August weather can be the guide to the power of November’s gales when it comes to Lake Superior. 

As I write this in early August, Ray Kenney of Rossport, Ontario, reports about an ore freighter finding surface temperatures of 53 degrees Fahrenheit in mid-Lake Superior. Near the Slate Islands, he adds, he has found temperatures of 58 F. Since temperatures have been recorded, surface temperatures in this portion of Lake Superior have never been found this high. 

I’ve been logging these unusual circumstances and this unusual weather for several weeks, not just out of curiosity, but for safety. Our exploration cruise to the top of Lake Superior is slated to begin very soon, a full month behind what I consider to be the “preferred” or best time to visit the northernmost part of the lake.

Those folks who study and acquire degrees in the science of weather and the prediction thereof named this northern area subarctic! What they neglect to say is also of value … it is the most beautiful and well-cared-for segment of the Canadian shore.

Those of us who boat the lake learn quickly of its many moods. Heated water is energy-laden water, just waiting for an excuse to become waves. After a summer of warming comes our famous November storms. On the north shore, summer really lasts about six weeks, as retired Captain Dudley Paquette, Inland Steel’s famous skipper, points out. “In the later days of August often comes the first really howling gale,” he relates, “and winter is on its way.…”

Ready for action, Skipper Sam II waits “on the hook” at Clark Bay in the Susie Islands, Minnesota. PATRICIA HONKONEN

Circumstances, including the celebration of the 20th year of publishing Lake Superior Magazine, kept us in the port of Duluth until a later-than-usual cruise. I wasn’t exactly taken by surprise that we’ve reached two decades, but being part of this magazine for all these years has become something of a habit. As the years rolled by, I guess I didn’t count.

Then came the 50th anniversary for my Duluth Central High School Class of 1949, which turned into a wonderful series of renewed acquaintances and classy get-togethers. Many classmates returned to Lake Superior after decades of absence and were reminded of its beauty. Yes, July 1999 was quite a parade of events. But now it’s time to re-bond with our resplendent lake.

Our Skipper Sam II has been exhaustively serviced, numerous spare parts examined and others added. While services of any kind beyond Thunder Bay, Ontario, are few and far between along the north shore, the people are simply wonderful. Fresh lines and new fastenings for our anchors are aboard, charts have been examined and our several electronic aids tested and serviced. (I now can see right where we are on a computerized chart of the lake!)

Jim Marshall and First Mate Jan Biga enjoy the 1999 boating season. PATRICIA HONKONEN

Besides a respectful attitude toward what Lake Superior might deliver in its supercharged state, the only other trepidation for this trip rises from stories about the attitude and posture of the people who seasonally control Lake Superior’s Isle Royale National Park. Many private boaters have brought back reports of unpleasant encounters. We who have enjoyed this park for many years cannot understand why a National Park Service Ranger needs to be armed with a high-performance pistol on Isle Royale.

The new “management plan,” among other follies, calls for the eventual removal of an essential safe haven deep within Siskiwit Bay. It resists the legitimate positions of hundreds of visitors who have loved and cared for this wonderful island.

I hope nothing, especially ill-conceived General Management Plans and overzealous officials, mar this almost idyllic intended travel.

There’s so much to enjoy, like a visit to the new marina facility at Silver Bay, Minnesota, and then to enjoy the “Fisherman’s Picnic” at Grand Marais. Our stop at Thunder Bay is always special, as is the close inspection of the Sleeping Giant on our way to Silver Islet.

Weather permitting, we’ll see Nipigon and Rossport, as well as the incredible Slate Islands.

Lake Superior will decide how much we see and how far we get. When out on this inland sea, smart boaters know to listen, watch and respect the lake’s decisions.

A collection of Jim Marshall’s columns has been published as Lake Superior Journal: Views from the Bridge by Lake Superior Port Cities Inc. Follow this link for more information.

Feedback: jrm@lakesuperior.com