[Rhodes22-list] North Channel and the Search for Internet Access

[Wally Buck]

Thanks for posting Julie!  Wally


>From: "Julie Thorndycraft" <julie at circle7.net>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] North Channel and the Search for Internet Access
>Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 12:11:57 -0500
>
>North Channel and the Search for Internet Access
>
>
>
>A while back I mentioned that we had sailed the North Channel and Slim had 
>requested the 'story'. Here it is with my apologies for the length - it was 
>a two week trip and that's hard to cover without some length.
>
>
>
>Background
>
>The North Channel is located on the Ontario side of Lake Huron just east of 
>Sault Ste. Marie. It provides a combination of wilderness sailing along 
>with quaint small towns and facilities. The overall trip was organized by 
>the Trailer Sailors, who've been sailing these waters annually for many 
>years. At first we were concerned when we learned that there were 40+ boats 
>signed up but we learned very quickly that various groups split off for 
>days at a time to explore other areas.
>
>
>
>The Trek
>
>In our usual fashion, we left late - 24 hours late to be exact and we ended 
>up going through the Twin Cities during the heart of rush hour on Thursday, 
>July 14th. We drove late on Thursday and made it as far as Marinette, WI. 
>We literally got the last room available as there was a huge bass fishing 
>contest starting that weekend. We got up early the next morning and 
>continued our journey with one stop at an internet café so Dan could take 
>care of some 'work'. We arrived in Spanish about 5:30pm on Friday. Total 
>miles: 670
>
>
>
>Spanish, Ontario
>
>The little town of Spanish has your basic services but they have a gorgeous 
>marina with plenty of space for rigging, storing trailers, and a great 
>launch ramp. We got the boat rigged, dropped her in the water, and got done 
>just in time to catch dinner before they shut down for the night.
>
>
>
>The next morning we walked up to Le Belle Abri for a fabulous breakfast. We 
>had homemade croissants, bread, muffins, and fresh preserves. Our gracious 
>hosts then provided us with doggy bags to take the extra muffins and rolls 
>for the next morning. This was all for a great price of $8 Canadian.
>
>
>
>We spent Saturday night in the Spanish Marina as the rest of the Trailer 
>Sailors arrived and launched their boats. Dan and one of the other Trailer 
>Sailors worked to patch a 1" hole in our dinghy that a mouse had created. I 
>got the remainder of the groceries and gear loaded on the boat and then 
>removed what I thought might be 'extra'. I also got to watch the show as 
>the different boats got launched. There were Rhodes, Precisions, a Flicka, 
>a bunch of MacGregors, and a few unique models that I had not encountered 
>previously.
>
>
>
>Day One
>
>On Sunday we all departed from Spanish and sailed east just over 7nm to 
>Eagle Island. The most common anchoring method used in the North Channel is 
>to drop an anchor off the bow and tie your stern to shore via a rock or 
>tree. The next morning brought a change in weather with predictions of a 
>storm and a falling barometer. Opting for a more protected position we 
>relocated to the other side of the bay and waited for the storm to hit. 
>After an hour of nothing, the skies started clearing, and we all headed out 
>to our next destination of Sturgeon Cove on the island of Great Cloche. 
>This was a 16nm run with part over fairly open waters. We had good winds 
>and kept pace with a Catalina 25 at 5+ knots for most of the afternoon.
>
>
>
>Day Two - The Storm
>
>As the afternoon progressed, it was clear that we should've paid closer 
>attention to the falling barometer. With the winds increasing, we strapped 
>down the bimini, reduced sail, lowered the boom into the lower position, 
>and put on our life jackets. As the sky got darker and the winds increased, 
>we opted to furl the sails and fire up the iron genny in hopes of reaching 
>the Cove. Unfortunately the storm had other ideas. Just as we turned upwind 
>to keep the wind on our bow, the gusts hit and we were knocked down with 
>bare poles. Exciting is an understatement. And there was no time to be 
>scared, just scramble to the high side as fast as possible. But the Rhodes 
>is designed well and it did what it should - it rounded up into the wind 
>and popped back up. We did take on a great deal of water, both over the 
>side and under the pop-top.
>
>
>
>At the time of the first wind, there were about six boats all trying to 
>make it into the rocky entrance of Sturgeon Cove. Those who were closest to 
>us confirmed later that our mast was indeed parallel with the water. 
>Estimates after the storm were that the winds were pushing 50 knots.
>
>
>
>We would've both been happy to have the excitement end at that point, but 
>the dinghy had other ideas and decided to go sailing. As it whipped around 
>in the air (it's an 8' Avon dinghy), it finally landed upside down. It then 
>started diving, making it impossible to maintain our forward momentum even 
>with the motor running full throttle. Once again we were pushed around and 
>knocked down a second time. Again the Rhodes recovered but we were forced 
>to run with the wind until the storm passed. With rain so hard we could not 
>see, we kept our fingers crossed that we did not hit any rocks.
>
>
>
>Many thanks go to fellow Rhodes owner and trip organizer, John Travis, who 
>turned his boat around and offered his assistance as we struggled to get 
>the dinghy right-sided. He then escorted all of the remaining boats into 
>Bell Cove, which did not have the same treacherous, rock-infested entrance 
>as Sturgeon Cove. We stayed two nights in Bell Cove before heading on to 
>Little Current.
>
>
>
>Day Four - Little Current
>
>First thing to know about Little Current is that the current is not little. 
>It is wind driven and the water is pushed through the channel that divides 
>Manitoulin Island. When it's bad, the channel markers have a significant 
>lean and the current makes getting past the swing bridge quite interesting. 
>We stayed at Spider Bay Marina for two nights. The rest of the Trailer 
>Sailor group either took advantage of the facilities and then continued on 
>or stayed one night at the Marina. It appeared to be pretty consistent that 
>after three days on anchor, all of the boats needed to pump-out and stock 
>up on food.
>
>
>
>Dan was still trying to wrap-up details for the magazine and internet 
>access was critical. He spent a great deal of time at the Anchor Inn which 
>had everything: beer, wireless internet access,  and food. You can check it 
>out, if you wish at http://www.anchorgrill.com/. They have a patio cam and 
>a port cam so you can see the 'live' view. While Dan was working I occupied 
>my time by reading a book and getting a pedicure. One of us needed to 
>preserve the idea that we were on 'vacation'.
>
>
>
>Day Six - Snug Harbour
>
>The rest of the Trailor Sailors were targeting Covered Portage, our next 
>stop was Snug Harbour, which was which is a beautiful, deep-water bay. 
>After a nice sail (about 13nm), we got tucked into a good spot and spent 
>the afternoon swimming and relaxing. The entire area is very conducive to 
>sailboats and at any given harbor; the sailboats would either equal or 
>outnumber the powerboat/trawlers. The next morning we did a hike across the 
>peninsula to a fossil beach where we found numerous Inuksuit statues. These 
>are man-made rock piles that are stacked to symbolize a man and to serve as 
>direction guides.
>
>
>
>Day Seven - Killarney
>
>We caught up with some of the Trailer Sailors in Killarney, where the main 
>street is really the waterway. Killarney is a crossroads and allows boaters 
>to cut through rather than go all the way around Manitoulin Island. The 
>largest marina, the Sportsman, can accommodate 140 transient boats on two 
>sides of the waterway. They have a small pontoon that runs back and forth 
>called Tinker Bell. Killarney was as far east as we were traveling. Due to 
>nasty headwinds and predictions of bad weather, we stayed two nights at 
>Killarney. The marina also had wireless internet access that was accessible 
>even where we were on the far shore. Dan was able to continue his work 
>while sitting in the cockpit. I went hiking with friends and explored the 
>little town of Killarney.
>
>
>
>Day Nine - Little Current, again
>
>The next day we left for a quick stop at Covered Portage, where Dan went 
>hiking and we had lunch. We then we headed straight into the wind back to 
>Little Current - once again so Dan could get internet access, the magazine 
>was going into final edits and he needed to be available or be without a 
>job. It was not the best day as we motored 19nm into 3-4 waves with the 
>wind on our nose. We made it to the Swing Bridge at Little Current just in 
>time for the 4pm opening and motored at full throttle to get through the 
>opening against an extremely strong current.
>
>
>
>Day Ten - Exploding Boats
>
>I guess things had been too calm for too many days. At about 9am we heard a 
>loud boom and then a few minutes later heard a May Day stating that there 
>was a boat on fire on Dock 2 at Spider Bay Marina. Since we were on Dock 4, 
>it had our attention. We could see black smoke pouring out across from us - 
>please note that the gas dock separated us from Dock 2. The marina staff 
>reacted quickly and closed the marina, evacuated everyone off of all boats, 
>and scurried us back to a shelter by the road. There were people in their 
>pajamas and it had started raining. Some of the staff from Discovery 
>Charters brought over blankets from the storage building and we all watched 
>and waited as the flames shot up 30 feet or more. We learned later that 
>mechanics had been doing some battery work on a 40' Carver when one of the 
>batteries exploded. Amazingly, no one was hurt. The boat burned down to the 
>waterline. The boat next it also caught fire and was also totaled. The fire 
>department used dinghies to move as many of the other boats away from the 
>fire to prevent further damage or exploding diesel tanks. There were two 
>40' sailboats that received significant damage - their masts were charred 
>all the way to the top - I'm sure that their radar was no longer 
>functioning. The town of Little Current did a fabulous job responding and 
>providing shelter for everyone evacuated. They took them to a community 
>center and provided hot food and coffee. We opted to walk into town for 
>breakfast. By mid-afternoon, we were allowed to return to our boats and by 
>4pm they re-opened the marina although the burnt hull was still in the 
>water.
>
>
>
>Day Eleven - Croker Island
>
>>From Little Current, we sailed to Croker Island which was about 14nm. 
>>While
>at Little Current, we spent some very enjoyable time with a couple spending 
>their summer sailing on their 34' C& C. They were also heading to Croker 
>and said they would save us a good spot. When we arrived, we found them 
>tucked stern-to against a steep cliff and tied to shore. We snuck in right 
>beside them and found it to be an extremely protected anchorage. We went 
>for a hike up the cliffs, where they showed us the safe paths and the 
>blueberries. We were able to hike across the top of the cliff so we could 
>see out into Gore Bay and over to the Benjamin Islands. The view was 
>spectacular. We returned to our boat and had a joint dinner with our new 
>friends. This was to be our last night so we made a sincere effort to clear 
>out the last of our food, alcohol, etc.
>
>
>
>Day Twelve - Croker part two Thursday
>
>The next morning we headed out to return to Spanish. We were now ahead of 
>many of the trailer sailors by a day but I wanted to get back in time to 
>relax before returning to work. The winds were quite strong from the SW and 
>we attempted to take a shortcut through the Benjamin Islands. This is an 
>unmarked channel with rocks that requires one person on bow watch and one 
>at the helm going very slow. With crashing waves on the far side and a 
>significant crosswind, I voted not to proceed. Dan reluctantly agreed 
>knowing that we would have to go around the southside of the Benjamins and 
>the waves would be on our beam as they came across Gore Bay. We made it 
>past the south side of the Benjamin's and started heading north. We were 
>about to raise sails when the sky ahead of started darkening and quickly. 
>It was still quite a distance off but it was in the direction we were 
>heading. When lighting flashes started, we turned around and headed back to 
>Croker. Our friends on Magic Carpet were pleased that we returned based on 
>the weather they were seeing from the top of the cliff. Once again we got 
>tucked up against the cliff. The first storm just grazed Croker Island 
>around 6pm. It got extremely dark but ended up moving more towards the 
>north. The storm at 1am was a different story, and several boats that were 
>across the bay from us had problems dragging anchors and getting pushed 
>aground.
>
>
>
>Day Thirteen
>
>We left Croker at 7am and started sailing west. Distance was about 12nm. We 
>had beautiful winds and almost kept pace with another sailboat who was 
>motoring back to Spanish. We caught up to him at Little Detroit where we 
>had to motor through the cut. Little Detroit is a very narrow channel that 
>can only handle boats going in one direction at a time. You must announce 
>your presence on the VHF and indicate which direction you are heading. A 
>short while later we were back at the fuel dock in Spanish, taking 
>advantage of their pump out. Dan retrieved the trailer and we were able to 
>motor straight onto the trailer from the fuel dock - we were out of the 
>water by 11:15, just in time to catch the last of the breakfast served at 
>the marina. We spent the next few hours tearing down and clearing items off 
>of the boat. After stopping for ice cream at Le Belle Abri, we finally hit 
>the road around 5pm. We expected a short drive, just to get through customs 
>at Sault Ste. Marie.
>
>
>
>For those interested in sailing the North Channel:
>
>Well-Favored Passage by Pixie Haughwout and Ralph Folsom - excellent!
>
>Ports: The Cruising Guides for Georgian Bay, The North Channel, and Lake 
>Huron
>
>
>
>Julie
>
>s/v Blue Loon


>Name: Burningboat.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 156387 bytes Desc: not 
>available
>Url: 
>http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200508/21/Burningboat.jpg


>Name: Coveredportage.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 477818 bytes Desc: not 
>available
>Url: 
>http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200508/21/Coveredportage.jpg


>Name: Croker2.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 492290 bytes Desc: not available
>Url: 
>http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200508/21/Croker2.jpg


>Name: Croker Island.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 635396 bytes Desc: not 
>available
>Url: 
>http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200508/21/CrokerIsland.jpg


>Name: Snugharbour.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 480237 bytes Desc: not 
>available
>Url: 
>http://www.rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attch/200508/21/Snugharbour.jpg


>__________________________________________________
>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list