It was a gorgeous morning, with clear blue skies and water like glass. We used the auto-helm for most of the day and relaxed on the flybridge feeling like the only people on the planet, and the luckiest.
Lake Huron's east coast waters were virtually deserted except for the occasional small fishing boat. We passed the enormous Bruce nuclear power plant that provides a landmark for navigation from many miles away. We also saw some beautiful sandy beaches with brave souls wading and a few swimming despite the chilly water. We passed through waters more than 400 feet deep, which is enough to boggle the mind, at least until we get to the tongue of the ocean on our way to the Bahamas!
We were headed for Stokes Bay, and happy to anticipate being at anchor, as we were on a coastline that offers few sheltered harbours with good holding. We needed a couple of tries to get hooked but it was very good practice for us as a team. We are using wireless headsets to allow a quiet conversation between helms-person and anchor-person for the inevitable to and fro about when, where, how much, etc. We are getting better with each experience.
A friendly local wood collector came by with his grand-daughter to get the scoop on us. He said he had watched us come in from a distance and was curious. He was a woodworker as is David and they shared their appreciation of wood preserved for decades in cold water. He also pointed out the eagles' nest on a nearby rock outcrop. Maybe you can see the eagle in the lower branch on the right...:-). It was an idyllic anchorage near where our Uncle Howard had his cottage for many years, so another family connection made our stop here special.
The next morning was sunny and clear despite dismal forecasts; we were alone on the water save the occasional fishing vessel.
We arrived at Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory, where we decided to stay because of its proximity to the "downtown" and the opportunity to stock up on provisions and an important chart before our "big crossing" of Georgian Bay.
Tobermory is a town that thrives on adventurers, whether hikers on the Bruce Trail, cyclists, campers, or those arriving by water. It is also the gateway to the North Channel, Manitoulin Island and Killarney, a place where my mother painted in watercolours. It is an important ferry harbour.
The local shops compete for the most beautiful flowers.
We also discovered a unique hot pink home with interesting sculpture on a walk in search of plant food and motor oil. We were happy to be leaving the day of an annual festival called Chi Cheemaun where boats are packed into the harbour cheek by jowl and the expectation is to party....argh.
So we changed our plans and prepared for a crossing of pretty big water, out of sight of land for several hours. We plotted our course from Wingfield Basin, reputed to be a snug place to wait for a weather window to cross the notoriously cranky Georgian Bay.
This turned out to be a challenge for our anchoring skills. It took 5 tries to get the hook set. First it was weeds, then good holding but proximity to rocks. Again, great practice in taking turns at anchor and helm. Finally we were successful and settled in for a gorgeous evening without another soul in sight.
Lucy was practicing on her Potty Patch, which is meant to be used for obvious functions, but she just likes to sit on it.
The next morning we set out in perfect weather conditions for Snug Harbour, near Parry Sound. Nancy took the helm for the weighing of the anchor and negotiating the narrow channel out of the basin. This was an important, and relatively safe, training ground for an amateur helms-person. Little did we know how skinny the channels would be in the days ahead!
We crossed the bay and managed to successfully arrive at Snug Harbour. However, our depth sounder was intermittently failing during the crossing. This became more problematic when we were trying to anchor--a critical time to have it working! We sat on the hook for a while considering our options and making calls to local marinas about the possibility of a repair, to no avail. The weather forecast for the next few days was dismal. We finally decided to push on to Parry Sound where we thought there might be a better chance for a repair or replacement. So we grabbed a quite bite of dinner to give us strength, weighed anchor and set off for an evening cruise at a time we would normally be settling down with cocktails.
The channels were well marked so we didn't miss our depth sounder when it intermittently failed. After a very long day we pulled into a small marina and could finally relax in the golden light and safety of Parry Sound. Given that it was after hours on a Saturday, there was nobody around to help, so David gave the depth sounder an oil bath...apparently they like this kind of thing.
We were tied up next to a pink and blue eccentric little ocean going sailboat, which looked as though it had seen some serious cruising and had a lovely dinner while studying the charts for the route ahead. Later we saw the supermoon rising over the harbour!
We picked our way through the gorgeous 30,000 islands, almost too spectacular to be captured by a camera. Rocks strewn across the bay like a giant's playground. Some just barren pink rock islands, others with an occasional intrepid tree sprouting forth, and others with cottages. The buildings ranged from humble structures, to gorgeous turn of the century "cottages" and spiffy new McMansions which seemed quite out of place. We saw lots of kayakers along the way, exploring the islands and the small channels between them. No need for a depth sounder for these folks!
The further south we went, the more we felt we were back in civilization. It was Sunday and we were planning to anchor near Honey Harbour, an old cottage community unfortunately within commuting distance of Toronto. The closer we got, the crazier it became, with boaters and Sea-doers speeding around like maniacs. The channels were very tight and the crazies made it very challenging to stay inside the markers. We found a little spot to anchor behind Royal Island and enjoyed a refreshing swim. Then we set out with Lucy in the dinghy to get provisions in town. We felt very vulnerable in our little rubber boat but managed to safely get to the town's dinghy dock. We treated ourselves to the first ice cream cone of the season as a reward for surviving Honey Harbour with its humidex of 32C. When we got back to Peapod, we breathed a sigh of relief until we realized that the small craft used "our" little bay as a short cut to avoid the no wake zone through the main channel into Honey Harbour. All evening we were "buzzed" by mostly young people; some very young children driving these high speed machines....scary! Fortunately the traffic stopped shortly after dusk and we had a peaceful night on the hook.
We were less than three hours from the locks at Port Severn so we had a leisurely morning doing "housework" and washing dead insects off the decks. There had been an overnight hatch of some tiny species of fly who probably only get to live for 24 hours. For some reason they were attracted to us in their final moments of life. We set off in beautiful sunshine on the last leg of our Georgian Bay trip....more rocks, islands and cottages than we could possibly count.
After an idyllic morning cruise, we arrived at the bridge under Highway 400...eeek! The channel was narrow and under the bridge was a raging torrent of current created by water coming over the dam at Lock 45, complicated by a brisk wind.
This is where we had our first contact with Georgian Bay rock, just a hair outside of one marker and bang. We were still moving forward and managed to slide off and keep going, albeit hearts pounding (especially mine). David has had such experiences before in Lake Ontario with the Bayfield but I was a rock virgin and was in shock for the next hour. However, we had to get back onto that horse and go through our first lock, a scary experience at the best of times!
The lock crew were very helpful and we managed to get in and out with no further trauma. Except (I forgot this part) just as we let go of the lines holding us to the waiting area, Lucy decided to jump ashore!!! We were drifting away from the dock. David jumped over, grabbed the handle on the back of her life jacket, threw her aboard and followed with a leap back to the boat over open water....argh!!
We knew we could go no further after such adventures so we tied up at the beautiful Lock 45 park, had a nap then a gourmet grill on board. Lucy was in doggie heaven with lots of room to run and another dog, Belle, to play with. We met some lovely people including a family who were celebrating their grand-daughter's 10th birthday. We were treated to a piece of Samantha's cake which was a wonderful ending to a difficult day.
In the morning, we entertained some feathered friends before setting out for Lock 44, the world-famous marine railway.
We passed through gorgeous countryside, so quiet after the bustle of Georgian Bay. We approached Big Chute with some trepidation, but the approach is clear and the staff extremely helpful. What a thrill as we began to climb the huge rock face near 60 feet high.
At the top looking forward.
Looking back!
We continued on to Lock 43, Swift Rapids. Note the name. On our way we saw kids jumping from a railway bridge where trains frequently run. They were having a ball!!! As parents we were a bit worried about them.
Lock 43 was another swirling basin with lots of water and wind, our nemesis. This is a very tall lock so no help from above is possible. We entered perhaps too tentatively (we were told later we should have gone in all guns blazing) and ended up diagonal in this huge lock with the wind howling down into the hollow space and making it almost impossible to direct the boat to one side or the other. After enormous efforts at the helm and down below trying to get bow and stern lines through the guides, we managed to straighten out and wave to the operator in her glass tower high above us. It was a long climb in a hot slimy lock, which gave me time to realize that our lovely green fender covers were being dragged up the slimy wall....yuk. We seem to learn something new at every lock!
More beautiful scenery along the Severn River and across Sparrow Lake. Lots of cottages but very quiet given it was a Tuesday and early in the season. We tied up at the foot of Lock 42, as we arrived just after their last lift. As with all of the locks, Parks Canada provides lovely facilities for the boaters who need to tie up overnight. Gardens, washrooms, picnic tables, picnic shelters and garbage disposal are available and boaters can even pitch tents in these little parks.
Given Lucy's new found confidence in going ashore without permission, we resorted to tying her close to us on the flybridge.
The lockmaster here communicates with the railway bridge operator downstream who warned us we may be delayed by a train. We were thrilled and enjoyed hanging out upstream from the bridge as the train passed and then seeing the bridge open for us. So many things on this journey are a novelty for us!
After Lock 42 we were in Lake Couchiching and decided we would travel to Orillia for provisions before going into Lake Simcoe to meet my brother and his wife who sail a Bayfield. We set the anchor just outside Orillia Harbour where we planned to have lunch and a swim, then take the dinghy to town. While I made lunch, David decided to dive down and look for scrapes related to our brush with the rock in Georgian Bay. He had found a very small amount of water in the bilge, which was new as the boat had always been totally dry. He came up with bad news...there was damage to the keel he felt should be professionally assessed. So we changed our plans and scramble to find a marine facility with the equipment to take us out of the water. The nearest was Crates Marina in Lagoon City on Lake Simcoe near a tiny town called Brechan.
Off we went again, across the top of Lake Simcoe, avoiding some crazy shoals, and landed in this lagoon "city" where every home has access to a canal for their boat(s). The marina staff were waiting for us when we arrived with the travel lift.
A gaggle of professionals gathered and concluded that we should call the insurance company. The appraiser came the next day, Friday, and approved the work to the keel. Unfortunately it is Canada Day weekend and no work will begin until Tuesday. In the meantime, we are "up on the hard" drying out the boat in readiness for the fibreglass work, which will take up to a week. We have power, water, and access to all the marina facilities including washrooms, showers, hot tubs, restaurant etc.. The families who stay here are extremely friendly and helpful. I was driven to town for groceries and we have been invited out for evening soirees at their picnic tables. And nearly every one has a story about that spot under the 400!!! The appraiser said they had 17 claims from there last season.
The marina hosts fun events for families such as this dinghy poker run with water guns!
Tonight we are looking forward to a visit from my brother, Michael, and his wife Shoko in their sailboat. They will sail over from the west side of Lake Simcoe and join us for dinner and a sleep-over. This will be a treat as we don't see them often since they moved to Nova Scotia.
Next post when we are underway again.
