Friday August 24, 2012

Today was a wonderful day.  The weather was cooperating so we were able to play a little.  We took a dinghy ride just after breakfast to explore all the crevasses in the rock and get a closer look at the rock formations.  Then we went ashore for our well deserved excursion.  We hike into the wilderness to see the chapel falls which were about 1.5 miles in so it was a 3 mile hike (at least)  No one wore their pedometer so we can't say for sure.  It was the longest 3 miles I have ever done.  The trail was quite busy with hikers coming in from a nearby (3 mile) parking lot. We did some picture taking both there and chapel rock.  The flys were awful so we were glad to get back on the boat and take off. Barb did some kayaking along the shore and was quite far before Bob and I caught up with her after pulling the anchor and lunch. Today was the first day we actually got to sail.  Bob hoisted the spinnaker and the 13 knot winds soon turned to 25 and we were cruising at about 8.5 knots.  Barb's kayak which we towed for about 80 miles was loving jumping the waves doing tricks and turning upside down.  Of course the attempts at righting it and eventually bringing it on board are better told by the excited participants giving their exciting renditions of it.  Wish we had a video for funniest home videos.  Of course we were too busy to worry about that.  We decided  it was probably better to put a smaller sail up after some scary heeling (35 degrees).  We arrived in Grand Marais at about 6 and pulled up to the dock with need for gas, diesel, water and a pump out.  Barb and I left the parking lot to come home about 8:30 and arrived home 3:30AM.  Bob sailed on on Sunday and Monday, going first to Whitefish Point and then the Soo.  I will be meeting him there, Tuesday.