# hello from the frozen north



## johndanicic (Mar 15, 2000)

My name is John Danicic and I am a Lake Superior sailor. Together with my wife Kim, we sail a lovely Cape Dory 36 cutter in the Apostle Islands National Lake Shore as well as the surrounding crystal clear waters of the world's largest lake. 

Among other things you may know me by the articles I have written for Good Old Boat Magazine and the copper & bronze insect screens that I make for Cape Dory and Pacific SeaCraft portlights. Although I have been reading Sail Net for years, I am now looking forward to adding my voice to this excellent forum.


----------



## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

Burrrrr,
Do you guys ever get to swim in those beautiful waters?
I often wondered that about Superior Sailors.


----------



## johndanicic (Mar 15, 2000)

We be a breed apart.

You can swim in Superior but not for long. In late July till early September if the water has been still and the sun shinning for a few days, the top few feet can be very pleasant. Get below that warm layer and Gordon Lightfoot's, "ice water mansion" term comes to mind. But mostly it is pretty cold. Adverage temperature is 40 degrees. They say you don't fall into Superior, you bounce out.


----------



## NotQuiteCapnRon (Mar 27, 2008)

Hello from the frozen south...it's like 12 degrees here in Kentucky today. We're not used to this.

I looked at Apostle Islands as a possible charter area last year, but ended up back in the BVI....not that there is anything wrong with that. I may try the area someday though...any thoughts or suggestions on chartering...things to do? Is it similar to other cruising grounds where you can anchor or pick up a ball and go ashore for dinner? Looks beautiful.

Ron


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Welcome aboard John...your boat is one of my all time favorites. I'm even more in love with the RobinHood update (if i won the lottery!)
Alberg drew some sweet boats. Good to have you here.
I see you joined a long time ago...why the sudden posting?


----------



## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

Man, you guys are tough! I'm in my swimsuit with some shade in the cockpit. It does get cold for us down here in Florida too though. Last night you could stand outside and actually, with a little "huff", see your breath! We even expect a little frost inland tonight, but will be safe moderated by the water temps. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


----------



## MarthaT (Jan 13, 2009)

Welcome, it is frozen here today and I dislike it very much.


----------



## N0NJY (Oct 19, 2008)

CaptainForce said:


> Man, you guys are tough! I'm in my swimsuit with some shade in the cockpit. It does get cold for us down here in Florida too though. Last night you could stand outside and actually, with a little "huff", see your breath! We even expect a little frost inland tonight, but will be safe moderated by the water temps. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


You obviously are experiencing "Globull Warming" /grin


----------



## johndanicic (Mar 15, 2000)

Sudden posting?

I, as they say, have been lurking for years. I did want to pipe in on an LED post but haven't got around to doing that yet. I mostly spend my time on the Cape Dory Board web page which is smaller and more focused to my particular kind of boat. It has been a long, cold winter and, well.....time to expand horizons a bit. I am not terribly proficient at this website game and am slow to embrace new technology. I just learned to text message but have no desire to, "Twitter" what ever that is. 

So to answer the questions from Ron.

Check out Superior Charters or Sail Boats Inc. for chartering up here. Lake Superior is pretty much wilderness sailing and anchoring. Not a lot of services or facilities. You are pretty much on your own. The Apostles Island which has by far and away the largest number of boats on the lake has a few destinations for dinning ashore but you could also dine ashore on a picnic lunch with a variety of wildlife from bears, loons and sand hill cranes. Farther a field from the Apostles, add caribou and moose to your potential guests. It is a very beautiful place in good weather but lurking below the surface is that cold water which tends to keep the riff raff out. It is not for everyone and certainly not for the unprepared. Yeah it's cold and rocky and the waves can be bigger then you could ever believe and much closer together then water should be but the payoff is watching the northern lights in a dark sky, a companionable moose at your protected anchorage, the other worldly cry of loons the only sound you hear on a quiet morning, and then there is the sense of aloneness you can achieve here. Besides the water temperatures always guarantees ice cold beer.

As far as my Cape Dory 36 goes. It is a very cool thing to own such a wonderful boat. I am humbled by it every time I sail her. It is even cooler to know that if I won the lotto, I could order the very same boat with exactly what I want on her. No danger of that at the moment. Quite content I am.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Welcome to Sailnet John.


----------

