I have visited Thunder Bay in the summers of 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, and
2003 using it as a port of entry before sailing on down the wilderness island
strewn coast of Ontario. (see travelogues) This city is a metropolis of about
114,000 full of multicultural events, shopping centers, restaurants,
biking/walking trails, and acres of in the city limits parks. It sits on Lake
Superior's huge Thunder Bay across which you can see the Sleeping Giant
Mountain. With a little imagine you can see the outline of a figure lying down
against the skyline.
Sailing Out of Thunder Bay
When we visited Thunder Bay in 2003 we discovered a new business had opened
up the year before. If you are an experienced sailor and would like to bareboat
out of Thunder Bay visit this web site:
www.sailsuperior.com
Whether you plan to bareboat or sail your own boat on Superior along with a good
set of charts I would highly recommend that you purchase the book that so
many Superior sailors call the "Bible". I do not remember what we paid for our
copy of this book, but whatever the cost it is well worth every penny. We are on
our second copy, having purchased the latest edition and passing our old book on
to a friend. The title of the book is Superior Way by Bonnie Dahl. This
cruising guide for Lake Superior can be purchased through Lake Superior Port
Cities Inc., P.O. Box 16417, Duluth, MN 55816. Phone 1-888-244-5253. Email
address: guide@lakesuperor.com This book will describe the marinas as well as
the hidden coves and harbors along the lake that you may otherwise miss. You can
travel to these areas with confidence using her personal and detailed knowledge
of the lake. She and her husband, Ron, have sailed Lake Superior for more than
25 years and have visited and tested every area of the Lake. Included are GPS
waypoints, harbor passages, marinas, anchorages, and diagrams to help you find
these locations. Often depths and lake bottom conditions are included for the
anchorages. Warnings about the locations of many shoals and underwater hazards
may be found in her text, as well as marked on her diagrams. In some cases
interesting historical information is included as well as hidden hiking trails
and other places to explore from the anchorages. Don't sail Lake Superior
without this book!
Prince Arthur's Landing
Marina
While in Thunder Bay be sure to
visit the Scenic Marina Park located in the N.E. end of Thunder Bay. Locals as
well as tourists come here to stroll along its walkways, look out over the bay,
picnic, and allow their children to enjoy the playground. There are a few shops
here including a gift shop, a popular ice-cream shop, and a small art gallery.
Prince Arthur’s Landing Marina is located in this park. It is the place where we
are always docked when in the city. If you enjoy boats you will see a variety of
motor and sailing yachts berthed here.
Impulse-under-bow-awning
In this photo, you can see Impulse docked
in the Marina under her bow awning, trying to stay cool on an unusually hot
summer day in August.
