom is often visible. Of course, when anchoring in the outflow of rivers, the water becomes more mirky, so you can't always count on visibility.

All this said, the only times we've ever snagged a log or a tree is when we haven't deployed the trip line. And conversely, we've never had to use the trip line to retrieve the anchor ... so you never really know.
 
#14 ·
Shane,

We do have radar. It is important along the Maine coast. Fog can be an issue at certain times of the year. Things can change quite quickly.

Is fog an issue on Lake Superior? We have only enjoyed wind and spectacular thunder storms. Having lightning hitting the island you are camped on with fairly high frequency sure adds to the adventure. Mostly it has been beautiful paddling in an ocean of Aquafina. Spectacular!

Down
 
#16 ·
We do have radar. It is important along the Maine coast. Fog can be an issue at certain times of the year. Things can change quite quickly.

Is fog an issue on Lake Superior? We have only enjoyed wind and spectacular thunder storms. Having lightning hitting the island you are camped on with fairly high frequency sure adds to the adventure. Mostly it has been beautiful paddling in an ocean of Aquafina. Spectacular!
Hi Down, Superior is definitely known for its fog. May and June it's quite common, July can still be quite foggy, August/September is less so, but still not uncommon. Two seasons ago we were out for our typical 35 day journey, but this time left the end of June. We experienced thick fog for at least 15 of those days.

We don't have radar, but would have one if $$ were no issue. That said, it is not a necessity on Superior -- not b/c there isn't a lot of fog, but b/c there isn't a lot of other traffic. As long as you have good charts, and good navigation abilities, it's not hard to remain safe. It does mean being fog-bound some days. Good excuse to do some additional reading or exploring!
 
#18 ·
downeast450:970313 said:
Mike,

"a usual 35 day journey" Good on ya!

Down
Did you just give yourself away as a fellow Aussie expat or is "good on ya" also an East Coast colloquialism? ;) I agree the sea of aquafina is quite spectacular. Unlimited access to freshwater for washing and cleaning also make staying on a boat easier. I will miss it when we set sail bound for Moreton Bay this summer.
 
#20 ·
Shane,

Just a Downeaster.

Down
Not "just". I bet most foreign sailors would love the opportunity to sail the east coast of the US one day.

I happened to come to the US almost by accident- came for a wedding and ended up spending more time than anticipated. I've enjoyed my stay.

We plan to head east through the great lakes and then to the Atlantic via the Erie canal. We will stick mainly to the US side. Leaving in early May, want to be in the Chesapeake by October.
 
#24 ·
I grew up on the Hudson River and traveled the canals as a youngster. A beautiful river valley and very pleasant times in the canals. Shane, sorry you will miss the Maine coast. I do believe there is no place quite like it. Mike, if you need a friend in Maine when you sail along this part of the coast, Seal Harbor is easy to find. We may be headed up through the Erie Canal when you are coming down. We are starting a new house next summer here so it is not easy to know when that will release us.

Good on both of ya!

Down
 
#25 ·
I grew up on the Hudson River and traveled the canals as a youngster. A beautiful river valley and very pleasant times in the canals. Shane, sorry you will miss the Maine coast. I do believe there is no place quite like it. Mike, if you need a friend in Maine when you sail along this part of the coast, Seal Harbor is easy to find. We may be headed up through the Erie Canal when you are coming down. We are starting a new house next summer here so it is not easy to know when that will release us.

Good on both of ya!
Thanks Down, what a kind offer. I very much appreciate it, and hope I can take you up on the invite. Beers on me!
 
#26 ·
Down, I'm sorry we will miss Maine too. If we decide we like the cruising life enough I think we will make it there one day.

Mike, I will try and remember to send you send you all my great lakes guides and charts when we get to the east coast. They might save you a few pennies.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
#29 ·
No worries, Mike. We should be out of the Great Lakes in August. At the minimum I will send you Richardson Chartbooks for Superior, Huron and Erie; Superior Way; and Skipper Bob's Cruising Guide to Lake Erie, so don't spend money on those yet. I am sure you already have Richardson's for Lake Superior and Superior Way, just pass them onto a buddy before you leave.
 
#30 ·
That's incredibly generous Shane. Please don't go to any trouble, but they would definitely be much appreciated. We do have Dahl's book, and Richardson's Superior, so if you find another worthy soul for those, certainly pass them on. But I'm sure I can find good boats for them all.

And please do keep us posted on your journey.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top