Pictures Week One in Canada #3

Sonador at the docks at Gore Bay

Farmers' Market on Friday is a day for balance -- kale and apple tarts, carrots and lemon pie

Pictures from Week One in Canada -- #2

Sonador at anchor at Turnbull Island -- far from the madding crowd

And, the madding crowd at the first of two shores parties -- bring something to share and catch up with friends

Caught their attention at last!

Pictures from Week One in Canada

Meldrum Bay -- the fleet hunkers down in fog and rain -- note little Sonador front left

Sophie has found a little shade amongst the pines

One Week in the North Channel

On Thursday, July 16th, we crossed Lake Huron from Rogers City, MI to Meldrum Bay, Ontario on Manitoulin Island.  For the most part it was an uneventful passage -- two freighters, one down bound about six miles outside of Rogers City and one up bound at around 22 miles -- in both cases, we were close enough that radar had us on a collision course, and I altered my heading to go behind them by at least a half a mile.  That may add to the time to cross, but it is smarter than playing chicken with 1000 feet of steel traveling at almost twice my speed.

It did get a little "lumpy" going into the Mississagi Straits but I was able to find a satisfactory heading at last, and smoothed out the ride into Meldrum Bay.  I was the first of our group to arrive -- and using my brand new NEXUS card, I was able to call and clear Canadian customs from about an hour out of the dock.  SWEET!  So after about five and a half hours travelling, I was tied up to the dock and settled in when the others started arriving about an hour later.

By the time everyone had come in, there were more than twelve boats at this small community on the tip of Manitoulin.  Meldrum has a population of less than 100, the only thing in town is a marina, a closed grocery store, and a lovely inn where we had a delicious dinner of fresh fish and finished off with home made pies.  Oh, calories be damned!  By the time dinner was over the winds had built considerably, and Friday looked doubtful for moving on.

The doubt turned to reality Friday morning, when rain, fog and wind came in -- not to mention this very large boat that was tied up behind me!  Not to be discouraged, we all planned on happy hour in the marina lounge -- I'd guess there were at least thirty people -- some I knew, others were new faces and stories.  That's a good part of boating -- you meet new people where ever you go, and make friendships for the duration of the summer (and often longer)

Saturday started off with promises of good crossings to the north side of the North Channel -- about two and half hours away in calm seas to one of my favorite anchorages -- Turnbull Island where we met up with other boats and friends for two nights of happy hour gatherings on shore.  Catching up with lives that center in the summer on the charms of boating in this area.  With the higher waters than last year, the beaches that allowed long walks with Sophie had turned into postage stamps, but that didn't deter Ms. Sophie who forged into the woods to find cool resting places out of the sun.

After three nights in Turnbull, the party broke up -- with boats going on to other destinations amid promises to see each other in ten days or less at the wilderness rally in McGregor Bay (part of the Killarney Provincial Park, and truly one of the most spectacular of the spectacular environments around.  I crossed in horrible conditions to Gore Bay back on Manitoulin Island -- horrible because my destination required me to pick a course filled with beam seas and rollers/waves cresting around three and a half feet.  The height of the waves was only one of the problems, the closeness with which they hit us managed to toss the interior of Sonador around and to get Sophie into serious panic mode.  But, two plus hours of serious not fun, and we arrived at the town marina.  By far my favorite marina in the North Channel -- it is well protected from the seas, very near to town, has a marvelous farmers' market, and a couple of nice eateries.  And, there is a good museum and artist studios to keep one contemplating more wall space.

Saturday, I will leave for Haywood Island for two nights of anchoring out -- and then join the gang as we venture into the unmarked (yep, there are no marks in McGregor Bay but the charts are pretty accurate) waters for our rally.  I'll be out of touch until the first week of August -- there really isn't any cell phone reception let alone internet.

Pictures to follow

Rendezvous in Rogers City, MI

On Saturday, left Cheboygan in absolutely calm wind and flat seas -- a short detour into the Cheboygan River for fuel and pump out, and I was on my way south east along the Lake Huron coast of Michigan to Rogers City.

Since I normally head directly across the lake to Canada, this was my first venture to any other port on the Huron Coast of lower Michigan.

Left at 8:45 and was tied up inside the marina by 12:30 -- next to good friends on Spirit of Aloha (Sandy and Bill) and near many other of my boating buddies from the North Channel.

Thus began, five days and nights of parties, lectures, and even a sing along on the beach with s'mores!  Life can't be much better than this.  Today is the final day of activities, so we all have "dressed" our ships with signal flags and flags from other GLCC rendezvous and rallies.  It is quiet colorful.  We begin -- that is after Sophie and I have walked our two miles -- each morning with singing both the Canadian and US national anthems, chow down on a buffet, and listen to tales of boating from old and new friends.  Tonight, there will be a dinner and reception, fairly early to bed and ready for departure first thing in the morning.

Then, forty plus miles across the lake to enter Canadian waters and into the North Channel.  We'll be -- and there is a regular flotilla crossing tomorrow -- in one of the smallest harbors on Manitoulin Island, Meldrum Bay.  The only, and I mean only, thing in town is the marina and a small inn with fantastic food.  Hope they are ready for the onslaught of hungry and happy boaters!

In the interim, I walked to the breakwater to look out at the lake -- and saw this hearty soul coming south just outside the shallow waters of the harbor (note the change in colors of the water.)  That will be me tomorrow, heading directly toward the horizon.  Yeah!!!!

It may be a while before there is another posting -- remember that wifi is hard to get up there.

A Quiet Week at Cheboygan, MI

Spectacle Reef Light (mid point of Huron)

The lake crossing (35+ miles) was uneventful -- hope this keeps up all summer, it is so much nicer to cross the big bodies of water when the waves are less than one foot, and Sonador runs smoothly.  Even Sophie agrees -- spending the whole time upside down on the forward bunk.

Pulled into Duncan Bay -- a private boat club where I stay at least two weeks (one coming north one coming back) every year.  It's fun to catch up with fellow boaters, and to enjoy evening barbeques overlooking the bay.  And, here one can get hot showers, clean clothes, and refresh the refrigerator.

Tuesday, friends BD and Rick Gillig invited me to join them and other local residents on an afternoon float boat ride up the Cheboygan River to Mullet Lake -- a fun but chilly ride.  We stopped along the way for dinner at one of the better eateries in the area. Sophie wasn't invited, and she showed her contempt by insisting on a midnight walk (we were gone for over six hours)  Yesterday, helped friends Chuck and Joann "hank on" their reacher sail -- that's the super large sail on a cutter.  Took a little over an hour, and two tries to get it up correctly.  Today will be spent cleaning the underside of my enclosure -- mildew is beginning to show, and I really don't like that.  And, getting more chores done around the boat. I am planning on meeting Susan and Barnie (her friend from Walloon) in Petoskey tomorrow for lunch.  Then, and only then will all the dilly dallying be done -- Saturday, take off for Rogers City and the GLCC Rendevous and onto the North Channel. 

Sophie "en garde" in case there is some excitement to take part in

Happy Fourth of July!!!

On the water at last!  Passing the abandoned light house at Grey's Reef on Friday, June 27th on the way to St. Ignace, MI.  Very seldom is it this calm on Lake Michigan -- and never before have I seen this all the way under the Mackinaw Bridge.  But, this is what Sophie and I, along with my friend Susan, experienced.  Wow.  Hope it is a portent of things to come this summer.

We spent three nights in St. Ignace -- a small town struggling with an identity beyond a ferry terminal for the trip to Mackinaw Island.  But, we had a good time and everyone was friendly as all get out.  Only issue, the hike to the grocery store on Monday morning was a little over a mile up hill -- boy, oh boy, my Florida legs are barely able to do that on the flat. :)

We then motored about twenty miles to Hessel, MI.  A small resort town in the Les Cheneaux Islands -- a really cute, but very small town.  Dinner first night at local bar and grill, followed by very rich ice cream at the boat repair shop (picture that.)  Next day, wandered around town and then had dinner at the culinary school -- nine months of schooling followed by three months (summer) of actually serving guests.  Very delicious food and the atmosphere was delightful.

Next day, took off through the "snows" via the small craft channel -- narrow waterway between and among the islands.  Woodies (aka wooden chris craft classic speed boats) docked at almost every cabin.   Then there is dollar island -- whimsy at its best.

 And then on to Government Bay where we stayed for two nights with friends Chuck and JoAnne on Moku Hale (45' sail boat).  In the not too recent past there was a beach for landing dinghies -- no more, the high water has covered all the sand, and much of the grasses.  We all went ashore anyway for a nice short hike in the woods -- saw bear prints in the sand, and lots of birds (no bear, thank goodness)

After two nights we motored over to DeTour Village -- the entry point for big (1000') freighters heading up to the Ste Saint Marie locks -- or those down bound for the delivery points on Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and even across the Atlantic.  Came here not only because it is a quaint town in the Upper Peninsula but also because they have a fun Fourth of July Parade.

Tomorrow, back to the mainland and Cheboygan, MI where Susan will depart to spend more time with child hood friends and I will prepare for a summer in the North Channel.

It is GOOD to be out and on the water!!!!!!