Gore Bay - out of jail card!

Sun's up and the wind is....where? Hallelujah! We are off to Meldrum Bay, another of our favorite spots. Bama Belle is with us and we expect a much quieter day. (Hope!!!)

Sailing School. Looks like a couple of ruffians. My kind of boys!

Gore Bay is described by Jim as Columbiaville 55 years ago.  Agreed! As the boys and I walked, early this morning, we met two young men with long pants, short sleeved shirts and fishing poles, smiling and laughing! Did this remind me of Jim fishing with his cousin Rodney or Mike! Yes!

Jim and I were in the engine room and when I popped my head up, this is what greeted me.

The grocery store is a bit larger than Killarney, packed with merchandise to the ceiling. Non branded products are common on the shelf and packaging can be significantly different than in the US. A pharmacy, clothing shop, nick nack shop (why do we EVER need one!), a LCBO (booze shop) and Shell gas station.

Oh, boy! A flea market!

Two days is more than enough and we are glad the winds have subsided.

Good morning world!

Benjamin Island - not to be missed on any year.

One of our favorites - have anchored here three years in a row. Won't miss the Benjamins next year either!

The rock formations at the Benjamins differ from many other areas. The smooth stones are expansive and easy to climb.

Charlie and Lori

Bama Belle and Crawdad rafted together on one anchor.

Is their anything more beautiful than this lush green moss?

Charlie took us fishing between the islands. It was not our day.....  

Lori and Charlie

Bud and his Dad, cruising the rocks, looking for....the best spot.

Gal pals.

Trying not to bore you with too many sunsets, but they are so incredibly colorful!

Kagawong, Bridal Falls, what fun!

Charlie Crawford from Bama Belle was a great companion boat on our Loop. We met in Marco Island and cruised together to the Keys. Bama Belle was with us for a month at Marathon Marina and Boat Yard. Good times! Charlie cruised to the Bahamas and then up the coast. Timing wasn't just right and he wanted sufficient time to enjoy Georgian Bay and the North Channel. Bama Belle was up on the hard at Brewerton NY for the winter. Fortunately, we were able to catch up with each other.

Charlie has cruised with friends and relatives. During the time we met, he was cruising with a Collingwood resident, Lori. We have thoroughly enjoyed her company as well as good old Charlie. Charlie owned a bait shop in Mobile and is a fabulous fisherman. Lori had double knee replacement 8 weeks ago and is crewing with Charlie! What a spirit!

Check out the pulpit.....bow of a boat look familiar?

Two wild and crazy guys in the falls!

Amazing what a bunch of old people will do for fun!

BooBoo is beside himself! Why would anyone want to leave their dogs at home?

Covered Portage Cove - the Ultimate in beauty!

A few miles from Killarney, there are a plethora of anchorages, but Covered Portage Cove is one of the most beautiful sights we have seen in our travels on Georgian Bay and Little Current. The stone wall reflects in the pool and depending on the angle of viewing, looks like an Indian Head.

Buddy is thinking this could be a fun trip. BooBoo is back at the boat, napping. If he only knew! haha, says Buddy.

Maybe this wasn't such a great idea....

One of the ladies HAD a walking stick. I love hiking!

We have met a few Looper boats this summer and run into them at various anchorages and ports. As we cruised the anchorage, we saw two boats we have seen in the past. Carried Away is from Williamsburg, VA and Borea is from none other than Bay City.  Like us, they are nearing their home and are ....dragging their feet.....taking their time to arrive at home. The couples mentioned they were going hiking, so we tagged along!

Did anyone look to see where we started our hike? Fred hiked back to the origin of the trail and generously offered to pick up ALL the boats. Good job Fred! Hope we see you back in Bay City!

On the other hand, who needs to hike. I found a book in the laundry room and I'm going to read it!

Killarney, lovely every time!

Charming and remote Killarney lies between two small islands. Water flows from east to west or visa versa, depending on the wind direction. In between are two major marinas, Sportsman's Cove and Killarney Mountain Lodge along with various other family marinas.

This is the local grocery store. Not exactly a Meijer.

The Upjohns were in town. The Mallard hails from Gull Lake.

The city itself is small with a grocery store, few restaurants and the local Catholic Church. Provisioning is OK, with great protection from the wind...except for the floating docks that rock and roll in the wind.

Another Upjohn beauty. The entire family was staying at Killarney Mountain Lodge and ate as a family at a large table every night. Grandma was there as well, having a great time on a Boston Whaler traveling to Baie Fine.

Our dear friends Phillip and Sydney. Sydney took a real liking to BooBoo and visa versa. Sydney carried Boo in his baby carrier. Lucky BooBoo!

Phillip caught a fish and did not know what to do with it! The fish came off the hook on his own and Phillip threw him back into the water. What a thrill!

Buddy went for a great run and enjoyed hiking to the lighthouse.

Our neighbor on Gringo kayaked with her dog, Mishka. Mishka and Buddy became great pals playing ball in the water.

Seems that every visit to Killarney extends beyond our original plan. The wind whips up and we are "stuck" along with other boats for a few days. The good news is, this is an opportunity to make more good friends.

Collins Inlet, Keyhole Island

The water level is a foot below last year and we felt we pushed through the mud through the East entrance to the Collins Inlet last year, so we decided to enter from the west. Quite a bit of additional mileage, but who needs to run aground. (We ran aground and managed to escape in Harrisville).

The wind was really blowing and again, safe harbor was an issue. After anchoring in Mill Lake, we brought up the anchor and moved to the area around Keyhole Island. Everyone else had the same idea. We managed to find a safe anchorage and stayed for two days.

Finding an easy landing spot for the boys is always a consideration. The rocks, when wet, are extremely slippery and we found an island where Buddy could run free and burn off some energy.

The rock was so different in this area. The boys found plenty of interesting smells to sniff.

Notice the water line on the rocks. Significant in the last few years.

What happened to this poor tree?

The granite here is extremely colorful.

Bustard Islands, Whoa Baby!

Last year we anchored in the Bustard Islands and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We planned to cruise up the Gun Barrel into the harbor, but decided to travel a bit farther south (east) on the small boat channel and enter between two islands. Worked great.

When we entered the harbor, there were only two boats! Last year there were many more. Both were anchored and secured "med mooring style" to the wall. Mediterranean mooring means tying to the rocks on shore. In this case, both were secured by their sterns.

We found a great spot, anchored and tied to the trees on the stone wall. What fun!

Classic Bustard Islands.

Note the choices into the bay. Any of the entries requires great attention to detail.

Jim is headed to shore to tie our first line to a tree.

A curious mink critiques Jim's style.

The Kings, Sydney, Phillip, Corey and Dave became great friends through our adventure. BooBoo is exhibiting his extraordinary ball skills. Buddy doesn't think they are so hot.

Buddy gives a demonstration of the Olympic style of ball playing.

Love that moss! Such incredible natural color.

Sydney is showing BooBoo how he could jump into the water and retrieve the ball. BooBoo is explaining that he is not a Retriever, but a Pomeranian.

The wind piped up and now Jim is tying the second line to shore. We now have two stern lines tied to trees and an anchor securing the boat.

Much advice being given by the experts from the stern.

As the wind clocked and increased, the Kings decided to leave. Half an hour later they were back, looking for safety. By then we were feeling the push toward the rocks and were attempting to move to a safer spot.

We decided the best course of action was to assist each other in our attempt at safety. Exhale was anchored in the middle of the bay and Dave and Jim each had a dinghy to tie lines. Dave anchored, Exhale, and brought one line to shore, which he tied to a tree. Meanwhile, Jim acted as a tow boat and kept power on the hull to hold us off the rocks. I brought up the anchor, released and threw the two stern lines and gunned it to safety. Jim and Dave then set second lines and we maneuvered to raft to Exhale. What an adventure! What a great time (afterward) we had with the Kings.

Corey, Grandma Irene, Sydney, Phillip and Dave King.

A special bond was formed between BooBoo and Sydney.

Dave, took our picture, sans the boys.

Couldn't leave this page without a shot of Dave climbing the trees. He wisely tied the lines high up on the tree to minimize chafing on the lines. Bad news was he was barefoot! Yeow!