It has been a while since we could update this blog and post new pictures, as cell phone connection has been very spotty at best. We are in the wilds of Northern Ontario afterall.

First off, we want to let everyone know that Annick will be a grandmother in January 2013:  son Cedric and wife Lizzie are expecting a little one for early January. This means more frequent trips to Rochester in 2013.

And now for our boating adventure update.

North Georgian Bay and the North Channel: a mecca for boaters. This is where Walter Cronkite used to sail, and only here. We understand why now. Absolutely spectacular scenes, one after another. Large granite rocks, emerald blue waters, stunning coves and anchorage areas etc… Larger and more open waters on the North Channel than in the 30,000 Islands area of the Georgian Bay. We were told that the French River area was the most spectacular; although spectacular, we found it rather in-hospitable to boaters (lots of uncharted rocks…). In turn, we found Collins Inlet leading to Killarney very enticing.  

Killarney – A straight linking the northern part of the Georgian Bay to the North Channel – Small town of about 400…mostly marinas catering to transient boaters. Famous Herbert Fisheries Red Bus for Fish & Chips. Incredibly clear blue water. This is where we met up with our friends Dale & Wendy, and their 2 adorable little dogs Coco and Karma. They joined us for a week of exploring the North Channel.

We moved about 40 miles into the North Channel to reach the Benjamin Islands. Another  well-known spot around here. We stayed at a beautiful bay on Crocker Island (one of the Benjamin’s), where in order to make room for the large number of transient boats, it is mandatory to stern-tie to anything that will hold your boat, while putting your bow anchor out as far as you can go without impeding the flow of boat traffic. One of the nights we were there, unfortunately, the wind gusted up to about 30 knots directly on our beam. It took 3  1-inch lines to secure the boat to the shore (what fun this was!): Annick was glad to have Dale on board to help with the process!

We moved on to an area called Baie Fine that is in the La Cloche Range. It just looks like Fjords in Norway. From there it was a few days anchoring out in various anchorages in Frazier Bay, all with small sand beaches and super clear water. All great for doggy runs…

We were back in Killarney on Saturday 8/4 to drop Dale and Wendy off to their car. We had a very good time with them with great food and wines. They gifted us wonderful meats (filet, steaks, pork loin), cheeses, and beaucoup wines... We thought we would go back at anchor after they left, but the wind forecast for the next few days was bad. We were lucky to take one of the very last docks available, after hopping from a mooring ball to the fuel dock for one night. Wind was as advertised on Sunday: 30 knots with gusts to 45 knots…, and M. had to reinforce our floating dock with 2 1-in lines to the shore. We had 12 lines on our boat too! A 63 ft. Viking ripped their dock, had to power out, and ended up on the fuel dock 2 feet behind us: tight quarters... The marina lost 175 ft. of dock that day. Everyone was looking for shelter, but all docks we booked in the 2 neighboring towns of Killarney and Little Current. We also witnessed a May Day call where 4 canoers went in the water off Killarney. A rescue boat from our marina was dispatched and brought everyone back to shore alive and safe. We witnessed lots of activities that day. We take strong wind advisory very seriously, as it can really whip up here.

From here, we are going back to the North Channel for at least the next 2 weeks. We have decided to not come back down and retrace our route to the US/Syracuse NY, because this boating mecca is so gorgeous, we want to spend more time here next year. We are looking for heated storage in Northern Michigan. We will then keep moving along the North Channel until we can cross to Lake Huron or Lake Michigan for storage, likely in mid-September. Weather will dictate our schedule.  Summer of 2013 we will drive from storage to the North Channel down the Georgian Bay and back to the US/NY state. Then???

Don’t forget to view the 2 new picture albums on North Georgian Bay and the North Channel.

And thank you for traveling with us via this blog. You can click on location below too.

Annick & Michael Smart aboard Sirocco.