Great Lakes Marauders 8-10-11

I’ve been doing a lot of entries lately about the beauty of the North Channel of Lake Huron, and you are probably wondering where is the drama, everything can’t be so great. You are right--I have not been totally honest with you, my faithful readers.

There is a lurking presence that stalks us by night and dares us to find it amongst the hundreds of hidey holes on the boat. It leaves a spun dream catcher the next morning but is long gone. It knows that we can’t use pesticides this year as we have a puppy, and sometimes I expect that they are scouting out Mollie, too.

We try to make a truce with them by suggesting that they stay outside and help themselves to all the flies and mosquitoes that they can catch, but leave us in peace inside the cabin. Sounds like a fair deal but they are not to be trusted and quickly renege on the deal and surreptitiously outflank us night after night.

We’ve picked up boatloads of these pests from Michigan to Canada. Sometimes we feel that we are running a cruise ship for them as they party night after night and are not even interested in catching a good share of the bountiful flies and mosquitoes.

Their absolutely favorite haunt is the bow pulpit and anchor locker which is located right over our bed. No wonder I go to bed at night with a flashlight to check if I am having company. Bob, was that you tickling my leg???????

Calm at the End of the Storm 8-10-11

The day started pretty meekly with 10 knots of wind and partly sunny skies. Environment Canada (Canada’s national weather service) was forecasting 30 knots by the afternoon with water spouts, but hard to believe when things look so calm. Many a captain ventured out today, even a little trailer sailor family with a reluctant wife and 2 kids under age 5. Then the wind and rain hit with a one/two punch at 3p.m. howling out of the west with 25-30-35 knots of wind. The North Channel is more protected than open Lake Huron, but even the Channel was showing 6+ foot waves at the buoy.

The marine radio was alive with broadcasts of a sailboat going aground, anchors dragging in island anchorages and a powerboat hitting a reef. Canadian Coast Guard was sorting all of this out, and luckily boaters were helping other boaters. It is a small community and every boater knows that the next time it could be them in an emergency situation.

These are the same winds that we had 7/17 in Government Bay when our anchor dragged 200 feet on a very stormy, scary night. Today was a different story as we took shelter in the Spanish marina as we were betting that the EC forecast was correct. Hearing that banshee wind howling goes to your core wherever you are, but today all we had to do was take down our bimini top so that it would not get bent.

At the end of the storm, Mother Nature offers a bit of an apology by displaying a fantastic rainbow.

John Harbour 8-8-11

We weighed anchor at 11a.m. on 8/6 to head east back through the Whalesback Channel for 6 miles to John Harbour, formed by Gowan, Dewdney and John Islands. The Great Lakes Cruising Club (GLCC) rates anchorages and this one gets the designation of “beautiful anchorage” and we would definitely agree. It has 2 deep-water anchorages, is very well-protected, and even has a fully enclosed cove (Cleary) for shallow draft boats.

Each anchorage has its own unique personality and feel. John Harbour stretches long and elegantly through higher rock cliffs, covered by a deep pine forest that hides blueberry patches and mushrooms. During our 2 nights here, there were only 7 other boats anchored, spread out over 2 miles so each had a more solitary experience.

Our bodies and minds are really unwinding after 3 weeks up here in the North Channel. I cannot remember a time in my adult life when I’ve been this relaxed. It’s like going back to care-free childhood days filled with swimming, reading, playing games and making new friends. Life is good.

Turnbull and Sanford Islands and Blind River 8-6-11

With a forecast of rain for all day on 8/3, we decided to head further west past the end of the Whaleback Channel to the Town of Blind River. Rainy days are good for getting boating tasks done in port (provisioning, laundry, pump-outs, etc.) as well as a chance to get Wi-Fi, catch-up with boaters we’ve met at various anchorages and stretch our legs with long walks and bike rides. Blind River Marina is relatively new with floating docks and a very helpful staff who helped us dock in 15 knot winds. The marina also provides loaner bikes with big baskets which came in handy for the 2 mile trek to town. There is an M&M Meat Shop here which carries a catalog full of frozen meats—just perfect for packing our tiny freezer in our small fridge.

Fog engulfed us the next morning, but lifted by 11 a.m. so we cast-off for Turnbull Island, east about 8 miles. The u-shaped harbor is formed by Turnbull/Bassett Islands to the north, east and southeast, and a bracelet of unnamed islands fill in the west to give full protection with a mud bottom and plenty of depth.

Here’s a picture of Baby Grand at anchor. You’ll notice our riding sail which keeps us pointed into the wind and we swing less back and forth. If you zoom in, you can see our blue aft awning which we can set-up in 10 minutes with a front track, a rear pole, and side bungees. It has flaps all around that can be raised or lowered. This awning has really kept us cool all summer. Baby Grand is an 1985 boat without tinted windows but we cut the heat down by adding phifertex sunscreens. All of these, as well as our flybridge bimini, were made by Jim Wilinski of Ship Shape Products in Duluth, MN and we highly recommend him.

This small archipelago of islands is another great place for dinghy exploration. We’re told it’s a pretty good place to fish for pike and bass. GLCC developed a campsite just perfect for going ashore and having a campfire. Here we are on Sanford (“Clara”) Island looking for interesting rocks. The island was habited by a gang of marauding boars in the 1980’s but no sightings today.