When I started researching places to visit in Wisconsin for a Midwest road trip, I had no idea I’d fall in love. But that’s exactly what happened when I discovered the Apostle Islands off Wisconsin’s Lake Superior shoreline. And, apparently, I’m not the only one. Captain Paul Bratti of Animaashi Sailing Company did, too. Almost thirty years ago. He’s been sailing in Bayfield, Wisconsin ever since.

The Animaashi Sailing Company
When you visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, you have to do one of two things—sailing or kayaking. Preferably both. Sadly, the #AdventurePartnerForLife and I only had a limited amount of time, so sailing it was. That’s how I discovered Animaashi Sailing Company.
“Animaashi” is the Ojibway or Chippewa word for “to sail away.” And that’s exactly what we did almost as soon as we arrived in the Apostle Islands. We met Captain Paul on the Bayfield city dock and were immediately introduced to his 34′ sailing yacht, “Sarah’s Joy.”
I was pleased to learn that additional measures were being taken to ensure the health of customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Captain Paul was very conscious of this. The measures included face masks, reduced capacity for some level of social distancing, and elbow bumps instead of hand shakes.
It’s an added bonus—and worth mentioning—that Animaashi Sailing belongs to the Travel Green Wisconsin program. This program was developed by Wisconsin’s Department of Tourism to encourage sustainable travel and green initiatives. It’s the first of its kind in the United States and offers certifications to its participants.

Our Apostle Islands Sail
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is actually celebrating its fiftieth National Park Service birthday this year. Comprised of some 21 separate islands, it’s known for its sandstone sea caves, old-growth forests, and historic lighthouses. A couple-hour sailing trip is really just an introduction to the area, but still enough to experience some of its splendor.
We sailed south towards Madeline Island where we were able to see the red rock shoreline and catch a view of several islands all at once. We learned about the history of the area—how Native Americans still live in the region and how French Canadian fur traders later came to explore. Captain Paul let us steer the yacht for a bit and offered a touch of sailing know-how to the husband as we moved along. We even learned a bit about the captain himself.
About Captain Paul
As a kid, Paul Bratti was lobstering in Hyannis Port, Cape Cod. As a teenager, he was swimming competitively in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He joined the US Coast Guard after high school and spent the next twenty years working on the water. Among his duties were search and rescue operations, drug interdiction, and most notably, icebreaking and diving in Antarctica.
He’d eventually become the head honcho at Bayfield’s Coast Guard station and, well, the rest is history. He fell in love with the Apostle Islands. And then fell in love with a local girl. Nowadays, Captain Paul runs the Animaashi Sailing Company in the summers, while teaching special education in the off-season.



Apostle Islands Sailing Options
As mentioned before, we only did a two-hour sailing excursion, but there are plenty of options available. Take a 3-hour ride or a full-day trip. Do a sunset cruise or even get a gift certificate. Sail yourself, learn how, or just sit back, relax, and enjoy the water. Captain Paul is flexible.
“Sarah’s Joy” can accommodate up to six passengers—with some restrictions—to allow for social distancing. Reservations are encouraged, though not required, and require a 50% deposit.
A Recommendation for Animaashi Sailing Company
A quick sail with Animaashi Sailing Company was the perfect way to start our time in the Apostle Islands. I really appreciated the Coronavirus measures implemented, not to mention the company’s green initiative. And Captain Paul was awesome—accommodating, friendly, and a great representative of the city of Bayfield. I’d highly recommend Animaashi Sailing Company for your next Apostle Islands excursion.

Contact Information

Animaashi Sailing Company PO Box 1395 Bayfield, WI 54814 | W: www.animaashi.com P: 715-209-4932 E: sailaway@centurytel.net |
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18 comments
Never been to Apostle Islands before but that sounds like a wonderful place to visit. Sailing the area would be great but unfortunately I don’t know how to sail.
I’ve been to wisconsin before but only Madison but Apostle islands looks stunning! I would love to go.
How absolutely stunning! You had a beautiful day to go exploring…I wish someday to experience it for myself!
One thing I have never done is sail. I think the boats are beautiful to see out on the water though.
it seems like you really had a great time there..glad you shared your experience with us..seriously loved the view of the place looks so adorable…
I’ve never been sailing, but this looks like a wonderful time!
I love reading the post. Hope you had an amazing time. I love to take my niece on sail boat.
This place looks stunning! I would love to travel there sometime, thanks for sharing this with us!
Wow ! Looks amazing ! And captain Paul looks the right travel companion for such boat journey
I love water and your travel pictures are always really good. I love the islands.. So lovely….
We absolutely enjoy sailing and specially in such pretty places! Saving the name of this company for future visit.
Oh wow! The islands are so beautiful! So blue!
Oh my gosh, now this is my idea of a good time. I would love to go sailing in the Apostle Islands!
What a fun day! I would love to do this with my kids. They all love the water.
I would be hard pressed to choose between sailing and kayaking also, but like you sailing would win out if I couldn’t do both. Sounds amazing.
oh wow!!! I would love to sail to these amazing Islands, that would be amazing!!! Soon I hope, soon…
wow looks like such a rad time!!! I love going on sail boat its always so nice.
Wow it looks like a beautiful place to explore. Thank you for sharing.