Saturday, August 23, 2014
August 19, 2014
On the way back to Bismarck, boat in tow on the trailer. So sad this adventure is over. Will update the blog as time permits entering pictures with postings.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
July 29, 2014 Tuesday Leaving Britt, Ontario, Canada
Finally somewhere that has good Wifi and not to tired to use it. Came in here two days ago, storming and high winds 25 knots predicted yest. which really happened with rain the night before. Met up with 5 other loopers for happy hour. At all different stages of their loop, we were the only ones almost done. Interesting the stories. All agreed the rocks and narrow passages of Georgian Bay are very intimidating to say the least and also the most beautiful. Sad to hear we lost a good friend Esther yesterday. She wanted to go to heaven for so long and now she is there but I am happy for that but sad I won't get to talk to her and show her pictures of this great adventure. Everyone has said this is an adventure of a life time but I don't know about that, just a long adventure with hopes of good health and many more. Discussion underway about cruising the rivers of Europe with our own private boat............
This morning fog off the water, forecast to get down to 47 last night, jeans and sweatshirt day, Curt even had his foulies and winter coat on with sweatshirt under when we came in two days ago, cold and wet. Boat is staying dry on the inside at least. With water and gas in their proper tanks and laundry and provisioning done, the weather calm but cloudy and cold, we'll be heading out again today, some outside the islands passages which is somewhat like going off shore in the Atlantic but at least away from most of the underwater and above water rocks. Slow going this last week due to weather issues. Traveling with another couple on John B-Don from Florida and Kathleen from British Columbia, both of us watching the map and still we both missed a marker, we did drag across some rocks but nothing severe, just a warning. Had the center board up and rudder popped up some so all was good. After hearing Barb and Ross's story of crossing the water over to the right side of the red marker and coming aground on a rock near Orilla, doing $24,000 of damage to the prop and shaft we were nervous about turning to get into the channel or turning around to go back where we came from and then get in the channel. Our thinking has changed dramatically hearing that story and seeing these huge granite rocks just under the water. The only good thing about high winds is we can see the waves hit the rocks and plummet the water into the air sometimes like a geyser. Very intimidating going in the channel between this. Water is so clear and beautiful deep blue with the pine and birch trees growing out of the rocks on the shore. Georgian Bay is amazing but treacherous on water and land. Black bear sitings have been talked about as well as the Muscagean Rattle snake. It is written the country we are about to travel thru is more hostile and remote than anything we've seen so far. Great! Anxious to get to Mackinaw Island and the U.S., Canada is expensive. Hoping to get to Kilarney in the next day or two. Just in a half hour, its gotten stormy, cloudy looking, no wind yet, we're still moving on, two days in one spot is enough.
This morning fog off the water, forecast to get down to 47 last night, jeans and sweatshirt day, Curt even had his foulies and winter coat on with sweatshirt under when we came in two days ago, cold and wet. Boat is staying dry on the inside at least. With water and gas in their proper tanks and laundry and provisioning done, the weather calm but cloudy and cold, we'll be heading out again today, some outside the islands passages which is somewhat like going off shore in the Atlantic but at least away from most of the underwater and above water rocks. Slow going this last week due to weather issues. Traveling with another couple on John B-Don from Florida and Kathleen from British Columbia, both of us watching the map and still we both missed a marker, we did drag across some rocks but nothing severe, just a warning. Had the center board up and rudder popped up some so all was good. After hearing Barb and Ross's story of crossing the water over to the right side of the red marker and coming aground on a rock near Orilla, doing $24,000 of damage to the prop and shaft we were nervous about turning to get into the channel or turning around to go back where we came from and then get in the channel. Our thinking has changed dramatically hearing that story and seeing these huge granite rocks just under the water. The only good thing about high winds is we can see the waves hit the rocks and plummet the water into the air sometimes like a geyser. Very intimidating going in the channel between this. Water is so clear and beautiful deep blue with the pine and birch trees growing out of the rocks on the shore. Georgian Bay is amazing but treacherous on water and land. Black bear sitings have been talked about as well as the Muscagean Rattle snake. It is written the country we are about to travel thru is more hostile and remote than anything we've seen so far. Great! Anxious to get to Mackinaw Island and the U.S., Canada is expensive. Hoping to get to Kilarney in the next day or two. Just in a half hour, its gotten stormy, cloudy looking, no wind yet, we're still moving on, two days in one spot is enough.
July 28, 2014 Monday
Hanging out in Britt, visiting with other loopers. Used the courtesy car to go one mile to town and get groceries at the convenience store at the other Marina, drove around town another half mile and back for to our boat and off to the little ice cream stand for Karwatha Ice Cream. Curt had snapping turtle and I had Lemon Meringue Pie, the lady made the up herself, both very good.
July 26, 2014, Saturday
Going between a few the 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay and some outside passage which was very rough with northwest winds. Came across this picnic area and pulled in immediately, ready for a rest and only noon. Spent the day resting and hiking the island or just part of it, looking at the map, checking weather. Thunderstorm supposed to hit this evening and high winds, we were very protected and decided to stay, many boaters slowly coming by, think we have their spot. With weather calm and comments from two couples who stopped by to have their own picnic we decided to put up our mast, yes our little sailboat is happy with her mast up. Had a lovely time in this spot, Copegoge Island, luckily didn't see black bears buts lots of blueberries and raspberry bushes along with black berry and strawberry bushes, wild. Yest the blueberries were wonderful, especially since we are almost out of fresh fruit and not sure when we'll get more. Small towns if we find one do not have much for food supply. Oh almost forgot, we found a Geocache put out by the Canadian Parks Dept, had some big holes in the plastic, ?bear teeth?, we had a plastic coffee container we had been saving for something and this was it, we were first to sign the log and put the clear broken container in the plastic coffee container with tight lid and put it back for someone else to find. Very cool. You should have been here Bob, Curt just got lucky and happened upon it.
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