Hi Colleen.

Just had to share my story on the Apostle Islands. Many years ago while in collage, 1979 or 80, a college house mate/friend and I went boat camping on Otter Is. Now... being a bit naive and a bit bold... we launched a 1962 13'6 ft (centerline) Seamac w/ a 1959 35 hp Evinrude south of the islands on the mainland (forget the town's name). The boat is a high freeboard/bowed plywood runabout...STILL have it and the motor, bought it when I was 17. I'm now 55) Now... get this, we had to take the windshield off as Dan wanted to bring his 16ft Kayak... ok, so with it tied down the middle of the boat (slightly offset at the stern), a tent, food, and normal camping gear, a cast iron 60 lb hibachi for Pete’s sake!, a guitar, a 5 gal can of extra fuel... plus all the required regular boat gear and two 6 gal OB tanks... we headed out. Believe it or not we did make plane. No idea which Island yet... just headed north for whatever looked good. Glassy water (rare) and sunny. That big water fools the uninitiated and after an almost full 6 gal tank (still had the other 6gal, plus the extra 5 gal can) we decided we'd better pick one. Ended up being Otter about 20 miles I believe. Camped, kayaked and boated (on the 5 gal extra, saving the 6 for return) for 4 days if I remember right. About the 2nd morning a twin outboard powered cruiser showed up and an elderly couple hailed (heck they were probably my current age .. but that’s the way I remember them!). Turns out Otter island was still privately owned, I think the only one (not sure about that now). Anyway, they wanted to know what we were doing and we told them. We could camp as long as we packed out what we packed in and did not trash the place That was our belief anyway and said so. They also had wanted to know we were ok and had not gotten there by trouble (being such a tiny boat). They were concerned we did NOT have a radio (didn't think of that, hadn't been on big water before.. just lakes and rivers.). Wanted to know where we put in at and the car license and trailer # and when we expected to be back so they could file it with the coast guard. Told them, which we should have done before we'd left. Nobody new where we were, his folks or mine. They did comment that the boat really was a bit small for these waters and to watch the weather. We had a weather radio and were. Had a great time, beautiful country up there... miss it!. Started back with Dan "in tow" in his Kayak. Slow... but we had all day and he was enjoying it. After we cleared the protection of the island, the winds started picking up... decided we'd better stow it and did. Now this boat had a nice high parting bow... and this is the first and only time since I really ever needed it. Wind kept picking up... few white caps now... then 2-3 footers. No planing now!... reach 4 and a few fives and more whitecaps in a bit, but just kept her in the wind and crabbed over to the next southerly island....not enough fuel to go back and wait for a better time. Kept this up until in the lee of the mainland.. then all was fine. Remember the boat is only 13 1/2 ft, and it really didn't need a16 ft kayak on it .. or a heavy cast iron hibachi... in those conditions although I guess it really would have acted as ballast to some degree now that I think about it. It was mid boat... on the floor. Well its a memory now, was real good time... and yea, I'd do it again but with a little bigger boat. and an extra emergency motor (like a fishing motor). If it had failed we'd have been hurting with only minimal ways (sea anchor) to have kept into the waves. Fortunately the motor never missed a beat. I now have a 27 ft sleep 6 cruiser sail on a trailer. Might have to consider going back... but this time with my wife who I hadn’t met yet the first time. Did our honey moon on the schooner Manitou out of Traverse City MI. That was a blast... haul speed+ 13-14 knots for several hours at a time... that captain really new how to sail her.... and highly recommended for anyone not sailing their own. Its also one of the reasons we bought a sailboat ourselves. Unfortunately, Dan I lost contact after college.

Dave and Melanie Mikkelson
Hillsboro, Ohio