We were up very early for the trip to Rock Island. Our day began with a gorgeous sunrise that blanketed us in warm tones of pink and violet. An enormous perfect fireball rose from the east and moved through a bank of clouds, creating magnificent streaks of light. The waterway was calm and quiet. We sipped coffee and chatted about life and "what's next".
The journey to Rock Island was an 80 mile trek that would take us at least 12 hours. The forecast included chances of rough weather but we had to go while we could. We couldn't afford to lose a day of travel. When we left Beaver Island the marina was quiet. A south wind was holding us to the dock. Our exit was tight so, we carefully walked Mystic out of her slip and pointed her nose toward the channel. Everyone was still asleep so there was no one to wave us off.
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| Beaver Island Harbor Light |
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| Breathtaking sunrise |
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| Ribbons of morning hues |
It took us two hours to get to the end of Beaver Island. We could see North Fox and then South Fox Island for a very long time. Summer Island came into view seven hours into the trip. The weather was holding up but we couldn't see much due to a heavy summer haze that rolled in. Everything was monotone, which created illusions that challenged our perception and inhibited our sight. We had to navigate with our electronic charts and keep all eyes scanning the waters. The wind came and went and the lack of sun chilled us, even though we were in long sleeve shirts. Around mile 50, one to two foot waves met us head on but the wind remained light. At times, it became a rocky ride. We ran our engine at 2400 to move faster. Taking one hour watches helped make the time pass.
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| Morning Moonshine |
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| Moon over Beaver Island |
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| Early morning Beaver Island Kayaker |
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| Beaver Head Lighthouse |
As we approached Rock Island Pass a Freighter came up behind us then moved ahead showing us the way. The waves grew and the wind picked up, hitting us sideways. It was the roughest part of the day. We crossed into Wisconsin and gained an hour in Central Time Zone. As we cruised around the Northern tip of Rock Island we passed the Pottawatomie Lighthouse with the magnificent cliffs below. The view was spectacular.
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| Passing Pottawatomie Light cliffs |
We approached the empty dock at Rock Island and sidled up to the outside. On our last visit, the island host directed us to the inside of the protected man-made basin adjacent to the boathouse museum. This visit, there was no host. In fact, the Island looked eerily deserted. It didn't take long to see that Rock Island was not the same lovely paradise we'd visited before. Covid had taken it's toll!
We visited Rock Island in 2013 when we delivered Mystic home to Knife River, Minnesota. It was June and we were the first boat to arrive for the season. The island was pristine and well cared for. The host told us about water snakes that liked to sunbathe on the dock we were tied to.
Blog Post: Our 2013 Rock Island Visit
We walked to the host shack to sign in but it was closed. We attempted to self register at the pay station but there were no registration forms. We noticed a woman beachcombing along the shore and approached her to ask about checking in. She said we needed an online reservation to camp. We explained that we were on a sailboat and expressed our surprised that all reservations were done online. She said everything had changed with the arrival of Covid.
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| Rock Island Boathouse |
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| Island Boat |
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| Rock Island Rocky Shoreline |
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| Very Cool Boathouse Design |
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| Cove View From The Boathouse Museum |
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| Rock Island Cove |
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| Island Welcome |
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| Mystic at the dock; Dave on the bench |
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| Picnic Pavilion |
We went for a long walk, first to the cemetery on the south side of the Island where we saw that there were many campers all spread out through the wooded campground. The trails were unkept and overgrown. We walked north to the lighthouse and looked out over the water we'd just cruised through. We'd hoped to run into someone in charge but had no luck.
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| Mystic, our Floating Home |
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| Cast Iron Island Urn |
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| Caretakers Cottage |
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| Carving Board |
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| Pottawatomie Light |
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| Pottawatomie Light |
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| Pottawatomie Light |
As we returned to the docks we reminisced about how beautiful the island had been in 2013. It is much rougher now and less welcoming. Although our last visit was early in the season, the island was heavily populated then. Visitors interacted and enjoyed the outdoor experience of life away from the rat race. It was the first stop we made aboard Mystic and is one of our favorite cruising memories. This visit made us just a little sad.
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| View of the Cove from Lighthouse trail |
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| Sunset over the cove |
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| View Walking back to Mystic Along the Trail |
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| View of Door County Peninsula From Rock Island |
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| Mystic at Sunset |
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| Sun setting over Mystic |
We were exhausted from our long day, so we ate dinner and retired for the evening. The sunset was amazing. Just like in the morning, the sky filled with pink and purple color that spread horizontally in ribbons; the beauty of it in stark contrast to the raw conditions on the island.
The Changing Sky - Sunset Over Rock Island
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