Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Questions about water transportation and fishing on the island.

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Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by ADK Native »

Hello wise ones,
Having hit one of those milestone birthdays, I've decided to finally go to IR next year, Late June-Early July 2011 to paddle the inland lakes.
The first factor I'd like your input on is my boat. It's an Advanced Elements inflatible, the big tandem convertible. **please see pic below. I'll be paddling it as a solo and have equipped it with the deck kit, spray skirt and backbone (makes the floor rigid). Plenty of room for gear & grub, and will deflate for longer portages. **HAS ANYONE DONE THE ISLE IN AN INFLATIBLE?** ??ANY WORRIES ABOUT PADDLING IT ON THE LADY ALONG THE SHELTERED SHORES?

You may want to consider my route as part of your input on the boat, and I'd love your thoughts on that too, so here it is:
Day 1: Ferry from Michigan to Rock Harbor. Depending on Voyager schedules, hop the Voyager to Malone Bay.
Day 2 Paddle Siskiwit, portage, paddle Intermediate Lake, portage to Richie, camp along Richie
Day 3 Fluff day: Side hike, rest, fish
Day 4 Richie to Chickenbone
Day 5 Chickenbone to Birch Island
Day 6 Fluff day to humor the whims of The Lady
Day 7 Birch Island to Belle Isle
Day 8 Belle Isle to Duncan Bay camp
Day 9 Duncan back to Rock Harbor, Ferry back to Copper Harbor.

Many thanks,
Lonnie
Advanced Elements inflatible
Advanced Elements inflatible
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by johnhens »

The trip you propose sounds doable as you have incorporated weather days into your itinerary.
The paddle on Siskiwit can be challenging depending on the wind speed and direction, keep that in mind.
It would be good to have a Weather radio of some sort.
The paddle from Birch Isle to Belle Isle can be pleasant-or lively depending on the weather. You can always duck in and portage to Pickerel Cove to avoid rough seas.
Even the paddle across to Lane Cove can be challenging.
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by Ingo »

If the weather is good take advantage of it, spend 1 night at Birch Island and layover at Belle Isle. We had to layover at Birch (no choice) on my last trip. Also, I like Duncan Narrows somewhat better than Duncan Bay CG, but both are nice.

Haven't paddled anything like that before. Let us know how it works! If you haven't been paddling awhile in it, I would get as much time in as possible before your trip.
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by johnhens »

As Mr. Ingo says, practice. Looking a the pic, does it have a hypalon bottom to prevent holes ect? The shoreline is pretty rocky? Also how does it portage?
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by Ingo »

johnhens wrote:As Mr. Ingo says, practice. Looking a the pic, does it have a hypalon bottom to prevent holes ect? The shoreline is pretty rocky? Also how does it portage?
"Mr. Ingo" is one thing I've never been called before John! :D
22: BI-PC-BI-RH, 21: RH-ML-DF-MB-DF, 18: MC-PC-BI-DB-RH-DF, 17: WI-IM-SB-FL-WC, 16: RH-CI-TI-RH, 14: BI-ML-CI-CH-MB, 13: RH-PI, 12: MC-CB-HL-TH, 11: WC-HC-WC, 09: MC-BI-DN-RH, 05: MI-CI-MB-DF-RH-TM-RH, 02: MC-LR-WL-CH, 01: BI-DB-RH, 79: worked RH
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by ADK Native »

Thank you, good people!
Yes, the construction material is durable. Bonus: I'll be able to use the floor deck as a sleep mat. :D So far, I've taken it on some quick currents and on some small swells. In addition to some hopeful winter paddles, I'll be taking her onto Lake Huron in the Spring and will practice dumps and rescues off Copper Harbor before putting her on the ferry for IR. My NOAA radio will, as always, be in a dry bag. :-) Deflated, it weighs about 50 lbs, and I'm weight training to handle it. Too bad I can't bring my little portage wheels. They are verboten, yes?

Now then, your thoughts on packable grub?

I'm new to this forum, but I love it; love how it is fueling my Isle Royale dream.

Many thanks,
Lonnie
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by johnhens »

Ingo wrote:
johnhens wrote:As Mr. Ingo says, practice. Looking a the pic, does it have a hypalon bottom to prevent holes ect? The shoreline is pretty rocky? Also how does it portage?
"Mr. Ingo" is one thing I've never been called before John! :D
I will apologize for the lack of respect being shown to you!!!




Mr Ingo!!! :lol:
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by johnhens »

ADK Native wrote: Deflated, it weighs about 50 lbs, and I'm weight training to handle it. Too bad I can't bring my little portage wheels. They are verboten, yes?

Now then, your thoughts on packable grub?

I'm new to this forum, but I love it; love how it is fueling my Isle Royale dream.

Many thanks,
Lonnie
We are all about fueling dreams!!

Are you planning on carrying it inflated or are you going to deflate it for portages?
If you have a portage pack, very helpful!!!

Packable grub is its own subject and the possibilities are endless as your imagination.
We have taken to making meals ahead of time and dehydrating them. We also will make something like brats (cooked at home and frozen) and then packed in a vacumm sealer. The brats are heated up in the bag in boiling water in camp.
We will take eggs and make either french toast, quiche, bagels sandwiches (egg, cheese, ham) ect.

Check the Food and Cooking section, besides good food ideas, there is good cooking info there too.
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by Damon S »

Lonnie,

The whole planning process is half the fun in my opinion and this site is invaluable for input from many people that have hiked and paddled the waters in/around IR. Your itinerary sounds sounds great...but I have some questions, comments.

I'm not familiar with those portages, I've only paddled the open waters of IR. Your boat pics,,,you stated your paddling it solo. Are these two different boats tandem and single, or do you mean you adjust the seating and paddle it solo? I've heard of this craft but I'm not completely familiar with it. Inflatables and skin boats are paddled in waters around the world, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

I assume the boat comes with a patch kit? Definitely put together a kit for repairs to your paddling gear. Nothing too fancy but enough to get you through.

Since the boat is not bulkheaded and can flood considerably making self rescue very challenging, make sure you have a bilge pump accessible. All of you gear should be in good dry bags. The NOAA radio you mentioned, is it just a weather radio or VHF as well? And if it's waterproof, I would carry it on your person/pfd. If you don't have a VHF, invest in a good one. Lot of mixed feelings about radios on the island and whether or not you can actually transmit and reach someone. We communicate with enough fisherman/boaters on the open water of IR that I'm going to rely on them and hail for their help much more than the Coast Guard or IR park service. Nothing against the CG or IR, but the boaters are all around the island and in a much closer position to help/hear your call if need be.

Like John mentioned, the portage into Pickerel is a good idea, I would definitely limit your open water paddling when you don't have bulkheads. The paddle around Indian Pt and into Herring Bay can get quite rough. The rest of the way into Belle and Lane Cove is fairly protected. You can duck behind Islands if need be but the exposure in the water east of Belle can also kick up a bit.

I assume your portaging over to Duncan? And then across the Duncan Portage to Tobin? Just leave yourself enough time on Day 9 to do that hell portage since your ferrying back the same day...leave early!

My wife and I have paddled the island multiple times and circumnavigated it twice already. We absolutely love it up there and the paddling couldn't get better. I always enjoy reading others plans and trip reports. Have fun with it and be safe.

Regards,

Damon
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by ADK Native »

Damon, Ingo, John, everyone, THANK YOU THANK YOU!
The boat is not bulkheaded, however it does have an internal aluminum frame in bow and stern, plus the additional backbone helps it paddle very "true." It is 15 ft., designed to serve as either a tandem or single up to 500 lbs. I confess to being a bit selfish about preferring it as a single. I'm going to experiment with portages between now and then, inflated vs. deflated. There IS a pack bag for it which has wheels but I've read they are not allowed. Will I be summarily booted out of paradise if I use the wheeled bag to portage?

Kindly,
Lonnie
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by Keweenaw »

ADK Native wrote:Damon, Ingo, John, everyone, THANK YOU THANK YOU!
The boat is not bulkheaded, however it does have an internal aluminum frame in bow and stern, plus the additional backbone helps it paddle very "true." It is 15 ft., designed to serve as either a tandem or single up to 500 lbs. I confess to being a bit selfish about preferring it as a single. I'm going to experiment with portages between now and then, inflated vs. deflated. There IS a pack bag for it which has wheels but I've read they are not allowed. Will I be summarily booted out of paradise if I use the wheeled bag to portage?

Kindly,
Lonnie
Hi Lonnie,

You would be issued an extremely expensive citation, which you would have to go in front of a federal magistrate to contest, but I don't think you would be escorted off the Island. That being said, I don't think a wheeled bag, which typically has rollerblade wheels, would do you any good on IR portages, with their rocks & roots.

Lake Manganese, outside Copper Harbor, is a great place to practice self-rescue since the water is a bit warmer than Lake Superior.

Bob
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by Damon S »

As Bob stated. Plus, it's better to put that thing on your back and hump it instead of pulling it around, that would be terribly inconvenient pulling it down a trail, not to mention how foolish it would be to impact the trail in such a way.

I really think that if you find a workable way to portage it inflated, do it. I'd hate to inflate and deflate constantly. You have quite a bit of portaging in your schedule. I've always wanted to do the inner lake circuit...maybe one day. I just spoiled myself with my sea kayak and pulling up the beach with my camp just a short walk away! Plus we tend to spoil ourselves with beer and other adult beverages that couldn't possibly be portaged :lol:

Damon...
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by porter »

Lonnie:

Have at it! Your portage aspirations are not all that stressful and you have your "fluff days" for fishing, weather or whatever. Having been on that route I would welcome only a 50 lb. boat! Mine was 17' and over 65 lbs. I say keep it inflated and haul it on your shoulder. As for fishing, siskwit can hit or miss, intermediate and richie can have lots of pike action, I have caught smaller walleyes on chickenbone (but nothing noteworthy) and mccargoe can have very good northern action, and brady cove can also be a landmine of northerns! Also try for lakers and steelies the first cove outside of mccargoe and lakers in the belle isle area, then you can use the grills there to cook them up nice! Pay attention to noaa and you shouldn't run into any surprise T-storms or winds in the 5 fingers. I've often been warned of blake point but really, in late june/early july, it will most likely be picturesque and uneventful. watch the weather, as always, and just play it smart, there probably won't be any hellacious portage by duncan for you, I've gone from RH to duncan narrows in 3 hr at a very lesiurly pace, if that helps you any. I would suggest stocking up on siskiwit water best you can for your inland venture, as its far cleaner than, say, livermore or lasage water!
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by KeyMeKoe »

I did the Malone to Siskwit to Wood to Whittlesley and Chippewa to Rock Harbor trip a few years back in a two person folding kayak. A Folbot Greenland 2. I did the trip with a buddy. Great trip. I had my friend to help me with the portages. The portages were much shorter than the trip you have outlined.

Not to throw water on the dream, unless you are a very strong individual and enjoy portages, I would not suggest the trip you have outlined. Either buy a solo boat or get a friend in the two person boat. I have tried to paddle my G2 solo and it is a tank. In strong winds it is impossible. And a solo portage of the two person boat even folded would be unthinkable. The AE2 which you have will be the same as my G2.

I would also suggest buying a one person AE for the trip. The one person AE boats weigh 35 pounds. The AE fusion looks perfect, but the other AE single boats looked good, too.

If this is a trip of a lifetime, do it right and either take a friend in the two person boat or buy a single.
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Re: Your input requested on my route & my boat...

Post by robin621 »

Canoe with yoke or kayak is the only way to go. I tried an inflatable raft my second year:( I didn't like it. However, you have to try a few things out because everyone has their own personal preference.
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