The North Channel

The North Channel is the body of water located to the west of the Georgian Bay, separated from Lake Huron by Manitoulin Island. It runs approximately one hundred miles in length by 20 miles across, running east to west. Our entry into this more remote region was through Killarney. The intended one night stop became three when the winds increased dramatically and the rain once again returned. Being tied securely to the dock at Killarney Mountain Lodge we were able to enjoy their facilities and explore the area around this small fishing village. We met some wonderful people there and enjoyed this delay in our itinerary. Departing Killarney we cruised through Covered Portage Cove a well known and beautiful spot and then proceeded to what is considered to be one of the few fjords in North America, Baie Fine (pronounced Bay Fin) with fabulous scenery. We cruised up the 10 mile passage to its far end to a gorgeous and very popular anchorage at the far end called, The Pool. We dropped our hook in the Pool with three other boats and enjoyed this magnificent spot. As this area is part of the Killarney Provincial Park, we hiked the trail leading to Topaz Lake, a pristine alpine lake with crystal clear water. Little Current was our next stop, the largest town on Manitoulin Island. Little Current is the recommended grocery stop in this area so we got out the bikes and rode up the hill to the market, the Butcher and the LCBO (the wine store in Canada). With our cupboards once again replenished we headed for the Benjamin Islands with their multitude of anchorages. We found a beautiful spot and dropped the hook. This area was a combination of the pink granite so prevalent in the Georgian Bay and the gray granite and white quartzite of the North Channel, making a beautiful setting along with the larger trees of the area. There were many coves to explore by dinghy and rocks to climb to get just the right view of this magnificent area. Our next day led us through places called Little Detroit, a narrow cut in the rock with such restricted visibility at each end that boats must radio their intention to pass through to alert other boaters in the area they could encounter traffic, and Whalesback Channel dotted with many small islets on our way to Long Point Cove, a very well protected cove which is incredibly beautiful. There were several boats tucked in there and all boaters congregated on the rocks at 5pm for an impromptu “happy hour”. It was fun to get to know the other boaters all of whom were there for the same reason, to enjoy this fabulous area. We were so well protected that when the wind picked up during the night we were unaware of it until we headed out in the morning. The weather forecast was for moderate breezes but not the winds we encountered as we crossed the open channel to Blind River. Happy to be once again securely tied to the dock we are tucked into this cove awaiting a water pump and better weather. We plan to leave here tomorrow, heading to Drummond Island where we will check back into the United States and head toward Mackinac Island arriving there on Sunday.