Orillia to Indian Harbour Anchorage - Georgian Bay

7/7/2015

We awoke to overcast skies with heavy rain and thunderstorms expected, so “Reflection” became a version of the local library.  While Joyce read, Dave, George, and Pat worked at their respective computers.  However, a little while later, George’s computer “crashed” and he had to take it to a local computer-repair shop to have various diagnostic tests done on it to have it “cleansed” of its problems.  While he was there, he also found a bakery where he purchased delicious Canadian Butter Tarts, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies, and a small thin-crusted Italian pizza for us to share.  Unfortunately, while he was on his way back to the boat with his purchases, it began to pour, and he arrived back at the boat soaked, but with his “buys” intact and delicious. We later had a quiet evening with Chicken Parmesan and Salad for dinner.

 

7/8/2015

Today we celebrated our 43^rd Wedding Anniversary!  The weather had happily cleared over-night, and since George had to pick up his repaired computer, we all decided to walk into town with him to browse in the stores, check out the menus at the restaurants, and pick up items at the supermarket.  Of course, when we got to the computer store, it wasn’t yet ready, so while George waited for it, Pat, Joyce, and Dave went to the market and then returned to the boat.  We had received a phone call earlier from our Banana Bay Marina boat neighbors, Mark and Jodie, who live in Orillia, telling us that they were going to pay us a visit,  and we were delighted to have them join us aboard, so we could catch up on all of our mutual adventures since they had left the marina in March. We had a great time with them, and then Joyce and Dave treated us to an Anniversary Dinner at “Studabaker’s” on the waterfront.  It was a great day!

 

7/9/2015

 

 Inside Lock 42

 

 

 

On the way to Lock 43 (Swift Rapids)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top of Lock 43

 

 

 

Bottom of Lock 43

 

 

Big Chute Carriage





 

 

 

 

"Suroan" going for the Big Chute ride



 

 

 

 

 

Today’s 34 mile trip took us through: Lake Couchiching, the man-made two mile long Trent Canal, the narrow Severn River, a harrowing swing-bridge with lots of current, and finally Sparrow Lake.  From there we went to Lock 42 with a 20’ vertical drop, and then on to the remote Swift Rapids Lock 43 with a 47’ vertical drop.  Our final stop of the day was at the floating dock before the Big Chute Lock.  We would stay here over-night before actually entering this unique “lock”, which is actually a marine rail-way that would portage “Reflection” across land and down a chute on twin tracks back into the water.  The 58’ vertical drop is really something to see, as well as to experience first-hand!  When we arrived, “Suroan” was already tied up at the dock, and again Al and Sue Gonzalez were there to take our lines!  Al said that he thinks that  we are stalking him – but you’re WRONG, Al!  This hop-scotching happens to “Loopers” all the time!  This was really great timing for them, since they had already toured the lock’s Visitor Center, and a little later when they were ready to actually go through Big Chute, we were able to take great photos of them from our vantage point!

 

7/10/2015

 

 

Our Big Chute carriage awaits!

 

Reflection getting ready for the ride

 

Highway crossing

Heading down the other side

 

Back in the water

 

 

 Looking back from the bottom

 

 

This morning we were the first boat to enter Big Chute at 9 a.m., and our experience was great!  The lock-tender was extremely experienced and George expertly brought the boat into the carriage, and with a boat of our size, the stern had to hang off the back.  The lock-tender knew exactly where to place the lift straps, and  we had to show him where the props were located, so that no damage would be done.  The scene from the boat as we looked down was like looking out of a roller coaster car at its highest point before it dips!  The actual process only took about 7 minutes, and then at the bottom the lock-tender simply yelled: “Okay, Captain, you can go!”, and we were back in the water.  Moving on, we then came through a narrow area called Little Chute where the current can reach up to 5 knots, and we called a “Securite” before entering the area to warn others approaching from the other end that a boat of our size was coming through.  Finally we entered a wide area of the Severn River known as Gloucester Pool and Whites Bay which led us to the last lock on this waterway – Port Severn Lock 45.  This lock is often a challenge because it is operated by hand, it is the smallest lock on the Trent-Severn system (only we could fit in), and a 16’ high swing bridge immediately after it has to operate in conjunction with the lock. To complicate matters further, there is a lot of current both above and below the lock.  Our locking went very well (we’ve had a lot of practice!) and Captain George got us through the current area at the bridge expertly.  However, we were now faced with our transit of notorious Potato Channel which is very shallow and very narrow, and has several severe turns that our 48’ boat could barely make without touching a nun or a buoy.  This maneuver  required lots of caution and definitely expert piloting!  So, George called another “Securite” before entering, we all collectively took a deep breath, and again our terrific Captain got us through safely!  We then proceeded into beautiful and open Georgian Bay headed directly to Bay Port Yachting Centre in Midland, Ontario.  This is a 600 slip marina which was previously owned by our friend, Ken MacDonald, who we met on our first visit here six years ago, and who we had asked to be a featured guest speaker with us at one of our all-day TrawlerFest seminars on the Great Loop, but who has very recently retired.  When we arrived at their gas dock we were met by their able staff for fueling, and more staff were at our slip to assist us later for docking.  After we were all tied up, George went in search of Ken, who he learned was aboard his own boat at the marina, and a while later he was back at our boat with Ken in tow!  It was great seeing him, and we made plans to visit with him and his wife, Marlena, when they bring their RV both to Naples and also to Grassy Key near Marathon when we are all in Florida together for the winter. Later we were invited aboard “Suroan” for cocktails with Al and Sue, who were leaving the next evening for a three week visit home while their boat would remain in Midland before they continued on with their “Great Loop” journey.  After our “Good-byes” we returned to “Reflection” for a Steak and Salad dinner aboard.

 

7/11/2015

 



Joyce and Dave at Discovery Harbor

 

 Tecumseh and Bee - wooden schooners at the dock

 

Below decks on the Tecumseh

 

 



One of Bay Port’s customer service representatives shuttled us to historic “Discovery Harbor” in nearby Penetanguishene which was a British Naval and military defense site that was built around the time of the War of 1812 and remained as an outpost for some years afterward.  Costumed docents speak about what life was like here during that period and demonstrate some of the crafts of the time as well.  The buildings here are a mixture of actual and replicated buildings, and a newly- built museum and theater houses the remnants of the sunken schooner, “Tecumseh”, which was razed from the waters nearby.  Visitors can also board two wooden replica schooners of the time, the 79’ “Bee”, and the 125’ “Tecumseh”.  Musical entertainment of the period is performed here several times a day, and there is also an on-site restaurant, and a summer-stock theater. After walking around for several hours, we opted for lunch at the restaurant, and there Joyce and Dave got to taste one of George’s favorite Canadian dishes, Poutine. This is a dish of French Fries covered with cheese curd and gravy – a very “lite” menu item!  Afterwards, we were again picked up by a marina customer service rep who took George and Pat to the supermarket, and Joyce and Dave back to the boat.  Since none of us was very hungry after our lunch, we ordered a medium pizza from a local franchise with a delivery service to the boat – and George moaned that it was the most expensive pizza that he had ever bought!  We retired around 9 p.m. with hugs and kisses all around, since Joyce and Dave would be leaving very early in the a.m.

 

7/12/2015

 

 

Georgian Bay tour boat

On the water food market

Our anchorage at Brown Bay

 

The Johnsons left at 4:30 a.m., since their car service had a ½ hour window on their 5 a.m. pick-up for Toronto airport.  Pat was awake to see them off, and then went to work on “Waterway Guide” up-dates for the Trent-Severn Waterway section of the 2016 edition.  At 7 a.m. we were off the boat taking four loads of laundry to the marina’s laundromat.  While she did that, George reviewed the up-dates and sent them out, and also readied the boat to later leave the dock.  This process took approximately three hours, and after putting everything away, and re-making the guest cabin with clean bedding and towels, we were on our way to Brown Bay anchorage, a distance of 18 miles.  Georgian Bay was very busy on this Sunday afternoon with many boats crossing every which way.  Finally we arrived at lovely Brown Bay where we were anchored with eleven other boats in 40’ of water.  It was fun to have the Canadians on some of the other boats acknowledge that we were Americans and wave and welcome us to their country! The day was lovely and by evening only three other boats remained.  Joyce and Dave called to tell us that they had arrived home safely back in Indiana late in the afternoon, and also to tell us that they had run into Al and Sue at the Toronto airport.  What a small world!  The Johnsons were great guests, and we really look forward to seeing them again in Marathon in January, and in Indianapolis (and vicinity) in May!

7/13/2015

 

 

"Little Gibraltar" - home on Georgian Bay

Indian Harbour anchorage

 

We left Brown Bay around 11 a.m. for a 14 mile trip through Monument Channel to Indian Harbour, a small bay formed by Bernadette Island, Starr Island, and Galbraith Island.  Our paper charts really came in handy, as we double-checked them with our GPS chartplotter to make our way carefully through this area of narrow channels through rock passages. Thankfully, they are usually well-marked.  Depths outside the channels can go from very deep to very shallow in a nano-second.  By 1 p.m. we were anchored in about 20’ of water with about seven other boats in another lovely spot.  We had a quiet afternoon, and George even found three stations on our T.V., but there was no Internet service. In the evening we got a phone call from our friends, Andrew and Clare Zeigler from Savannah, who we had called earlier in the day to tell that we were “on schedule” to meet them in Little Current, Ontario on 7/24.  They are greatly looking forward to coming aboard and cruising parts of the magnificent North Channel with us, and then making the crossing back to the U.S. from Canada through Lake Huron to Drummond Island and on to Mackinaw City, Michigan from where we will visit beautiful Mackinac Island.