From Midland, we traveled 91 miles (not a very long distance really for being out 9 days) so we are now about half way through Georgian Bay. This is the farthest north on Georgian Bay we have ever been in the past so from here on out, every place is totally new. May prove to be exciting :-) There are charts to guide us through the 30,000 Island region we are currently in. The charts have all of the buoys and show electric lines that are underwater (so don't anchor there), depths, most rocks and other information that allowed us to pick pretty good anchorage places.
One of our first stops was the provincial park near Honey Harbor. We stayed 2 nights on the dock there and had our first successful dinghy trip (which means we didn't drop the engine in the water while using the hoist to get it on the dinghy - and we found our way to Honey Harbor and back). Red raspberries seemed to be everywhere again - easy pickings from the bike path.
With this encouraging us, we picked out our first anchorage - Longuissa Bay. It was perfect - I woke up and saw the sailboat out of my little porthole by the bed. Kayaking was good - and we spent a peaceful night.
Georgian Bay itself is hard to describe - lots and lots of rock islands and wind that seemingly ALWAYS is blowing. It's actually larger than Lake Ontario - or so the rumour is. The trees actually grow crooked because of the winds. Lots of cottages on the lower part of the Bay - much less so as we moved north. The super rainbow was our reward for having to reanchor as we hadn't anchoring properly - had only one anchor out as when the wind decided to switch 180 degrees, we were loose - in the wind and the rain. So that was interesting. Since then we use an anchor on the front and a second anchor on the back. Much better!! And this after I wasn't on the chart where I thought we were. Looking down and seeing rocks is an experience that just is no fun - and the water is so clear it's really hard to figure out if we are about to run aground or it's really 10 feet deep. One part of the guidebook makes the comment that traveling through some of these channels is not for the faint of heart - boy is that right!
After 3 days in 3 different anchorages without going on land, it was time. We were headed for Henry's Restaurant on the island of San Souci - my father's favorite place to stop and I think the only reason he even wanted to bother going to Georgian Bay! It was nice - good food - good place to watch as boats came for lunch and dinner (some in a water taxi, some in sea planes). We slowed along the way in a protected area for Steve to put up the steadying sail (keeps the boat from rolling so much when the waves are from the side).
The work continues. I finally began on the front cabin - wallpapering to cover the water damaged mahogany veneer. It was ruined because of the prior windows leaking. Washing the boat from the dinghy kept Steve busy - until he decided to go fishing! No supper from it but he did catch a couple of small bass.
I think a Chinese restaurant is in our future tonight now that we can! Very hot again though so we'll wait til the sun gets a bit lower.
Tomorrow: a Click and Clack type dilemma we encountered - where did the generator oil go?
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