Bareboat chartering in Door County, Wisconsin (part two): where fish stew is a pyrotechnic event

      A Fish Boil at Pelletiers (Photo by Door County Visitor's Bureau)

This is another in the series about the top 10 best bareboat charter destination in the U.S.

If you read part one about bareboat chartering in Door County, and the cut of your jib is a good match for this adventure, here are some ideas for itineraries to further lure you to this part of the world.

Most of the harbor towns in Door County have excellent transient accommodations on shore and in marinas that you can use as a home base or as alternate stops in between anchoring out. One of the best anchorages is the quiet and protected cove on Horseshoe Island that could serve as a home base for one-day to six-day trips. The island is just off the Green Bay shoreline near the interesting and quaint villages of Ephraim, Fish Creek and Sister Bay. Peninsula State Park, one of the most beautiful in Wisconsin, is nearby.

One day trips from Horseshoe Island could include a cruise west into Green Bay to Chambers Island and back or south past the Strawberry Islands to the beautiful village of Fish Creek. Going north to Ephraim, Sister Bay, and Ellison Bay would be a fun shopping trip. You might cruise farther north to Gills Rock, perhaps anchoring in the west end of Hedgehog Harbor for lunch, take in some sightseeing, and return to Horseshoe.

A two day trip from Horseshoe Island could include a full day’s sail around Chambers Island and across Green Bay to Marinette/Menominee. There are excellent marinas here and lots of sightseeing opportunities. Next day sail back across Green Bay to Egg Harbor and then up to Fish Creek returning to Horseshoe that night.

A splendid three day trip might be to sail twenty miles north to Jackson Harbor on Washington Island. The dock at the end of the channel is accessible only with shallow draft boats or dinghies. The next day cross to Rock Island for an excellent hike, then cruise down the west side of Washington Island, and anchor in Detroit Harbor on the north side of Detroit Island. On the third day return to Horseshoe with stop off’s at Gills Rock, Ellison Bay, and Sister Bay.

Most of the stops ashore on those itineraries will give you an opportunity to partake of a Door County fish boil, with Pelletiers in Fish Creek reputed to have the best. A fish boil is a spectacular culinary creation unique to Door County. A large kettle of salted water is brought to a boil over a roaring outdoor wood fire. The cook adds a steel basket of vegetables, usually potatoes and onions, followed some minutes later by a basket of lake-fresh whitefish steaks. With the kettle again boiling, and the fish just done, the cook tosses kerosene onto the fire. Flames roar up, bringing the kettle to a furious boil. Just as the kerosene blaze begins to die down, water erupts from the kettle, spilling more fire down the sides of the kettle from the oil in the fish. Finally, the water douses the fire, and the stew is ready to serve.

An exciting six day cruise from Horseshoe Island might be to sail north and spend the first night at Jackson Harbor on Washington Island. Go farther north the next day past St Martin Island, Poverty Island, Big and Little Summer Islands, and up into beautiful Big Bay de Noc spending the night in the beautiful harbor of the ghost town of Fayette. On the third day, plot a peaceful north woods cruise to Ohouley’s Bay, Garden, and Nahma spending the night in Chouley’s Bay. Sail south on the fourth day around the hump of Burnt Bluff and spend the night in the tiny, quaint fishing village of Fairport. Do not go East of Fairport as the waters are too shallow and rocky. On the fifth day sail back into Big Bay de Noc, and then south southwest along the western shore of Washington Island spending the night at Detroit Harbor. On the final day cruise back to Horseshoe.

(Frank Durham, Territory Manager for Medart Marine, and a 35-year veteran of the boating industry in the Great Lakes area, contributed both research and writing to this article.)

(Photo credits:  Door County Visotor's Bureau,Lifebreeze Charters)

If you would like to read more about boating in Wisconsin, go to this article about the Wisconsin Dells.