It begins... March Launch

A frigid early-season voyage to Grand Marais

After a month of final modifications in cold temperatures, the marina was finally ice free. I did often think we were crazy when we'd arrive at the boat to work or load supplies only to find we had to shovel several inches of snow first. Lugging all the food supplies, anchors, and hundreds of pounds up that ladder was challenging.

The boat was put in the water on a cold blustery March day. It sat in the well and was battered during a strong March gale. Luckily all hands were on deck and no damage was done with a creative deck line setup.

Photo: Buck Benson

The team celebrated the "splash" with the only bubbly on hand - Lonnie and Pascale's homebrew kombucha.

On March 31, Nord Hus headed from Knife River - headed to Grand Marais for final preparations and many electrical upgrades such as solar panel, auto-pilot, charge stations, inverter, etc.

Nord Hus cast away with its crew of 4 on an 11F morning, breaking through a thin veneer of ice - a fitting start for its upcoming future. Deck lines were frozen, knots were nearly impossible to untie.

We made a short stop in Two Harbors so Matt could verfiy that the engine overhaul, new mounts, new transmission, new packing were all in good working order. The breakwall was icy!

After a cold yet sunny 14hrs day, Nord Hus gently entered the Grand Marais harbor in the darkness. With the lake a historical low water levels, we knew docking could be problamatic. It was... Nord Hus ran aground again, for its 2nd time. Again it was anticipated and slow, with some pushing, rocking and throttle we were able to break free and attempt a different dock.

Check out this amazing summary produced by M Baxley with WTIP - it captures the day beautifully.

Another milestone in this journey to the Arctic!