PocketShip.net

Hey all,

I will be moving from CA to Minnesota at the end of the month, and looking to see if there is anyone out there just starting out and still gathering many of the building supplies. ideally someone not getting the kit and looking to add electrical compnents.

Will be trying to clear out my parent's garage as much as possible. I still have much of the 100' spools of 18 and 16 ga marine grade wire, various electrical connectors, epoxy filler (the kit gave more then enough with plenty extra), narrow roll of fiberglass, screw, etc. Email me directly if anyone is interested.
srmiller22 at gmail dot com

My job is in the NW metro area of MSP, and will be looking for a place in the area. Anyone from or living in the area? Would be interested in any tips/advice on the lakes there, best times of year, etc.

Thanks,
Sean

Hi Sean,

Are you brining your boat? That would be the third in the Twin Cities that I know of. Avoid the Northern suburbs when looking for a place too. To close to north Minneapolis. Think South Chicago with that reference.

Chris

Hey Chris,
Glad to hear I'll be in good company out there. Been a bit tricky getting all the logistics together (how to get it out there and where to keep it then), but things are starting to fall into place nicely to get Garage Sail out to MN. Good thing, as we're moving next week! Ended up in the western outer suburbs of the city closer to my job (Plymouth/Maple Grove area).

Sean

PocketShip #1 on White Bear Lake:





I hear that levels on White Bear Lake have dropped precipitously. Maybe last winter went some way to replenishing it. I was there a few years back in tribute to my hero, the small-boat builder and adventurer Gerry Spiess.

I've also had some nice sailing on the nearby St. Croix River. Lake Minnetonka is said to be nearly impassable on weekends thanks to a jetski infestation, but Lake Superior is a pretty easy drive from the Twin Cities, with a lifetime of exploration possibilities. Just watch the weather...

Hi Sean,

I'm out in the western suburbs too, about a mile and a half north of Lake Waconia. Let me know when you get here. Those pictures from White Bear Lake were the first time I saw Pocketship, that lake has recovered quite a bit this year due to record rainfall but they're still looking at ways to stabilize the level. The rest have had no wake restrictions all summer due to high levels up until today. Kind of kept the jetski scourge under control for awhile.

Take care,

Chris

With 10,000 lakes, some are bound to be better than others. White Bear Lake is almost back to full strength but I wouldn't say that's the best lake to drop a boat. Not much interesting there (and certainly no white bears). Lake St. Croix, which is a confluence of the St. Croix River just before it spills into the Mississippi, is superb, as is Lake Pepin, a couple hours' south. Lake Minnetonka is the "see me" lake with some quiet bays, but it's not great for sailing. Beer pong on a pontoon, maybe. But not sailing.

Lake Superior is why I'm building PocketShip. A couple hours north and you'll be on the footsteps of the Apostle Islands, where you can sail isle-to-isle by sight. Lots of spots to drop anchor and spend the evening. The weather can scream up there, it's true. I had a charter last year over the first weekend of June. I put in a second reef just as winds kicked up to 30kn. Fog rolled in and the temperature on the water dropped to the mid-30's. I was wearing foulies better suited for the slopes in January, not the water in June. But that's Minnesota for ya. Don't let that story scare you off. A couple weeks later, it was in the mid-70's with visibility to the horizon.

I have a 22' MacGregor moored in a city lake called Lake Nokomis. It's small by lake standards but just big enough to spend a couple hours tooling around on a lazy afternoon, and I miss it. I just got back from a week of running a charter between St. Barth's, Saba, Statia, and back to St. Maarten and every couple hours I felt a pang for my home sailing grounds. Sad but true. You'll like Minnesota, believe it.

Thanks for all the moving to Minnesota encouragement! Completed the drive from California last Sunday, and now starting to get settled a bit here. Certainly looking forward to getting Garage Sail out here (will be arriving in a couple weeks) and exploring some of the local lakes.

If you'd like to take the Chucky B. out in the mean time let me know.

Chris