July 6-9, Out of the Trent Severn and into Georgian Bay (and a visit with Ray).

In the morning of July 6th we finished the Trent Severn Waterway system.  Our “track” zig zags through the Province of Ontario and we ended up on the eastern shore of Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay.  Locals consider Georgian Bay the 5th Great Lake.

As we were leaving our quiet anchorage our neighbor’s dinner guest left for work via his helicopter.

Heading out of the last lock (#45) into a raging current into a very narrow channel in which some of the buoys were underwater.  Sphincter Factor 10+, especially when that small party barge wanted to come through toward the lock.  Bob cured that with a loud blast of the horn (after all, the down current boat does have the right of way, and then there’s the gross tonnage rule…).  Oh, and bonus, the buoys switched sides as we round the bend.

Our red track makes it look like we actually hit the bridge – but we didn’t – phew!

Had to negotiate stuff like this!

But then finally, we enter Georgian Bay – Yay!

Went across the Bay to Midland, Ontario.  Nice town with a great marina.  They allow “Loopers” free dockage after a two night stay.  This worked out perfectly for us because we were expecting Bob’s brother Ray to join us for the weekend.

Midland is apparently the town of murals.  These are only a few of them.

The Pearl Mist, a cruise ship we saw in Clayton (with Dale and Jane) on May 29th.

Back at the marina, another boat tragedy.  We heard the may day for this fire on our way over to Midland.  The boat caught fire near Christian Island (of Gordon Lightfoot fame).  The owner stated he was jumping overboard!  Per rumor mill, he was rescued a short time later  and a propane explosion was suspected as the cause of the fire.

Also at the marina  – in the eaves of the main building were a colony of cliff swallows.  Not sure how they make these nests – but all chicks chirped constantly for food.

Ray arrived on the 7th.  Went out to dinner in the downtown waterfront at “The Boathouse.”  So great to see him!!

The almost full moon on Friday night.

On Saturday the 8th we took a road trip to show Ray Lock 45 and Lock 44, the marine railway.

Ray and I.

This picture makes it a bit clearer about how the two tracks keep the base of the railway as level as possible going down the hill.

The nearby Severn Falls was raging on this day, quite a difference from how it looked a few days ago.

On the way back we noticed this pretty rivulet.

Saturday moon rise at the marina.

Moon bound seagulls.

 

Ray left on Sunday the 9th and we headed to the eastern shore of Georgian Bay.  Always fun to meet a tour boat in a narrow channel.

 

Here’s one of the ways we find our anchorages.  The Rose Point chart plotter has a guidebook “Active Captain” (like Trip Advisor) built into its system.  The chart is marked with different colored squares denoting anchorages, marinas, hazards and land notices.  We picked Hockey Stick Cove because of the name and description.  It was a great hurricane hole.

Visiting with a local boater.  He said that even though there are literally 30,000 islands in Georgian Bay, he and his wife only go to this cove.  Reminded me of Bob and me – back in Clayton we had three places we went and there were over a 1000 to chose from.

While I was out on the paddle board Bob noticed a hummingbird.  I quickly got out my hummingbird feeder, moved the flowers over that I had picked in Midland and opened up the back panels.  After all, if you build it they will come…..

And they did!!

Our resident monarch caterpillar was pretty happy too.

Bob and I back out on the paddle boards after 8pm.  Even though the summer days get shorter by a minute, for us they are getting longer by a minute as we head further and further north.  Sunset is 9:08.