WEEK 20 - Covered Portage Cove, Ontario to Beardrop Harbor, Ontario

This week we are in the heart of the North Channel cruising grounds, an area that most loopers consider the highpoint of the whole trip. The weather has been for the most part outstanding, with maybe one rainy/windy day each week. Our stops this week were at Baie Fine (anchor 2 nights), Rous Island (anchor), The Benjamin Islands (anchor), Hotham Island (anchor), Kagawong (free dock), Gore Bay (marina), and finally Beardrop Harbor (anchor).

From Covered Portage it is just about 20 miles up long, narrow Baie Fine to another famous anchorage known as The Pool. This is where the Evinrude family had (and still does have) a summer cottage and where the family yacht, the Chanticleer, used to spend the summer. A highlight of this spot is a hiking trail leading up to Topaz Lake. The lake is clear and almost cobalt blue and makes for a refreshing swim after a steep hike up from the pool. Add some plentiful blueberry picking and you have the perfect spot, so we stayed two days.

Hiking trail that leads to Topaz Lake

Topaz Lake

Some loopers are gathering on the shore of the anchorage for docktails

Lots of loopers sharing stories, drink, and food at this gathering

The next major landmark in the North Channel route is the town of Little Current, where the channel pinches down to just a hundred yards across and is spanned by a swing bridge that opens for 15 minutes every hour. Even with the high water, we were able to squeeze under the bridge and stop at the town dock for a couple of hours for lunch, pumpout, and provisioning. Rather than stay in town we went a few miles west to Rous Island for the night. Not too spectacular here, but well protected from the prevailing wind and good holding and a place to land the dog, which is really all I ask for in an anchorage.

Lighthouse on the Point

A low swing bridge along the way to Little Current

Coming under the bridge at Little Current

                                                   

The next days anchorage was spectacular, or I should say SPECTACULAR! The Benjamin Islands are a North Channel icon, beautiful pink granite boulders in an archipelago that forms hundreds of cozy coves. Many boats tie up to trees on the shorelines, but we swung on a single hook out in the middle. You could explore around for a year here. There were a couple of other loopers here, and we had cocktail hour aboard Apres Sail and enjoyed yet another awesome sunset. With the red rays of the setting sun hitting the pink granite, the effect is almost psychedelic.

Christie at the helm watching carefully for rocks

Hiking on some of the rock formations that look over the anchorage

Anchorage views

Bella enjoying the hike

The water is cool and clear

Buddy boats BellaGatto and Nomadic Spirit rafted up at anchorange

The Benjamin Island rock formations

The next afternoon we went up to the northern shore of the North Channel to Hotham Island, along with Apres Sail and Nomadic Spirit. In this little cove there was a very nice cottage on shore and before too long the owner came out in her kayak to invite us up for sunset cocktails on her deck. In most places, there is some tension and sometimes hostility between cottagers and cruisers, and that made the invitation even more gracious and welcome.

BellaGatto at Hothom Island anchorage

The owners of this cottage invited everyone in the anchorage to join them for docktails

Sunset at anchor

Spectacular full moon

 

 Although it involved a lot of backtracking, we wanted to see Bridal Veil Falls on Manitoulin Island, so the next day we headed back to the south shore to the town of Kagawong where we tied up at the town dock. There was a nice ½ mile hike up to the falls along a trail lined with sculpture and other artworks to the falls, which you can walk around behind and swim in front of. We then had a late lunch up by the top of the falls before hiking back home. The town docks were empty, and the dockmaster offered us a cut rate deal if we wanted to stay the night, 20 bucks including electric. Yes, Please!

The trail to Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

   

Kagawong church

The alter in this church is the bow of a boat

The Post Office museum

Exhibit from the Kagawong museum

Leaving the marina at Kagawong

It was now getting time for a full re-provisioning day, so we headed about 15 miles west to the town of Gore Bay where they have a nice city marina and lots of services. In a whirlwind day we went to a farmer’s market, grocery, did four loads of laundry, filled water tanks, filled propane tanks, emptied holding tanks, and still found time for a really nice dinner out.

Approaching Gore Bay marina

Off to dinner to the 1890 restaurant

Sunset view at Gore Bay

It's nice to have a fancy dinner out once in a while

Artfully arranged dinner of shrimp and seafood

Night view of the marina as the nearly full moon rises

The next morning, we said goodbye for now to our traveling buddy boat Nomadic Spirit and headed yet again to the north shore to Whalesback Channel and Beardrop Harbor, where we will spend two days waiting out some weather before heading out again. By the end of next week, we will be back in the good old USA after two great months in Canada.