Day 289 - June 30, 2014: Weathered in and a trip to Sudbury

The forecast is for more rain and a possible thunderstorm this afternoon with attendant high winds from the south and on the beam. Not a good day to be out in the bay. There are still epic amounts of pollen in these waters, and it is covering the water and surrounding Great Laker at the slip. This massive pollen dump has been evident for several weeks now.

Rain and storm clouds over Killarney

Yellow pollen choking the channel and marina docks

There are also thousands of shadflies, also known as mayflies, clinging to the sides of the boat and the buildings in the marina. These flies start their lives as nymphs living in the water and eating algae, plant matter, and smaller invertebrates found on the bottom. After about a year in the water, they emerge, split their skin, and become a winged adult that can take flight. As poor fliers, they can not evade predatory birds and are easily caught and eaten. So their evolved strategy for continuing to exist is for all the shadflies to emerge at the same time and overwhelm the bird's appetites. With no mouth to eat with, the shadflies mate, give birth, and die all within a few days. And the cycle of life goes on.

Shadfly, also known as a Mayfly (about 1" long)

Anne has a sore throat and has been coughing for over two weeks now. We thought is was a reaction to the pollen, but are no longer sure that is the case. It keeps getting worse, so we went up to the clinic here in Killarney and discovered they no longer have a doctor and their nurse was not in today. I looked into alternatives including cruising to Little Current (not a good idea with the weather) or a road trip 75 miles north to Sudbury to the hospital.

After talking to the Sportsman's Inn staff, Caroline stepped up and volunteered her time and car to drive us to Sudbury. It was unexpected, but important, so I accepted.  Caroline, a delightful young woman, grew up in Sudbury and, knowing the city, took us directly to the hospital emergency room. Unbelievably, they wanted $751 for a doctor to examine Anne.

For comparison, we tried the clinic just down the street, and they would do the same for $100. After lunch and within an hour, we were inside seeing a very nice doctor. He concluded that Anne's problem could be a bacterial infection, and antibiotics were prescribed and purchased at the pharmacy next door. Caroline, who had gone home briefly to say, "Happy Birthday" to her father, picked us up again, and even agreed to stop so we could get some fresh food before bringing us back to the marina. On the way back, we saw a black bear cub and two red tailed foxes. What a nice thing for Caroline to do, and what great service by The Sportsman's Inn. Many thanks again, Caroline!

Day 288 - June 29, 2014: Killarney and the Sportsman's Inn Marina

Leaving peaceful Mill Lake, we completed Collins Inlet, and crossed a few miles of the Georgian Bay along the coastline. The winds were picking up, although the waves stayed well below one foot. We entered Killarney Channel at Red Rock Pt. This Channel, between Ontario and George Island, is very narrow with occasional high currents, but leads to Killarney and provides safe harbor from the bay.

Red Rock Point Lighthouse at the entrance to Killarney Channel

Killarney was established as a fishing village, and there was no road here until 1962. Today it is mostly a tourist and boating destination. Our stop was at the Sportsman's Inn, which is something of a resort with rooms, a dining room and pub, and a marina with a small store. This is a holiday weekend with Canada Day coming up, and the marina is empty, and no one here can explain why. It rained heavily this afternoon with some lightning/thunder, and we were glad to be in this port.

Sportsman's Inn

Great Laker facing the narrow channel at Killarney

Herbert Fisheries Fresh Fish and Chips is famous here, and we walked over after the rain to get some whitefish to go.

Herbert Fisheries Fresh Fish and Chips

Anne has been researching a plan for the next few days. With increasing winds and rain in the forecast, we are in somewhat of a dilemma over what to do. Sometimes you don't decide till you wake up and look out the window.

Day 287 - June 28, 2014 Part 2: On to Mill Lake Anchorage

After the harrowing experience at Buoy 30, Rogers Cut with its hard right turn at the entrance, was tricky but thankfully uneventful. This area is littered with small islands and uncountable numbers of glacier rounded rocks protruding over the water. 

Entrance to Rogers Cut

Multitude of glacier rounded rocks

Soon we entered the Georgian Bay’s open waters again to move further north. This stretch is considered treacherous in bad weather as it is exposed to winds for 50 miles to the south. With more amazing luck, we worked our way up to the beautiful Bustard Islands in calm water, and if storms were not forecast in the coming days, we would have anchored here. We sighted the first Great Lakes sea gulls near these islands since leaving Lake Michigan in 2012. 

Sea Gulls near the Bustard Islands

Further up, we reentered the inside channel, crossed Beaverstone Bay, and entered the Collins Inlet. Collins Inlet was touted by one looping cruiser as the best over the entire Great Loop. It is different from what we have been seeing the last few days, with high rocky cliffs and many trees. It reminded us of the Tennessee River near Chattanooga only with more rocks. We went midway through the channel to anchor in Mill Lake without another boat in sight. As we sit here this evening, you can imagine how fortunate we are feeling, as the day could have been a really serious disaster.

Entrance to Collins Inlet

Collins Inlet from the stern

View of our anchorage in Mill Lake

Day 287 - June 28, 2014, Part 1: Danger at D30!

The morning was cool, and I awakened to the soft light of the early dawn. The sounds of nature’s beings were all around and made for a pleasant atmosphere. There was no hurry to get going, as we had only 45 miles up to the Mill Lake anchorage; however, we would be cruising through some of the prettiest areas of the Georgian Bay, and that was exciting. 

We came back out of Sandy Bay and rejoined the channel at buoy D4. The channels here follow the convention that red buoys mark the starboard (right) side of the channel and green buoys mark the port (left) side. I was at the helm and Anne was reviewing the charts for the day and keeping a sharp eye out as usual. With all going well, Anne stepped down for a few minutes into the saloon. Soon we would be nearing Rodgers Cut, one of the many narrow and difficult cuts we would encounter, and since I was anxious to know exactly where we were, I called Anne back to double check the charts. 

At the same time, I was approaching a narrow cut through two large rocks marked clearly with a red marker on the starboard and a green marker on the port. As I headed for the center, I foolishly took my eyes off the channel for a quick moment to talk with Anne. In that moment, I missed a red buoy D30, placed well to the left of this approaching cut. Seconds later, there was a large thud, with three more scraping thuds to follow. I quickly pulled back on the throttle, shifted into neutral, and a second later another thud followed as Great Laker ground to a stop. I had committed the error that everyone warns about. What ever you do, stay in the channel! 

Horrified, I quickly did a series of safety checks below to ensure we were not taking on water. Anne, fearing the same thing, wondered if we should lower the dinghy. Satisfied there were no leaks, we hurried to examine the situation outside. The boat was resting on the rear third of its keel on a flat topped rock. We had gone over the first flat rock but hung on the second. I measured the depths with a tape measure, and there was 3 feet 3 inches of water at the stern (our keel is 3 feet 6 inches), and 4 feet 6 inches at the bow. The boat would not rock, so I was convinced we could not get her free. 

View from hard-grounded Great Laker with buoy 30 on the port

Looking down at the rock shelf under the bow

The rock shelf near the stern

We called the marina in nearby Britt, and Graham, the owner, said he would gather two assistants and come out within the hour to see if he could help. He said there was no Boats U.S. towing service here and the Canadian Coast Guard only comes in emergency situations. He said if we were hard grounded, it would take floatation equipment he did not have to be brought in from another area. We both went to the bow to transfer weight forward, and waited and worried. After twenty or so minutes, I unexpectedly felt the bow start to very slowly swing around, nudged by a gentle breeze and the very slight motion of the water. This gave me hope that we had a chance to get Great Laker off the rock.

Meanwhile, an 18-foot outboard approached with a father, Anthony, and his young son aboard. They were from the same marina as Graham, and were returning from fishing north of us. Anthony examined the depths in the water behind us and offered help. I gladly gave him a 100-foot towing line (onboard for just such an emergency). With his gentle pull, and my nudging the throttle on Great Laker, we were able to slide off and glide back into the channel. What a blessed relief!

I took my diving mask and went under the stern and concluded that there was no damage to the prop or rudder. Just then Graham showed up, quickly recognizing that we were off the rocks and O.K., and we learned we were the 4^th or 5^th boat to get hung up near D30 this year. We gave our sincere appreciation to both Anthony and Graham, neither of whom would accept any cash for their services. I started the engine, gave thanks for our safety, and continued cautiously and sheepishly up the channel vowing never to miss another buoy. 

Day 286 - June 27, 2014: Anchorage in Sandy Bay

It occurred to me overnight, that we had traversed from Port Severn (the entrance to the Georgian Bay) to Perry Sound (about one third of the way up the east side of the bay), had seen probably several thousand islands, had observed hundreds of cottages and homes (many being the only ones on their islands), and had seen only one bridge! That bridge was just a mile or so from Perry Sound, which is the largest city we will encounter on the east side of the Georgian Bay. The significance of this is that everyone in these homes must use a boat for access. Imagine that in rain or shine, warm or cold, sunny or dark, if you need to go to work or get supplies or visit friends, you are depending on your boat.

I also realized that most of these homeowners have no neighbors. You can’t walk next door and borrow a cup of sugar or just chat if you are lonely, and there is no one to assist you quickly in an emergency. Are these owners by nature introverted or is there a social network in place operating in the nearby small towns, restaurants and churches? Maybe they are just trying to get away from it all?

Perry Sound Bay, unlike the small channels we have been in the last few days, is 15 miles long, several miles wide, and up to three hundred feet deep. We moved west through the bay observing the many large markers and lighted beacons necessary for larger ships using the port.

On shore lighted marker

Mid-channel lighted marker

 As we headed north again inside on the small ship channel, there were more homes, all constructed with the challenge of having to be level on top of an uneven rocky substrate. They all try to make the best of the available space, access to water and a view. I’m not sure why, but 95% are stained or painted brown. Maybe it is to blend them into the landscape? There is not much color to be seen.

Nestled on sloping rocks

Octagonal-shaped home with porches all around

About 14 miles up, we elected to cruise out into the Georgian Bay and return to the small ship channel at Britt Inlet. This is recommended since the channel in between these points is quite shallow, windy, and thus takes much longer. As you exit, you pass the well known Point Au Baril Station. This lighthouse stands on a point where years ago the locals had placed a light on a barrel for sailors to see at night (hence the name.)  As you reenter, you pass the Gereaux Lighthouse with its attendant outbuilding. Our luck continues with another day of glassy water.

Point Au Baril Station

Gereaux Lighthouse

Our wake in the glass

Just north of Britt we entered Sandy Bay, a long narrow finger with great anchoring. We really are enjoying these peaceful nature settings and quickly set the hook and relaxed up top reading our books. The sunset began around 9:00 p.m. and lasted in technicolor till 10:30. We stayed up to for the entire time before retiring for the evening.

Anchorage in Sandy Bay

A sunset to remember

Day 285 - June 26, 2014: Echo Bay and on to Perry Sound

Echo Bay is so special we just couldn't get up and leave. So we climbed up top and enjoyed the morning. It was very still, and we could hear a variety of birds singing and chirping in the distance. Occasionally, a faint breeze would swing the boat around presenting an entirely different view. At one point there was a turtle swimming head up off the stern, seemingly unaware of us. The sun warmed the air enough that I put my suit on and prepared to take a swim, but sticking my foot in the water changed my mind. I'll wait till next week.

Morning stillness in Echo Bay

Reluctantly, after lunch, we started the engine and slipped out as quietly as we could so as not to disturb the other boaters. Our plan was to wind through the South Channel up to Perry Sound, named after the Arctic explorer Sir William Henry Perry, where we could get wifi for a night, do some minor provisioning, and get a more detailed plan for the next few days.

South Channel to Perry Sound

Rocky point cottage high over the boat

The town, Perry Sound, is located on the eastern shore of the sound after which it is named, and we stopped at the Big Sound Marina. It was surprising that the marina was mostly empty of boaters given the upcoming weekend and Canada Day holiday next week. We rode the bikes along the sound for exercise and then stopped for a few groceries. We learned that the hockey legend Bobby Orr was born here, and we passed the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame located near the marina. This day had a great beginning, and we ended it watching the sun set while feeling the cool breezes over the bay.

Day 284 - June 25, 2014: Anchorage in Echo Bay

Before departing South Bay Cove Marina, we took a morning walk around the grounds. They have done a lot of landscaping, creating eating and entertainment areas, playgrounds, and a lookout point over the rocky water's edge. There is also a swimming beach (no Lake Michigan sandy beaches in sight so far in the Georgian Bay). 

Cute wife, unusual bridge

Not so sandy beach

A small cove, unmarked on the charts but referred to by locals as “Hockey Stick” for its shape, had been suggested as a place we must see. Since it was relatively close, we decided to make a side trip and have lunch there on the hook. You can see Great Laker about to enter it on the chart plotter, and we went in all the way down the "stick" and into the middle of the "blade." I dropped what I call “the lunch anchor,” which is my third backup. It is a very small, light Danforth anchor, and it held nicely in the very low winds in what surprisingly turned out to be a muddy bottom.

Chart plotter view of Hockey Stick Bay (to the upper right)

Tight turn to starboard to enter the "blade"

View off the side of the boat

View off the bow to the end of the bay

Moving on north, the channel winds between hundreds of islands of all sizes, and in a couple of spots the channel is fully exposed to the open Georgian Bay waters. With Anne taking a turn at piloting and doing a great job of keeping us safe, I was able to spend time up top taking some pictures of the never-ending scenic beauty.

View off the top of one of the 30,000 islands

Unusual colored rocks

Another recommendation by both locals and the guide books is to anchor overnight in Echo Bay. It has a very narrow entrance and opens up into a small round bay where we joined four other boats which were nicely spaced for privacy. Here we dropped the main claw anchor, but with virtually no wind it will not be much of a test. These pictures in the overcast do not do justice to this bay. Maybe more tomorrow? 

Entrance to Echo Bay - be cautious

View of three other lucky boaters

For a change, we dropped the dinghy and went about two miles back to what is billed as “The World Famous Henry’s Restaurant.” It is the only one for many miles around and serves Great Lakes fish. This was the first opportunity to take the dinghy out since restarting our trip, and going eighteen mph instead of eight mph was quite exciting. The food was just OK. 

Anne captured Great Laker using her phone camera as we came back. The American Tug fits into this environment so well. 

Great Laker on the hook in Echo Bay

Day 283 - June 24, 2014: South Bay Cove Marina

It rained hard overnight, which actually makes for good sleeping, and has continued on and off this morning. It was a good time to clean the interior of the boat, including all teak, vinyl, floors, and windows. This will help get rid of the pollen, which is reported to be the worst in many years. It is like yellow dust covering every surface, and Anne has been getting a strong reaction to it.

The marina is mostly full of permanent boats, and they are mainly large fast cruisers with open salon/cockpits. The boats are virtually deserted as school is not yet out, and it is mid-week. The services here are extensive as they have modern floating docks, good wifi, trash pickup and pumpouts at your boat, take you to and from the laundry building in a golf cart, and provide newspapers on the weekend. The restaurant has 22 planned weekend events including theme dinners and entertainment for boaters from May through September, and the gift shop has a large assortment of creative and unique gifts from around Canada.

Our dock at the South Bay Cove Marina

Two Sedan Cruisers

I walked the docks to see what kinds of anchors are in use. They are mainly claws or plows (both of which are named after their looks) and an occasional Rockna.

Claw Anchor

Plow Anchor

There are many types of anchors and endless debates in the boating forums over which are best. It seems to me that none are best overall, but some are better in certain types of bottoms than others. The anchors needed for grass, mud, sand or rocks are quite different, and I am interested to see how our claw will hold on these rocky bottoms. If it doesn't, I have two backups, of course!

Day 282 - June 23, 2013: The Big Chute to Honey Harbor on the Georgian Bay

We awoke and were second in line for The Big Chute railway lift. This gave us a chance to learn more about how it works and reduced our anxiety (but not our excitement).

The boat ahead of us moving into the carriage

Lifted up by the slings

Underway up over the road

Then it was our turn, and I expect that this will make the highlight reel in our documentary!

Entering

In the sling

Over the top and about to start down

Anne holding on with some apprehension

Near the bottom and almost back into the water

After passing through lock 45, we celebrated having NO more locks to deal with on this trip. Not that they weren't interesting, historical, and challenging, but we have passed through 51 locks in the last 17 days, and 147 locks in total on this Great Loop trip. It is time for a break.

Today starts another new chapter in our trip, The Georgian Bay, which is a part of Lake Huron and located entirely in Ontario. Many loopers list this area as some of the best cruising on the loop. It is 120 miles long and 50 miles wide and was formed by glaciers as a part of the Canadian Shield. There are tens of thousands of islands here, but most are on the east side and known as "Thirty Thousand Islands." Cruising here requires full attention to charts, location of buoys, and depths at all times. Moving just a few feet off a marked channel here can tear up the boat bottom on the rocks and severely damage running gear. Clearly, we plan to be especially alert.

After leaving Port Severn, our route started by taking the small boat channel known as "Potato Cut," named after an opening near Potato Island which has two 90-degree turns separated by a narrow rocky channel.

Typical view ahead

Mounds of granite

Edge of a narrow channel revealing interesting pink granite

Then we worked our way into Honey Harbour and stayed at the South Bay Cove Marina, one of the nicest we have seen on the entire trip. We sought shelter since rain is forecast for the night.