Georgian Bay & the Thirty Thousand Islands - Part 2

The Bad River Channel & Devil’s Door Rapids

The Bad River, one of our very favorite stops. Plenty of room to swing on anchor, or for those who choose, tie against some of the rock faces. 

This is also another area known for the Massaussaga rattle snake. Much smaller, I’m told than the rattlers in Texas but still equally as venomous. Needless to say, Susann elects to swing on anchor so that no creepy, crawly or slithery visitors perceive they are welcome.

Wild blueberry picking is a favorite for many, but since it is suggested that you don’t put your hand into the bushes (where the snakes like to hide), I’ll just buy my blueberries at the supermarket!

This area is very remote and pristine, and for those of us with a dinghy motor powerful enough to punch through the Devil’s Door Rapids, a magnificent world exists for dinghy exploration. 

There are numerous waterfalls and rapids, some of which, one can take their dinghy up and enjoy the exhilarating ride down through the falls and rapids. Be sure to carry a spare propellor since one hesitation and the prop can be dinged.

We did this run in 2007 with our grandson Jacob. Absolutely fantastic, and we did ding our prop. This visit, we did not attempt the run since our dinghy motor has been misbehaving, frequently cutting out without notice. We suspect bad fuel but decided that shooting the falls would not be a good move. Next visit!

After two enjoyable days in the Bad River, it was time to move on. 

A very early departure saw the sun rise, not something we see with regularity. The early departure was so we could capitalize on the calm winds out on the large, open water stretch of Lake Huron.

Today's route took us through a shallow, well-buoyed area and the entrance to Collin’s Inlet. 

Parts of the inlet are fjord like, narrow with steep granite cliffs on either side. Along this remote, route through land owned by First Nations People, we saw much evidence of wildlife, including numerous beaver lodges, but we did not see any beaver.

Killarney Lighthouse

Shortly after, we entered the channel into Killarney, a resort mecca, with boats moving and whizzing in all directions, sort of like I35 out of Austin on a Friday evening. Not being fans of congestion or busy, we hi-tailed it through Killarney and headed for Covered Portage Anchorage.

Covered Portage Cove

Covered Portage is a must stop for first time cruisers to the area. It is a beautiful and well protected anchorage with room for upwards to 40 boats at peak season. 

The two nights we visited, there were only 15- 18 boats here. We understand that boat traffic is down almost everywhere this year.

Some boats elect to drop an anchor, back up to the cliff and tie their stern off to shore. Others, like us opt to swing on anchor, particularly if you are only spending one or two nights.

We certainly enjoyed the clear, warm water here for swimming.

One will notice that the cliffs have changed from the grey granite to mostly white, making them visible from a distance.