8^th ANNUAL BAYFIELD CRUISE

AUGUST 16^TH – 20^TH

APOSTLE ISLANDS

Once again it is time to finalize plans for the upcoming Bayfield Cruise among the beautiful Apostle Islands.

There are two charter companies from which you can charter a vessel.  They are:

SAILBOATS INC – 20% discount on each boat for our group

http://www.sailboatsinc-charters.com/ 

For reservation information and specific yacht availability, call: 715-779-3269

SUPERIOR CHARTERS – Special discounts if our group charters a minimum of 3 boats for this event.

http://www.superiorcharters.com/

715-779-5124 – sail@superiorcharters.com

Don’t forget to mention SCSC, St. Croix Sailing Club, or Bill Hooper to get the offered discounts .

WHAT’S FIRST? – FIND A BOAT AND BOOK IT – There are two basic approaches to participating in this fabulous event.  1.  You can put your own group together and go out to the charter web sites to check boat availability and choose and book a boat that suits your group’s needs or….      

2. For single or couples looking to get on a boat, make yourself known to me and I will try to fill up as many boats as we can to accommodate everyone.  Contact me (Bill Hooper) using the Contact Page.

Time is of the essence here as August is the most popular month for chartering and you want to make sure you get a boat nailed down early rather than scramble late and not find a boat at all or one that is not quite to your liking because that is all that is left over.  So, start talking and getting on line.  Make sure that you mention SCSC or my name when you charter your boat so that you are eligible for the discounts each charter company is offering our group. The charter companies also want me to supply them with this info, so let me know as well to assure the discount.

One person on each boat must be designated as skipper and he/she must comply with the charter company’s compliance, which basically is convincing them you know how to handle the boat, which isn’t usually a problem with a group of sailors.  If someone doesn’t feel qualified, they do have charter captains available, but that adds to the expense of the charter.

Of course, we have some SCSC members who already have boats in the Apostles and sometimes we have had some trailer their boats up to Bayfield to participate as well.  That is all good. 

KICK OFF DINNER AT THE COPPER TROUT –Mike and Kelly Ernster purchased Ethels over the winter of 2016/17 and renamed it this spring. They hosted our kick off dinner event last year and now they’ve made some nice changes with some new menu options.  On Thursday, August 16^th at 8 pm we will all get together for dinner (menu below) and we will meet and greet who’s all attending in 2018 and discuss the weekend plans.

SAILING THE ISLANDS – Check with your charter company on the availability of your charter boat to be available for sleeping on Thursday night.  That way you won’t need to find a room in town.  But, if you do need a room, don’t hesitate on that either, because Bayfield is a busy place in the summer and finding space can be difficult.

On Friday, August 17th^th we shove off and sail out into the islands with a pre-planned island destination where we will have a wine and munch party.  Usually it takes place at Quarry Bay on Stockton Island because there is a dock there where we can unload our goods, but it is all subject to change.  Each night we try to collect and anchor at another island location doing so on the lee side of an island for a comfortable anchorage.  We watch, weather, wind and conditions and communicate as a fleet to keep track of everyone and decide on suitable island destinations where we are not vulnerable to Mother Nature. You can choose your own course to the next anchorage and stop at whatever spots you wish to swim, hike, fish or maybe tour a light house or explore the sea caves. 

PROVISIONING – Usually everyone on a boat will come together to discuss their breakfast, lunch and dinner choices, along with beverages and community provisions like snacks, etc. and all share the cost of the food, the charter fee, the fuel consumed, pump out, etc.  This makes a vacation like this very affordable for everyone.  You are responsible for your personal items based on your requirements and should be prepared for most any kind of weather – hot, cold, wet or dry.  You should bring your sleeping bag, pillow and beach towels, but there are some sleeping linens and towels available through the charter companies, but at an extra charge. You need to discuss what is and what is not offered and how much with whom you are chartering.

WINE PARTY – Usually the first night out (but, determined by weather) we have a great gathering on a beach where the club provides wine and then each boat is asked to provide munchies to be shared by all.  It’s a fun and popular event and lasts into the evening around a fire and those who play musical instruments are welcome to bring them and we can listen or hootenanny into the night.  Sometimes we’ve had one entertainer among us and sometimes we’ve had many.  If we have none, there will be music of some sort digitally, but it is much nicer to have live music. Some people might plan for a meal that evening, but often there are enough shared foods to suffice for a dinner, but that is up to you and your boat mates.  Food choices prepared by sailors from each boat have been quite remarkable in the past with delectable selections.

GETTING ORGANIZED AS A GROUP – What you need to start doing is telling me who all is planning on attending this event so I can make up a list of all participants.  I need each of the participant’s names, cell phone numbers, email addresses, what make of the boat you will be on and the name of the boat, who the skipper is and which charter company you used or if you are on a private vessel.  I also need to know if you are planning on making the kick off dinner on Thursday at The Copper Trout and your menu selection.  I also need to know if you are planning on chartering or sailing into Monday, or if you will be heading back to port on Sunday.

This is a great opportunity to get on the big lake if you have never sailed Superior before.  But, to charter a boat, there has to be at least one person capable of satisfying the charter company that they can handle the boat under power and sail, etc.  Each charter company will have forms to fill out within their application.  But, not everyone on board needs to qualify and this is why you can join in and get a start on some big lake experience.  Mind you, we will be sailing within the Apostle Islands, stop each evening and won’t be sailing out of sight of land.  It is much like the BVI’s with pine trees instead of palm trees.  The water is a little colder and it can be cooler on the water, but the fun factor is the same (it can also be very hot on the water depending on our weather which is usually quite nice in August).

Start thinking about all of this, talk it over with your fellow sailors and mark your calendars and start working on getting time off from work.  If you are looking to get on a boat, let me know ASAP.  There are some boats with open spots as I write.

Below are the menu choices for this year.  It is imperative that we get a head count beforehand, so please let me know what you wish to eat.  They serve a selection of cold beer on tap or in bottles and also wine and NA beverages.

SCSC 8^th Annual Bayfield Cruise

Kickoff Dinner at the Copper Trout – Menu

Thursday August 16, 2017- 8:00 PM

BAYFIELD WHITEFISH DINNER– Fresh local grilled Whitefish with mixed vegetables and roasted red potatoes    ………..$19

WILD TROUT MADELINE– Fresh trout, covered in Italian salsa and broiled, served with mixed vegetables and roasted potatoes ….$20

WILD MUSHROOM PESTO- Linguine pasta smothered in a blend of wild mushrooms, chicken, olive oil, parmesan cheese and sautéed spinach………..$17

CAPTAIN DAVE’S SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS- Five house made meatballs in a savory red sauce on a bed of spaghetti……$15

CHEESE TORTELLINI AND SAUSAGE- Cheese tortellini with mild Italian sausage and rustic tomato sauce. Covered in a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheese and roasted in our pizza oven……$16

CHICKEN PICATTA- Chicken breast breaded and pan fried served with a fresh Picatta sauce, served with asparagus on a bed of polenta…$16

PESTO PASTA WITH CHOICE OF GRILLED WHITEFISH or CHICKEN-Grilled whitefish over linguini tossed with basil pesto with Pinenuts…… $17

NEW YORK STRIP STEAK- Eight ounce choice strip steak, grilled to your liking blue cheese compound butter on the side, asparagus and our house potatoes…..$24

CHEQUAMEGON GREENS – Mixed organic greens with Bayfield seasonal fruit, candied walnuts, feta cheese, dried cranberries, tossed lightly with an apple vinaigrette dressing…………………………………………………………………………….……….$10

Add an organic green salad with any entrée……………………………………………………$4

To learn more about the Apostle Islands, what to do, alerts to avoid and fees you should be aware of and up to date weather  go to:

https://www.nps.gov/apis/planyourvisit/index.htm