Day 45, August 4, 2022

 

Day 45 Thursday August 4, 2022

Wright’s Marina Britt, Ontario to Bad River Anchorage

Our plan was a 7:30 start for a short day from the marina to Bad River Anchorage on the French River.  Weather is the king and this time dictated fog.  At 8am we decided it was a go (Sea Life, The Grand Wazoo, It’s About Time, Tug Bussle and us) and headed out.  Five minutes later the collective decision was made to turn around – fog was actually getting worse instead of better.  Back to the marina to wait it out.  FINALLY at 11:15 the fog was really clearing and we set out for the 2^nd time.  The Grand Wazoo was our fearless leader.  The fog didn’t completely lift until 12:40.  Until then we relied on radar, AIS, and our charts.  We were 3^rd in line.  At one point we could only see the boat in front of us – down to 0.5 mile visibility.   Gratefully the waves on Lake Huron were only 1-2 feet, not bad at all and the sun actually tried to shine.

Bad River Anchorage wasn’t so bad after all.  In fact, it was wonderful.  Large granite rocks surrounding us; calm waters, peaceful.  

Camping, but watch out for the bears!

About 30 other boats were anchored or “med-moored” (bow anchor with stern line attached to the rocks on shore).  NO fear of swinging when you are fastened at both ends… 

Tug Bussle felt they needed more room so moved on to the Gun Barrel Channel for anchorage.

 Once satisfied that our anchor was holding we lowered the dinghy and went exploring.  Lots of little openings (cuts) leading to bigger and better scenery.   

There were many cuts that lead to great fishing and exploring by kayak and dinghy. Devil’s Door Raids offers some swift moving water and entertainment for the more adventurous boater (we were not among them) to shoot the rapids.

The rapids are hard to see. 

We enjoyed steak on the grill and a very pleasant evening.  NO anchor alarms going off this time.

Day 43 & 44, August 2 and 3, 2022

 Day 43,  August 2, 2022

Parry Sound to Britt, Ontario.

We woke at 6am for an anticipated long day.  Last minute weather check was not good.  High northwest winds (unfavorable for Georgian Bay) and rain.  Rain we can deal with but winds aren't friendly especially with so many rocks to deal with.  Water depth can change dramatically with wind and then your props meet rocks.

As we debated the situation we watched other Loop boats leave the marina.  OK - do they know something we don't?  Winds are supposed to diminish by early afternoon, maybe we could go.  We ready the boat, unplug power and ... FOG rolls in.  Oh bother!  We wait for it to clear and finally leave at 7:50.  

Misty, but not too windy.  The weather held off, the sun tried to shine and we made our way to Wright's Marina on Byng Inlet, Britt.

Abandoned lighthouse now a home to osprey

 

  

Along the way we saw LOTS of rocks and lots of lighthouses, most notably Point Au Baril lighthouse. Originally the Point Au Baril light was an oil lantern placed on top of a barrel.  Now it is a real working lighthouse.

With all of the rocks it seemed like our course was 2 steps forward and 3 steps back as we wove around all of the rocks and underwater hazards.  Thankfully it is well marked.  It can get confusing with markers close together and 90 degree turns. Best to take your time and keep your eyes peeled. 

We arrived at Wright's Marina at 2:45, a 7 hour day, with 6 other Looper boats in attendance - Tug Bussle, In to the Mystic, See Life, It's About Time, The Grand Wazoo and Robbie Jo II.    We stopped at the fuel dock first to get pumped out and got a pleasant surprise.  As AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruisers Association) members, our pump out was FREE!  That saved us $55 when compared to the quote we got at Starport Marina.

The marina offers the use of a golf cart so I joined Janet on a short trip to the local St. Amant's convenience store for some bread.  They are an LCBO agent so they can sell beer, wine and liquor in addition to the limited groceries, produce and hardware items.  You can buy your beer while getting your plumbing, electrical and boating supplies.

We enjoyed docktails and visiting with our neighbors.  You'll never guess the routine visitors our boat neighbors get.  Check out what's hanging from the hockey stick!

Day 44 August 3, 2022

Weather actually delivered as promised today. Cold with hard rain, now cool and overcast.  Day spent planning route, making next reservations and catching up on the blog.  Jerry and I took advantage of the golf cart and visited the grocery/LCBO.  Not much selection but we bought some wine and corn on the cob.  I miss fresh corn from Giroux's.

Hamburgers and corn for dinner,  Did I mention there is an ice cream shop a short walk from the marina?  Guess what was for desert?  Nope.  Due to the inclement weather they didn't open... so disappointed.

Tomorrow we are headed to Bad River Anchorage.  Locals refer to it as "The Bad".  We'll spend the night there with other Loopers then head to Killarney Mountain Lodge for 2 nights.

Day 41 & 42, July 31 and August 1, 2022

 Day 41, Sunday July 31, 2022

Henry's Fish Restaurant to Parry Sound

Late 10am start for a short travel day to Parry Sound.  We enjoyed our overnight stay at Henry's; quiet and calm once boat and plane traffic was gone.  Sunny and promising to be a nice day.

Voyage was good -- LOTS of boat traffic, especially since it was the weekend.  Obviously there is a huge disregard for "No Wake" zones.  Major concern for us would be an 18 foot clearance railroad swing bridge that only opens on the hour, last opening at 5pm.  Don't want to miss that!  No worries, we'll put the mast down and have 16' 9" clearance.  No need to wait for the bridge opening.

We reached the bridge and it looked close so I climbed onto the summer kitchen to be lookout -- good thing as we forgot to lower our antennae!!  We scrambled to lower them and then under we went.  Water levels were high as we only had an inch to spare.... I was holding my breath....

Settled in at the marina we walked to town, ate Italian (leftovers for tomorrow), and enjoyed some ice cream (Sugar shack - maple with chocolate chunks, maple candy coated nuts - yum). 

Travel by land, sea and "air".

Strand Theater -- nothing like ours!

Local cruises are available.Local wildlife

We planned a 2 day stay due to weather the next day.

Day 42, Monday August 1, 2022

Big Sound Marina, day 2.  Weather was predicted as high winds and 100% precipitation.  Dreary all day but rains never started until around 3pm. Spent the day cleaning the boat and laundry with lots of route planning and comparison.

We used the washer/dryer on board for only the second time, this time with actual laundry in it.  I was able to wash a set of queen size sheets and 2 pillowcases but the dryer just couldn't handle it.  I had to split the load and do each separately.  Finally it all dried.  It didn't matter, we were in no hurry to get anywhere.

Parry Sound is an anchorage for a couple of cruise ships. 

A ship from Victoria Cruise Lines was anchored off shore. 

We watched tenders from the boat ferry passengers to town.

Socially distanced BBQs.

 Local resident, Hilda, enjoying a swim.

Off to Byng Inlet, Britt Ontario tomorrow.  We'll spend 2 nights due to the predicted weather.

Day 40 July 30, 2022

 

Day 40 Saturday July 30, 2022

Bone Island anchorage has presented us with some challenges.  With calmer winds we would have been more confident and relaxed about how well our anchor set.  We also would have launched our dinghy and done a bit of exploring.  Instead we stayed on the boat, ready to react if the anchor wasn’t holding.  We did enjoy the calling of loons and spotted a momma with her baby on her back.

Stressful and tiring, with relatively no sleep for the Captain, we decided that a marina would be the best choice for the night.  Northwest winds continued today making travel a little bouncy.  Add to that the little (and not so little) boats zipping past creating huge wakes, the ride was not relaxing.  We changed our plotted course moving to more protected waters, using some of the side channels.  The main channel spent more time out in open water and subjected us to the winds.

We left our anchorage at 9:20 and arrived at Henry’s Fish Restaurant and Marina 4 ½ hours later. Tug Bussle had arrived earlier and already had lunch with good reviews.   We were ready to be tied to a dock for the night.  Janet and Russ were traveling on to Parry Sound.  We are headed there tomorrow.

Henry’s is famous for its fish and chips.  Many boaters come to enjoy the menu – locals and visitors like us.  They have several docks that can accommodate diners and transient overnight guests. 

They also have a dock that is reserved for SEA PLANES!  Several planes were there when we arrived and we enjoyed watching as they left the restaurant and took off.   Henry’s Restaurant is a Federally registered airport for sea planes and is serviced by at least 5 commercial airlines!

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We relaxed for the afternoon (Jerry took a nap), talked to Dad, and then went to dinner.  There had been a steady stream of boats and planes all afternoon but we didn’t have to wait to be seated.  Fish and chips with coleslaw and beans – lots of food, and of course we have leftovers. 

 

  Glass reads "Panic Line"!!

 

We saved room for a cone of Algonquin Canoe ice cream (maple ice cream, chocolate pieces, caramel and fudge swirls).  Yummy!

On to Parry Sound and Big Sound Marina tomorrow.