Into Georgian Bay

         Friday (July 14) we accomplished everything we wanted to do: all the big laundry, stepping the mast, some more provisioning, using the WiFi system there to update our computer systems and Navionics charts…  We even bought a pizza and cooked it in the marina’s kitchen.  (We haven’t had pizza in a long time.)  Lynn and Pat - the area’s harbor hosts - came for a visit, bringing with them some packages we’d had delivered to their address.  They have years of experience cruising and sailing these waters and spent a good hour going over the charts with Dan, showing him nice anchorages and what places to avoid.  Nothing beats local knowledge or the hospitality of harbor hosts!  

Saturday we moved back over to the dock at the Port Severn Lock.  Here we met another local couple who were also full of information about where to anchor.  Since there was no power on this or nearby docks, Dan donned his wetsuit and jumped in to replace our zinc anodes with aluminum ones.  Zinc works best in salt water, aluminum or magnesium are better for fresh water.  A large bass came up to supervise, hovering closely to make sure the work was done correctly.  The water was clear, but I couldn’t get a picture of it.  Once that chore was done, we decided to go ahead and finish the Trent-Severn.  We locked through shortly after and soon found ourselves in the entrance to Georgian Bay. 

    We cruised through Potato Channel, which may have been named for nearby Potato Island, and got our first look at the many, many rocks and tiny rocky islands that make up the section called Thirty Thousand Islands.  You could spend years here and still not see everything!  It’s reminiscent of Penobscot Bay in Maine, except with a lot more islands, no tides, and no lobster pots.  We cruised past many little summer homes perched on rocks, while small boats zipped by us on either side. 

        Beausoleil Island is a favorite first stopping point for people entering Georgian Bay, and one of the first places you come across is Picnic Island, which is basically a building on a rock that offers groceries from fresh produce to a butcher shop.  The only way to get to it is by boat.  We didn’t stop, as we had already shopped in Port Severn.  We continued up to the top of Beausoleil Island and entered a small basin called Frying Pan Bay for the night.  Several other boats were already in there, and they call kept a close watch on us as we anchored in our own spot.  One individual came paddling over on his SUP and immediately began advising Dan about US politics.  He was a Canadian citizen, emigrated from the old Soviet Union, and he had strong opinions on the direction of the US and what we should be doing about it.  His parting words to Dan were “America is a great country.  Don’t screw it up.”  As I have said before, Dan is a people magnet, especially drawing in the outspoken ones.  

Sunday we left Frying Pan Bay and continued our navigation through narrow, twisting channels toward Parry Sound, which is another destination for most newbies to Georgian Bay.  We didn’t quite get to the Sound itself, but found a lovely little nook of an anchorage in Menominee Channel.  We had tried anchoring in an unmarked anchorage, but quickly found out why there was no anchor symbol marking that spot on the chart - it was all ledge on the bottom, no mud for the anchor to grab into.  Menominee Channel had nice thick mud, as our anchor hauling demonstrated this morning.

Today (Monday July 17) the winds have sprung up from the West, making Parry Sound and points west a little snotty, so our cruise today was very short.  We found our way into a small, protected channel on the south side of Parry Sound and dropped the anchor around noon.  It’s a good day for boat projects.  

Tommie mugging for the camera.