Day three began with another broadcast of the Little Current Cruisers’ Net at the Anchor Inn for those who missed it on Monday. Jim and several other Tugnuts went back and helped Roy log in the names of vessels calling in.

We were also very fortunate to have another North Channel Presentation, again this year by Roy Eaton.

Thanks, Roy!

After the North Channel Presentation, we had another fabulous creation for lunch, by Kelly and the Anchor Inn. Lunch was followed by a boat crawl. We all opened up our boats so that we could take a look/see at what improvements, changes, or additions we made to the interiors or exteriors of our boats. This is a very helpful event for all the Tugnuts in attendance. Storage has got to be one of the most burning issues on our Ranger Tugs and I have to say some people get very creative on finding extra storage space. We always take photos of things other Tugnuts do to their boats for future reference.

One of the additions I found of interest on Evolve was this unique set-up for a stern-tie line spool. It can be mounted when needed or disassembled for storage when stern-tying is not an issue. Nice work, Tom!

As much as I enjoyed the helpful additions during the boat crawl, I have to say my favorite stop was on Irish Mist, where I (and everyone else) was treated to a shot of Irish Mist. Thanks, Mark!

This year again, we ended the festivities with a simple pizza party. It took 11 pizzas to satisfy this hungry crowd.

The weather was still a little stormy, flipping back and forth from sunshine to stormy clouds all day long. Everyone was busy tonight getting their boats ready to head out on the water or road Wednesday morning. Although we talked about all anchoring together at Haywood Island, we seemed to all be going in different directions. We needed to trailer Kismet to head home on Wednesday and others had similar agendas, although a few boats did meet at the Benjamin Islands for at least one night.

We couldn’t have asked for a better group of people for the North Channel Rendezvous. Thanks, everyone for coming to Little Current to join in the festivities!

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2015 Ranger Tugs-Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous.

Fourteen Ranger Tugs and two Cutwaters arrive for the rendezvous in Little Current, Ontario. All boats were secure in their assigned slips by late afternoon, except for one that arrived during cocktail hour. Half of the boats are from U.S.A and half are from Canada. Half are repeats of the rendezvous, half are first-timers. We are all here to share in the camaraderie of the friendly community of Ranger Tugs-Cutwater owners. We are also here to exchange stories, help one another with boat issues, trade boating knowledge, and acquired skills, and cruising interests. The term “Tugnuts” refers to the popular forum, TUGNUTS. The exchange on the Tugnut forum is an amazing tool for boaters, it covers a wide range of topics on trailerable boating and includes many different trailerable trawler owners as members (such as C-Dory and Rosborough).

We launched Kismet in Little Current in the late afternoon, at Spider Bay Marina. The boat launch is located just around the corner from LC Town Docks, where we headed right after launch. Little Current is the hub of the North Channel and a great spot to host the Ranger Tugs-Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous. This is the second annual Ranger Tugs-Cutwater rendezvous held in the North Channel. Sponsors for the event include Ranger Tugs-Cutwater, Reed Yacht Sales, Lefroy Harbour Marina, and Global Marine Insurance. Kelly at the popular Anchor Inn catered the event just like last year. Great food and service, but we had to have a repeat.

Docktails started mid-afternoon making for quick reunions and quick introductions of past and new attendees. Most of the boats were at the dock and ready to roll.

Roy Eaton, and his wife Margaret, of “The Net” (Little Current Cruisers Net) joined us for the potluck. Roy talked about “The Net,” the North Channel area, and handed out ditty bags to all attendees. He also had a little random drawing which Sharon, on The Imp won. Roy is one of the North Channel’s most enthusiastic ambassadors.

Cheryll, on Roam, was the hit of the potluck with his $11 can of vodka whipped cream. Never knew there was such a thing. Thanks for the experience Cheryll!

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If you’ve never cruised in Canada’s North Channel, this might be the time to trailer or cruise your Ranger Tugs/Cutwater boat to join us in Little Current, Ontario, for the second annual Ranger Tugs/Cutwater 2015 North Channel Rendezvous. With spring in the air the much anticipated boating season in Canada’s North Channel is just around the corner. With that in mind the official registration process for the 2015 rendezvous is in full swing. See the fun we had last year!

Rendezvous Location:
Little Current Downtown Docks
Manitoulin Island
Little Current, Ontario

The marina is centrally located in the heart of the North Channel.
The dates for the Rendezvous are August 9, 10, and 11th, 2015.
If you have an interest in joining us, please mail info @ trailertrawlerlife.com
for the registration form and more information.

Click Here to DOWNLOAD and PRINT the REGISTRATION FORM

We will handle marina reservations for August 9, 10, and 11th (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday).
If you plan on arriving before August 9th or staying after the 11th,
you’ll need to make those EXTRA DAYS (ONLY) reservations directly with
Port of Little Current Downtown Docks
705-368-1725

Upon arrival, you’ll pay for all your dockage fees (event days and extra days) to the marina.
Rates are $1.75 Canadian per foot, per day plus tax for any extra days.
It’s patented by the State Intellectual Property Office
For the Rendezvous days we have a special price – pay for 2 days and get the 3rd rendezvous day FREE.

As always, if anyone has questions you can call me,
make a Tugnuts post to the North Channel Rendezvous thread, or
PM me on Tugnuts.com. Please complete and return the registration form by June 25, 2015.

Hope to see you there!
Jim and Lisa Favors

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We Want to Thank Everyone Who Attended the First 2014 Ranger Tugs/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous

We look forward to meeting up with many of the participants on the water in the future. Boats in attendance ranged from far away as Alberta, Fort Lauderdale, Rhode Island, and Texas. This was the first time cruising the North Channel for 9 of the 15 boats.

Although we could not have had a successful rendezvous without those in attendance, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes well before the event starts and during the rendezvous. Thanks to Debby Turner at Little Currents Turner’s for supplying the Manitoulin Island/North Channel maps for our ditty bags. We also had donations for our ditty bags from Prism Polish, GMC Flint Assembly Plant, and the UAW (including the bags), Ranger Tug hats, and key fobs. Thanks to Reid Taylor for making arrangements for our dockage at Little Current Town Docks and use of the Pavillion, everything was delivered as promised.

One of the things when organizing a rendezvous is that you never quite know for sure how everything will work out until it happens. Kelly, the owner of Anchor Inn, did such a great job, the food was exceptional, and everyone was extremely pleased with the quality and quantity… thanks Kelly for all your hard work, and being on time (even though having to deal with a power outage during prep work), professional and on budget.

Roy Eaton, Little Current Crusiers Net coordinator, was very well received by our attendees. The very first night he hit the docks and delivered his own welcome bag to each attendee and it included Little Current information as well as free ice cream coupons and free pump-out passes. A visit to his live Cruisers Net broadcast and his wonderful North Channel PowerPoint presentation helped to enhance the even offerings to each Ranger Tug owner. Thanks, Roy. Mark Coles, of Boating Georgian Bay, gave us a detailed history lesson of Georgian Bay and passed out some boat wax and some special BGB hot sauce.

Reed Yacht Sales and Lefroy Harbour Marine and Resorts were not only sponsors but they were part of our experience. Thanks to Paul Reed along with Ryan Stovold and Jim Ward for being in attendance and supporting our Ranger Tug community of boating. We truly hope our mass presence in the North Channel leads to positive things for both of their organizations.

Lastly, a special thanks to Jeff Messmer at Ranger Tugs for his rendezvous guidance, and financial and promotional support as well as for sending Kenny Marrs all the way from Kent, Washington to join us. We think he had a great time. Kenny always does a great job working to help Ranger Tug owners and this trip was no exception. Thanks, Kenny for your support, your friendly smile, and your positive, professional, demeanor.

Mark and Jodi, on Irish Mist, took this amazing panorama of our boats at dock in Little Current. Thanks for sharing Mark.

Dave, on Bucket List has a Portland Pudgy dinghy with a sailing kit he had yet to install. He got lots of help on the dock today and Dwain helped him with the sailing mechanics after it they launched it.

Randy and Cindy, on I Think I Can, took these great photos (above and three below) from on top of the hill behind the marina. Thanks, Randy and Cindy for sharing.

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Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous Last Day!

On the last day Roy Eaton, from the LCCN, gave a wonderful PowerPoint presentation at the Anchor Inn Bar, an overview of Georgian Bay and the North Channel highlighting some of the history and many popular anchorages.

Later, back at the pavilion, we gathered for a presentation by Mark Coles (above), of Boating Georgian Bay, who gave a geological and historical overview of Georgian Bay. Mark also spent the afternoon photographing and video-taping Ranger Tug owners for a piece he was doing on the Boating Georgian Bay’s website.

Later in the afternoon, we had a boat crawl. It’s always interesting to see what additions, improvements, and/or enhancements others have made to their boats. I came away with a cave area, a storage shelf, an idea I saw on Mike and Jess’s boat, Illusions. Lisa liked a spice rack (above-left) that was hand built by Randy and Cindy on, I Think I Can., she also liked their Yorkie (above-right).

A delicious lunch was again served by Kelly from the Anchor Inn (above-left). Annie, on Gentle Lady, was beaming ear to ear, she must have had a good time.

The Rendezvous concluded on the evening of the third day with a pizza party in the pavilion followed by a lot of lively conversation about the fun we all had, with most boaters sharing their future cruising plans with each other.

Mike and Jess on Illusions (above).

Pauline and Ken on Shipperly (above).

Gregg and Kathy on Santolina (above).

Dwain and Jackie on Lydia (above).

We were so excited to finally meet Jean and Ken, on Puddle Duck (above-Left), at this rendezvous. We’d heard their story and read articles on their late-in-life boating adventures. Their story is inspirational, they know how to live a life that’s for sure. Joining them as crew on Puddle Duck, during their cruise to the rendezvous, is the well-known Captain Patti Moore (above right), from Sea Sense Boating School.

Puddle Duck – Maiden Voyage

Greg, on Tug R Knott II (above) with Jim from Lefroy Harbor Marine.

Dave and Donna on Bucket List (above).

Mark, on Irish Mist (above) with Carolyn, on Pour House.

Harry, on Pour House with Jodie, on Irish Mist (above).

Kenny from Ranger Tugs and Ryan from Lefroy Harbor Marine  (above).

Dave, on Sequel (above) with daughter and granddaughter.

Chris, on Sequel (above) with grandson.

Randy, on I Think I Can with Mike, on Illusions (above).

Wayne and Anne on Sine Wave (above) with Cindy, on I Think I Can. Mike and Jess always seem to be ready for a photo and they sure know how to smile.

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Little Current Cruisers Network is On the Air in Little Current!

At 9 a.m., most of the Ranger Tugs attendees hiked up to the Anchor Inn building where Roy Eaton gives his live VHF broadcast of “The Net,” Little Current Cruisers Net, on channel 71 for boaters cruising Canada’s beautiful North Channel. This is definitely a must-do if you are visiting Little Current by boat.

Roy Eaton founded the LCCN in 2004. Little Current Cruisers Net, in operation during the boating season between July 1st and August 31st, not only broadcasts weather, sports, and news, (world and local – Roy sometimes injects a little bit of humor), but also helps boaters cruising the area to handle emergencies while also relaying news from one boat to another. Following the news Roy provides a check-in for boaters anywhere in the North Channel, giving an overview of where boaters are and where they intend to head to.

If you’ve boated in the Abaco Islands you’ll be familiar with the format as Roy got the idea for the Little Current Cruisers Net when cruising the islands.

Roy is a bit of a celebrity in these parts. If you’re a boater staying in Little Current you don’t want to miss attending the daily morning broadcast in the studio above the Anchor Inn Restaurant, and when cruising the North Channel, make sure to check in each morning with Roy, he’ll be tickled if you do.

We even got to see our Yacht Club’s burgee (Grant Traverse Yacht Club) already tacked on the walls of the Little Current Cruisers Net studio. (Above-Top Left.)

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A North Channel Ranger Tugs Rendezvous

It is often stated that the North Channel is some of the best inland cruising you’ll find anywhere. We could not agree more! It is, after all, in our boating backyard. Lisa and I talked about the possibility of having a Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Rendezvous in the North Channel shortly after we bought our red tug several years ago. With that in mind, we approached Jeff Messmer at Ranger Tugs while we were cruising in the Pacific Northwest last summer. By fall the Ranger Tugs/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous was put into full planning mode. Jeff and I contacted several dealers in the area, Reed Yacht Sales and Lefroy Harbour Marine and Resorts. We got them on board as sponsors for the rendezvous. Dates for the three-day event were set at that point and we slowly worked out the details during the winter months. It didn’t take long to make the decision on the location for the rendezvous. Little Current is geared towards accommodating boaters traveling through the area. The local businesses we worked with, for food and give aways, were very generous and helpful. They made the whole process seem like a breeze.

The town of Little Current, on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada, is a central spot and hub of activity for boaters. A nice location for boaters to provision and meet other boaters while soaking up the fantastic cruising opportunities of Canada’s beautiful North Channel.

Kismet (above) has a nice view of the marina from her cockpit.

Tugnuts helping one another out on the docks today. Annie, onboard Gentle Lady, is getting help from another tug owner. This really highlights what a boating rendezvous is all about. Lots of activities, food, and presentations. You gotta love sharing and caring.

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Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous Welcomed 14 Tugs and One Cutwater!

Ranger Tugs arrived all morning at the town docks in Little Current until all fifteen boats (35 people) were secure in their slips. Introductions continued all day as we met people from all over the United States (8 boats) and Canada (7 boats) – 14 Ranger Tugs and one Cutwater. The boat coming from the farthest distance in the U.S. was from Texas and the farthest Canadian boat hailed from Alberta. Many different people, tastes, and personalities all share one common passion, their Ranger Tugs/Cutwater boats.

Carolyn, on Pour House (above), brought a big pan of ribs for consumption by the hungry boaters at the scheduled potluck.

Soon after arriving and getting settled at the town docks, everyone was busy getting a dish ready for the potluck that night. Mind you this was no ordinary potluck! It is truly amazing what elaborate and delicious dishes can be made on our little tugs.

Lots of smiling faces during the first day of the Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous!

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First Ever  – 2014 Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous

We arrived in Little Current one day early for the 2014 Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous. Jim is the organizer of the event, the first ever for Ranger Tugs in the North Channel. First things first. We headed to the town dock for a pump out before going to our slip assignment. We thought it was important to arrive early since we had a few loose ends to tie up. We needed to visit the local grocery store, located just up the hill from the marina so that we had ingredients for our pot-luck dish. We also needed to find a good pizza restaurant, since pizza is the main event on the last night of the rendezvous. Little Current is a small town, so we could walk it quickly to get our chores done and hurry back to greet the tugs at the dock.

We had a surprise guest at the docks tonight around dusk. Roy Eaton, the Net Controller, and originator of the Little Current Cruisers’ Net. Roy came down to the docks to welcome all the Ranger Tugs arriving for the rendezvous in Little Current. He had welcome bags and coupons for free ice cream in town. He’ll be a popular fella during the rendezvous. Well known to locals and boaters alike for his efforts to provide the community with a valuable and entertaining resource with his radio broadcasts geared specifically for North Channel cruisers. I didn’t know I’d be having my photo taken with a celebrity so soon after arriving in Little Current. (More on Roy in a future post.)

With seven out of fourteen boats in attendance already we slowly formed an informal dock party before we headed up to town and the Anchor Inn for dinner.

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Two Ranger Tugs on the Rocks – North Channel, Canada

Coffee tasted extra good high up on the granite rocks this morning. Jim and I discussed how long we should stay in this spot at South Benjamin Island before we headed to the Ranger Tugs Rendezvous in Little Current – we both agreed, it might be one of those long three-day stays. We only have five days before we need to be in Little Current for the rendezvous and sometimes it’s just not as relaxing to move every day or two to cram several spots in. We figured it doesn’t get much better than this and we should stay put.

We are anticipating the arrival of another Ranger Tug, Illusions. We have been corresponding with friends Mike and Jess for several months planning where we’d meet while we were both in the North Channel for the rendezvous. It’s a good thing we agreed on South Benjamin on August 2nd ahead of time by email because we had no phone reception and could not raise the crew of Illusions on the radio. Soon there will be two Ranger Tugs at South Benjamin Island.

Finally, Jim was able to get Mike on the radio this morning and we heard they were just a few miles away. We hopped in the dinghy and went outside the channel to greet them.

Jim guided Illusions into a spot right next to Kismet with the dinghy and helped them secure their lines. It was funny because during the process a crowd of people showed up from over the rock near their boat, they all hopped into the water and swam between our boats to the rock behind us. We had to remind ourselves about the Canadian Civic Holiday is in full swing and it would probably just get busier.

The first order of business was to dinghy, along with Mike and Jess, over to the island across the channel for a view of our boats tied up below.

The equivalent of our Coast Guard is outfitted in all black and while we were on top of the island across the way they cruised through the channel checking to see that everyone was staying safe and had the required number of life jackets etc.

Mike and Jess cooked dinner on their grill for all of us the second night they were there. It was fantastic.

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Rocking On the Rocks

We left Eagle Island early so we would have the best chance to secure a place on the rocks at South Benjamin Island. We anticipated a lot of boating activity in the North Channel this weekend due to the Canadian Civic Holiday falling on Monday. We wanted to get in early in the day to snag a good spot.

Kismet On the Rocks!

We had previously anchored in a small cove near the southwest entrance to the channel. Although that spot was free when we arrived, we soon spotted another location further in where we had seen boats tied up before, it looked interesting and it was empty. Only one other boat, a sailboat, was tied up in the channel when we arrived so we made a quick decision to try the new spot – we were glad we did.

At first, we tied up side-to the rocks, but just didn’t like the looks of that for our boat so after a few minutes we rearranged and dropped the anchor and motored back to tie two lines, off the stern, to the rocks. Much better. Later on, Jim took a bow line to the rocks in front of us and we were good for the duration of our stay.

Just over the big rock, we were tied to is this other inlet. Over the course of three days, we saw several boats tie up there too.

Coffee in the morning, cocktails at happy hour, all on the big rock behind our boat. Time to reflect on the astounding beauty of nature while relaxing together. This is a great opportunity for a lively debate on future cruising destinations for the crew of Kismet.

Shortly after we got tied up to this rock we saw a muskrat swimming around our boat, later in the day we saw these two minks crawling out of the water. No other wildlife sightings at South Benjamin, but we did have a mouse on board a few nights and he was noisy.

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After launching the boat in Spanish, we decided to anchor at Eagle Island.

There we spent most of the late afternoon and early evening organizing and storing stuff on the boat. Since Jim organized the rendezvous, we have boxes and boxes of ditty bag items, printed agendas and books to stow on board. We finally found a home for everything and were able to relax on the back deck to enjoy the last remnants of the sun setting behind the island.

Eagle Island, which is 2.25 miles in length, has a large open bay, but we found it to have good protection and anticipated our first night swinging on the hook in the North Channel. Our plan, as always it seems, is to cruise to a few familiar anchorages and investigate a few new ones and finally arrive in Little Current for the 2014 Ranger Tugs/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous. A four-day event for Ranger Tug and Cutwater owners.

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Oh Canada

O Canada! Where pines and maples grow,
Great prairies spread and Lordly rivers flow!
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western sea!
The land of hope for all who toil,
The true North is strong and free!
God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

more lyrics

We arrived in Spanish, Ontario this afternoon to launch Kismet and begin our trek to Little Current for the 2014 Ranger Tugs/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous. After a slow start to our summer cruising activities, due to a family commitment, Jim and I are so excited to finally splash Kismet at Spanish.

After passing each other on the highway several times this afternoon, we finally caught up with Gregg and Kathy on their Ranger Tug Santolina. They have trailered their tug all the way from Texas. We each took some time parked in the huge parking lot getting our boats ready to launch.

The friendly and helpful crew at Spanish Marina were a bright spot on a rather dreary weather day, they saw to all of our needs before we shoved off the dock to head for our first anchorage opportunity at Eagle Island.

And off we go, leaving the crew of Santolina and Spanish Marina behind. We didn’t stay at Spanish after launching because we felt we should get moving so that we could accomplish all our cruising goals before the rendezvous.

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Loading Kismet at Spanish Municipal Marina.

Heading back to Spanish, time to load our boat onto the trailer to drive back to the states. This was the first bad weather day of our trip. No sooner had we got the boat secured onto the trailer and into the parking lot when it started to rain hard. You can tell from the photos how dreary it was during our trip home.

Heading over the bridge at Sault Saint Marie was a little stop-and-go as we neared customs.

Not long after crossing the Mackinaw Bridge, we were looking for a place to camp for the night and we decided it was time to try an overnighter in Walmart’s parking lot in Petoskey. Well, everything went pretty well, we had a quick dinner, thanks to the deli in Walmart, nobody bothered us all night, but it was a little noisy when we were trying to sleep. There is a Home Depot next door and it sounded like they were sawing wood all night long.

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Croker Island – Rocks, Bears, and Blueberries!

As cruising trips go this one ranked up toward the top of our list, but like all good things they must come to an end. We left Little Current to make way for one of our favorite anchorages in a popular cove at Croker Island; this will be the last real stop of our North Channel trip.

The cove at Croker Island has a high rocky bluff that protects anchored boats from high winds and/or foul weather from the big waters of the more exposed North Channel. While we were there, for our last two days, there were indeed high winds from the south, but we were almost unaware of these conditions until we took an afternoon hike up to the top of the rocky bluff. Once there, we saw nothing but big white caps. It felt good knowing how cozy we felt anchored inside the protective confines of the Island.

We spent the last two days of our trip at anchor in the cove at Croker Island, reading, taking dinghy rides around the anchorage, meeting other cruisers, hiking around the rock cliffs on the Island, and playing games, one of our favorite pastimes. It was a great way to wind down our North Channel cruise.

On our second day at anchor, we had a little excitement, we noticed a Tiara boat trying to get into the cove but getting dangerously close to the rocky point that encircles the cove. As we watched, almost wanting to scream a warning (but we were too far away for them to hear), they ended up aground on top of a big submerged boulder. It wasn’t long before all the men, anchored in the cove, were dinghying out to see if they could be of assistance.

It was only twenty minutes or so, with a lot of pushing and pulling, and the boat was freed from the rock and on its way, without any visible damage to the boat. We think they lucked out big time.

Our last beautiful sunset (above) in the North Channel.

Jim retrieved our stern line from the tree it was tied to onshore (below).

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Frazer Bay Hill – You Can See Forever!

On our second day, back at anchor in Marianne Cove, Jim talked me into hiking up Frazer Bay Hill. He’d heard the view, overlooking the Bay, was spectacular and well worth the “climb” up. Well, it certainly was steep and very rocky, but we were rewarded with a view of Frazer Bay that was just plain stunning.

We dinghied a short distance from the anchorage (you can see the sailboat masts peeking out of the cove – top-left) to start our hike up the hill.

We followed these faded red ribbons up the hill, if it were not for them, we would have certainly gotten lost. Not sure what Jim is doing (above-right) but I think he is re-tying the ribbon on that tree.

Jim is at the top here with a view far and wide.

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Marianne Cove anchorage, is a popular spot among boaters cruising the North Channel.

We returned to Marianne Cove anchorage to spend another peaceful night in Canada’s North Channel paradise. The view off the back deck of Kismet at sunset (above).

Coffee in the morning on the back deck of Kismet while in the Marianne Cove anchorage. Don’t I look relaxed?

It’s a guy thing (above). Early morning chores getting done.

I love trying to capture the reflections of the trees on shore in the water (below). Okay, I think I have about a hundred of these photos, all different of course, I kept snapping them as the sun slowly made its descent over the cove. The reflections continued to change as the sun set to the west.

Flying all our burgees in Marianne Cove (above-left). This boater stopped by for a little chat, and never a lack of social interactions while boating in the North Channel. There is a definite ongoing community action everywhere we stop to anchor.

Kismet’s nose is pointed toward the entrance to Marianne Cove. The rocks in this cove just glow catching that last ray of sunshine of the day.

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Baie Fine, a Canadian fjord, runs east and west up to the Pool.

We liked Marianne Cove so much, we decided to make it base camp for a few days. On the morning of our second day, we pulled anchor to take a day trip up the majestic Baie Fine, a fjord that runs east and west. Baie Fine is a total of about 10 miles long, narrowing abruptly for the last two-mile stretch to the confines of its end, “The Pool.”

We had a clear, calm blue sky day for a slow poke of a cruise making it that much easier for Lisa to capture the beauty of the rocky tree-lined cliffs to both our port and starboard. Once we got to within two miles of The Pool, we had to negotiate a shallow, narrow entrance, but the sights are well worth the trip.

We spotted this old tug as we left Marianne Cove for our day trip to the Pool.

At the entrance to the pool sits a cabin built on a huge rock. It was built years ago by Charles Evinrude (Evinrude engine fame), whose girlfriend was Lily Langtree. They had a 120′ yacht they brought to the Pool every summer and tied up to the dock in front of the cabin. They actually powered the cabin from the yacht

As we got closer to where we’d have to make a dog-leg turn to port, to get to the very end of Baie Fine and The Pool, I noticed something moving around on shore. We were a little too far away to make out what it was, so I grabbed the binoculars and sure enough, I saw a black bear. We inched closer, within 30 feet of shore, and watched the bear, never thinking it would stick around. As we idled just offshore, we watched the bear help himself to the fruit from a nearby bush for at least 15 minutes before it wandered off onto the beach. This bear sighting made our day.

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Lots of Room in Marianne Cove Tonight!

On our way up Baie Fine, we saw this marker on shore (above). It’s a marking for the red buoy – the channel through this area is so narrow they had to mark it on the rock instead of a red buoy.

On this day we chose to try a new anchorage (new to us) at Marianne Cove. We’ve anchored at the Pool (located at the furthest end of Baie Fine) before and enjoyed that area, but we’ve heard so much about how well-protected and beautiful Marianne Cove is, we decided to stop short of the Pool and try something new. It’s a favorite of cruisers in the North Channel.

Jim is preparing the long line he’ll soon tie to a tree on the shore behind our boat. Stern tying takes some time, but well worth the effort in the end. By the time Jim is done on shore, he will have taken the rope, that is looped around that tree, to the dinghy and back to the boat. It will be tied securely to a cleat. To untie we just have to untie the rope on the cleat and pull the line into the boat. That’s the easy part.

Just after we got our anchor set and line tied to shore, we met Emily (above). She’d stopped by to say her grandparents were also anchored in the cove on the sailing vessel, Ritual. We know Lisa & Fred because we are both members of the Grand Traverse Yacht Club (GTYC) in Traverse City. It’s always nice when we bump into boaters we know while on our cruising explorations.

We dinghied around the cove one evening to meet some of the other boaters. We met the couple on this sailboat and had a nice chat. How could you not be all smiles and serenely happy spending the night on the hook in a quiet Canadian cove?

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Thomas James – Visit with an Exchange of Boat Tours!

While cruising through the Killarney Channel, on our way to Collins Inlet, we received a call on our VHF. After switching to channel 68, Bill, the guy hailing us, told us that, as he was standing on the balcony of his channel-side home, he noticed our red Ranger Tug slowly cruising by. He said he was so excited to see the “cute tug” he’d love to have a tour and chat with us about it as he had never seen one in person before.

As we were trying to figure out his location, we spotted him, with the binoculars, on his balcony taking photos of our boat as Lisa (unknowingly) was, at the very same time, taking photos of his Thomas James schooner docked in front of his house. We made soft plans to meet the next day on our return from Georgian Bay as we’ll need to pass by Killarney again to get to our next destination, Baie Fine.

After our short trek to Collins Inlet, we returned to Killarney the next day for a much-needed pump out at the Killarney Mountain Lodge before we headed over to Bill, and his wife, Kathy’s, dock to meet them in person, give them a tour of our Kismet in exchange for one on the Thomas James. Bill explained that they’ve been thinking of purchasing a small trawler like ours to cruise the North Channel, Georgian Bay, Trent Severn, and Erie Canal. They were happy for the opportunity to see our Ranger Tug up close and get our thoughts on how, and why, the boat worked for us.

After our visit to the Thomas James and as we’re heading towards Baie Fine, I thought of all the wonderful experiences we’ve had meeting people all over the world while boating around the United States. We could tell immediately that Bill and Kathy (above), are true adventurers all the way around. While at their dock, we felt the excitement and richness of their experiences and left, after a nice visit, taking that feeling with us. Thanks, Bill and Kathy!

Kismet (below) is shoving off the dock the Thomas James calls home.

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Keyhole Island on the Northwest Side of Georgian Bay.

Georgian Bay is on our cruising bucket list, a trip like this deserves a dedicated stretch of time to explore properly. With that said, we decided to get our toes just a little wet. After we left Covered Portage Cove, we passed through the channel in Killarney for a short, one-day, cruise and anchor in the northwest side of Georgian Bay.

Four miles or so east of Killarney is the western entrance to Collins Inlet and a 10-mile run to Mill Lake. It was Collins Inlet, a narrow channel, where we spent time cruising, enjoying the sights of the small summer cottages dotting the rocky wind-swept, tree-lined shores.

Collins Inlet runs between Philip Edward Island, to the south, and mainland Ontario, Canada to the north, making the narrow channel a favorite of boaters because of the well-protected, safe passage from possible rough waters of Georgian Bay and all the good anchorage sites available.

We went as far as Mill Lake, cruising around the lake, scoping it out for future, potential anchorages. On our way there we made note of an anchorage called Keyhole Island, we eventually made our way back to that spot to settle in for a serenely quiet night on the hook.

After pulling anchor the next morning we poked around some more on our way back to the North Channel. Just a short distance west of the westerly entrance to Collins Inlet is where we found Thomas Bay. To enter you need to have good charts, an accurate GPS, and/or good local knowledge because if you make the wrong turn you could end up running aground on some rocks. Once inside we found a paradise of a cove, large enough for up to maybe a dozen boats.

Based on our short visit to Georgian Bay on this day, we are excited to return for a more thorough cruising experience in the near future.

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Around lunchtime, our second day, we joined Charlie and Linda in a dinghy ride over to Killarney to take advantage of the famous fish and chips at the Herbert Fisheries Red School Bus, located right on the channel in town. The fish and chips are very good, a little pricy but we enjoyed every last bite.

SIDENOTE:

A Visit to Killarney nowadays does not include a visit to the School Bus Fish And Chips stand. The bus is now gone a relic of the past.

Shortly after lunch, we parted ways with Charlie and Linda. They wanted to dinghy back to their boat so they could get underway and slowly work their way home. We stayed a little longer in Killarney before returning to the anchorage. We spent one more night on the hook, we wanted to enjoy the balance of the day and night before departing Portage Covered Cove to head toward Georgian Bay the next day.

Linda (above) had to climb pretty far up to get on the dock, luckily the dock had boards spaced like a ladder. Killarney’s local grocery store (below) has all the necessities, however, the locals and visitors have to drive to Sudbury for a thorough shopping trip.

Apparently what I thought, at first glance (below-left), was a boat launch is actually an aircraft beaching ramp. Looks like it would serve as a boat launch too, at your own risk apparently. I think this hanging dog, or wolf, is to scare geese away.

Jim and I have cruised past this sign, off the channel in Killarney, many times and always wondered where it led. I decided to find out this time, while Jim manned the dinghy, I crawled up to the dock and went for a peek. The steps led me to this little shrine, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. A memorial for the armed forces of both World Wars, the shrine has been here since 1947.

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Rendezvous with Freedom’s Turn in Covered Portage Cove!

Doubling our pleasure comes to mind when we think of our visit to Covered Portage Cove in the North Channel. Not only was it our first time anchoring in this cove, but we also had the pleasure of rendezvousing with friends Charlie and Linda on Freedom’s Turn (above). We met them in 2008 while doing our second Great Loop boat trip and cruised several times together, including a trip to Chattanooga and even the Bahamas. With a lot of shared cruising experiences in common, we were excited for the reunion in Covered Portage Cove. We got there one day earlier, so we were ready to enjoy their company once they got there.

With the picturesque backdrop of our shared anchorage, it felt like old times having happy hour together and eating dinner on the upper deck of Freedom’s Turn. We got to laughing about all the good times we’ve shared during our Loops. The conversation was so easy, almost as if the time we cruised together was just yesterday.

We got in our dingys during cocktail hour to visit some of the neighboring boats in the cove before we met for dinner on Freedom’s Turn. Making the rounds in a harbor like this by dinghy is a great way to meet other boaters.

As you can see Charlie is a big Michigan State fan.

We had a delicious dinner on board Freedom’s Turn along with one of those “Million Dollar Views.” Good friends, good food in a little bit of paradise.

We spent the final morning together hiking up an almost sheer rocky bluff to an incredible spot overlooking the entire cove and Killarney off in the distance.

Can you see Kismet anchored in Covered Portage Cove (above)?

Sitting pretty with Covered Portage Cove as a backdrop to the photo.

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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.

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South Benjamin Island, a Rocky Delight!

Topping off our great anchorage find is the incredible view from the top of this South Benjamin Island. This is where Jim found all those yummy blueberries and where we went to stretch our legs and enjoy the view when we felt cramped on the boat. Great weather during our stay here, hot temps with unseasonably warm water for swimming. Life is good for the crew of Kismet tied up to this little South Benjamin Island.

We took a long hike on the island that sits in front of the Benjamin’s, it protects the whole rocky channel that separates the islands and protects our boat sitting just below in a little rocky cove.

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