Wake up - Get up - Start a new adventure

• We played a game of poker run. In your dinghy you have to go to 5 different marinas and get a card. At the 6th marina the dinghy with the best poker hand wins. I filled a dozen or so balloons with water and was all set to go. Most teams were couples; one had several men, I guess their wives didn't want to play. The men had it all planned with super soakers. One of the guys actually went to a store for the water guns. We had 2-10's, 1-J, 1-A and a 4. We didn't win, however, we were soaked and did have fun.
• We zigzagged our way through a maze into a cove called Bustard Islands. This time there were other boats, but you could not see them until you were right next to them. We dropped anchor; Mike took the dinghy and tied the stern to a tree. We took a dinghy ride along the shore and explored the sheltered channels. You know God had his hand in this, his fingerprints are all over. During the night there was a thunder storm. The wind howled and the lightning made the sky look like the 4th of July. We were glad we had both bow and stern anchored. In the morning you would not have known it even rained.
• Some of the channels are so narrow and long; with the turns and rocks, you can not see the other side. Before you enter you have to go on channel 16 and say "security-security-security", say which direction you are going-"33ft. power boat going east to west in Roger's Gut in 2 minutes." Then you hold your breath and hope no boat is coming the other way. There is not enough room for 2 boats to pass.
• We went to Byng Inlet to a restaurant called Little Britt Inn. The owner was Jim and he did not serve you if he didn't like you. He told great stories - he was Mike's hero. A genuine character. They had a long conversation. Mike explained that his ambition in life was to be a character, just like Jim. Jim said, "I think you made it." P.S. The food was great.
• The North Channel - the outpost of civilization. We had a flat, beautiful ride from Kagawong to Meldrum and then to Drummond Island. We played golden oldies, lots of rock and roll, and sang off tune and danced. We were happy that no one could hear us. We talked about old times and what each song made us think of. All together it was about 9 hours. When we arrived at Drummond Island we had to check in at customs. We had our passports, drivers license, documentation and decal number ready for the agent. This time it only took 10 minutes. We decided to ride our bikes to Mass and do some grocery shopping. The next stop would be Mackinac Island and that's supposed to be expensive. When we left the IGA store I asked if there was a shorter way back to the marina. The clerk said, "Just follow the main road and make the 1st right". Yeah right! We only rode 2 miles from the marina to church and then to the store. Heading back we were already about 3 miles - all up hill. We came to the 1st right, and rode at least another 2 miles; we did see the water but no marina. I thought Mike was having a heart attack. The sweat was pouring off him like I sprayed him with a hose. He said ##@** to me, it was all my fault, I asked for the short cut. We came to a house, the front door was open, the car was running. I knocked at the door, I could hear a young mother coaching her 3 year old to make on the potty. I knocked again, I hated to interrupt the potty process...I remember what that was like. Finally I heard "good girl" you can have your M&M. When the mother came to the door, I explained my situation, she understood, after all she was married. She laughed at two adults being lost. The right way to head to the marina was to go back the way we came. However, we could sneak into some grumpy couples yard, cross a field go over a fence, follow a gravel path, go down a hill and come out on the main road in half the time. We very quietly went into the grumpy couples back yard, we started to cross the field when we were attacked by black flies. (The size of the carpenter bees at the club.) When they landed on you, you felt like you were hit with a ball. We carried our bikes over the fence, followed the gravel path, went down the hill and finally came to the main road. We left our boat at 4 p.m. to go to 4:30 Mass, pick up some groceries and it was now 8 P.M. So much for our shortcut.
• There are only 77 slips on Mackinac Island. We made a reservation, one of the few we made. Because of this we had to go whatever the weather was. We woke up to thunder and lightning and light rain. The Coast Guard said there would be a small craft warning in the afternoon. It's 8 a.m...do we go or not? We broke our own rule, we went. The wind was blowing, we were protected by small islands on both sides. We got to DeTour Harbor and the current and the wind were right in front of us. It started to get a little bouncy, I had my life jacket on and Mike did me a favor and had his next to him. As we cleared land and entered the open lake the little chop turned into 5 ft waves coming right at us. The Hail Mary's started. We rolled and I held on the way one of Count Dracula's victims might cling to a cross. We kept going 47 miles. It started to lay down about half way across. It's amazing how the water changes on the lakes. We see land-Yeah!! We docked and Mike had a beer. It turned out to be a beautiful day....
• Mackinac Island is only 3 miles long by 2 wide. There's lots of ferry traffic and they don't worry about you. This is one of my big attractions, ever since I saw the movie "Somewhere In Time." It is enchanting with horse drawn carriages and colonial homes. Lots of B&B's. No cars are on the island; only transportation is by horse or bikes. There's a pungent odor on the streets or as my sweetie says - it's stinks, it's horse shit!
• The Grand Hotel with the world's longest veranda is high on a hill, you can see it from everywhere. It overlooks the harbor. It's regal and the prices are as grand as the hotel.
• We took our bikes on an eight-mile trip around the island. The path is flat, which we loved. There's a military reenactment, with the bugle and drums. Every so often they shot off a cannon. Just like at the club - your heart skips a beat and you jump when it goes off. There are many shops and places to eat. There had to be 20 fudge stores. We spent 2 days here just strolling and loving it.

What country are we in?

• Killarney is one of those towns that is very limited when it comes to getting any supplies. However, it has the important stuff like a liquor store, small grocery and restaurants. The current was very strong when we pulled into Sportsman's Inn. It had everything we needed and all for $.50 a foot. We took a long walk along the nature trail...one of these days we'll remember to use bug spray before we start. We walked about forty-five minutes when we realized that its a forty-five minute walk back. Later my sweet tooth was acting up, so I decided to bake a cake to satisfy it. Everyone on the dock made a comment --someone is baking --smells like home. Of course we shared and got to know all our neighbors.
• There's a red and white school bus parked by the fishing dock. The bus was converted into a fish and chips take-out store. The entire 2 days we stayed in Killarney there was a line waiting for the white fish dinner. We ate there on Saturday night.
• We went to Baie Fine; very clear and protected waters. So clear, it reminded Mike of a nice glass of gin! We dropped anchor and once again tied the stern to a tree. At night we went for a dinghy ride to watch the sunset. We met 2 more couples, who also were out for a little ride. Jokingly they asked if we had the champagne; we all just laughed. They invited us back to their sailboat for coffee or a drink. We went back to our boat first and got some champagne, they were very surprised when we showed up with the bottle of bubbly. When we left them to go back to our boat we couldn't believe the amount of stars in the sky.
• The next day Mike and Pat S. and Mike and Cathy C. joined us on their boats. We all took a dinghy ride up to the "Pool" at the far end of Baie Fine. The ride there, which was about 5 miles, could have been a little smoother. We pulled the dinghies up on shore and tied them to trees. We climbed up the mountain and did a little hike, again we forgot the bug spray, and came to another lake called Topaz Lake. Mike climbed down to this lake and went for a swim. It's a dead lake, the color is just that different. It was well worth the walk to get a look at the crystalline water. Heading back was not as much fun as getting there. The waves were breaking over the front of the dinghy; I was glad I had my bathing suit on. After the long walk, the hike up the mountain, and the wet ride home I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
• Little Current can be a challenge to dock the boat; the current always runs at least 4 knots. Other boaters actually come out to help you dock. We stayed at Spider Bay Marina...guess how it got the name. I can remember staying at Essex Island many years ago. There were lots of spiders there also. It took close to a year to get rid of the little pests.
• On to the Benjamin Islands. We anchored past a spot called "Sow and Pigs." You have to be careful here; the little piggies can jump up and grab your props or stub your bow. It's very rocky.
• From here we went to Gore Bay where we met up with some other loopers. Loopers are people who belong to the AGLCA. We all got together and went to dinner that night at the Rocky Racoon Restaurant.
• Next port, Kagawong, where we were greeted by Bob and Wendy. They owned the place and were also loopers. We spent the afternoon visiting Bridal Veil Falls. You have to walk down a trail; once again no bug spray. Taking a dip in the water was great, the falls were a little tough. When you were under the falls the water comes down so hard it was like you were being hit with stones. It was beautiful. That night the church had a roast beef dinner. We spent the evening with Bob and Wendy hearing about the loop.

The 30,000 Islands

MJ and Jay, along with their dog, Morgan, cat, Jack and the two of us left early in the morning for Tobermory. It's a long ride - about 100 miles. Many boaters, like us, had to stay in port the last couple of days because the waves and the wind were really bad. One boat has been here nine days. The first thing I see is a 365 ft. ferry, the Chi-Cheemaun (big canoe). It's out of a James Bond movie. It opens up in the front like a big mouth and out comes, or goes in, log trucks, tractor trailers, campers, vans, cars and motorcycles, even a school bus. It holds 143 vehicles and I heard 800 people. When the horn blows telling you it's ready to leave, you better not have a drink in your hand or be holding a baby. It's so loud, your cup goes into the air and you're wearing it and the baby sobs for the next 5 minutes. Tobermory is an old fishing and lumbering town. Now it caters to boaters waiting out the weather before scattering to all parts of the Georgian Bay and the North Channel. We'll stay in Little Tub 2 nights. This afternoon we'll get our last shot at shopping and tomorrow we'll tour the area in the dinghy. Diving is very big here, you wear a dry suit because the water is so cold. There are 22 shipwrecks off this coast in Fathom Five National Marine Park. You can see down 25 feet. My feeling is it's just too cold for anything to live in these waters. We took a ride over to Flowerpot Island. Legend has it that Shining Rainbow and Bounding Deer, a Chippewa prince, fell in love. Their tribes did not approve. They decided to run away to Flowerpot Island, from which no one had ever returned. Little Spirit, the powerful island deity, decided to prove his strength. He turned the lovers into stone. There are two natural stone structures on the island that resemble human figures. If we don't come back it's because the Little Spirit did a job on us too! We said good bye to MJ and Jay. They went north and we headed south to Lion's Head. About an hour out a cloud of fog covered us. We could only see a few feet past the boat. The water was very calm and very deep, 500 feet.

A few years ago, I was very impressed with Bobby O. He took 5 boats across Block Island Sound from Montauk to Newport in a fog. At times we could only see the boat in front of us. Bobby took us right to the entrance marker.

On the VHS we heard a call to the Coast Guard, from a couple we had met in Tobermory. They were very concerned, they did not know where they were. The Coast Guard told them to sit tight, blow their horn now and then and wait out the fog. Mike had them on our radar, he called them and told them where we were and asked if they wanted our help. They said yes they would appreciate it very much. We found them, they followed us to safety...my hero. That night at Lion's Head a real Atlantique storm hit. It lasted 12 hours. The waves would hit the break wall, fly over it and hit us. We rocked and rolled all night. I thought about Nancy A. the day she spent at the ladies room when the boat rocked too much to stay on it. It was so rough it didn't even rock us to sleep. I couldn't wait to get off. Even that was scary, they were floating docks and didn't stay still for a second. The wind would not subside. The town consists of 1 hardware store, 2 restaurants, a library and a fire department. Not too much to do. We rode our bikes for a little while, the hills were too high to pedal up. We found 2 old age homes and thought we would end up there. Finally we were able to leave and the next port was 60 miles away. Penetanguishene, Ont. We met many members of the AGLCA, most of which were at various stages of the loop. We spent 4 days at talks about different parts of the trip. We were especially interested in the 30,000 islands, North Channel and the rivers. We learned that the 30,000 islands have over 90,000 rocks. Some the size of a city block and some as small as a refrigerator just lurking below the surface waiting to take our props, shafts and rudders. The last night we went on a dinner cruise on the Georgian Queen with 80 of our "closest friends". They had a jazz band, the youngest was around 85. We really enjoyed them, the scary thing is I knew most of the songs. I guess my parents used to play the songs. I sometimes wonder why we created this stress for ourselves. We could be docked at Fire Island and not worry about rocks. We left Penetnguishene and headed north to the small craft channel. Before you knew it we were in a very narrow channel about 20 feet wide. Twist and turns rocks and cliffs on both sides and water as low as 3 feet. We were at Big Dogs....we should have gone the other side of Robert's Island. From there to Royal Island, Inner Canal to Honey Harbour. This was well marked and we were surprised at how busy it was since today is Thursday. We went to Gwetchewan Island and dropped anchor. It's 1:30 in the afternoon-quiet very quiet. We're sitting on the cockpit looking at a white sandy beach with high cliffs of rock and large green trees. The stress of 2 hours ago is gone and a nice swim is in order. We had a great dinner and then a John Wayne movie. Mike has 47 John Wayne movies with us. Even on the hook I can watch a John Wayne movie, I'm a lucky girl!!!! Most of these movies are in black and white. Mike said he has a lot more at home. We are now staying on the hook 2 nights and in marinas 2 nights. I can not describe the beautiful, pristine, colorful anchorages. You must be getting tired of my saying it over and over again. Once again we are sitting on the back of our boat in Regatta Bay. A big and I mean big turtle just popped his head up to say hello. I ran and got him some bread. He's not at all afraid of me, however, I'm afraid of him. Tom and Tilly are in a boat a few feet from us. They're from the area. Tom tells us the history of Archie, the turtle. He's about 90 years old. He has a bullet wound on his back and lots of moss and scars on him. Really ugly. Tom said his father used to tell him stories about Archie. Tom is 72 and said Archie has been here as long as he can remember. We took a dingy ride with Tom and Tilly to Windsor Bay. Boats drop anchor and then tie up to a tree, real cool. The bay that we are anchored at now you can tie up to the rocks. Many put out their fenders and tie up to a shear rock wall. Mike hasn't developed the nerve to do this yet. Mike made a statement about the ugly American. Tom said, "You should be so proud being an American." He couldn't imagine what shape this world would be in today if it wasn't for America. Our chest swelled up with pride. What a wonderful comment!