AndinI - Barb & Tim

  Monday - July 24. An 8am start on July 24 had us leaving Walker Bay and motoring (no wind), 15nm (nautical mile) over to the Loon Harbour island chain. We dropped the hook on the SE end of Spain Island a hundred or so yards from a small sauna we'd visited in years past. The structure is very old school with logs and moss chinking, but the stove has been replaced in the last few years and a new rubber skin roof installed, so we were able to have a good sweat.   We also dropped the dinghy for a ride over to Swede Island where we saw another bunk house and sauna.   The Canadian Park service allows these structures to remain as harbor of refuge and local boaters maintain and keep them tidy. AndinI at anchor Spain Island (near Loon Harbour) Spain Island Sauna               Inside Spain Island Sauna Swede Island Bunk House (see sign on door about mining claim) Inside Swede Island Sauna Tuesday - Friday - July 25-27. Another 8am...

Thursday - July 20th.  We were up early and had a nice cruise to Grand Marais.  The wind gods did not cooperate and thus we did not get to sail very much during the day.  We had happy hour on the boat and dinner at Voyager Brewing with good friends Joyce and Mark Nordby and met up with SV Still Life (Danny and Kari) who will be our sailing companions through the Canadian North Shore. Friday - July 21st.  We left Grand Marais at the crack of dawn, saw a beautiful sunrise, and headed to Thompson Island, Canada.    We had great sailing winds for about 1 1/2 hours but then the wind shut down and back to motoring.  Since it was the weekend, Thompson Island was busy but the Canadian Boaters made room for us by allowing us to raft up to their boats.  Had an excellent sauna in the evening and cooled off in the 58-degree Lake Superior waters (burr😱).  The depth of the water just outside the island is 600+ feet so water really never warms up. ...

We've finally cut the dock lines and started our "cruise" just now.  Left Pike's Bay Marina (huge shut out to their crew!), some great friends and many memories of our time in the Apostle Islands.  We are headed to Quarry Bay tonight and then we will head for Grand Marais, MN at first light.  More to come..... Fair winds! Barb and Tim aka Andi n Wally