A week in the Apostles ~ Day 4 Raspberry Island to Bayfield

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

A week in the Apostles ~ Day 4 Raspberry Island to Bayfield

We lifted anchor soon after sunrise and pulled away from Raspberry Bay Harbor at the same time as two other boats that had been anchored with us. We are off to Bayfield. Dave raised the jib even before we left the harbor. One sailboat motored ahead of us and one tucked in behind us on our port side. We rounded the mainland under sail, on a gentle 4-5 knot run with the wind coming from the southwest. As we rounded the point and headed south down the channel, the second boat, Calipso, passed us. We sailed with Calipso just in front of us, off our port side for some time. It was a straight shot to Bayfield. Calipso's captain trimmed his jib as the wind picked up in a section of the channel that is wide open. Both Calipso and Mystic heeled over dramatically and raced with the wind. Dave tried to trim our jib but something was wrong within the drum of the roller furling. I went forward with my harness on and holding me steady and tried to release the line inside the drum. I couldn't release it, so we switched roles with me steering and Dave on the bow working the drum. He was able to free the jam. Mystic was being shoved around by the wind but settled a bit once the jib was reefed. Dave started the motor and we motor sailed the last three miles to Bayfield. We decided to stay at the marina instead of the town dock. It costs fifty five dollars a night, but we'd have amenities and get a taste of marina life in Bayfield.

Leaving Raspberry Bay Harbor for Bayfield

Calipso sliding up behind Mystic

Apostle Island Marina

Bayfield Maritime Museum

A dog named 'Woody'

Classic example of a Lake Superior Fishing Vessel

Lady Liberty at Black Hawk Marina

Bayfield Garden

Garden Art

Cute Car in Bayfield

Salvage

Butterfly on Thistle

We cleaned Mystic then set out to explore Bayfield. We stopped in at Morty's Pub for lunch and a cold beer. We both had whitefish, washed down with Keewanaw Brewing Widow Maker micro brew. While walking around, we found a park with a swimming beach and a rocky shore with a fishing dock nearby. Folks were swimming off the rocks near the dock, ignoring the signs that said no swimming allowed. We ended up swimming off the rocks as well just to cool off. The water was crispy cold but it was very hot so it felt great. After our refreshing dip, we relaxed on the rocks with our feet in the water.

We returned to Mystic and realized it was too hot to sit on the boat so we went back into town to look for ice cream. The local candy store doubles as an ice cream shop. It is very popular. We walked around, exploring a bit, then took a break on a park bench across from the Village Inn where we could listen to the classic oldies band playing on their patio. Dave walked to the grocery store to grab cold beer for the boat, selecting Mud Puppy Porter by Central Waters Microbrewery out of Amherst, Wisconsin. The six pack of bottles fit perfectly in his backpack. We decided to grab a Summit at the second floor patio bar of the Village Inn. It overlooks the harbor of Bayfield. We meandered back to the marina at sunset after a busy day filled with exploring, enjoying good food and a nice cool dip. We retired early, expecting to go on a run in the morning before leaving Bayfield behind for the islands.