Part 3 – Farewell Oh Canada

Our last month in Canada was spent in the glorious splendor of the Georgian Bay and the North Channel.  We sampled anchorages shared with “on pain of death” by locals – some whose brains we picked down south during the winter and some were offered up by boaters we met along the way.

The majesty of the rocks, water and stark vegetation are not captured in our photos – but we try.

Beausoleil Island – part of the Parks Canada system was our first stop.  Although we did not use the docks we visited folks who were on them but found plenty of anchoring room and enjoyed the privacy of the hook.  Besides a hike around Fairy Lake, we did take a dink ride to visit the “town” of Honey Harbor just across the way.  It was well supplied with a nice grocery and several small food shops i.e. bakeries and ice cream!  

From there we worked our way very slowly north to enjoy quiet and secluded anchorages in the Mississauga Provincial Park and on through the winding south entrance to resupply at Parry Sound – after clearing the swing bridge.

This lively town was huge compared to the places we had been in the previous month and full of friendly people willing to give Steve even more fishing advice.  The market was small but the murals were interesting and the town seems dedicated to the great Bobby Orr – we even enjoyed breakfast at the Orr Café.

From our anchorage in the Hopewells, we took a dink ride to visit the Ojibway Club – one of those places lost in time.  If the crowds weren’t wearing modern clothing it would be easy to forget what century we were visiting.  The buildings are beautifully preserved with old world rustic charm suiting the stunning setting. Most importantly the buildings were alive with families of all ages enjoying a summer which included boating, tennis, and ice cream. It was a welcome surprise to find the well-stocked grocery store as well.

Finally, we were ready to hope over to the Bustards. Cutting a corner by taking the off-shore route we noticed large fires in the area of Byng Sound.  These fires have now closed the small craft route north of Byng and through the French River area and even the beautiful anchorages in the Bustards and Bad River that we managed to visit before the smoke made them off limits.  

The stop in the Bustards was a memorable one since we met Evelyn Calder who owns Green Island.  She is a remarkable lady to say the very least.  Her stories and good humor entertained us for an evening during which she graciously shared her island home with us. We were given a whole new perspective on the occasional hostility that cottages show to boaters.  Evelyn told of boaters dumping port-a-potties in front of her cabin, tying boats to her trees and running generators just off her deck, and even stealing her fire wood. Over her more than 50 years on the island, she has seen it all.  We were very grateful hear her perspective and to share her beautiful islands if only for one night.

From there we spent a night in the stark anchorage up the Bad River.  There were lots of boats, but then this is a roomy anchorage as promised.  A dink ride to the flooded rapids was less exciting than the fish Steve caught. This was the beginning of our time with lots of boats.  

Three Sisters - West Side of Bustards

Smoky air in the morning

Although there were only a few in the anchorage in Beaverstone Bay – one of whom was Amazon – a fellow looper boat we met back in Lock 8 on the Trent. From there we glided through the skinny Collins Chanel and stopped in Thomas Bay – a lovely little cove which still managed to hold several other boats.  

Our next stop was a night on the dock in Killarney where we got some provisions and lunched at the traditional lodge another classic backwoods building.  

One of our most picturesque stops – among this land of gorgeous anchorages – was Covered Portage – a mere 6 miles from Killarney but another world.  It is also popular and we thought it might be crowded but as we arrived boats were leaving and we ended up spending this spacious cove with only 3 other boats.  The hike up the bluff gave some spectacular views of our boat as well.

Moving westerly ever so slowly, we spent several days in the charming Baie Fine pool.  This lovely spot was reached by traveling down a long fiord like bay and then a narrow channel to the pool.  Again, there were lots of other boats – some tied off to the rocks and other swinging on the hook. One morning we were lucky to see a rainbow above our boat.

Little Current is a must stop town and the heart of the North Channel.  Here a bridge connects Manitoulin Island to the main land and the opening of this bridge controls the traffic on the water here.  The bridge only opens on the hour – but it takes about 5 minutes to beginning opening then begins closing 5 minutes after that so the traffic is not stopped for more than 15 minutes.  Boats wishing to travel through must be ready and move quickly during that five-minute window. Now that might be easy for fast boats and then there is the current which is anything but LITTLE most of the time. Needless to say, arriving in Little Current from the East is always exciting.  We were glad to finally get a spot on the wall there to explore this town, get a few supplies and sample the local restaurants. 

Listening to Roy Eaton do the morning net from Anchor Inn in Little Current

Departing is less exciting as long as the wind is not blowing and the current is slack so we finally moved on to a few more of the Top Pick anchorages in the North Channel. At our stop off Louisa Island we were joined by only four or five boats unlike the main anchorage in the South Benjamins where we counted at least 32 other cruisers enjoying this scenic harbor.  The cozy cove in the Croker’s was empty comparatively with only four of us sheltered up next to the rocks and trees, but better fishing than across in the Benjamins. A visit to the main harbor behind Hotham was another high point.  In this anchorage we were welcomed by Elaine and Norm who own the land and have a lovely cottage on shore.  They host the cruisers each evening for docktails on their deck. With more than 15 boats in the harbor that night we enjoyed meeting 30 or so fellow boaters and hearing about their adventures.

So Benjamins

Norm & Elaine's Cottage

Marking the anchor in busy anchorages

Making a stop on our way to Gore Bay Marina we spent a night all alone in Beatty Bay – which sadly also had no fish for our freezer. Gore Bay on Manitoulin Island, however, was a treat. We got in early enough to enjoy the Friday Market on the dock which even included a Yarn Stall housed in a mobile yarn shop trailer.  The owner, Marian, also dyes most of the wool she sells and prepares it in a variety of knitting weights. She started when her Grandfather was shearing the wool although she now works with the wool raised by other farmers.  It was amazing to find such unique yarn and abundant supplies in this relatively remote location.  However, since her farm is on neighboring Barrie Island, I guess it was just luck to be there on a day she was at the market. While the market didn’t have as much fresh produce as we had expected there was more than enough butter tarts, cookies and pies to satisfy the Captain’s sweet tooth.

A few more nights anchoring in the North Chanel included stops at John’s Harbor, scenic Bear Drop Bay – where we crossed paths with fellow Krogenites on Knot 2 Fast, Long Point Cove, and finally Sanford Island.  In Bear Drop we held fast through a fierce wind, thunder and lightening storm while watching other boats drift about and drag anchor.  Although the weather was gray for a couple of days, we were glad to not see another storm so Steve could be comfortable fishing!

heading back to their boat after the storm

Our last Canadian stop was Meldrum Bay – this outpost is the furthest westerly settlement on Manitoulin Island and a shortish run across to Michigan.  Meldrum while very small – we heard only about 35 fulltime residents – is home to an Inn that is both charming and offers a delightful restaurant.  Their deck seating is a short few steps from the docks so a rare evening meal out was enjoyed by the crew and captain. This tiny town that felt more like Nova Scotia than Ontario also houses the Net Shed Museum.  The collection is an eclectic mix of industrial and household items from the communities more populous past.  Of interest was the button collection and also the sea anchor and other antique fishing equipment.  In our stops at both Gore Bay and Meldrum we were interested to see the unique tugs that fish these waters. While historic and boasting a long pedigree, they look more like some futuristic stealth vessel. We were grateful for the fish they supplied to the inn restaurant where we enjoyed both trout and whitefish.

Taking advantage of a calm day on the water we headed for Michigan and a check in appointment with Customs and Boarder Security via their new ROAM app.  Nice to have our USA cellphones and data working once again.

P.S. Teddy is doing well.....