Shanty Sanctuary 2023, Lake Nipigon, Ep 1 

It is beautiful country and you will enjoy it. Just beware of the wind, it can come up fast and hard. You will see more of that toward the end of my trip, which is yet to come.

Thanks for dropping a note. I'm working on the 3rd episode now. I hope you enjoy it.

Hi Geoff! I didn't expect to hear from you after our short visit at High Hill. Not sure how you found me on RU-vid? As you saw in this video, your message to the harbor master was effective and she eventually came down to the harbor later in the afternoon. I was able get my permit and depart late in the day. So thanks again! You will see shortly, I also used your chart information, which turned out to be very useful in the Asseff Islands. However, I did not make it up to Rae Lake. Rocks at the entrance put a stop to that idea! I'm more adventurer than fisherman so I didn't get a lot of fishing in on this trip. I was able to safely get through the trip, but my boat is really not suited to Nipigon. I will likely not return unless I'm in a boat that can better handle the wind and waves. Good luck on your next trip to Nipigon!

Thanks so much for your comment, it gives me the incentive I need to take on the task of editing. I've been working most of the week on this one. It's always harder to do the first one and I ran into some trouble with my dual video tracks and got interrupted several times. I hope to publish episodes of this trip regularly, but there will be a break for my fall trip, if I don't finish before then. I am already preparing for the fall trip since it takes about a month and my house and starting batteries failed me toward the end of the Nipigon trip. I am replacing them and upgrading the charging system to pull excess power from the solar panels when I have lots of sun. I have the parts and pieces and will start installing them on Monday when the temps cool off a bit.

@@ShantySanctuary Ted I'm just under 40 and I dream of doing what you do. I know you could do it without letting us all see it on RU-vid and I appreciate the extra effort you are willing to put in so we can be there with you

I started out using RU-vid because my blog (ship's log) would not accept longer videos. Both the blog and RU-vid were a means of sharing what I'm doing with my family, and still remains the primary purpose. However, as time has gone on I've had many people begin to watch, comment, and ask questions. As a result, I've tried to step up the game by improving video and sound equipment which has also increased the work load. Fortunately, being retired allows me the time to work on them. As long as I remain healthy I will keep doing trips. I will be 74 next week. Again, thanks for watching and commenting.

@@ShantySanctuary Ted your 74 going on 40 in my opinion, I don't know anyone in there 70's taking on the adventures that you do

​You are probably right about that. Since I was young I've always had a love for the water, exploring new places, and a taste for adventure. I am fortunate and blessed to be able to continue to pursue such endeavors and it certainly helps me keep a younger mindset.​

Thanks!

I appreciate your comment. I'm am glad you are able to enjoy these adventures vicariously.

Thanks! The truck is scheduled for the shop next week. A combination of software and what they call a "Lead Frame", another electronic component inside the fluid case. It was under warranty for 10 years, but my truck is 12 years old so I will have to pay for it! I'm expecting about 1K to fix. Part of the cost of doing what I do. The good part is that the truck got me home okay and did not act up on the return trip. I'm very grateful for that. I will get another test of the truck in September when I go up to Voyageurs National Park along the border. I cancelled my plan to go to Lac Suel in the fall since I could not get any local information. I also decided I wanted a more known situation for my fall trip, the last of the season.

I had a similar system on my sailboat.

The unit was called Autotether Wireless Lanyard: www.landfallnavigation.com/autotether-wireless-lanyard-40235.html.

Hi Ryan! Not sure how many videos you have watched, but I am a former sailor with many more years of sailing than any other type of boating. I've owned 19', 23', 32', & 34 foot sailboats mostly sailing Lake Superior out of Grand Marais, MN, but also Great Slave Lake in the N.W.T. of Canada. What brand of boat do you own? What type of reefing system? Is it rigged for storm conditions? How does it handle rough conditions in big waves? How much fuel and water can you carry safely? You should be able to glean a lot of good information as I post various episodes over the next few months from this trip. I will be on a fall trip to Voyageurs' National Park (south side) in the fall, which will cause a pause in postings however. High Hill Harbor is a good place to launch, but be prepared for a slow drive the last three miles of gravel which is very rough. I talk about that in my most recent video posted this morning. You have to stop at Poplar Lodge where the gravel begins to get your permit to launch and park. There was no one at the marina. The Beardmore City web site has the information. I parked near the rest rooms away from the day boaters and nothing was touched. Keep in mind there are no depth soundings for this lake so Navionics Charts will not help much. The chart you need to download for sailing the lake is Lake Nipigon Fishing Map, which you can download to a phone or tablet through the Avenza map app. It marks many of the reefs and the Avenza app also allows tracking. I also downloaded all the quads for my trip to have a third source of maps in the Avenza app. You have to upgrade that app to download more than three quads. Time of year is critical to minimize wind. It is a "Catch 22", as a sailor you want wind, but too much wind can sometimes obscure the reefs. The old sun at your back advice is critical to avoid rocks. There are many deep areas that are safe to sail at speed, but as you near islands rocks can appear anywhere. There is no place to get fuel, food, or water along the track I took (135 miles), so you must be self contained for the duration of your trip. The lake is known for it's hazardous strong winds that can come up quickly and sometimes blow for days. I did not get off the boat for the last 10 days of my trip due primarily to winds, but also because there was no place to go ashore. My boat is not designed for Nipigon so I ruled out any move in winds over 10 mph because waves build too fast. I will likely not return with this boat, it's just not adequate for the lake. Water temperature was in low 50's so it would not hurt to have a dry suit for emergencies. If you had to abandon the boat you need protection in very rough seas and high winds. In hindsight I should have had a dry suit and my emergency boat was a kayak. Not really adequate for that lake! In three weeks I saw only four different boats so expecting help from other boaters should not be considered viable. Satellite communication like (Zoleo) for emergencies, weather, and to inform family of your status is critical to safety. Be sure to leave contact information with family in case they do not hear from you. Feel free to ask questions but many of those will likely be answered through the episodes I will post in the coming months, it will be slow, but you have until next year. I hope this helps.

Wow thanks so much for the very valuable information and concern! I will definitely watch the rest of your videos. I have a Catalina 25. Standard rigging Hank-on headsail. I have a Genoa, working jib and storm jib. (never had to use the storm jib) Main sail has two reef points. I regularly sail in 20-25mph winds but not much higher than that. been sailing one two days a week now for 3 years. I would go with one other person who has less experience than me. With Jerry Cans I can bring 25 gallons of gas and 25 gallons of water. I understand Nipigon is a very very large and not well know lake that needs to be respected but it seems like it could be a great place for a sailing trip. Do you think my boat would be able to handle it? Great to hear from an experienced sailor. thanks again! Ryan @@ShantySanctuary

Yes, Ryan, the Catalina 25 can handle it, but that depends more on you and how the boat is rigged. You certainly have the basics in terms of sails and you might never use the storm sail. But if you need it, there is no substitute. Always make early conservative decisions when downsizing sail area for the conditions. Depending on the time of year, you may wish you had a spinnaker on some days. You don't mention how your reefs are rigged. If you do not have slab reefing, I recommend you do. Being able to reef quickly may be more important than the storm sail. I sailed Great Slave Lake for seven weeks back in 1983 in a 19' modified keel day sailor and had to choose whether to build a spinnaker or a storm sail for that trip. I built the spinnaker and used it for days on end, but on my last leg there was in an extreme storm and then I wished I had that storm jib! I'm lucky to still be here! Fuel and water depends on the length of the trip. For 23 days I carry 25 gallons of water used only for washing dishes (1 gal/day). I wash once a day and soak dirty dishes in lake water first. I carried an additional 4 gal. of spring water for coffee and drinking. I carried 36 gallons of fuel in two 9 gal main tanks, and three 6 gal. aux tanks. I got approximately 5 mpg, and went 136 miles. I came back in with 7 or 8 gallons remaining. Knowing your fuel range will be important if you plan a long trip. Both my heater and stove use propane and a 30# bottle saw me through. I carry a portable fire ring with an 11# propane bottle for use when shore fires are not allowed, which also serves as reserve if I run out in my primary bottle. I used heat every morning since it often got near the 40's (June & July). Water temperature is cold so if the wind is up, it is like Lake Superior. Cold! My ship's log gives temperatures through the day inside and out. At the end of the trip there will be a chart showing my track for this trip, but it was primarily a big clockwise circle around the islands grouped in the center of the lake. No comparison with Mille Lacs, it is beautiful country, very wild, but dangerous too. You will have a great time.

Ok, I had to look up what slab reefing is and I do have that on both reefs they lead back to the cockpit and work well. Could you be more specific on the rigging? Due to my lack of knowledge I don't think I know what you mean but it sounds important haha. again thanks so much for the invaluable insights. Can't wait to watch the rest of your trip. @@ShantySanctuary

You answered the question pretty much by explaining how your reefs are put in. If the reefing lines are lead to the cockpit that really helps, particularly when reefing early with less pressure on the sails. What I meant by "you" is sailing experience. You mentioned you sailed in winds up to 20-25 mph. This is a good thing. The more experience in that range, and higher, the better. However, I experienced winds of 30 mph plus on this trip. Fortunately, I was holed up in a good anchorage that had protection from the south winds that blew for a couple of days. I have no idea what the wave heights were, but I was very glad to not be out in them. Especially without depth soundings to help you find a safe harbor. This is why I set my own limits of 10 mph winds for this flat bottomed boat. Your boat can handle much more, but you always have to keep in mind there are no soundings to help in a surprise situation. "Rigging" is just a general term and applies to what we have been discussing. What sails you have, how your reefs are rigged, etc., is part of that. If you can work from the cockpit that's best. You mentioned hanked on foresails which is less desirable in rough conditions, roller furling is best to avoid going up on the foredeck even if the sail may not be as effective as a hanked on version. The exception is the storm sail since it is necessarily hanked on. The key is putting up the storm sail early before it gets dangerous to go forward in rough conditions. Your partner needs to be able to safely keep the helm and boat steady in rough conditions if you have to go forward. Unless you have an autopilot that can handle rough conditions. Since you are taking along company, they should be briefed on all emergencies and especially M.O.B procedures. The VHF is almost useless except on the south end of the Lake where you can get some reception. It would be little help in an emergency since there is no Coast Guard and boats may not even be seen the whole time you are out, let alone monitoring Channel 16. What type of life ring do you have? You are the most likely person to go overboard so getting you back aboard has to be practiced by your second party using the equipment in place. Like a swim ladder if capable of climbing back aboard, or a harness system, if you are incapacitated by the cold water (54F). Another reason for a dry suit. What type of dingy will be using and how well can it handle rough conditions. Will it tow well in rough conditions or is it stowed on deck. If towing, is your painter strong enough to not break in surging conditions. This is all part of how you rig your boat. My first 10 days was calm most days, the last 10 was mostly windy and I was stuck for 2-3 days at a time. Anchor and rode are important. How much rode (anchor line and chain) do you have? The anchor should be oversized for your length with some chain to keep the anchor digging. I carry an oversized Bruce with 150' of 1/2" nylon braid line and 15' of 3/8" chain. My second anchor is an oversized Danforth with 125' of 3/8" nylon line with 15' of 1/4" chain. Both are rigged to deploy on short notice. Do you know what time of year you will go. I did research on winds before going on this trip and selected the trip dates based upon wind history for the lake. You may want to examine that history for the time period you plan to be on the Lake.