Daily Sailing on Lake Superior

Daily Sailing

On the Hjørdis

Thank you for sailing with us this season! We look forward to seeing you in 2025.

Take a trip on the Hjørdis! The summer sailing season runs from late May—early October. Subscribe to our email newsletter to hear when 2025 sails open for booking.

The flagship of the Grand Marais Harbor, Hjørdis shares the name of the mythical Norse goddess of war. Take a trip on this 50’ traditionally-rigged steel schooner and gain access to both the largest lake in the world and experience Grand Marais as it was approached in the centuries before Highway 61 — from the water.

Book HERE

Pricing and Details

DAILY SAILS: Sails will be approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. The rate is $69/passenger. There are additional fees of approximately $6 per ticket built into our booking system.

SUNRISE SAILS: Sunrise sails are approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. The rate is $69/passenger. There are additional fees of approximately $6 per ticket built-in to our booking system. Departure times vary based on date of reservation and sunset time.

SUNSET SAILS: Sunset sails are approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. The rate is $69/passenger. There are additional fees of approximately $6 per ticket built-in to our booking system. Departure times vary based on date of reservation and sunset time.

If you'd like to pay with a North House Gift Certificate, please call the Front Office / School Store at (218) 387-9762.

Reservations

Reservations can be made online up to one hour before the scheduled sail. Beyond that, call North House for availability. Per Coast Guard regulations, we can accommodate up to 6 guests per sail. Regardless of age (2 months old to 102 years old), each passenger counts towards our 6 guest limit, and therefore must be registered.

Cancellation Policy

A credit card is required at the time of your reservation. Your credit card will be authorized at the time of your purchase, and then charged automatically on the day of your sail. If you do not cancel your reservation more than 48 hours in advance of your scheduled sail, and the schooner heads out, your card will be charged the full amount.

Our captains reserve the right to cancel a sail due to weather, or equipment failure. If we do cancel a sail, your card will not be charged. We will do our best to notify you ahead of time that your sail is cancelled, if possible, by phone and email. If you do not get a call from us, assume that your sail is going ahead as scheduled.

Check-in and What to Bring

Please arrive 15 minutes before your sail is scheduled to depart. Head to the dock near the fire pit. There is a timber frame waiting area there. The captain/crew will meet you there for the check-in procedure—no need to check in at the School Store.
Please dress warmly—out on the lake, the temperature can be 30 degrees cooler than on land. Dress in layers and bring a jacket. Sunglasses, a winter hat, mittens, and scarf are recommended.
You're welcome to bring snacks or beverages along. Water is a great idea.
If you're bringing a young person and you or they prefer their own PFD, you're welcome to bring one.
Dogs do not make good crew members, and are therefore not allowed on the schooner

Sailing Courses

Our regular courses provide another great way to experience the Hjørdis while building your sailing skills. Our array of sailing classes range from navigation to ropework, basic sailing to multi-day sail training trips to the Apostle Islands and Isle Royale.

SEE SAILING COURSES

Youth Sailing Camps

We also have a Youth Sailing Camps, providing learning opportunities and involving youth in everyday operations of the Hjørdis. See our Community Programs page for more information.

Latest Update: October 23 2024

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Meet Our Captains

Bill Hansen

Bill Hansen is the retired owner of Sawbill Canoe Outfitters in Tofte. He lives in Grand Marais with his wife, Cindy. He is active in regional community affairs and was a North House Board member when Hjordis was added to the programming. Bill has been sailing since he used his summer earnings to buy a 13 foot sailboat when he was 12 years old. He served as a deckhand on Hjordis for four years before moving up to captain. Bill enjoys wilderness camping, playing music and playing with his grandchildren.

The History of Hjørdis

The story of Hjørdis starts in a backyard near Detroit, Michigan in the early 1970s. Kenneth Woodward, a General Motors machinist and general foreman, bought plans from naval architect Thomas Colvin to build his Gazelle design, a 42’ junk-rigged schooner. Seven years and over 6,000 hours later, Kenneth splashed the boat and named it after his mother: Hjørdis. He and his wife Katey spent the next decade living aboard and sailing Hjørdis off the Florida coast. Fast forward to 1997 when Hjørdis was sold and eventually ended up on Lake Superior on the docks of a fledgling folk school. Given the rich history of schooners on Lake Superior, the North House board saw the intriguing possibilities of having a “floating classroom,” and the Hjørdis became a part of North House.

Meet Our Captains

Dave Cooper

Dave Cooper is a retired National Park Service archeologist where he also worked in marine search and rescue. He has over 35 years experience operating patrol boats, landing craft, dive boats, and sailing vessels. His graduate research focused on the archeology and history of Great Lakes schooners. He splits his time between Bayfield, Wisconsin and the North Shore.

Meet Our Captains

Captain Siess

I'm Twin Cities born and raised. After high school, I spent many years traveling around the world by non-motorized transport (biking, walking, canoeing, sailing). My relevant water experience includes canoeing from St. Paul to New Orleans as well as a 1000km section of the Amazon. I hitchhike-sailed across the Atlantic a couple times, and I sailed a hobie cat with a friend down the Florida Coast for a few weeks, camping on the beach each night. These days I like to play fiddle music, play kickball, host travelers, and assist friends with puppet shows.

Meet Our Captains

Katy Indvik

Katy Indvik was born in Minneapolis and first learned to sail on Lake Harriet. She grew up taking frequent canoe trips in the BWCA and stopping in Grand Marais on the way home - until she finally found a way to stay. Katy received a graduate degree in Environmental Management and Planning from the University of Chile in Santiago, where she lived for eight years. She holds a USCG OUPV Near Coastal license.

Meet Our Captains

Adam Gallagher

Adam’s love for the north woods and waters started in his youth while canoeing in the BWCA and Quetico with his family. In 1998 he moved up to the Gunflint trail to work as a dock boy for the summer. A few years later he decided to call Cook County home permanently. His passion for exploring Lake Superior spawned many years ago from his love for fishing, which eventually led to him becoming a licensed captain and taking clients out for hire. Adam is proud to say this is his second season as one of the captains of the Hjordis. Because, in his words; “It brings so much joy to me to see people’s smiles when we venture from shore and share a moment in such a magical place”.