Good-Bye Canada

We spent six weeks in Canada and it was esuna-manda (amazing in Ojibway).

Our last three ports of call, Little Current, Gore Bay and Meldrum Bay, were on Manitoulin Island which is the largest fresh water island in the world (who knew?).

Entering remote Meldrum Bay

Last-night-in Canada dinner at Meldrum Bay Inn

The Bug docked in Meldrum Bay

The Meldrum Inn had a good wine list

What we liked best about Canada: The friendly people; Peaceful canals; Beautiful, pristine wilderness; Vast stretches of fresh water cruising; Dare cookies (especially the lemon ones); and Artichoke-Asisago dip.

Dare Cookies

Excellent dip

Friendly people

Georgian Bay One-House Islands

Of the 30,000 Georgian Bay islands, there are many with just one house on them and sometimes room for a house and nothing else.

Killarney Etc.

Killarney was one of the small towns were visited after Collins Inlet. It was a logging town until they cut all the trees down and killed the industry back in the late 1800s. Now it's a cool place for tourists like us to visit. Until 1960, there was no road into the town so the waterfront was key and it still is today.
We stayed at The Killarney Mountain Lodge Marina for two nights. It was fun because, the place hasn't changed much since the 1940s or50s.

Killarney Mountian Lodge

The lounge at Killarney Mt Lodge (original 50s decor)

Fried fish bus in Killarney.

 I discovered a fresh water fish I liked - deep fried White Fish (think it was the deep fried part I liked?)

Humbug docked at Killarney

    

Collins Inlet

Back to the rocks on Georgian Bay...

You must know exactly where you are on your charts at all times while in Georgian Bay. That's especially true in Collins Inlet, a 17 mile-long narrow, high walled, canyon-like stretch of the small craft channel of Georgian Bay. There are submerged rocks everywhere and the channel often takes 90 degree turns as it threads its way through the islands. It's only 6 feet deep in places, and in one section, we saw only 5 feet.  Needles to say, because we draw 4 1/2 feet, we were proceeding VERY slowly.

Narrow, rock-lined Collins Inlet with Champ III up ahead

We were lucky, because we were traveling with fellow Loopers, Larry and  Lenore Ancypa, (and their Golden Retriever, Candy) on board "Champ III," their 45 foot Sea Ray. , They had been through the Collins Inlet before, so that.gave us the courage to go through it instead of taking the boring outside route whcih we might have done if we had not met them. Of course, we were polite and let them lead.

Larry and Lenore on the left

We first encountered Larry and Lenore, in NY Harbor. They were right next to us at Liberty Landing. The next time we saw them was in Peterborough, Ontario. The picture above was taken in Peterborough at a cocktail party given by AGLCA harbor hosts, Don Bennett and Freya Petersen (Freya's the blonde). Larry and Lenore are only a few weeks away from finishing the loop since they live in St. Clair, Michigan. They plan to be home for about one month before beginning their second loop.

Rock walls (blue tape is on screen door is there to keep us from going through it after a few glasses of wine)

The blue line on screen is a straight section of Collins Inlet- notice that we had 29 feet of water there - wow!

More rock walls

More rocks and pine trees- Champ III still leading the way

Geogian Bay Scenes

Ken and Marlene MacDonald

The manager of Bayport Yachting Center in Midland, Ken MacDonald, whom we had met at the AGLCA rendezvous in  Norfolk, VA last May, took us through a particularly treacherous 5-mile section of Georgian Bay from Port Severn to Midland and then invited us to tag along with them and their friends, Cathy and Chuck, for a few days to Killbear. 

Ken's Boat

Ken, Marlene, Cathy and Chuck coming to say hello

Henry's Fish Camp

Taking a ride in quiet anchorage

Same anchorage

Ken's boat in anchorage

Humbug on the hook

Point Au Baril Lighthouse

The barrel that used to be lit before Point Au Baril Lighthouse was built

This rock had a navigation aid on it...most don't

Georgian Bay

If Georgian Bay was not connected to Lake Huron, it is so large that it would probably be the sixth great lake. When you are on the main bay, it looks just like you're on the Atlantic Ocean - all you see is water and the horizon.  But if you are on the island-protected small craft channel, which is located at the very top of Georgian Bay, there's lots to see. Mostly what you see  are rocks...

That's because this area of Ontario is called "The 30,000 Islands." We thought the Thousand Islands were beautiful, but these are incredible (who knew?). In fact, everywhere you look around here, it's fantastically beautiful - a mix of the coast of Maine and Adirondack Lakes; with pine trees and pink granite to the water's edge.

 As in the Thousand Islands, there are many one-house islands, but mostly this is a land of fly-in fishing camps, hundreds of miles of wilderness provincial parks and small anchorages behind islands with loons as your only neighbors. There are a few tiny hamlets and a couple of marina "resorts."  We anchored some nights and spent others at Killbear Marina and Killarney Mountain Lodge Marina - both places were right out of central casting for the TV show, Northern Exposure.

Canada Day in Peterborough

July 1, Canada Day, is just like our 4th of July. It's a big deal here in Canada and Peterborough, which we think has the same "vibe" as Burlington, VT, pulled out all the stops - big parade, multi-cultural food fair, free outdoor concert, mega fireworks display...all in one day.

Dragon in Peterborough Parade

Courting Canoe complete with victrola at Canadian Canoe Museum

While in Peterborough, we visited the Canadian Canoe Museum with our new lock friends, Marilyn and Doug, from Topeka, KS. They were on their way to Lake Superior, where they usually summer, on their boat "Chequamegon."

 

Outdoor Concert (she has really short shorts on...really)

Our friends, Rick and Pam, joined us in Peterborough and cruised the rest of the Trent Severn Waterway with us.

Rick and Caprese Salad (we eat well on this boat)

Pam on upper deck

Wild and Crazy Locks Part 2

Big Chute's a whole other story.  It is a dry dock on rail road tracks. Entering this lock, you drive your boat over a submerged rail road car. Your boat is then arranged on slings, like on a travel lift at a marina, then the whole car, with boats in slings, lifts out of the water, climbs a steep hill, crosses a road and descends back into the water. Then you simply float off your straps and you're on your merry way. Amazing.

Boat in front of us in Big Chute

Pete In Big Chute

Big Chute's steep railway

Humbug and company in Big Chute rail car

One of the slings holding us during our Big Chute trip