NORTH CHANNEL of Lake Huron

WELCOME TO THE NORTH CHANNEL

Manitoulin Island

Little Current town dock

Wednesday & Thursday, 1-2 August

Cruise to Little Current was very smoky because the winds have shifted to the west and there is still a forest fire in the east.. It is raining but unfortunately, probably not enough to put out the fires.

Little Current is better known as “Waiebijiwang - where the waters flow back and forth.” and “where the currents are strong and the scenery is breath taking.”

Taken from top of the hill in Little Current.

This was Haweater weekend in Little Current and many activities were planned.  What is a haweater? It is the name given to a person born on Manitoulin Island. The name derives from the prevalence of hawberries among the island's vegetation. We didn't get to see it all, but enjoyed what we did see.  

Wood carving demonstrations

The Gold helmets, motorcycle precision drill team of the Ontario Provincial Police performed.

We got to sit in on Little Current Cruisers net, a VHF radio call in show for people cruising on their boats.

We DO have Looper kids!

Croker Island

Friday & Saturday, 3 & 4^th of August

Ken & Karen on Island Girl found this beautiful spot and asked us to join and raft up to them. We have rafted with others at a dock, but never with anchor, so we decided to give it a try. Alan worked the anchor chain while I backed Sea Jamm right up next to them. The Captain gave excellent direction, but I was quite pleased with my skill as well!

We enjoyed this place and our time with Island Girl, so we decided to stay for a couple of days.  It was like a vacation from a vacation.

Karen kayaking.

We swam (or floated) for hours.  Water was about 75 degrees!

Karen and I climbing the rocks.

We made it to the top!

Our view from the top.

I loved the pink granite.

This gull was on a small island.  He stayed there the entire time we were there, for 2 days.

Gore Bay

Sunday, 5^th August

A pretty house.

View from our hike.

The captain walked over to Buoys and bought us a pizza for dinner. He got caught on in the largest rain and lightning storm we have had to date. It was worth it. The pizza was delicious.

Meldrum Bay

Western end of Manitoulin Island

Monday, 6^th August

This is the last stop in the North Channel. Meldrum Bay, quaint and untouched by the rush of modern life, has a population of 169, 45 full time residents.

Lunch.

Dinner.

The token lone loon.

We are leaving North Channel tomorrow for Michigan USA and I'm very happy to report that with the recent rains, the Canadian fires are mostly out!

GEORGIAN BAY

A glimpse of our navigational chart.

WELCOME TO GEORGIAN BAY

Ontario, Canada

Wye Heritage Marina, Midland ON

Wednesday-Sunday 22-25 July

Enjoyed community of Wye and the town of Midland between thunderstorms. Well, the weather was better than predicted and we really only had one storm. The folk were friendly, Henry's seafood good, and the little town fascinating with its many murals.

Alan & Andy.  Andy works at Wye's.  (Actually I don't know if he considers what he does work, because he enjoys what he does so much.)  He drew the orange line that you see on the above navigational chart recommending a route through Georgian Bay.  

Midland is Ontario's premier mural community.  It boasts of 40 historical murals, most by artist Fred Lenz.  

The is North Americas largest outdoor mural and probably the most popular.  These are painted on old grain silos overlooking the main harbour and depicts a Jesuit missionary meeting one of the indigenous people of the area. 

This is not a mural, but a shy ground hog that lives underneath the wooden walkway back to our boat.

Wednesday 25^th of July

Anchored Wani Bay

We will be in the 10,000 Islands are the next few days. Cottages are more modest and much more desolate.

Overcast on our cruise today, but still quite beautiful.  See for yourself.

Red float plane

Wani Bay was cold, but not so much that we didn't swim! Very peaceful getting away from busy marinas. Chicken marsala for dinner. After dinner we spent some quiet time and listened to loons telling their bedtime stories before heading to bed ourselves.

Skies cleared up during day so Ingrid and Sherry decided to take a swim in the 68 degree water.  Notice Alan does not partake.

Ingrid and Alan Kayaking.

Picture of Sea Jamm from the kayaks.

Sunset from Wani.

Thursday 26^th of July

Anchored Port Rawson

We were pretty much by ourselves in this jewel of 10,000 Islands.

Another swim, this time in 71 degrees.  Still no Alan.

But I can't complain too much.  He did go out and fetch my swimming bottoms from the water after they blew off the bow.  Amazing they didn't sink!

Full moon at dusk.

There was a time in the evening when the birds were quiet, no waves hitting the boat and no other boats in the area. It was completely silent. It is amazing that silence can sometimes be loud.

Friday morning sunrise.

Friday-Sunday 27-29^th of July

Big Sound Marina, Parry Sound

Many loopers going through the Parry Sound swing bridge.  It only opens on the hour.

Unfortunately, Ingrid had to leave heading out of Parry Sound on a bus to Toronto where she caught a plane back to Reston, VA. We will especially miss her in our nightly Quiddler card game.

Still eating butter tarts.

We enjoyed the little town of Parry Sound, the home Bobby Orr, a famous hockey player. We ate burgers at Harvey's, a Canadian chain and then visited Canadian Tire, also a chain much like a Walmarts. 

After Saturday's folk art festival, and dinner at a local bistro, we sauntered to the movies with Herb, from the Phanthom, and caught the latest Mission Impossible movie.  Didn't get back to the marina until about 10:30. That's a late night for Loopers.

Sunday morning cruise to Hopewell Bay

Ingrid, this one is for you.  The only moose we have seen.

Light house.

On our way to Hopewell Bay, we spotted a fisherman who had caught a fish. He was so happy, he held it up for us to see. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of him.

Hopewell Bay on Shawanaga Island

Sunday night 29^th of July

Only with two other boats in the bay, we spent a quiet peaceful night after exploring the rocky seashore on our kayaks.  As usual, we had our loon call after dinner.  It's funny how loon's stay to themselves, ducks are usually in pairs or three, and geese enjoy their flocks.

Another Sea Jamm picture taken while kayaking.

Exploring Hopewell Bay.

Wright's Marina, Britt, ON

Monday night 30^th of July

Reunited with Susan and Jim on Gypsy. Dinner out with them and 8 other loopers.

Sunrise in Britt.

Cruise to Killarney

Forest fires in northern Canada.  There were places we couldn't go because of the smoke.  And there is no rain in the forecast, unfortunately. 

Tuesday night 31^st of July

Roque's Marina, Killarney ON

Alan and I sometimes have a late lunch after we arrive and get settled in at the marina. We did that today at Herbert Fisheries, famous for its fish and chips.

Then we perused the very small village of Killarney (pop. 430) once a busy commercial fishing village and not until 1962 was accessible by road.

Inuksuk (that which acts in the capacity of a human.)  These human-made stone landmarks are found on many places here.  They once were used by the Inuits and other people in the Arctic regions of North America as a navigational point of reference.

Church of St. Bonaventure

We visited the old jail and art gallery of Pierre AJ Sabourin (which was one in the same.) I bought a couple of prints from him. He invited us up to his house on the rock to take pictures, but we had to decline because we otherwise were obligated to a social event on Phanthom's porch. Little did we know that Ned Pepper would be there. (Earlier we had travelled with them for a very long time. They have since crossed their wake. They live up here and happened to be in this area.)

Killarney is a very popular boating area and is the gateway to the 

NORTH CHANNEL.  

More on that next week. . .