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Apostle Islands August 2025
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Apostle Islands August 2025

Solo trip up to the Apostle Islands Læs mere
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    24. august 2025
    C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    The corn in the field next to us is doing quite well!
    The corn in the field next to us is doing quite well!The bronze bushing is on both sides of the piston where the slider pin goes through.Close up of one of the brass bushings. I pressed it into the caliper with a vice.Another view, with the slider pin centered.

    Loaded up and ready to head out

    23. august 2025, Forenede Stater 🌙 63 °F

    C-Traveler is all loaded and hooked up to the pickup. I'll leave tomorrow morning for the 348 mile drive to Little Sand Bay Campground, where I'll launch. That is on the north side of the peninsula that Bayfield is on, near Point Detour. I like to launch there as there is plenty of long term rig parking. Ie, A week or two has never been an issue. However, being on the north side it is fairly open to northerlies, and if the wind is blowing much, it can get rough to get into the small harbor there. Just plan to do a week of cruising around the islands and lighthouses and do some trolling for Lake Trout. Some of you may be aware of the issues I've had with the rubber bushings on my trailer brakes. This trip I will be testing out a modification I made to the brakes on one axle. On those calipers, I replaced the rubber bushings with some bronze bushings that are a pretty good fit.Læs mere

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  • C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    Fuel receipt. .85/Gal
    Fuel receipt. .85/GalDusk on swirling waters. Little Sand BayC-Traveler in a slip at Little Sand Bay.Little Sand Bay sunset.Rocking and rolling in Little Sand BayWave action just outside the breakwater.

    Little Sand Bay

    24. august 2025, Forenede Stater ☀️ 57 °F

    Slow start to the morning, leaving home around 9:30a. First order of business was stopping to top off C-Traveler’s fuel tank. Looking for the cheapest Kwik Trip along my route, found one in Sun Prairie. Put 30 gallons of gas on the boat for .85/gal. You read that right! Lol! Both Rosanne and I have Kwik Trip rewards accounts. Their latest offer was buy a $50 gift card and get .50 off per gallon of gas. We purchased $200 on my account, so that got me $2.00 off per gallon of gas. Only good up to 30 gallons, but that’s still $60 off for the purchase of $200 in gift cards, that we’re going to use as we buy gas anyway. Also got a free chocolate muffin. Kwik Trip is always running some kind of special deal with their rewards! Speaking of petroleum rewards programs. You can really save some money if you buy much gas or diesel. Other discounts I get, and not as restrictive on how much gas you can get, is .5 g off at Shell, .10 g off at Loves (except Wisconsin), .5 g at BP, and another .5 g having it connected with my Prime membership. I have several other loyalty cards as well, but don’t remember all the perks at the other brands.
    Mostly an uneventful drive north. Some rain showers as I got farther north, and there was a bad accident just south of Wausau, in the SB lanes. Several stops for gas and bathroom breaks and arrived at Little Sand Bay at 5:30p. Prepped the boat and in the water around 6p. There were Small Craft Advisories for the area due to the winds, and I decided with the time of day it would be best to just stay here in the small harbor. Other than a sailboat, the only other boats in the slips are Park Service boats. As I expected, it’s pretty rough even in here, rockin and rollin. The harbor is small with a narrow entrance between the breakwaters that do more to channel the water in and out. No waves come in to the harbor, but the water sloshes around and surges from the wave action outside the breakwater. The winds are blowing from the northwest steady around 15-20kts and gusting to 25. Tomorrow is suppose to be better!
    Oh, the brakes with the bronze bushings seemed to work fine. So if no problems with them going home, I will replace the rubber bushings with the bronze ones on the other axle brakes when I get back home.    Læs mere

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  • C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    Still a bit rough out here this morning.
    Still a bit rough out here this morning.Raspberry Island LighthouseBeach on south side of Raspberry IslandBunk house at Manitou Island Fish Camp. This is how it would have looked way back when.Manitou Island Fish Camp. That is a net wheel in the foreground. They would wind their nets on it.Manitou Island Fish Camp. Inside one of the sheds.Manitou Island Fish Camp. Another storage shed.C-Traveler at the end of the new Manitou Island dock. Still kind of rough on the water.If you look close, in the circle, you can see a net warning flag. Yeah, hard to see from the boat toThis is what those flags look like up close. There are nets strung between the marker flags.This is what is underneath the marker flags.The twin towers of Michigan IslandIn this view of the twin lighthouses, you can also see how sand has filled in around the docks.Google Apostle Island Wave Watch. This is one of the buoys up close.C-Traveler on the south dock at Stockton Island, Presque Isle.An open meadow on Presque Isle. I believe this is the area that use to be underwater.Julian Beach.Yours truely. Julian Bay in the background.The red line is my hike around Presque Isle on Stockton Island.Sunset at Stockton Island

    Stockton Island

    25. august 2025, Forenede Stater ☀️ 57 °F

    Last night was a miserable night with all the rocking and rolling in the Little Sand Bay harbor. Although the temps were in the low 50’s, which would have been good for sleeping, if the water was calm! The winds continued to howl and I think actually got a little worse later, before they relented slightly. Before bed I even broke into Rosanne’s stash of motion sickness pills kept on the boat, and took one. That helped settle my gut a bit, but still didn’t do much to knock me out with all the motion. Was still windy this morning with about 15-20kts of wind. I did pull out of the harbor and went past Raspberry Island Lighthouse, and anchored on the south side of Raspberry for a while. It was much smoother, but by lunch time the winds shifted a little more westerly so it was starting to get a bit choppy there. As the day wore on, the winds did die down, and this evening it’s fairly calm. At least here at Stockton Island. After leaving Raspberry Island, I stopped in at the Manitou Island Fish Camp. It was closed last summer, as they were installing a new dock. Was planning to head over to Big Bay on the east side of Madeline Island to anchor for the night, but decided instead to go check out the twin light houses at Michigan Island, and then over to Presque Isle dock at Stockton Island. Very calm in the little harbor here. I believe there are still some light winds out of the NW, but it is very well protected in the bay here. I walked the Julian Bay trail over to Julian Beach, and then the Anderson Point trail back. Just a little over 2 miles. The costs for staying at the park docks, for boat less than 40’, is $15. However, the Senior National Parks pass gets you 50% off, so $7.50 a night is a pretty good deal. Cell service is spotty and weak among the Apostle Islands, so I may or may not get this uploaded this evening.Læs mere

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  • C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    Ah, much smoother today, coming across Julian Bay.
    Ah, much smoother today, coming across Julian Bay.The climb up from the dock to the light house at Outer Island1It's a cement dock. With rails that were used for a trolley car to bring supplies up to the buildingThe Fog Signal building at the top of the stairs. You can see the trolley there.View of the lighthouse as you walk past the fog signal building.Looking thru the window into the keepers quarters.Backside of the light house.Looking down the stairs at the dock. See the trolley cable winch.Hope I have enough fenders out!Guess I didn't need this still shot. Same view as I took the video.What Outer Island lighthouse looks like when approaching the dock.Back into smooth water to trollSlipped at the Madeline Island Yacht ClubThis is where I was hoping to get my ice cream!Madeline Island ferries. Run between Bayfield and LaPointe.You can't say you've been to Madeline Island, if you haven't gone to Tom's Burned Down Cafe!You could spend a couple hours in Tom's just reading all the signs.My 2 mile walk today :-)Cute little library. Looks more like a Washington State Ferry than a Madeline Island Ferry.Sunset.

    Madeline Island Yacht Club

    26. august 2025, Forenede Stater ☀️ 66 °F

    Last night was a vast improvement over the previous night. Flat calm at the Stockton Island Presque Isle dock, and temps in the 50’s. I slept well! After breakfast, I headed out around Anderson Point and across Julian Bay. Pretty smooth. Stayed that way until I was abeam Outer Island. Outer Island, as its name suggests, is the most outer island of the Apostle Islands. There is no protection from the lake along its north shore, where the dock and lighthouse are located. Since today the winds were suppose to be less than 10 kts, I decided to head out there. By the time I got around on the north side, I was seeing 2-3’ waves. Winds were still out of the northwest. Kind of dicey docking, especially solo, with the waves buffeting C-Traveler, but I kind of already committed myself in wanting to go up and see this lighthouse again. If it had been any worse I would have abandoned my approach and turned around. Last year when I was here, Outer Island was closed to walking around the grounds, as the NPS had contractors working on the building’s roofs. I read tonight that a number of years ago, congress allotted funds for the repair of the Raspberry Island lighthouse, and Outer Island lighthouse. However, almost all the funds were used in the work at Raspberry Island light (which is beautiful to tour if you ever get the chance), so only the roof repairs were done at Outer Island Light. After walking around the grounds and taking some photos, I headed towards Cat Island to see if it would be smooth enough to troll. Getting back among the other islands, especially on the leeward side of Cat Island, it did smooth out, so set up my downriggers and trolled for a couple hours. Only had one of my lines trip twice, but no luck on fish for supper! Pulled everything in around 3p and headed for Madeline Island and the Madeline Island Yacht Club Marina. Very nice marina and facilities, and a little more pricey than I would normally pay. ($75 + Tax, for 25’). Arrived at 4p and got my slip, near the facilities. I had my heart set on Grampa Tony’s for ice cream, so ate my leftovers early and then walked Main Street into downtown LaPointe. Found out Grampa Tony’s closed at 3 and is closed on Wednesdays…. Oh well. Watched one of the Madeline Island ferries arrive and then leave, for Bayfield. Stopped and visited with some folks at a pottery shop’s open pottery night. Stopped by one of the shirt & souvenir shops and bought a Madeline Island ball cap to add to my collection. Then walked through Tom’s Burned Down Café to see if they had any new signs. Tom’s is a very unique place that you have to visit at least once if you get to Madeline Island! Another project to work on when I get back home. The kicker’s water pump needs to be replaced. I noticed yesterday when I started it up, that I’m not getting any flow out of the peehole. Nothing is blocked however, as I can run water through its flush attachment just fine. Not having the kicker available with its cockpit controls has made solo docking and trolling a little more challenging. I have noticed a number of C-Dory’s up here. Especially here in the Yacht Club. There are two nearby in seasonal slips, and another one a few slips over from me in another transient slip. And I know of a few over in the Bayfield Marina. We could easily have a C-Dory gathering up here!Læs mere

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  • C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    Various items are left along the top of the fence, probably for the dead's spirits.Small homes to cover the graves to protect the food left as they make their final journeyItems left in a tree next to a grave.View of the Madeline Island Yacht Club marina from the cemetery.Another protective fence and cover for a grave.This grave had some interesting sculpture pieces next to it.This shows my walk around the marina to get to the cemetery.Removed the waterpump top cover to find what was left of the impeller2Fortunately we found all the pieces of the impeller as well...I hope...Converted Army Tug now used by NOAA as a Great Lakes environmental research labBayfield ferry terminal with the city bluff in the backgroundAnother view of the converted Navy tug, ShenehonC-Traveler at the Bayfield City Dock.One of many art galleries in town.Trevor Stephenson FortepianoTrevor showing us the "works" of the Fortepiano.1Sunset behind C-Traveler

    Bayfield

    27. august 2025, Forenede Stater ☁️ 72 °F

    I spent a little extra time at the Madeline Island Yacht Club today. I found out that their shop fees to replace my kicker’s water pump would be $130/hour, and they estimated just a couple hours to replace it. The only catch was they didn’t carry Yamaha parts. No problem, water pump kits for both motors is in my spare parts tub on the boat. I weighed my time’s worth and decided this time I’d rather just pay to have it replaced, if it could be done today. And they could do it today, at 12:30. Only took the mechanic 75 minutes. I would have taken twice as long back at home, so it was worth it! Not sure why the impeller was in the condition it was. All the fins were broken off. All works good now! While killing time this morning, I walked around the marina to the La Pointe Indian Cemetery. I do find it interesting to walk through cemeteries, wondering what life was like for their inhabitants. Indian Cemeteries are a little different, as you can see from the photos. Left Madeline Island around 2, and came straight over to Bayfield’s City Dock. I’m right at the base of one of their main streets, next to the ferry terminal. Only two other boats on the transient wall. $31 for a 25’ boat gets you dock space, electric and water. There are no facilities however. But easy access to town and people watching along the pier here. In younger years I would enjoy walking through shops and buying various souvenirs. Now days, we have everything we need and it kind of takes the fun out of it when I’m not buying anything. However, I did enjoy finding one store that not only had ice cream, but various spices, sauces, fudge, taffy, and a lot of other diverse stuff. Yes, I bought a cup of ice cream, and also a bag of taffy. Found some salsa that will be interesting to try. Apple Riesling Salsa. Since I had my desert with the ice cream, I was now ready for supper. The restaurant just up from where I’m docked had some blackened white fish tacos. Hard to pass up fish tacos! Leaving the restaurant, I saw a posting for a Bayfield Concert Series tonight a few blocks up at the Presbyterian Church. Trevor Stephenson Fortepiano. It was to start in about 20 minutes, so I took some stuff down to the boat and headed up to the church. Nice concert and learned about the Fortepiano, and some more information about the composers, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and Beethoven.Læs mere

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  • C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    Winds whipped up the water again.
    Winds whipped up the water again.Inside the boat. Doesn't take much to start bouncing around!Basswood Island loop trail. The McCloud farm. All overgrown now.Lake overlook on the east side of Basswood IslandHalf the trail was pretty well overgrown. You really had to pay attention to stay on it.Brownstone Quarry.View of the water down in the quarry.The loop trail I hiked. 6.4 miles (plus some extra initially looking for the right path.)Sunset behind C-Traveler at Basswood IslandSetting sun shining on Basswood Island in front of C-Traveler

    Basswood Island

    28. august 2025, Forenede Stater ☀️ 59 °F

    I should have gone to bed earlier last night, so I could have got more sleep. Winds picked back up around 3:30 this morning, and boat started rockin and rollin waking me up around 4. I went out and loosened the dock lines a bit and added one more for safety. The winds were out of the NE and basically pushing the lake water right into the small harbor through the breakwater entrance, causing the usual surging, and then there was the wind whipped chop. See the photo and video. Tried to sleep a few more hours before getting up at 7:30. Met one of my good facebook friends that writes for the Friends of the Apostle Islands and purchased a C-Dory about a year ago. Jon came over at 9am and we chatted about C-Dorys and the Apostle Islands. There was a small craft advisory out again today, but the lake outside the breakwater didn’t look like anything over 2 foot chop. So I decided to head for Basswood Island. Basswood is oblong shaped running north and south, with the dock on the west side. I figured being the leeward side of the island, it would be fairly calm. I was correct. There was already an National Park Service boat on the end of the dock, so I slipped in in front of it. Closer to shore was calmer yet.  Had my lunch, and then decided to hike around the island to the McCloud Farm and Brownstone Quarry. A 6 mile hike that I made into 6.4 miles trying to find the right path! Found that the farm buildings no longer exist and the area has been grown over. (The farm was from the late 1800’s. What was I thinking that there would be buildings…) Half the trail was pretty grown over as well, but I managed to stay on it. During my hike, I came across three Forest Service employees in the vicinity of the farm that were doing some research or land restoration. Then another mile or two I came across two NPS rangers that were checking the trails and using a chain saw to cut some trees that were laying across the trail. I chatted with them for a bit, taking a rest from hiking, and learning about some more old farms (with buildings) on Sand Island, and discussing some general information on the Apostle Islands. Finally got back to the boat. The rangers boat was gone and I believe the forest service also went back with them. (They had a shorter hike back as were going the opposite direction on the trail.) Thank goodness I do have some ice cream on the boat, as I earned it today! Lol. I’m sure I’ll sleep well! And the water has calmed down all around. Winds finally suppose to be light and variable for the next few days.Læs mere

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  • C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    Construction on the Devils Island harbor
    Construction on the Devils Island harborKayakers touring the sea caves at Devils IslandWest side sea caves are not very big.Some of the light house buildngs on Devils IslandThis is the rock I docked to last year. Water too rough this year!Devils Island light house. Newer light tower. And sea caves.Devils Island light house. And the current light tower.C-Traveler docked at Sand Island East Bay.The trail on Sand Island is on a very nice boardwalk!Some old cars left behind. Zoom in to read the sign for info.Even the campsites have a nice platform to set your tent.No modesty necessary, lol. They call this toilet, the stump. It's off the path a bit, but marked.There's still about 1/2 mile trail without the boardwalk. Yet.The pieces for continuing the board walk.The old board walk.Sand Island light house.This NPS boat crew was picking up a employee working on the weather station.Interesting growth pattern with this tree.The Hansen farm is being revived.More buildings on the Hansen farm.The dock at Sand Island East Bay is very nice. But sand continues to settle on the inside.

    Devils and Sand Islands

    29. august 2025, Forenede Stater 🌙 59 °F

    Last night was quite calm and peaceful at the Basswood Island dock. After breakfast this morning, I headed out to Devils Island. The NPS is finally starting to rebuild the small boat harbor on the south side that was wiped out by a storm a number of years ago. This will be a nice protected harbor when it’s done. Continued around the west side of the island seeing the smaller sea caves, and then around the north and east sides where the larger sea caves are. Also a good view of the light house. I was here last year, and it was flat calm, so I was able to dock my boat at a rock outcropping, and take my kayak through the sea caves. And then walk up to the light house. Today it was 1 foot waves, and a little too bumpy to even think about putting C-Traveler on the side of that rock again. Left Devils and headed over to try trolling some around Bear Island. Still no luck on catching anything. There were more commercial fishing nets I had to maneuver around, and one time didn’t see the flags in time so had to quickly raise my downriggers. Seems like a lot more nets in the water this year! Headed over to Sand Island as the winds picked up a little bit again. So much for the “light and variable” forecast… The Sand Island East Bay dock is L shaped, and with the winds and waves coming into it, I did manage to go on the inside so at least the boat wouldn’t be bouncing into the dock. This is a nice dock, but like the one at Michigan Island, sand is settling on the inside of it, so not much depth of water. Hiked another 5.5 miles today, walking out to the light house, and also the Hansen Farm. Sand Island has a really nice board walk that they are extending all the way out to the light house. Still about ½ mile walk on the ground, but also flat and level, so a rather easy hike, other than the distance. Met the local volunteer out at the light house and chatted for a bit while resting. He’s from Tucson, Az and worked for the Park Service before retiring and becoming a volunteer. I wasn’t sure where the Hansen Farm was on the way out, so asked him. It was at another boardwalk turnout that had a no hiking sign across it. But like the ranger yesterday, he said it would be ok for me to just go around it, as it’s because they are working on the boardwalk and the Hanson Farm, but not this weekend. Back at the boat, and I was planning to anchor on the west side of Sand Island, but winds were suppose to shift more southerly / westerly after midnight and not more than 6mph by 7am. However, they were already coming more out of the SE and I don’t trust the lighter wind forecasts anymore! Lol. So I’m back in the Little Sand Bay harbor this evening at the dock, and it’s calm, and should remain that way overnight.Læs mere

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  • C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    A lot of kayakers touring the mainland sea caves by Meyers Beach.
    A lot of kayakers touring the mainland sea caves by Meyers Beach.Video approaching the trailer to load. Needed both hands to steer and throttle, so ended the video.Ready to head home.

    Homeward Bound

    30. august 2025, Forenede Stater ☁️ 66 °F

    Much better this time at the dock in Little Sand Bay. Calm and peaceful all night. The light breeze stayed out of the south, so this north shore harbor was well protected! Decided to go west to the mainland sea caves near Meyers Beach today. I believe these are the ones that you hear about hiking to in the winter, if the ice is thick enough. A lot of kayaking groups come out as well. The kayakers at Devils Island are brought out from Bayfield by a large boat that carries them and the kayaks. I’m not sure where this kayak tour operates from, but likely somewhere just west of the sea caves. Wave Watch showed the waves at .6’. Seemed more like a full foot to me, but with the C-Dory flat bottom, it doesn’t take much to be rough. This is only my second visit to these sea caves. I thought about trolling some more, but the areas I wanted to troll had more commercial nets in the area, and it was just a little too rough for me. (I like calm when I’m trolling…) I returned to Little Sand Bay around 12:30. Made and ate lunch, and prepped most the boat to head home. Loaded out around 2 and finished putting stuff away. Was on the road by 3. Stopped in Ashland for supper (Walmart chicken…), and then made it to Tomahawk by 6. Met a friend from my airline days and went for ice cream at the Windmill Ice Cream shop. Cool place, and busy. Good ice cream. And their scoops are very large! Like three full size scoops is considered one scoop! And at $4. Boaterhoming in another friend’s cabin driveway. Home tomorrow. Overall a good time in the Apostles, but this time there was a lot of breezy days and chop.Læs mere

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  • C-TravelerApostle Islands August 2025Rejsende
    Pine needle mess in C-Traveler's cockpit.
    Pine needle mess in C-Traveler's cockpit."Boaterhoming" in our friend's driveway last night.

    Back home

    31. august 2025, Forenede Stater ☀️ 59 °F

    Easy drive today, with only 200 miles. Put another 30 gals of gas on the boat for $0.85/gal. (Remember the Kwik Trip special, buy a $50 gift card, get .50 off a gal of gas, up to 30 gals. We had purchased $200 worth of gift cards on each of our accounts. Going up to Bayfield I used Rosanne's account, coming home I used my account.)
    A few days ago, the owner of a local storage facility called me to say he had a unit opening. up I've been on the list there for quite some time. I stopped by to look at it on my way home, and decided to cancel my unit over in Cambridge for this one. Cambridge was 20 miles away, this one is a mile away, and $33 a month cheaper. So very happy about that. I unloaded the boat, and will clean it tomorrow. Started working on changing out the rubber bushings for bronze bushings on the other two trailer brakes this evening, and will get them swapped out with the brake calipers on the trailer tomorrow. (I have three extra calipers from past issues, so put the bronze bushings in them, to trade out with the calipers on the boat trailer's back axle.)
    Was a nice quiet and calm (lol) night last night on the trailer in our friend's driveway at their Tomahawk cabin. I did get a mess of pine needles in the back of the boat backing in and brushing the limbs of one of their pine trees. But already got them vacuumed up as well. This ends this trip. Rosanne and I will take off for the Erie Canal next weekend, and I'll start a new blog then.    Læs mere

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  • Slut på rejsen
    31. august 2025