Georgian Bay & the Thirty Thousand Islands - Part1

 

Midland to the Bustard Islands

Our first stop was Midland where we needed to re-provision, refill our water tanks pump-out the sewage tank.

The Thirty Thousand Islands of Georgian Bay stretch over 100 miles from Honey Harbour in the southeast to the French River in the northwest. The islands are part of the Precambrian Shield, some of the oldest rocks in the world.

There are probably twice as many islands as the name implies, some tiny rock surfaces with just one tree, along with many of varying sizes, many of which are inhabited with just one cottage.

 With few small communities, this area is remote and pristine.

The appeal of these islands for the cruising community is their geological character, the crystal, pure waters of Lake Huron, clean air, natural beauty and an abundance of protected anchorages.

Georgian Bay Islands, Canada National Park  

Ojibway Cove on Beausoleil Island

We elected to hunker down for the weekend and avoid the busy weekend boat traffic. We were fortunate to get dock space in Ojibway Cove on the beautiful Beauoleil Island, in Georgian Bay National Park. The mooring pass, previously purchased for the Trent Severn system also included Georgian Bay Islands in the National Park system.

We shared happy hours, traded stories and gleaned valuable local knowledge with our fellow dock mates. We learned the best spot to beach the dinghy and enjoy a swim off the sandy beach on a hot, summer afternoon. Surprisingly, the water was comfortable after the refreshing first few seconds.

Sunday afternoon we decided to head out, hoping to have missed much of the weekend boat traffic. Wrong! As we approached Honey Harbour, the waterway was congested and busy with local cottagers whizzing everywhere, kind of like I 35 heading into Austin on a weekday morning. Everyone in a mad hurry.

Our destination for the night was Bernadette Cove on the Monument Channel. A very quiet and pretty anchorage, tainted only by the woman on her paddle board telling us that we had old charts and now that there were three cottages there, it was no longer an anchorage. Wrong! Read maritime law, a boat may drop anchor where deemed safe. Land lubbers may own the land, and prohibit one from trespassing ashore, but only as far as the high water mark. We assured her we were quiet and respectful and had no intention of heading ashore, and the proceeded to drop anchor.

A beautiful, full moon that night.

Next morning we had a reasonably early departure with breakfast underway. Port Rawson Bay had been highly recommended, so that was our destination. There is no community here, just a very large, remote bay with literally room for hundreds of boats to anchor in the many coves. We were alone in the area we chose to drop anchor, but saw several boats anchored on our dinghy exploration. 

Finally Susann saw a loon with two chicks , out for a swim.

Parry Sound, Big Sound Marina

Heavy rain was forecast, plus we needed fresh provisions, water and clean laundry so a couple of nights in Parry Sound seemed like the thing to do. Quaint marina in pretty setting. Sobeys and/or Walmart were a cab ride away, but when necessity calls, one does what one must.

The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario)has been on strike for 2 plus weeks! This is where one must purchase spirits and wine,  so needless to say, the natives have been getting restless. Good news, the strike was over and the stores opened the first day we were in Parry Sound. Shelves appeared full, but everything in stock was on the shelves and not necessarily in its designated place, making it impossible to know the prices, so as Alan said, load the cart, swallow twice and just pay……yikes! Always a big ouch when purchasing wine, beer or spirits here in Canada.

Bobby Orr, the famous hockey player who played for the Boston Bruins, was born and grew up in Parry Sound. 

Gilly’s Seafood, Snug Harbour on Kilbear Island

Next destination was Kilbear Island, for Gilly’s fish restaurant in Snug Harbour. We anchored out and took the dinghy into Gilly’s.

 Wow! The panfried pickerel (walleye) was out of this world. Oysters on the half shell and the escargots were both excellent. All this was topped off with a fresh berry pavlova for dessert. This meal was a real treat. Service was also excellent.

After dinner, we opted to up anchor due to the swell and roll coming in off Lake Huron. Two additional hours cruising put us into a beautiful anchorage in Black Bass Lake, just before dusk. Here we heard our first loon and saw two swimming near the back of the boat, sadly there was insufficient light for a photo.

Kilbear Island to the Bustard Islands

Approaching Point au Baril Lighthouse

Pointe au Baril Lighthouse

The baril was the original marker for vessels entering Pointe au Baril.

Our day of cruising to the Bustard Islands saw us snaking through the sometimes narrow small-craft channel, periodically entering the open waters of Lake Huron through narrow, rocky but well-marked channels. This required an alert skipper and was a navigational and boat handling challenge for any captain.

Bustard Islands 

A visit to the remote Bustard Islands was next on the agenda. Here we spent 2 quiet, relaxing days. There are two separate anchorages, and the rest of the islands are accessible only by dinghy or kayak.