9.22.19 – Hopewell Bay, Bustard Islands, Bad River, Killarney, Covered Portage

Hopewell Bay, Bustard Islands, Bad River (9.4.19-9.6.19)These next three nights are quite similar, but by lumping them together we do not mean to downplay each anchorage’s beauty and serenity! Navigating to them requires weaving in and out of hundreds of islands. Take a look at Google Maps and you will get an understanding of how many tiny islands there are in Georgian Bay. At  the Bustard Islands we dinghied around and found a good spot for Bob to practice drone flying. The sunset was beautiful, and we watched it with a cup of hot chocolate and Bourbon cream (introduced to us by sailing buddies Cheryl and Joe Mayer!)  Bad River was probably the best place to explore by dinghy so far! There were a couple of mini rapids to run, and we saw an otter and a beaver that scurried down the rocks as we puttered past. The rocks that make this area so beautiful are also hazardous, and unfortunately we ran the dinghy aground. With each of us getting one leg wet, we were able to push off the shallow rock. The only result was a scratch on the rock so all’s well that ends well. Thank goodness it was the little boat not the big boat!

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Killarney, ON and Covered Portage Anchorage (9.7.19-9.8.19) Sorry for the delay on these posts. We have not had any internet service for a long time! After being in secluded anchorages we decided to rent a slip in Killarney where we could see humanity. We borrowed bikes from the marina lodge and in a couple of hours we had explored the town, the lighthouse, and eaten the famous fish & chips from Herbert Fisheries. That evening with glasses of white wine in hand, we went to introduce ourselves to the owners of the sailboat next to us: Tom and Maryann Penton of SV First Light. Happy hour extended to dinner at the Killarney Mountain Lodge. The evening ended listening to an extremely talented singer and musician named Duncan Cameron. The next day we decided to buddy boat to an anchorage called Covered Portage to put in for the night. It felt great to get some exercise by hiking on the island. That night we grilled steaks on “First Light” (which was great because Linda is afraid to use our grill after “it gave her” stitches.) The dinner was fabulous, and it was so much fun to chat and laugh well into the evening (next morning.) Tom is a gifted singer/guitarist and Maryann is a wonderful singer. They created a magical evening playing every song we requested. The list included Linda’s favorite, “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins, and Bob’s favorite “The Edmund Fitzgerald” (which is kind of disturbing when you are living on a boat!) The next morning we headed to Baie Fine, and the Pentons unfortunately had to head back due to engine challenges, but hopefully our paths will cross again!

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