“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Thursday, October 13, 2016

I Sailed on Lake Superior and Lived!


Sailing the Apostle Islands...
was interesting. Our Captain and friend chartered a boat from Superior Charters.  We had a 33 foot Jeanneau, our Captain wanted a 38 foot, my hubby wanted the smaller... This will be important later..

There were five of us on the boat. A couple, who are sailing friends of ours (he was our Captain). Then there was my husbands brother, my husband and myself.  They are all good sailors, I am good ballast. I do know the basics of sailing, but I'm really only a fair weather sailor. I don't like big waves or rain and some of the technical things about sailing frankly bore me.  I love the fresh air and the fact that under sail there is no motor sound to ruin the esthetics of being out in nature.



The Apostle Islands area is located in Lake Superior, the area consists of 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland. We spent much of the time sailing around Madeline Island.  The second day when the waves were too big for us girls, we headed to the Island to visit the shops and museum, but more on that later.

Things you should also know;  I had never spent a night on a boat or sailed on Lake Superior before, so I was pretty nervous about the whole thing. I've only been camping once in my life (also with husband) it was terrible. There was a skunk, need I say more...




Superior Charters & Yacht Sales :: Lake Superior Apostle Islands Sailing Charters and Yacht Sales:
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The image above is of the type of boat we sailed on.


The sights were nice and the days were mostly sunny and warmish.  The nights went from stuffy and warm to cold.  The boat seemed bigger in the pictures, but once aboard our sleeping area was quite cramped. Plus you practically have to do a back flip to get in and out of the bed.  Me doing any kind of flip is quite funny! Did I mention I have phobia's?

Superior Charters & Yacht Sales :: Lake Superior Apostle Islands Sailing Charters and Yacht Sales:
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 View of the interior facing the V-berth in the front of the boat.

Claustrophobia... the fear of enclosed spaces. I've only started to become more bothered by this in my older years, when in my 20's it really didn't affect me at all. When I worked for the hotel reservation service, the building was set up to have a crawlspace under the floor so that we could run more co-axe cable as we added new computer terminals and lines as the center grew. I and a few others in our tech department would take off a floor panel and pull the cable under the floor, by crawling, barely able to be on hands and knees it was that tight. The other people in the department would hold a flashlight down for us to direct us to crawl to the opening in the floor. Now that I think of it, it seems terrifying!

Anyway the sleeping compartment in the V-berth gave me that sense of the walls closing in and we had to keep the compartment door open. Remember I said our Captain wanted a 38 foot boat? That would have given us a bit more room... So that was the first night. We spent the next day sailing 8 hours non stop...

The next night I slept out on the bench seating in the midships area of the boat, or the "saloon" as it's called. Oh and did I mention that my dear hubby snores? It was like an echo chamber in there! So sleep is not something that happens on a boat apparently! I slept better on the bench, but the hatches above were open because when we first went to sleep it was hot, but as the night went on it got down right cold.


Superior Charters & Yacht Sales :: Lake Superior Apostle Islands Sailing Charters and Yacht Sales:
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A view back towards Madeline Island.  The photos below are a few other sail boats we saw while sailing. My husband was taking pictures on his old camera and unfortunately many did not turn out when the battery started to go.

















While the guys were doing their dare-devil sailing, my girlfriend and I took a ferry out to Madeline Island, we walked around a bit and headed down a trail through the trees, it was nice to be back on land again!

The photos below were taken with my phone.









We visited the Madeline Island History Museum and checked out some of the fantastic beaded Native American artifacts on display. The Ojibwe are the dominant tribe in Wisconsin as well as Minnesota. After the museum visit we had some lunch and then caught the ferry back to the marina and met the guys right when they were sailing back in.






 





 
Another beautiful boat we saw while sailing...


We were on the boat for three nights and the third night was horrible for me, I had come down with a sinus infection and felt terrible. All that cold air blowing over me at night must have finally gotten to me.  I didn't sleep and thought the night would never end!

I spent the next day below deck while the rest of the folks sailed until around 2PM when we sailed into the dock and turned the boat back to the charter company. We then drove 5 hours back home where after a shower and some medication I went to bed and slept for about 12 hours! And as a true introvert and HSP, highly sensitive person, I'm never leaving home again...

Kissing the ground right now.... 
~~Diane~~ 

P.S.. Want to know if you're a highly sensitive person? Take the test...
Click Here. 



17 comments:

  1. That was quite the adventure! I've never been sailing in my life. When she was young, My Rare One sailed a lot. She always calls sailing "expensive camping." I would not have been able to sleep on the sailboat either.

    I took the 2 tests on the website and (no surprise) am an introvert -- but not HSP.

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    1. Hi Debra, I forgot to even mention that you have to pump water in and wastewater out of the toilet. So that is another whole fun thing...
      I had heard of HSP and suspected that I was one of those people, the test confirmed it.

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  2. Such an amazing adventure! I love all the views and things in your photos!

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  3. Wow, what an adventure you had! I've never gone sailing. I've been on a boat and didn't find it all that much fun. I am definitely an introvert and probably quite sensitive. I'll have to take that test and see about the sensitivity.

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    1. Hi Martha, most of my sailing experiences have been nice. I much prefer sailing somewhere like the Gulf area off of Florida, the water is pretty clear and usually not that deep. And of course much warmer. Lake Superior is always cold, dark, deep and to me kind of scary!

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  4. Oh Diane I feel your pain! I took the test and yep I’m HSP – actually I already knew that because it drives my husband mad! He is the lets get on with it, do it type but I have to think about it, think some more and then decide actually no I don’t want to do that.
    I think you were heroic to even get on the boat never mind live on it – full marks for going but maybe stay at home next time. Thank goodness you got some time to walk and visit the museum it was probably only that keeping you sane. I smiled when I read you were never leaving home again – that might be a bit extreme but I honestly understand where you are coming from. Hugs Barbara

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    1. Hi Barbara, nice to meet another HSP! I think it is good that we are acknowledging some of these special types of traits in people. These are things we are born with, like the color of our eyes. Thanks for sharing with us Barbara, I think there are so many of us out there that have struggled with this all our lives. Yes, I was trying to use a bit of humor and of course I was being extreme when I said I would never leave the house. But seriously, I've already told my husband I would never stay overnight on a boat ever again! Thanks for understanding Barbara, hugs back to you!

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  5. Wow Diane!! I would be kissing the ground too! I feel for you! I don't think I would have done well either! I'm kind of in-between an introvert and HSP.
    Gorgeous pictures!!! I love the Native beading!
    Big Hugs!

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    1. Hi Stacy! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your kind words! Hugs right back!

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  6. I've never sailed. Yeah, I'd be freaking out! I'm claustrophobic, so yikes! But it is a nice interior of the boat. I never think about how complex the sleeping quarters can be on a sailboat.

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    1. Thanks for visiting Stephanie! The main area of the boat was actually pretty spacious, but the sleeping area was not! I'd never slept on a boat before, so three nights was just too much for me to handle!

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  7. Diane, I feel your pain! Gorgeous photos and boats, that I like to admire from afar. We spent a couple nights with 2 other couples in a cabin cruiser type power boat. I barely slept either night, cramped quarters, boat rocking away, then we hit a scary storm. Never again! Not an introvert, but might take the test anyway.

    Fabulous Native American beading display, beautiful. And glad you got a respite from the boat. (Hugs) :)

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    1. Thank you Pam! Until you've experienced it, you just don't know how it's going to go. The good thing is that I've never gotten sea-sick! I would have much rather spent the entire weekend exploring the Island and not cooped up on a boat! But now I know what to expect!

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  8. Dear friend I don't think I would have made it. I understand about the claustrophobic feeling. I had a similar situation camping with my in-laws in a camper. I spent the night in the truck cab. I literally got sick to my stomach. So I do understand. So glad you survived. Took the test and I am not overly sensitive but I think I am. Well take care. At least you captured some beautiful pictures. Hugs!

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  9. Wonderful photos and lovely story - your story telling is great. The blue and white of the sailing photos is magnificent - great post. And I'm glad you are back on dry land.

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