A few days ago we said good-bye to Ontario's beautiful Georgian Bay and entered the equally beautiful North Channel. It would really be hard to imagine a more beautiful part of the world than this. I do love palm trees and white sandy beaches, but it is cool anchoring in a snug cove between two huge stone cliffs. Our introduction to the North Channel came as we entered Killarney Channel, where we spent two nights docked at the Killarney Mountain Lodge. This is a rustic resort with rooms, cottages, docks, a seaplane ramp, dining room, cocktail lounge with nightly entertainment, swimming pool, etc. - a great place just to kick back and relax for a few days. While relaxing, we managed to hike to the lighthouse on the east end of Killarney Channel, eat fish and chips on the town dock, have ice cream, spend a few hours at the pool, and stay up past our bedtime (Punta Gorda midnight or 9 pm) listening to the entertainment two nights in a row.
From Killarney we headed to Covered Portage Cove. This may be one of the most beautiful anchorages in the world. It is a narrow little cove with huge stone cliffs on one side and a wooded slope on the other side. There is a path to the top of the cliffs, from which you have a breathtaking view of your boat at anchor. The next day we anchored in Mary Ann Cove on Baie Fine. Since three of the four boats there when we arrived were tied to shore, we did the same thing. It is really a pain to carry a line ashore, but once it's done with the anchor holding the bow off the shore and the stern line holding you in place so you don't swing, you feel very snug. We took our dinghy all the way to the end of Baie Fine where there is a very protected pool that is a popular anchorage. We enjoyed cocktails that evening with several other Loopers we met in Mary Ann Cove.
Sunday we traveled to Little Current on Manitoulin Island, which separates the North Channel from Lake Huron. Little Current is a cute little town and we spent the afternoon exploring by bike, shopping, and finding the locally-made ice cream. Of course, when we returned to the marina, Mark did laundry - his new favorite past-time. Yesterday found us anchored in Clapperton Harbor inside the lee of Harbor Island. This was the site of a very exclusive resort many years ago, which now lies in ruins. This morning we headed back over to Manitoulin to the little village of Kagawong. The two main attractions for us here were the Bridal Veil Falls and St John the Evangelist Anglican Church. The pulpit in the church is made from the bow of a wrecked boat. There was once a big pulp mill operation here and ships loaded the paper to transport it to Michigan where it was used to print Sears-Roebuck catalogs. Haven't planned tomorrow's destination yet - that's the beauty of having dozens of wonderful anchorages within a few hours cruising time. I'm not even going to mention how wonderful the weather has been as I don't want to jinx things. Signing off now from the public library in Kagawong.
From Killarney we headed to Covered Portage Cove. This may be one of the most beautiful anchorages in the world. It is a narrow little cove with huge stone cliffs on one side and a wooded slope on the other side. There is a path to the top of the cliffs, from which you have a breathtaking view of your boat at anchor. The next day we anchored in Mary Ann Cove on Baie Fine. Since three of the four boats there when we arrived were tied to shore, we did the same thing. It is really a pain to carry a line ashore, but once it's done with the anchor holding the bow off the shore and the stern line holding you in place so you don't swing, you feel very snug. We took our dinghy all the way to the end of Baie Fine where there is a very protected pool that is a popular anchorage. We enjoyed cocktails that evening with several other Loopers we met in Mary Ann Cove.
Sunday we traveled to Little Current on Manitoulin Island, which separates the North Channel from Lake Huron. Little Current is a cute little town and we spent the afternoon exploring by bike, shopping, and finding the locally-made ice cream. Of course, when we returned to the marina, Mark did laundry - his new favorite past-time. Yesterday found us anchored in Clapperton Harbor inside the lee of Harbor Island. This was the site of a very exclusive resort many years ago, which now lies in ruins. This morning we headed back over to Manitoulin to the little village of Kagawong. The two main attractions for us here were the Bridal Veil Falls and St John the Evangelist Anglican Church. The pulpit in the church is made from the bow of a wrecked boat. There was once a big pulp mill operation here and ships loaded the paper to transport it to Michigan where it was used to print Sears-Roebuck catalogs. Haven't planned tomorrow's destination yet - that's the beauty of having dozens of wonderful anchorages within a few hours cruising time. I'm not even going to mention how wonderful the weather has been as I don't want to jinx things. Signing off now from the public library in Kagawong.
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| Pointe au Baril Lighthouse |
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| This narrow channel takes us between the rock ledges |
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| Full moon rising over Sandy Bay |
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| Lighthouse at east end of Killarney Channel |
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| Fish and chips stand on Killarney town dock |
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| The only wildlife we saw in Covered Portage Cove |
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| Calypso at anchor in Covered Portage Cove |
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| Another view of Covered Portage Cove |
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| Strawberry Island Lighthouse - Manitoulin Island, Ontario |
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| Bridal Veil Falls at Kagawong |
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| St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church |
Pictures are so stunning & beautiful. You had a great trip.
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