On Our Initiatives
We love where we live, with a passion and intensity that sometimes scares even us. As climate change reshapes the world around us, we are adapting and changing our business to make as big of an impact on the community around us as possible, while leaving as small of a trace in our natural areas as we can. Luckily, sailing makes this as easy as it is joyful. Here are some of our goals, accomplishments, and dreams.
Sail Whenever Possible
The wind is a carbon free, endlessly renewable resource. It’s a gift of the sun and the earth’s rotation, and we hoist whatever canvas we can grab, whenever the slightest zephyr springs to life over the water. It’s our goal to sail on our trips as much as we can, which is why we don’t offer ‘short’ trips to some of the furthest islands out there – it’s unreasonable to expect it can be done by sailing. Luckily, most of our guests agree that good travel takes time, and so, most years, we use only 50 gallons of diesel over 4000 miles of trips. That clocks in at 90% windpower!
Minimal Power Usage
We have intentionally updated our boats to use as little electricity as possible. Most of our lights are high-efficiency LEDs (we swap them out as the old ones die), and we consciously avoid high-draw power sucks, which means our anchors are raised by hand (if you don’t want the workout, the captain can do it!), and we use iceboxes instead of refrigeration systems. The ice itself is made in our perennially cool basement, and the coolness of the lake helps it last as long as it does.
Buy Stuff That Lasts Forever
We don’t mind paying extra for excellent gear. While there are no local sources for our stainless steel shackles and many of our other necessary equipment, we do submit custom orders to some of our local manufacturers, like Bretting Machining. For the rest of it, we take good care of our equipment so that it works as well as when it arrived on the boat decades prior. The freshwater makes it easier than on the ocean – but well-applied grease helps.
Educate All Who Step Aboard
There might be ways to make it through one of our trips without learning anything – but it probably involves a portable sensory deprivation tank. While our captains don’t follow a curriculum, their passion and love for sailing and this area shine through in every single one of their actions and words. Their wonder and joy are infectious for all who travel with us, and that wonder often sparks deep discussions about the world around us and how we move through it.
Get Everyone Sailing
Sailing is a strange sport for a few reasons – one of the biggest ones is that the cost divide from the lowest end of sailing to the highest is enormous. On one hand, you can’t find a new boat for less than the price of a large home (and those are the cheap ones), but you can buy, live, and sail around the world on a boat worth less than the average used car. We know that sailing can change people’s lives for the better – give them time to reflect, be outside, and feel joy in the world and her wild elements. That’s why we’re proud to be offering free sailing to Bayfield’s population by bringing them on board as apprentices, offering free sailing days during the spring, and working with local organizations like the Apostle Islands Yacht Club and North Coast Community Sailing to offer scholarships to Bayfield-area kids. Consider helping us by checking the box to invite an apprentice on-board during your trip!
Partner with Local Talent
We’re proud to be part of the 1% for Recreation fund that supports our local recreation center and community sailing program, NCCS. We are also running several pilot programs this year to offer educational trips revolving around Bayfield history, geology, and food. As our relationships with our partners grow, new things will appear on our roster that enrich us all.