I miss my boat!!!!

That's it. There's nothing else to say.

The Edmund Fitzgerald

Today marks the 34th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in the icy waters of Lake Superior. Twenty-nine men lost their lives. This youtube.com video pays tribute to the 729 foot ore carrier and her faithful crew.

Where, oh where, has the summertime gone?

I am a bad blogger. The intent has been noble from the start, but the follow through obviously leaves much to be desired. No excuses, not even an explanation. Just an acknowledgement.

Although Mother Nature seemed a bit off her game this summer, plaguing the northwoods and great lakes with weather patterns reminiscent of November, the Blue Ayes crew nonetheless reveled in the beauty and mysteries of the Great Lake and her terrestrial charges, the Apostle Islands.

Michigan Island held our interest tightly this summer as we explored the terrain for remnants of time gone by and the artifacts born out of necessity, creativity, and what seems to be a little harmless fun. Intrigued? I'd hope. And I'll leave it there....for now.

"Superior, it's said, never gives up her dead," and so goes the song paying homage to the Fitzgerald and other ships before her that met an untimely demise, ravaged by the crippling forces of the lake called Gitchee Gummee. The Lucerne, a 195 foot schooner that was wrecked in 1886 off the coast of Long Island in roughly twenty feet of water, became another repeat site of respite, and we enjoyed several dives on what is an incredibly preserved relic of historic transportation. Much of the hull is present, along with the capstan, anchor chain, and even some of the ships cargo, iron ore, scattered about the sea floor. A couple of large bass were observed enjoying the change in topography offered by her remains.

While we've experienced only a modicum of what Lake Superior can dish out, we did find ourselves awoken early one morning to a fierce switch in the wind, rocking and rolling the boat well past that which lulls even the most wakeful to sleep. A quick look at a chart and we headed out for calmer waters, finding ourselves heading toward Julian Bay on Stockton Island. We watched the sunrise enroute, unsuccessfully scouring the scape for a stray dinghy reported missing by a fellow boater, feeling energized as we made way for safe harbor. Even in the protected bay the winds blew and howled, and a quick walk across the tombolo to an area exposed to the elements revealed a rush of waves assaulting the rock breakwall. To describe the display as impressive is almost insulting. How fortunate for us to be safe, yet witness such an incredible presentation. As one so wisely stated, "the lake is the boss." Best not to forget that.

The end of each season is punctuated by the Apple Fest in Bayfield, a time where we congregate with fellow boating friends for one last hurrah. Gale force winds forced us to stay put at the marina, where we lamented being "stuck" yet managed to make plenty of fun outside the precinct of formal festivities. True to form, the weather laid down mid-day Saturday and we took advantage of the window to wage against the three foot swells, a comfortable journey north. We all had a blast....Matt and me, Brittany, Anthony, Kyle, and Isaac....taking in food, carnival, and vendors to the fullest extent. I trust that all left with their hearts (and tummies) just a little fuller.

So now we prepare to lay Blue Ayes to rest for the winter, knowing that the upcoming season, no matter how it might drag out, will leave us renewed for another set of Adventures. Adventures that I hope to chronicle in their entirety.

Secrets of the Apostles

Tomorrow we leave for a week long adventure on the Big Lake. The islands hold many secrets, both above and below water, and it is our intent to investigate some of the jewels known only to a few. Perhaps we will discover some new treasures of which we've never heard. We're on the hunt for fault lines, shoes, and boilers, to name a few. Who knows what else lies waiting to be discovered?

So much fun, so little time

Wow, I can hardly believe nearly two months have passed since since my last post. Blue Ayes splashed gently into the water in early May, and we've been enjoying a multitude of excursions over the past several weeks.

While the weather has been too cold for simply lounging in the sun, it has been quite conducive to pulling in some of Lake Superior's finer inhabitants. Memorial Day weekend provided us with fair winds and calm seas, resulting in a catch of one delicious coho salmon and four beautiful lake trout.

We each pulled in a fish that weekend. My beauty, (31 inches, 6 lbs) is right here:

The ice is out!!!

Finally! Good news! The ice is out in the bay, but....some ice still lingers in the marina area. Generally speaking, May 1 is the earliest the marina will splash boats and it looks like we're going to be scheduled for the second weekend of May. So close, yet so far.

First order of business will be removal of the bright blue shrink wrap. Captain Matt is usually then responsible for the outside cleaning and polishing of the boat (which sometimes includes hiring the polishing out to a third party - it's just easier that way). I get the inside, which means Clorox wipes and loads of teak oil. It sort of results in a glue-sniffing phenomenon (not that I would know what sniffing glue entails), without actually looking like you're doing anything inappropriate. HA!

Oh, to start finally making plans! Apostle Islands, look out....here comes the Blue Ayes Crew!