Pulled over in Killarney Ontario...why not...?

Since our last post, Ashton and I have made great time moving across the entire Georgian Bay in four days....we are idiots.

This place is absolutely gorgeous. If it wasn't for us meeting Cathy on the tip of Michigan next week, we would stay here until the butter became hard....err, middle of August from what folks say.

Ok, our trip has been great. We anchored "med-style" in our first night in a cove called Echo Bay...named for the sheer granite walls that....you guessed it, echo! Anyway, the bay was pretty full and we could not pull into the other bay due to large granite boulders just under the surface. Ashton stopped us just in time to avoid an expensive "oh shit". We have taken to have Ashton as "bow rider" when we go anywhere off the canal. The water is clear down 60 ft so you can see what is going to bite you. But back to Echo Bay, we had to scale a cliff (OK, it was only 50 ft tall...but I am old!) We tied our stern to a pine at the top of this cliff and anchored out forward making more room for others. Great stay with us snorkeling amongst the walleye that I have eaten the last two nights out!


We left yesterday after two days and went "outside" into the heart of the Georgian Bay to make better time. We ran 60 miles up the coast and pulled into a pretty inlet called Byng Inlet...not much else to say except we pulled into a marina, folks were nice, beer was cold and the cool Canadian nights aided in a good rest.

Today we went outside (the "inside" is the small craft channel which is very scenic which we ran the first day, but this channel is tedious and one risks a bent prop at every turn). Our run to Killarney was 45 miles over extremely flat seas. Ashton slept most of the way. I put the boat on autopilot and puttered around while I monitored traffic and progress. Life doesn't suck.

We intended on passing through Killarney en route to a secluded anchorage on the other side of a small canal. However, as we were passing through Killarney, which turns out to be the quintessential boat destination that didn't even have road to it until 20 years ago, friends of our waved us down. They had pulled into the Sportsman's Inn. We did the same. This Inn had just come out of bankruptcy last week...no kidding. There were two kids (both 20...Ashton's age) running the place for the deep pocketed saviour who purchased the Inn. This Inn is famous and was the place t0 stop for years. These kids were doing everything...from running a water taxi to docking, fixing electricity etc. The Inn is in a sad state of repair but the bar is really neat with dead animals lining the walls....just what one expects here in the north woods. Anyhow, this place let us dock with electricity cheaper than anyplace on our trip so far. Our friends had been helping the kids for the last five days getting the water and electricity running again. Attached are some pretty descriptive pictures.

Tomorrow we head to Baie Fine, which is a must see destination. After that it is across the Northern Channel to meet Cathy back in the USA.

That's it for now.
The Worley's
Aboard Waveaway,
Currently lying Sportsman Inn, Killarney Ontario

Heading farther up the North Woods....life is good

Hello to all,

We are currently in a wonderful marina at the mouth of the Georgian bay. We arrived last Wednesday and just finished a rendezvous with all the other lucky folks doing the same "trip" as us. We have been so busy just taking things in and keeping the boat in the channel (many others have not been so lucky) that keeping the blog updated kept getting pushed to the right. However, here are some highlights.

• Ashton tries his first locking at the helm and pulls out a mooring position (big metal thing tow boats tie too)....pulled it out of the cement wall...bolts and all
• We gave this back to the lockmaster apologizing for breaking his wall.
• I was on the wall while Ashton was dancing around in the current.
  
• Cathy was providing moral support...
• There is now a blue streak on the front of my bow that will continue to remind us of all the great "blue lines" at the locks on the Trent Severn Canal
  
• We cross a VERY LARGE lake with 30 knots of wind on our port side...beam seas of 6 ft...we survive and actually break very little!
• Winds were supposed to be less...yes it was a weather forecast which we foolishly believed
• No, we are too stubborn to turn around
  
• Ashton and I continue to make great time and avoid large boat bills
• No bent props
• No bent struts
• No overheats
• Ashton, myself and a friend win the dingy poker race...came in last but we had the winning hand!
• We did not cheat...and our dinghy refused to plane with three people in it...they all had to wait and we still won!
  

Details: The above are highlights but in general, our trip has been blessed with very good weather and the scenery is absolutely wonderful. We will post some characteristic pictures as we have made our way to the end of the Trent Severn Waterway and are about to begin our trip along the north side of Lake Huron (actually call the Georgian Bay and North Channel). Tonight we went on a dinner cruise which cruised along our future route...we were absolutely awed by the vistas.
In any case, we continue to stay on schedule and will take the next 10 days to make our way across the top of the Great Lakes to finally enter the USA again near Mackinaw Michigan. Cathy, who has been working in D.C. during our time in Canada, will join us at that time and we will continue our trip down the east shore of Lake Michigan.



Tomorrow we head out into the 30,000 Islands which is listed as one of the best cruising grounds in the world. So, we have stocked the freezer and frig and will head out bright and early...Ashton time. Wish everyone the best.

The Worley's
Aboard Waveaway
Currently lying Penetanguishene Ontario

Off the grid in Canada...blog catchup!

Hey to all,
We have been without Internet for the last 10 days or so...we will try to catch you up. We crossed into Canada on 29 June leaving from Oswego NY and coasting in at Bath Ontario. Since then, we have been making our way up the Trent Severn Waterway and are currently lying Bobcaygeon Ontario, a small very touristy town that actually has WIFI! Here is a brief synopsis of the last two weeks including pictures of the highlights.

Cathy arrived 26 June meeting Ashton and me at Brewerton NY. We headed up the Oswego Canal the next day arriving in Oswego timed to go the the street festival...sort of a farmers market with bands. Weird. It wasn't much so we headed to the nearest Irish pub to really sample the local color...great food and beer as usual.







On 29 June we headed across lake Ontario with gentle winds and beautiful green-blue seas. Cathy wanted to stop at an isolated island in Canadian waters but I explained that the custom folks frown on side trips until you actually clear customs...remembering my "permit to proceed days" flying C-5s...we didn't have one. Anyway we cleared customs at Bath and walked the town. They were having a Canada Day celebration that weekend to include a reenactment of US...that is right the USA invading Canada and getting repealed the next day by British troops. The community there to this day is called the Loyalist Township of Bath...wonderful different perspectives, especially coming so close to our own 4Th of July celebration

Jun 30 found us leaving Bath right in the middle of the American invasion complete with the old three masted schooner. We left with Old Glory flying high...some folks no doubt thinking...hey wait, you guys don't get driven out until tomorrow! Anyhow, we cruised over to Picton Ontario, a local artist hangout and took a mooring ball from the yacht club there. We dingy ed over to the dock trying to beat a thunderstorm and in our hast, Ashton sent his new Cannon camera into lake Ontario...ouch...total loss. We consoled ourselves with all the yacht club type Canadians at their club with a liquid lunch. Later we made it up to Picton and walked around this picturesque art is community.

July 1 found us headed to Trenton and we pulled in to the Frazier State Park Marina where we got great seats (off the bow of our boat) for the Canada Day Fireworks that night. We had a nice bike ride touring Trenton and then fixed a great dinner. The fireworks were fantastic and we chatted with some new Canadian friends on what the hell we were doing in Trenton Ontario.

July 2-4 found us making our way up the windy rivers stopping each night at a canal lock wall to tie up. We stayed in some pretty remote countrysides where Ashton and I fished...catching some small Walleyes. Our days became pretty routine. I would wake and take an hour walk and do exercise. Then Cathy would wake and do her tea. Ashton would finally wake around 9 or 10 and we would cast off for the days cruising...we are not in any hurry.

We caught fireworks again on the 4Th in Peterbourgh Ontario...thank you Canada! This was an every Wednesday event just coincidental timed with the 4Th this year. Anyhow, Peterbourgh was a neat city that caters to the boaters. Pretty much everything you need within walking distance. We restocked and bought another digital camera. I also rented a car to drive Cathy back to Buffalo NY where she rented ANOTHER CAR to drive back to D.C....vacation was over for her. She is not able to work from Canadian soil due to Patent Law concerns and will bust her tail for the next two weeks to clear time to join us again cruising the Norther Channel of Lake Huron.




For the last three days (Jul 6-10) Ashton and I have been tying up to lock walls each night making about 20 miles a day. Here are some photos of typical scenery during this leg of the loop. Every turn in the lake or river provides more Kodak moments.

We will cruise tomorrow another 20 miles, weather permitting.