Day 52 & 53: Beaverstone Bay to Covered Portage Cove

 Day 52: September 8 Another overcast and very chilly day. We got UW at 8:30 a.m., cruising back out into the channel before we began our trip through the Collins Inlet. 

Collins Inlet is a 10 mile long very narrow fjord like gap between mainland Ontario and Philip Edward Island. It is surrounded on both sides by large cliffs, some of which loom over 100 feet above the water. The scenery is incredible. We passed several folks fishing and saw a few small hunting camps along the way tucked into the woods. There were also numerous beaver huts lining the shore as well. Other than that it was just us and our buddy boat Zendeavor cruising through. 

We passed through Killarney which serves as a gateway to Lake Huron's North Channel. The channel extends 120 miles west to Michigan and Lake Superior. We've been told it has some of the most beautiful scenery for cruising so are looking forward to exploring some coves along the way. Our friends on Squier About had stayed at the Killarney Lodge and Marina and waited at the end of the dock to wave as we passed through. It was a bit strange feeling like we were once again in civilization as we have anchored in some pretty remote places with no phone or internet service. I wonder what folks did while exploring in the 1800's LOL. 

We traveled just over 21 miles in about 3.25 hours to Covered Portage Cove described as one of the "must see" anchorages of the North Channel. It is almost completely surrounded by majestic white rock formations on the north side and thickly wooded hills on the south. There is an inner anchorage area that we opted not to pass through although we saw a sailboat and trawler make the passage. On the side there is an outcropping of rocks that looks like the face of an Indian when looking from a certain angle. 

As I've posted previously we continue to have trouble with the dinghy engine so David and John decided to take it to shore and fidget with it to see if they could do something to make it run better. Halfway to shore the engine died. David started to paddle but luckily some good Samaritans happened by and offered a tow. Once ashore work began on rebuilding the carburetor. I don't think it completely solved the problem but the engine did start!

Day 53: September 9: It's Saturday and it's another beautiful day. We meandered back to shore, looking for a path that would lead us to the top of the ridge. Although reviews on Navionics described how to get to a certain marked path, we never found an established trail but managed to clamber up the granite rocks and get to a great lookout point.  The view overlooking the bay toward Killarney was breathtaking; made even more stunning by the bright blue sky and peacefulness of our surroundings. David flew his drone, sending it to its limit and capturing the beauty of the cove. John suddenly called attention to a house, barely visible high up on the opposite ridge. It blended into the trees so well it is almost unnoticeable, I'm sure rewarding its owners with the seclusion they are obviously looking for. 

Overhead a sea plane circled, finally landing at the edge of the cove pretty close to where our boats were anchored. There are so many islands throughout the Georgian Bay that are only accessible by water or air that it is not surprising to see sea planes, sometimes tucked into private dock areas. 

We hung out at the top, breathing in the fresh fall air and soaking in the beauty before making our way back down. While we never saw any wildlife, except for a scampering chipmunk, there were signs of bear and deer. Once back at the boat I went swimming; the first dip did take my breath away but once fully immersed, it felt wonderfully refreshing. I encouraged John to take the plunge rather than take a shower on the boat. As expected, I was not successful. Leftovers for lunch and then UW through the Lansdowne Channel to Snug Harbor.