Tuesday August 14: Missasagua Provincial Park

Once through the Port Severn lock Sunday morning, the waters were incredible! Almost no wind and clear blue skies. 

We were headed for Beausoleil Island which is a part of the Georgian Bay Islands National Park – established in 1929. 

Our progress from Big Chute to Port Severn to Beausoleil to Honey Harbor and north can be seen on the map left. 

What foresight on the part of groups of individuals that could envision a place where civilization (ie. cottages!) could not encroach. Same for Ferdinand Hayden the American geologist in convincing Congress to create the first of the US National Parks at Yellowstone.

Boaters and campers flock to this large island. Somehow we thought things might have quieted down since the weekend was over but some of the docks were still full. We opted to just join the boats anchored out as the weather was predicted to be settled.

It was quiet enough for Steve to head out in his kayak. Seems there was a small bay that needed investigated! Sure enough, there was a beaver hut tucked back in the bay. Steve didn't see the beaver but it slapped the water with it's tail three times in an effort to drive Steve away – so he of course left it in peace :-)

A short trip the next morning through Big Dog Channel led to the public dock at Honey Harbor – and more importantly – breakfast!! Just a small area of the grocery store but their sandwiches are quite good!

I like the worm sign but Steve already had plenty aboard :-)

Another perfect day on the water as we headed north with a destination of Twelve Mile Bay – another of the park areas thirty miles away.

The waterway in Georgian Bay (it's called the Small Craft Channel) winds in among the rock islands that are a part of the 30,000 islands. The challenge of course is to watch the chart and/or chartplotter carefully so as not to miss any of the buoys.

The rocks awash in the shallow areas off of the channel would surely ruin an otherwise perfectly great day!!

We found a great anchorage in 12 Mile Bay away from the other boats. This is a very popular place – especially on the weekends – which is why we try to come only on weekdays! Steve of course started fishing.

Seems there was a bass hole right where we were anchored! This is the largest of the ones he caught – I see a fish dinner in my future :-)

Never get tired of the sunset …..

Or the beautiful calm of the morning. Must be time to go kayaking.

It's hard to stop taking pictures. And the rocks above the water show the shore line to just be an extension of the rocks under the water.

Kayaking, breakfast and everything packed up this morning and ready to leave by 11 am. Headed off for the Massasauga Provincial Park area.

Steve had great luck a couple of years ago with a nice pike and several nice bass. Guess where we'll be headed!

The Yankanuk Club established in 1902 was pretty neat. I can't imagine what this area was like at that time. Wild and no markers, I'm thinking.

When we arrived at “our” anchorage, there was already a rather large 50' Carver so we went on around it and the small island back into a small bay. Really nice place – it's yet to be seen if there are any bass or pike in this little bay.

Once anchored, Steve takes the kayaks off of the front (and puts them in the water) and then brings the solar panels out. 

No need to run the generator unless he's going to cook on the induction burners instead of the Coleman propane stove.

As I was quietly reading on the flybridge, a ruckus started along the shoreline that sounded like waves crashing on shore but no way that was happening. It's just too small of a bay for waves to make it this far in off of the channel.

Turns out it's a group? herd? flock? of all things: merganser ducks and they were 'group' fishing! It was amazing how fast they would swim – seemingly cornering the minnows and then feasting on the little fish. But VERY noisy as they splashed and quickly swam along.

I counted 38 of them! Interestingly enough a friend from Banana Bay, Sharon on Stevedore, had emailed me an article about mergansers and how they group 'baby sit'. Made me wonder if this was what was going on as there seemed to be two ducks that were in charge – one in the front and one in the back of the group.

Ironically Steve took a short kayak ride and guess who were all sitting on a rock! One group was down a bit farther but all accounted for :-)

Tomorrow we'll move to another area of the park –