Day 56 & 57: Heading to Little Current

Day 56: September 12:  It rained all through the night, heavy for a short time although I didn't wake up during the heaviest downpour. But for the majority of the time a simple and repetitive sound of light rain tapped against the boat, lulling us to sleep. The sun was barely visible when we woke, trapped behind clouds that stretched as far as we could see. It was dreary, damp and chilly enough to slip on heavy sweatshirts. We were planning on leaving early; but I was certain we still had time to catch a glimpse of some wildlife. With a steaming cup of coffee in hand I stood on the flybridge for 45 minutes scowering the shoreline, convinced that my vigil would be rewarded by a bear or moose at the water's edge or even a swirl in the water; evidence of fish or turtles known to live here. I stood silent, listening for a crack in the woods or a splash off the stern. No matter how intensely I stared or willed something to appear, I finally accepted the fact that no sighting would take place this morning.

Despite being disappointed, I could still marvel at the beauty of our surroundings even on this dreary day. The cliffs around us were shrouded in mist, creating another stunning view. Was this the kind of dramatic landscape that inspired J. R. Tolkien's Misty Mountains? Did visions of such haunting beauty inspire the lyrics of Misty Mountain Cold? As a fan of The Hobbit tales, dwarves, hobbits, trolls and Gandalf, as well as the song creeped into my mind as I marveled at today's gift. 

Far over the misty mountains cold 

Two dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away ere break of day

To find our long-forgotten gold

The pines were roaring on the height

The winds were moaning in the night

The fire was red, it flames spread

The trees like torches blazed light

Got UW at about 8:30, retracing our steps west on Baie Fine. Luckily the rain held off despite dark clouds following us for a bit. We passed by the Evinrude cottage again so I was able to snap a few pictures from a different angle. The cottage itself is not overwhelming, but its surroundings are. I could imagine spending a very relaxing weekend here.

While traveling Baie Fine, I remained on bear patrol, spying through my binoculars, hoping to catch sight of a black spot sunning himself on one of the rocks. I guess the stars were not aligned on this day. Shortly after beginning our travels, the boat that was docked at the Evinrude cabin sped past us, we assume taking the family's guest back to Little Current where he lives. It was fun seeing the Evinrude outboard on the stern as the boat flew by. 

Cruising was great; calm water again and warmed by sweatshirts, we had a pleasant trip. Situated at the end of Baie Fine is the Okeechobee Lodge; it is really a sight to see. It's so well maintained with several buildings, cabins, a pool, decks and docks. Once a private lodge built in 1941, it is available for public use; corporate retreats, family reunions and more. We heard that in 1956 "the mob" wanted to purchase the property, hoping to block off Baie Fine so they would have exclusive use of the waterway. 

David and John both increased speed for a bit, trying to blow out the carbon. Soon it seemed we were flying, compared to our normal 7 to 8 knots, cruising at over 12 felt entirely different. Our intention was to spend the night in the community of Little Current in the town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands. As the name suggests, as you pass through the swing bridge leading into the harbor you have to be wary of the current which can run 5 to 7 knots by some accounts. The one lane swing bridge opens on the hour from sunrise to sunset and remains open for 15 minutes if necessary to allow boats to pass through. It was originally a train bridge, built in 1912 - 1913 by the Algoma Eastern Railway. A deck for cars was added in 1945 to allow traffic to travel across a narrow channel separating Manitoulin Island from Goat Island.  The bridge was shared by trains and vehicles until 1980's when the railway was abandoned. 

When we were a couple of miles out, we picked up speed again so we could make the 12:00 opening. Suddenly John noticed the starboard engine water temperature gauge was reading very high. No sooner did he see this when the alarm sounded. He ran down, only to come right back up and say we had to shut it down. There was steam where there shouldn't be! Evidently the engine had overheated, the reason at that point was unknown. So onto Plan B!

We radioed Zendeavor to share the news; we told David to go ahead through the bridge and we would limp along on one engine. Just before the bridge entrance we noticed Harbor Vue Marina. John radioed them and explained our problem and we were told to head in and tie up at the gas dock. As we approached the narrow inlet to the marina, two people met us to offer assistance, one being Jill who manages the business. Once tied up, she told John to head into the office and she would compose a work order.

Talk about service! No sooner had John returned from the office when a mechanic and his assistant (Cheech) climbed onboard to diagnose the problem.  I never caught the mechanic's name but oh what a character he was. He said he was the very first employee hired by the marina and was in his 40th year. He was witty and obviously skilled! Within no time he determined an elbow shaped hose had let go. He replaced it, along with the anti-freeze that had leaked out and we were good to go in about 2 hours. The yard also sent an outboard mechanic over to take a look at the dinghy engine. He put the carburetor into an ultrasonic cleaner and changed air jets. John took the dinghy for a spin and found it to be working much better. 

In addition to the quick service we received, Manager Jill allowed us to borrow her car to run into town for groceries. We picked Sandra up on the way and picked up some provisions at Value Mart. I can't say enough about the professional and courteous treatment we received here at Harbor Vue Marina.

It was around 5:30 by the time we returned to the marina with our groceries and Jill's car. David called to say it was blowing pretty good at the Port of Little Current Marina and the boat was bouncing around at the dock. Meanwhile we were completely protected from the winds; you would never know we were only about a mile apart. Given the late hour and weather conditions, we decided to stay at the marina for the night. At the end of the day, what could have resulted in a major delay to our trip turned out perfectly. Good fortune was on our side.

Day 57: September 13: Not such a great day! Cloudy and cold. David called and said it had really kicked up on their side. The marina is open to the current which runs pretty strong (we were told it is all wind driven). While we slept like we were on the hard, they had bounced around all night and weren't seeing any signs of the wind dying down so the decision was made to stay put for another day. We checked with our marina and we were given the green light to stay but to move off the gas dock and into a slip. Once tied up, we took the bikes and rode to town, which was only about a mile away. Visited with Zendeavor for awhile; John and David boarded Wilma May (another looper owned by Tim and Diane) to show Tim how to input waypoints and use the autopilot on his Garmin. From my understanding he has been figuring out his route and then steering manually. Maybe he will give this new technique a try! 

Back at our marina we started a conversation with a very nice gentleman named Rick. His sailboat was set to be hauled in the morning so he was staying onboard overnight. We talked for quite some time and he filled us in on some local information. I asked him about the rock structures that were lying around the boatyard. He told it was natural limestone; it lined much of the shore in the area and was usually filled with lots of fossils. In fact, legend has it there was once a large waterfall along this way. Looking at the formations, it's easy to picture a rushing waterfall cascading over the many layers. 

It wasn't long before Rick offered to drive us to town for groceries or to a restaurant. We politely declined; very appreciative of his kindness. All in all we have found everyone here to be terrific.