Hurry Up and Wait

As so often happens on the homeward trek, we are encountering contrary winds. After leaving DeTour we motored into a chop all the way to the East Entrance to Les Cheneaux. We had hoped to make it to the West Entrance and anchor in Wilderness Bay, but by the time we reached the channel leading up to Government Bay, we'd had enough. And it was nice to be anchored in time to enjoy a leisurely dinner in the cockpit before enjoying yet another of the beautiful sunsets we've come to expect every time we stop here. Yesterday's forecast included more of the same (west winds and waves on our nose), so we decided to take the inside passage through Les Cheneaux, passing by the towns of Cedarville and Hessel as well as numerous cottages along the way. Our plan was to duck back in and anchor at the west end if we found conditions outside too rough.

The passage is narrow and shallow, but by staying in the channel marked by red and green buoys, we were guaranteed at least seven feet of depth the whole way. It's been probably ten years since we last came through that way, and we were surprised how many changes we found. The area used to be dotted with small cottages designed to blend in with the surroundings, each with a boat house containing a classic mahogany runabout. Now most of the powerboats are plastic, and the "cottages" border on McMansions with nothing to conceal them from the view of passing boaters.

When we were nearing the West Entrance we put up sail, as winds were an ideal speed (around 15 knots) to sail by. Unfortunately, they were on our nose, which meant we had to tack, adding considerably to the distance of our trip. This meant we were approaching Mackinac Island just as the afternoon winds were reaching their peak. Even double-reefed we were over-canvassed (apparent wind was consistently over 30 knots), so we took in sail and slogged the rest of the way to St. Ignace.

After two relatively short days of slogging (each trip was around 25 miles), we decided we weren't up for more of the same on the 40-mile trip to Beaver Island, our next planned stop. So here we are in St. Ignace, waiting for a favorable forecast. Meanwhile, there's lots to do, some fun, some not so much. Laundry, waxing cabin sides, and possibly visiting Mackinac Island via ferry, are at the top of the list.

Back in the U.S.S.A. (with apologies to the Beatles)

We left Canada yesterday (Sunday) and made our way through the islands of Potagannissing Bay to the U.S. Customs check-in point on Drummond Island. They let us back in without too much fuss (just a bill for $27.50 to purchase a decal, required since our boat is 30 feet long). Then we went off to anchor at Harbor Island, just two miles away. The anchorage offered by this horseshoe-shaped island is very protected from all sides, with just a narrow opening to the south. It's popular, but not too crowded. We shared it with three sailboats, including this one, and a few powerboats.

This morning we hauled up our anchor and headed west. Winds are light, but since they're out of the west that's okay. We'd rather motor than sail into big waves. On passing DeTour just before noon, we decided to make a quick stop for lunch, email, blogging and grocery shopping. Tonight we plan to anchor in the Les Cheneaux Islands which run along the south shore of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Channel to Channel in the North Channel

The North Channel refers to the body of water between mainland Ontario and a series of islands to the south. The largest of these is Manitoulin Island, which is in Canada. Heading west from Manitoulin you find Cockburn Island, also Canadian, then Drummond Island, which is in the U.S. At the western end of the North Channel is St. Joseph Island, on the Canadian side of the St. Mary's River, which is the link between Lake Huron and Lake Superior to the north.

In the northern part of the North Channel you find other, smaller channels formed by other, smaller islands. I already mentioned the McBean Channel, which is at the eastern end of the North Channel, not far from Little Current. Getting out of the McBean Channel at its western end requires passing through a narrow opening between two rocky islands. The passage, called "Little Detroit," is only deep enough at its very center and requires making a sharp turn halfway along to get out on the other side. To assist boaters, range marks have been set up to show what course to steer to pass through safely. It's always a little exciting to find out if you'll make it or not. Fortunately, we did.

Once through you enter the Whalesback Channel, which is dotted with lots of little and very picturesque rocky islands. Many of these islands are covered with wild blueberries, except, ironically enough, the one called "Berrypicker Island". This is a small bare rock in the middle of the channel which serves as a home for a triangular marker that lets boaters know where they are on the chart. The marker is almost as big as the rock itself!

We spent a night at anchor in Beardrop Harbour just off the Whalesback Channel, so-named because, yes, there are bears around here. We've never seen any, though. The beauty of this anchorage lies in the tall cliffs that surround it. It's possible to find paths to the top where the views are incomparable. This time, though, the weather was gray and drizzly, so we skipped the climb and headed on to Blind River, making tracks while the wind was from the east. After just one night there, we continued on to Thessalon, a small village whose economy rests on veneer mills. This will be our last stop in Canada. As soon as the threat of thunderstorms passes, we'll be off to Michigan, getting ever closer to home.

Evensong Cove

I couldn't resist posting this composite photo of "our" little cove off Hotham Bay. This stopover was the highlight of our trip so far.

Also, I found that I can alter settings to allow anonymous comments, so you don't have to create a Google account to post one. Just click on the "0 comments" at the bottom of the entry you wish to comment about and follow the instructions from there!

A Little Piece of Heaven on Earth

The first time we came to the North Channel eleven years ago, we had a smaller boat, Evensong, which needed only five feet or so of water depth to stay afloat. At that time we anchored in a beautiful spot behind Hotham Island off the McBean Channel (the North Channel has many such "channels-within-a-channel"). Hotham Island offers many different coves to tuck into, so we decided to return and look for a place with enough depth (six or seven feet at least) to accommodate Cattitude's keel. We arrived late enough in the afternoon that many of the "good spots" were already occupied. As we approached "our spot" from 1998, we found no one there. Water levels have been down over the last several years, so we figured it probably wasn't deep enough. We anchored in a more open, and therefore less attractive spot, but immediately took our dinghy over to explore with a lead line and found that if we threaded our way carefully between shoals, we might just squeak into our little haven, where the depth was a pretty uniform seven to eight feet.

We decided to take the challenge, and were richly rewarded. Our little "Evensong Cove" is one of the few that offers a view of Mount McBean, and for the whole time we were there, we had the place to ourselves, a rarity, especially in late July. And after all the autumnal weather we've been having, we were thrilled to enjoy a bit of summer. We spent the better part of a day on a flat rock with a view of our harbor, Roger with his sketchbook, I with my knitting and the camera.

Only reluctantly we hauled up our anchor on the third day, when the forecast suggested we had a window of opportunity to make progress on our westward journey. As we threaded our way out of Hotham Bay, a loon came over to call out a plaintive farewell. It's difficult to leave such a beautiful place.

Swinging Back Homeward

After spending a nice day in Little Current, where we were docked in sight of the swing bridge that connects Manitoulin Island with the mainland, we turned around and headed back west toward home. But we're not in a hurry, having left as much time for the return trip as we used to get here. Miraculously, winds have shifted to be out of the east, most unusual for this time of year, but just right to blow us back west. Other boats had the same idea, including this pretty sloop we saw sliding past the typical North Channel rocky islands.

Life on the Water is Always an Adventure...

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After finishing our chores in Gore Bay we headed northeast to the Benjamin Islands on Thursday. This group of islands is noted for its unique pink granite and multiple coves to anchor in. It's also located conveniently about halfway between Gore Bay and Little Current, our next planned stop. By planning our route to zig zag across the North Channel between stops, we've managed to take advantage of the consistent west winds that have been blowing ever since we left Charlevoix. Most years when cruising we find ourselves motoring more than sailing. Not this year. Each day we've traveled, it's been under sail. Our biggest hope now is that the west winds will either die down or change direction, as we now need to turn around and head back toward home. Fortunately the prediction is for south winds tomorrow and light winds for a couple of days after that. Dare we trust the forecasters?

The group of islands known as the Benjamins is actually made up of North and South Benjamin, Fox Island to the north, and Croker Island to the east, all laid out in a kind of circle. We anchored in a corner of South Benjamin and took our dinghy to explore the nooks and crannies of North Benjamin. The beauty of these islands never ceases to amaze.

Yesterday we made our way east southeast to Little Current, arriving just as a rain shower passed through. One of the things we enjoy about life on the water is that you can see the weather as it approaches, although sometimes that means getting a bit wet! Little Current is the largest town on Manitoulin Island. There is a swing bridge here that provides the only connection between Manitoulin Island and the mainland. Even so, the town is quite small, and very boat-oriented. We've been here a few times before and always enjoyed it. Still, it is "civilization," so we are eager to head back out to the islands tomorrow.