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Knocking
on Death's Door
Robert Mosher's log of a Door Peninsula Cruise, August 27-29, 2010 ...
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This story is dedicated to my wife, Marijane, who has spent hours editing my many rewrites.   Wisconsin has a thumb that
sticks out into Lake Michigan; it's called the Door Peninsula.
Then there's Washington Island, and lastly Rock
Island. The gap between the mainland and Washington Island is called
“Porte des Morts” or the Doors of Death. French legends say
a war party of hundreds of Indians lost their lives in this channel due
to a sudden storm crashing them onto Plum Island which lies in the
center of the passage. Four of us - Ian Coxhead (W7923), his
daughter, Aiki, my son, Rob and I (W3445) - planned to sail out from
the peninsula,
bypassing Death's Door, around the NW side of Washington Island, then
sail south-easterly to Rock Island State Park. This was the shortest
and safest route possible. The passage would still be around 15
nautical miles (NM).
Friday afternoon, Ian and Aiki
loaded up Bindlestiff
(American slang misusing German, meaning a hobo or wayfarer) and took
off. Later, Rob and I took W3445 and left Madison, WI. The four
of us
arrived after dark at Peninsula State Park just minutes apart despite
leaving at different times, and traveling separately. But the
advantage went to Ian and Aiki who had stopped for a real meal
on the way up. Ian had reserved a site which we found, and
then set up camp in the dark. I asked Rob if he knew where we had been
20
years ago to the day. I reminded him that we were camping at Sleeping
Bear Dunes, on the other side of Lake Michigan telling stories about
“The Stupids”. The main reason I could remember this is that the 27th
of August is my birthday. Everyone then responded by wishing me a happy
birthday. There was a little time to see the full moon shining on the
Nicolet Bay and the anchored boats, and then it was off to bed for
everyone.
On Saturday we tried to find a
place to launch at the Washington Island Car Ferry dock, but there was
none. Back on Wisconsin Highway 42 we went to a boat ramp just north of
Harbor House Inn, and south of the People Ferry to Washington
Island. Here we were allowed to launch and leave our car and
trailer for the weekend. The little harbor's tightness and wind
direction required either rowing or really good sailing to get out into
Hedgehog Harbor (which is more a large bay than a harbor).
Ian and Aiki went out under
sail and then sailed about waiting for Rob and me. We had opted to row
out
and then put up sails which actually took more time. Both boats had a
comfort reef in (about 7.5% of sail area), as the weather forecast was
promising
15 mph winds gusting to 20, and 2- to 3-foot waves. As we sailed north
along the very hazy shore of the Door Peninsula, houses gave way to
high
limestone cliffs and a narrow white rock shore. We were moving along
smartly thru one-foot waves.
Where the Door Peninsula rounds
off to the southeast, the full force of the wind coming up Lake
Michigan pushed through Death's Door. At the same time we were becoming
more exposed to the waves running up Green Bay. Things were
looking brighter as the haze was burning off and we were blessed with
blue skies and a bright sun. Soon there were waves coming
together from Death's Door and Green Bay. This made for some lumpy but
not uncomfortable waves. Around this time I got clumsy, caught a wave
or the wind wrong, and put the lee rail down to the water. Fortunately
we
did not have to pay for my misstep with a capsize or swamp and the boat
righted itself.
Washington Island soon blocked
the wind off Lake Michigan allowing only the wind and waves coming
straight up Green Bay. Our broad reach turned into a run and the waves
rolled along at 4 to 5 feet, a foot or two over the predictions. When
the waves synched just right, Ian and Aiki surfed away at 9 knots.
Then the waves would slow Bindlestiff,
and we would surf back up to them. This yo-yo surfing lasted
along most of the the NW side of Washington Island. You can see in the
attached picture that the waves could hide one boat's hull from the
view of the other sailors.
 Aiki takes a photo of us behind a wave.  Surfing off a wave. These are the only two photos taken when the wind and waves were at full strength. Note my baggy mainsail. Naughty sailor boy! As we closed with the corner of
Washington Island, it
blocked the wind and we
slowed down. Around the corner, the wind seemed to be dying and we
were just barely moving along.
 Ian suggested we sail into the
beach and along
the coast. The sailing was slow, so I headed away from shore and more
directly towards Rock Island. Soon afterwards, the winds picked up
quickly and were
definitely above 15 mph, and weather records showed 20 mph plus
winds. We were now pointing high for Rock Island and luffing to
keep the boats
flat. As the wind repeatedly filled and
emptied his
sails, it caused too much stress at the battens and they tore the sail,
which required sail tape to repair later. Ian said, “I have learned
that there is nothing quite like looking downwind at the horizon across
a heeling boat with rips in the sail to tell you that you need two sets
of reefing points before taking on the Great Lakes.” Both our sails
were older and softer which may have contributed to the bagging
problem. It helps to use the cunningham and outhaul tension to flatten
and smooth the sails, without overtightening them. Smooth sails would
have made for a more comfortable sail upwind. I could have tacked to
lead us back towards Washington Island, and a wind shadow, but was
reluctant to do so. We thereby avoided lower wind speeds and
easier sailing. (For more information on sail shape, click here)
By keeping a tight tack, we
made the harbor on Rock Island. Coming around into the harbor put the
wind to our backs. Our speed increased but our docking skills did not.
The sailors anchored there helped us out, but they were not impressed
by our lack of skill. Part of my problem was that I had raised the
centerboard so the boat did not round up the way I wanted it to.
Rock Island is a state park
with no cars or roads. It does have a magnificent boathouse in which
you can tie up and spend the night for free. The park only charges for
the outside slips and campsites! The sunlight is bent by the water into
the interior of the boathouse making it glow. That included the water
and the ceiling! It's hard to believe this was built not by some rich
dude but by the Civilian
Conservation Corps, a Roosevelt-era program! The
upscale feel is everywhere, a paved main path out to the sites, free
carts to haul your stuff, and each site isolated from the others.
Unfortunately, we
did not have the time to walk the park which is worth at least a day of
exploring.
 Rock Island Harbor and Boat House. (It's not fuzzy, it's the painterly effect!) Ian had a camp site reserved,
as this is a popular place. We checked in and walked down to the shore
to check things out. Back at the harbor Ian and Aiki got a tow to the
site. Rob and I started just a little later and were well underway by
the time the Avon dinghy came back, so we declined a tow. Bindlestiff was in the little
slip that campers had made by moving some limestone rocks. We had to do
a
little more rock gardening to improve the slip, and Bindlestiff was set for the
night. (I can actually pick out the rock slip on Google Earth!)
On a previous solo cruise, I
had hauled the Wayfarer up on land using some pulleys and a rope
anchored
on shore to pull the boat out of the water. So I opted to do this
again. The shore was covered with flat limestone. However the
accumulation of them was only sort of flat. So we had to move some
stones and get out all four fenders for the job at hand. But this
time my large anchor would not set or grab the flat rocks, so I
tried sitting on it to hold it in place. My pulley system
definitely needs a good anchor point, which I was not. I mostly
sat there on the anchor and watched Ian, Aiki, and Rob pushing W3445
onto shore. That night our cove was protected from the winds and waves
by
the island so we could have anchored out. But that might not
always be the case.
 Bindlestiff and W3445 safe for the night. We had made good time, so there
was lots of the bright sunshine left for us to unload and pitch tents.
Ian had brought fresh fixings for Thai curry. Having lived in Thailand,
he knew what he was doing. He used real coconut milk for the base. This
curry did not include hot peppers, making it very mild and tasty. On
the other hand, the fake chicken (soybean based) I made had a whole
packet of red curry paste added. Almost more paste than chicken. It was
at the other end of things, being unreasonably hot.
 The coconut milk is slowing boiling and cooking the veggies, including Thai eggplant! Our campsite was fairly flat.
While the rocks were all flat limestone, they were just as hard as
other rocks. You did not want one sitting higher then the rest, or you
would feel it all night long. The fir trees gave the site a very close
and private feel. Past winds had bent the trees a few feet off
the ground making for some nice seats.
 My old pyramid tent that's gotten around. After camp was set for the
night, Ian looked at his mainsail. It was badly torn around the inside
end of the battens. He thought about trying to sew up the ripped cloth,
and there was a whole lot of sewing to do. He had a small sewing
kit, but neither of us had sewn up sails before. After thinking and
looking at it a while, Ian put spinnaker tape on all the ripped area.
The next day he left the battens out and fortunately, the tape held
things together. I have since learned a little about repairs and need
to do some practice sewing on my old sails so I am better prepared for
emergencies. I would recommend reading The Sailmaker's Apprentice by
Emiliano Marino. Next time I will bring the spinnaker tape, heavier
sail repair tape, and a proper sailor's palm, thread and needle. The
rest of the evening passed with pleasant talk and short walks to the
south beach for the view of Lake Michigan.
Sunday morning we had
breakfast, cleaned up camp and loaded the Wayfarers. The VHF predicted
southerly winds from 15 to 20 mph. We all decided that we
should start right away. The wind gave us a nice steady ride on a broad
reach.
Washington Island kept the waves down, and it was a blissful sunny
sail. Just absolute perfection. As we turned the corner around
Washington Island, the wind slowly picked up to 20 mph or more.
 Rob helming during our perfect conditions  Rounding the NE corner of Washington Island, before things picked up.  Bindlestiff as the wind is just starting to pick up.  As we sailed down the northwest
coast of Washington Island, the wind continued to come steadily up
Green Bay. We could sail a long closehauled port tack which felt like
it would take us right to the outside edge of Hedgehog Harbor. That is
if we just had the guts to hold our line and take on the waves. And
before starting, we had agreed not to get out into the wind and waves
too far. When the waves started to build, we would look back to see how
Ian and Aiki were doing. We would see Aiki pointing to land, so
we would tack back in. The starboard tack would take us almost directly
towards the land, and out we would go again. Until that is, Aiki
pointed to land. After we landed, we teased her about this. Turns out
she had not been pointing anywhere! We were just
reading into her having a good time what we expected to see. Once the
journey was over I checked the GPS tracks and did a rough estimate of
where we would have been without tacking. We would have been at least 7
NM from the nearest land. Not a good place to be with 20 mph
winds plus gusts and waves at their full strength. I am glad for Aiki's
pointing hand, even if she was just goofing around.
 Aiki waving for the camera. Rob had worn a nylon wind
breaker which seemed enough for a warm and sunny day. As he was up
front tending jib, most of the waves were his to catch. I noticed he
was sitting more inboard than when we started. He agreed to wear my
waterproof jacket and then things got better. He was sitting out more
and talking about friends and work. Even though it did not seem to him
that he needed it, the difference after he put the jacket on was
amazing. He was still wet underneath, but warmer.
As we reached the southern part
of Washington Island, the wind started increasing. We ran toward shore
for
calmer air, to communicate, and take in our first reef. Our contingency
bail-out point was to be Detroit Harbor on the southern tip of
Washington Island. I was impressed by Ian giving
his daughter the right to determine when it was time to pull out. Often
we sailors want so much for our family to be part of and enjoy our
passion that we don't listen to them. That just ends up putting them
off sailing, and leaves us solo. So Aiki decided we were to head for
Detroit Harbor where she and Ian would end the sailing part of their
trip.
 Ian
and Aiki on Bindlestiff.
Sailing toward the harbor, we
knocked on Death's Door, and ran away. The center of Porte des Morts
has two islands, and submerged rocks. The land masses make for
unreliable wind and little leeway, especially if something should go
wrong. It has claimed its fair share of sailing ships. A place I want
to sail some time when the wind and waves are a lot lower. Making
Detroit Harbor was
challenging enough, but fairly straight forward. We both made a nice
smooth entrance and tied up. Aiki prepared sandwiches for everyone.
She had tofu turkey with avocado just to make the vegans' hearts happy.
Just sitting on the dock in
that wonderful sunshine was a delight. But we needed to find out when
the ferry would leave for Hedgehog where Ian's car and trailer were
parked. After checking at the fishing store we made our way to the
ticket
office. This required several stops to talk to people along the way.
The Ferry Office only sold round trip tickets, and did not take credit
cards. Fortunately we had a checkbook among us so Ian and Aiki
could get the their tickets. When I ride there is always money hidden
on the bike so I cannot forget. Now I need to add emergency money
to
the permanent boat stores.
Back in the boat, Rob and I
paddled upwind to the exit end of the marina. We tied off to an old
wooden dock, and put in the second reef which reduced the sail area by
30%. I made sure it was set tight and smooth. The VHF weather reported
continuing 20 mph plus winds, and the Small Boat Advisory, which we had
experienced for several hours already. Tied up kitty corner to us was
the Coast Guard's Avon with two 50 hp outboards on the back. If we got
into trouble, this was the boat that would be coming to rescue us. So
it just
did not seem auspicious as we cast off from the same piling as the
Coast Guard was tied up to. Often I need to look at reality and check
my nerves. The officers were in town checking
paperwork, so we did not receive any free advice.
We sailed down the narrow
channel to leave Detroit Harbor. On the way out the ferry came in so we
tacked out of the channel to give her room. From the ferry Ian and Aiki
waved goodbye to us, and we waved back. We continued to tack back
and forth making headway upwind. Then we had to luff right up into the
wind to allow the other ferry right of way to leave the harbor. From
that ferry Ian and Aiki waved goodbye to us, and we waved
back. It made me nervous sitting head to wind with the
ferry so close, but it worked out very smoothly.
As soon as we felt safe, we
left the channel and cut across the shallow
water, and left Death's Door behind us for good. With two reefs
in the sail, we were depowered enough not to be smashing into
waves. The sailing was a little slower but a whole lot drier and
controlled. With what I know now, we should have had at least
some jib up, even if it could not be perfectly reefed. We were
sailing as close to the wind as possible and were still a bit wide of
Hedgehog Harbor. An alternative would have been to tack to the SW
up the wind and wave shadow behind Plum Island, and then make a little
more open tack to Hedgehog. This was not an obvious choice at the
time. However, the mainland's effect on the wind was unkown. It could
have put the wind more behind us, or the shore could have
turned the wind right onto our nose.
Before we sailed past the
corner of Hedgehog Harbor, Ian and Aiki were
coming back on the car ferry with an empty trailer for their
boat. They could see us off in the distance, and were
surprised at how small we looked. Several people wondered
why they were so excited to see a sailboat, so they had to explain.
When Ian and Aiki decided to
end their voyage at Detroit Harbor, they
had made the right decision. Our crossing would have been
uncomfortable at best without the second reef. In fact, I think it
would have put us on the edge of safety, or to quote the title of Frank
Dye's book on sailing his Wayfarer in America The Edge of Fear.
After we sailed into Hedgehog,
we needed to make several tacks to stay
in the wind shadow of Door Peninsula. The haze had come back, so
it was hard to distinguish points on the land. It took us
about as long to tack up to the dock as it had to cross over from
Detroit Harbor. Our return trip was just under 30 NM of sailing.
Returning our Wayfarer to the
trailer was fairly painless. After
securing everything we were on our way. Ian and Aiki retrieved
their boat from Washington Island and were just a half hour behind
us. If they had not missed the outgoing car ferry from Washington
Island by just minutes, they would have been ahead of us.
I learned that 20 mph winds at
Green Bay were much more challenging then
the 15 mph plus winds I had experienced at Killbear. The wind and
waves had longer runs in which to build up. Waves this large were a new
experience for all of us, and turned out to be a lot of fun
downwind. Going upwind, the bigger waves created a lot of
spray. While I was sailing solo at Killbear, I was either running
or on a broad reach when the wind was strongest. That makes a
huge difference on how edgy things can get. The challenge of
extra wind and waves on Green Bay was not offset by having crew on
board. This made the return from Rock Island longer then
expected, taking up most of the day. That is a long time for
anyone who has not sailed much before.
Many thanks go out to Ian and
Aiki for all the good food, and making
all the reservations. They were also a good companion boat making
the trip safer and I would sail with them any time they are
available. I also had a very special weekend with my
son, Rob, which I would like to repeat someday.
a few final words from Ian: Aiki and I had a great time and we have Rob-squared to thank
for their experience and comradeship. I have learned that there
is nothing quite like looking downwind at the horizon across a heeling
boat with rips in the sail to tell you that you need 2 sets of reefing
points before taking on the Great Lakes. Looking forward to the
next trip! Ian
Reference: http://www.amazon.com/Sailmakers-Apprentice-Emiliano-Marino/dp/0071376429 http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/ See Peninsula State Park & Rock Island State Park http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/GreatLakesBookletCharts.htm Chart 14909 Upper Green Bay (All USA Great Lakes Charts Available) Look before you print, lots of pages to charts. It is possible to print just the pages you want, by picking page numbers. http://www.doorcounty.com/ OR http://www.godoorcounty.com/ |
