- Feb 5, 2009
- 827
- Boat Info
- 560DB
2 x Raymarine e125's
Walker Bay Generations 360 Centre Console w. Yahama 60HP
2 Seadoos
- Engines
- CAT 3406e (C15's) @ 800HP
I love to see the shots of boating in other areas. It's always cool to see the distinct areas where others get to boat. So I decided to share too.
Here are a few shots from our summer vacation taken in the first two weeks of August 2009. We covered about 650 miles of water over two weeks. Unfortunately the weather hasn't been that great in Ontario this summer so we had lots of rain, wind and waves. Oh well, ya gotta play the hand you're dealt.
This is a route map of our vacation taken in the first two weeks of August. I figure we covered over 1000 kms (~650 statute miles) and I burned about (cover your ears if you're an environmentalist) 5500 litres (~1500 U.S. gallons) of diesel - yikes!!!
The first day was setback by thunderstorms - it's been a pretty crappy summer in these parts. Got this neat shot of our boat centred in the rainbow at our home port of Beacon Bay Marina in Penetanguishene, Ontario.
This is at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula which separates Georgian Bayy from the main part of Lake Huron.
This is a great, well sheltered anchorage at Cabot Head. Fortunately the weather started to improve as the day progressed.
There are many, many wrecks around the tip of the Bruce Peninsula due to the long history of commercial fishing, logging and navigation for trade. This is one in the Wingfield Basin - The Gargantua. Our raft is in the background.
I just love these gratuituous shots of the boat's wash. Sometimes they get me through January.
Here's another lighthouse at Flowerpot Island near Tobermory.
The island is named for these unusual formations (which I've seen in a few other locations usually near sea shores.
Leaving Flowerpot on route to Toberymory we encountered a thick fog. Here a friend enters...
...and disappears
Downtown Tobermory is a neat, bustling and active spot. Great place to spend a couple of days...so we did.
Gratuitous shot...sorry.
We left Tobermory heading straight across the top of Lake Huron heading for Mackinac Island. We were travelling for a couple of hours totally out of sight of land. Glorious day, but as the morning progressed, waves built to the point that our smallest travelling companion (Regal 3560) was getting pounded and we had to tuck into Great Duck Island. I'm pleased to say the Sea Ray 560 just cruised through the waves. This is our first year with the boat and I have been immensely impressed with its handling characteristics. Much better than I anticipated!
Great Duck Island is in the middle of Northern Lake Huron, about 7 miles from the U.S. border. It is totally remote and very isolated. Just a glorious place to anchor in the right conditions. Wouldn't want to be caught here in a south blow though. We'd have waves coming at us from abour 185 miles of open water. A century ago, this was a centre of commercial boating for the region and this lagoon and shed are one of the few remanents.
One of the curses of the modern age is that even in a remote location like Great Duck, work can still find you. Damn those Blackberrys!
I get up pretty early in the morning and here is my reward. I got to share my morning coffee with this glorious sunrise.
As I understand it, this lighthouse at Great Duck Island is one of the oldest lighthouses on Lake Huron.
Turned out we couldn't get a slip at Mackinac Island (we'd been trying for days) so instead we turned up into the De Tour passage heading towards Lake Superior.
In order to clear U.S. Customs, we were directed on to the Drummond Island Yacht Haven near De Tour. We also stayed for the night (thirsty by this time
)
We continued on the next day up to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan or "the Soo" (at least that's what we call it on the Cdn side). Nice marina and at the south end was an old Lake Freighter, The Valley Camp, which had been grounded and turned into a Maritime Museum.
Previous shot was from the Jackie J V, looking up at the Valley Camp. This is the JJV, taken from the deck of the Freighter.
There are alot of interesting displays in the Valley Camp, but the area my kids and I found the most interesting was the exhibit dedicated to the Edmund Fitzgerald, made famous in the song of the same name by Gordon Lightfoot.
The only flotsam found in the days after the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald were her two lifeboats, which are here on display. Here's Lifeboat number one which looks pretty good from this side...
...but from this side, not so much. The boat was basically torn in two by the forces at work.
And it looks as though Lifeboat Number Two was ripped apart at the seams.
Continuing on our tour of the Soo, we visited the local tourist tower/vantage point. Here's a shot looking back down at our marina.
During the day, there was just a steady progression of Freighters, given the marina was just a few yards from the locks to Lake Superior.
As I mentioned earlier, the weather has really been terrible this summer in this area. After leaving the Soo, we wanted to get to the Benjamin Islands in the North Channel, however once again we had to seek shelter, this time in Thessalon, Ontario due to wind, waves and storms.
If you've never been here and you're in the Great Lakes, you should try to get here. The Benjamins are glorious with unspoilt rock, water and trees. Here's the view of the bow at our anchorage.
My youngest son likes to break out his Kayak and toodle around the various rocky islands dotting this area.
We met up with some friends at night and had a campfire on the rock. The main island is really one humongous rock.
Surprise, surprise, day two at the Benji's and the winds whip up again! Here's a couple of the guys setting an extra line. If you anchor near rock shores, here's a great tip...add rock climbing pitons to your inventory of ground tackle. Attached to an anchor rode, they provide phenomenal hold when slipped into a crack in the rock face.
Next stop was the town of Little Current on Manitoulin Island. Manitoulin is the largest freshwater island in the world and separates the North Channel from the main part of Lake Huron.
Final night at anchor at the Bustard Islands in the North East Corner of Georgian Bay. Next day it was about a 5 hour ride to home. Two weeks on the boat is always a great adventure!
Hope you enjoyed this little tour!
Paul
Here are a few shots from our summer vacation taken in the first two weeks of August 2009. We covered about 650 miles of water over two weeks. Unfortunately the weather hasn't been that great in Ontario this summer so we had lots of rain, wind and waves. Oh well, ya gotta play the hand you're dealt.
This is a route map of our vacation taken in the first two weeks of August. I figure we covered over 1000 kms (~650 statute miles) and I burned about (cover your ears if you're an environmentalist) 5500 litres (~1500 U.S. gallons) of diesel - yikes!!!
The first day was setback by thunderstorms - it's been a pretty crappy summer in these parts. Got this neat shot of our boat centred in the rainbow at our home port of Beacon Bay Marina in Penetanguishene, Ontario.
This is at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula which separates Georgian Bayy from the main part of Lake Huron.
This is a great, well sheltered anchorage at Cabot Head. Fortunately the weather started to improve as the day progressed.
There are many, many wrecks around the tip of the Bruce Peninsula due to the long history of commercial fishing, logging and navigation for trade. This is one in the Wingfield Basin - The Gargantua. Our raft is in the background.
I just love these gratuituous shots of the boat's wash. Sometimes they get me through January.
Here's another lighthouse at Flowerpot Island near Tobermory.
The island is named for these unusual formations (which I've seen in a few other locations usually near sea shores.
Leaving Flowerpot on route to Toberymory we encountered a thick fog. Here a friend enters...
...and disappears
Downtown Tobermory is a neat, bustling and active spot. Great place to spend a couple of days...so we did.
Gratuitous shot...sorry.
We left Tobermory heading straight across the top of Lake Huron heading for Mackinac Island. We were travelling for a couple of hours totally out of sight of land. Glorious day, but as the morning progressed, waves built to the point that our smallest travelling companion (Regal 3560) was getting pounded and we had to tuck into Great Duck Island. I'm pleased to say the Sea Ray 560 just cruised through the waves. This is our first year with the boat and I have been immensely impressed with its handling characteristics. Much better than I anticipated!
Great Duck Island is in the middle of Northern Lake Huron, about 7 miles from the U.S. border. It is totally remote and very isolated. Just a glorious place to anchor in the right conditions. Wouldn't want to be caught here in a south blow though. We'd have waves coming at us from abour 185 miles of open water. A century ago, this was a centre of commercial boating for the region and this lagoon and shed are one of the few remanents.
One of the curses of the modern age is that even in a remote location like Great Duck, work can still find you. Damn those Blackberrys!
I get up pretty early in the morning and here is my reward. I got to share my morning coffee with this glorious sunrise.
As I understand it, this lighthouse at Great Duck Island is one of the oldest lighthouses on Lake Huron.
Turned out we couldn't get a slip at Mackinac Island (we'd been trying for days) so instead we turned up into the De Tour passage heading towards Lake Superior.
In order to clear U.S. Customs, we were directed on to the Drummond Island Yacht Haven near De Tour. We also stayed for the night (thirsty by this time
)
We continued on the next day up to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan or "the Soo" (at least that's what we call it on the Cdn side). Nice marina and at the south end was an old Lake Freighter, The Valley Camp, which had been grounded and turned into a Maritime Museum.
Previous shot was from the Jackie J V, looking up at the Valley Camp. This is the JJV, taken from the deck of the Freighter.
There are alot of interesting displays in the Valley Camp, but the area my kids and I found the most interesting was the exhibit dedicated to the Edmund Fitzgerald, made famous in the song of the same name by Gordon Lightfoot.
The only flotsam found in the days after the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald were her two lifeboats, which are here on display. Here's Lifeboat number one which looks pretty good from this side...
...but from this side, not so much. The boat was basically torn in two by the forces at work.
And it looks as though Lifeboat Number Two was ripped apart at the seams.
Continuing on our tour of the Soo, we visited the local tourist tower/vantage point. Here's a shot looking back down at our marina.
During the day, there was just a steady progression of Freighters, given the marina was just a few yards from the locks to Lake Superior.
As I mentioned earlier, the weather has really been terrible this summer in this area. After leaving the Soo, we wanted to get to the Benjamin Islands in the North Channel, however once again we had to seek shelter, this time in Thessalon, Ontario due to wind, waves and storms.
If you've never been here and you're in the Great Lakes, you should try to get here. The Benjamins are glorious with unspoilt rock, water and trees. Here's the view of the bow at our anchorage.
My youngest son likes to break out his Kayak and toodle around the various rocky islands dotting this area.
We met up with some friends at night and had a campfire on the rock. The main island is really one humongous rock.
Surprise, surprise, day two at the Benji's and the winds whip up again! Here's a couple of the guys setting an extra line. If you anchor near rock shores, here's a great tip...add rock climbing pitons to your inventory of ground tackle. Attached to an anchor rode, they provide phenomenal hold when slipped into a crack in the rock face.
Next stop was the town of Little Current on Manitoulin Island. Manitoulin is the largest freshwater island in the world and separates the North Channel from the main part of Lake Huron.
Final night at anchor at the Bustard Islands in the North East Corner of Georgian Bay. Next day it was about a 5 hour ride to home. Two weeks on the boat is always a great adventure!
Hope you enjoyed this little tour!
Paul
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