Long Time - No Internet! (Killarney and Covered Portage Cove)

We've been a long time without WiFi or at least without a sustained signal and time to write email and post to the blog.

The night before we left Tobermory, we changed our plans (we sailors seem to do that a lot!) and decided to continue on with the Goodyears for a taste of the North Channel. The next day we sailed with them to Club Island where we anchored for the night. Our destination the following day was an anchorage in Covered Portage Cove off of Killarney Bay. To get to the Bay, we would be traversing a narrow channel between George Island and the mainland and would be passing the town of Killarney which is spread along the northern shore of the channel. As we were nearing Killarney, Warren hailed us on the VHF and asked if we would like to stop there for lunch at Herbert's (famous) Fish and Chips (AKA Herbert's Fisheries' Mister Perch). Mister Perch is run out of an old bus and there are picnic tables set up nearby overlooking the channel and beside a public "dock" (actually a rough timbered wall). After some hunting about, we located the dock and tied up. Sandcastle arrived soon after. Once tied up, it appeared that no one cared how long we stayed so we ate our lunch - stuffed ourselves, that is, with a big order of fish and chips - and then visited the small grocery store, the bakery and Herbert's fresh fish counter.

An hour after leaving the town, we were anchored in Covered Portage Cove surrounded by the beauty and drama of chiseled stone rising out of the water and covered with stands of tall fir and pine. To get there, we'd passed through a larger outer bay where several boats were anchored and then gone through a narrow shallow cut into the also very shallow cove. Sandcastle had preceded us, testing out the depths with their more shallow draft keel and calling out depths to us over the VHF. We hunted around for somewhere with "enough" water, but settled, at last, for anchoring in about 5 feet - with our 4'10' keel! In Big Tub at Tobermory, we anchored for 2 days in 38' of water. Fortunately, both Sandcastle and Sea Change carry lots of anchor chain and rode. What a contrast to this low water spot! On the other hand the cove is protected from virtually all sides and our anchor easily sank into the mushy mud bottom. We were secure.

What a beautiful spot! We hiked up to the top of the promontory and looked down on our tiny boats below. We picked sweet wild blueberries and back at the boat we went swimming off the side of the boat. The water was cool but once in it felt good enough to stay. It's wonderful to swim in clean clear water where on a calm day you can see to the bottom at 10 feet or more.

Our weather this past while has a fall feel to it. The wind is cool even on the warm days and temps are falling low at night. In preparation for our aborted sailing trip to Nova Scotia, Warren installed an Espar heater in Sandcastle. Little did he know how glad he and Karen would be to have it while Sandcastle sat at anchor in the North Channel!

We left the Goodyears in Covered Portage Cove and started south. The first night we anchored near the tip of the Bruce Peninsula and then, to take advantage of calm water and favourable weather, we crossed Georgian Bay to Sans Souci on the east side of the Bay. So - we're now in the "30 Thousand Islands". To be sure, we are finding this maize of rocks and small and big islands a bit intimating. "No room for error" warns our Georgian Bay Ports book. We'll get used to it - eventually....

Tomorrow, we are sailing to an anchorage further south where we meet up with our friends David and Linda Fletcher on their sailboat, Camp David.