Covered Portage Cove – The Perfect Anchorage

Covered Portage Cove anchorage – High rocky cliffs and near-perfect protection from the elements.

From South Benjamin Island we made our way past Little Current, Strawberry, and Heywood Islands as we skirted south of Frazier Bay to enter Lansdowne Channel on the way to Covered Portage Cove, just west of Killarney, the old provincial outpost that separates Ontario’s North Channel from Georgian Bay. We had only dinghied to Covered Portage Cove anchorage in 2007 when we had docked our boat for a few days in Killarney. We vowed then to put it on our list as a future anchorage spot.

When I think of the perfect anchorage I conjure up images of a cove with high bluffs, hills, or rock formations on all sides, one that gives good protection from high winds. It would also have a dog-leg entrance to keep out unwanted wave action. If you were to toss in, as an added benefit, sunny skies, a slight breeze on a hot day, and the company of good friends, I think you’d have a pretty good combination of elements, one that matches our Covered Portage Cove anchorage in Canada’s North Channel.

Passing the swing bridge at Little Current (above).

Strawberry Island always provides a visual delight and a great opportunity for photographers to get a Lighthouse dream shot.

This is the dog-eared entrance to the cove (above and below), it’s narrow and very tightly closes the cove from heavy wave action.

Looking out, towards the entrance (above) to the cove as we were cruising in to find a good spot to drop the hook. The shot (below), also looking back towards the entrance, shows how well our anchor spot was protected 360˚ around us.

We dinghied over to shore to take a long hike up one of the cliffs in search of a lookout deck we spotted from below, we failed in finding it, but we had a great hike up and into the woods.

When we arrived we had only a few neighbors, but by our second day, as you can see, many more boats joined us in this well-protected Cove.