tempted
Yeah, for $10 it would be nice to have it available, and if the weather was good on the morning of our return, I could make the crossing back to Washington Island.
I think this is a good compromise option.
UPDATE
decided to take the solo (wilderness) with me. The wind and waves on the day we arrived were pretty rough (worse than predicted), so for $10 my canoe was strapped to the top of the ferry for a short ride to Rock Island.
The wind finally died down a bit Friday evening, and I was able to get out and paddle for about an hour. The next morning, the water looked pretty calm so I paddled around the entire island. Encountered a lot more waves on the north side of the island, but it was manageable. Did a couple more short paddles when the weather allowed, and then this morning I paddled back to Washington Island instead of taking the ferry.
One thing I observed during our trip was that the weather up there can change dramatically in a few minutes, and the conditions are often very different from one side of the island to another. Also, the narrow part of the channel between the two islands is very shallow and the current can do funny stuff along that stretch.
Thanks again for all the advice.