Day 58: Heading to Benjamin Islands

 Day 58: September 14: What a difference a day makes. Yesterday's wind, chill and clouds are a thing of the past. The sun and bright blue sky created the perfect backdrop for a pleasant travel day. While it would have been almost impossible for Zendeavor to get off the Port of Little Current dock, onto the fuel dock and back off again with yesterday's rip current and high winds, today should make any Captain look good. Thank the Good Lord for glorious sunrises and new days!

We prepared to get UW to make the 9:00 a.m. bridge opening. Like usual, I went up to the flybridge to take care of my tasks, including opening the windows, changing the ice in the cooler, setting up the chairs, etc. Everything a fantastic first mate would attend to. As I turned around I noticed a huge boat approaching from the east, smack dap in the middle of the rising sun. John thought it might be a private yacht at first but when then he found it on the Internet and saw that it was a passenger ferry. It was obviously too wide to get through the swing bridge so a small small ferry was sent out to retrieve the tourists and take them to town. David told us he saw the people get off the ferry and board two coach busses that were waiting for them. 

Our plan was to go through the bridge and continue through the town, knowing David would catch up once he had taken on fuel. We made our way into the channel, contacted the bridge on channel 14 and requested a westbound opening. We noticed another Looper boat waiting on the other side and saw that it was Miss Lily. Most Loopers cruise the Great Loop counter clockwise to travel with the currents so we were a bit surprised to see Miss Lily heading the other way. 

We expected the current to be strong; this would have made waiting in the channel for the bridge to swing a little tricky; luckily the current was just about nonexistent, allowing us to idle with no trouble at all. We soon heard the bell alerting traffic the bridge was opening. We waited for the swing and proceeded through. There is a buoy in the harbor that is shaped like a boat to assist folks who may not be as familiar with boating as we are. Anyone who might need hep can watch the buoy to see which way it is leaning as they enter or exit the harbor. Of course, Captain John needs no assistance as he has had lots of experience with winds, tides and currents (especially in the Westport River). 

We traveled 17 miles in about 2 1/2 hours arriving at the Benjamin Islands around 11:30. The predictable North West winds were only blowing about 6 knots so the trip was very pleasant. We are still in the North Channel which, as a reminder, is on the north shore of Lake Huron. It is bounded on the south by the Manitoulin Islands which are the largest freshwater islands in the world. We continue to be amazed by the natural beauty of this remote area; its north shore lined by mountains, white and pink granite islands jutting out of the water, no matter what direction you look and snug coves offering protection from the north winds. As we approached the Benjamins, we were once again awestruck. We keep saying each stop is as stunning as the last, but this was very different. The brilliance of the pink granite far surpassed anything we have seen thus far. It shone in the sun, catching our eye from quite a distance away. Once again the pictures do not do this place justice.

As we pulled into the cove, we noticed the 45' Sargo (we ran into them in The Pool), was anchored in the cove. Once we dropped our anchor we couldn't wait to explore the area by dinghy. We wandered around rocks, smoothed over by glaciers and erosion. Near the edges, the water was turquoise and clear, allowing us a glimpse to the bottom where slick granite lay, so smooth, looking like round eggs. 

We meandered over to a giant granite slope, (aptly named the ski slope) and landed the dinghy. People have cemented or drilled metal pins or rings into the rocks for folks to tie to so it was pretty easy. We hiked for quite some time, following well-worn paths and sometimes creating our own, not wanting to miss the next best view. We found 3 fire-pits scattered throughout the woods, each one promising a splendid night under the stars. We were expecting a clear, cloudless night. Hoping to see the Northern Lights we opted for the camp most open to the sky! In preparation, we collected wood before heading back to our boats for dinner, planning to meet at sundown. A couple of the logs had obviously been cut down by beavers, the ends evidence of them chewing until the tree of choice fell to the ground.

As we headed to shore after dinner, we noticed a fire was already blazing in the pit we had chosen. As luck would have it Brian, Brian and Chris (from Sargo) had started the fire and were cooking their dinner. We all had a fun time, sharing stores about our lives and listening to each other talk about our travels. Sitting under the dark night sky, we wondered out loud about who may have been here before; who may have used this same camp over hundreds of years. Perhaps trappers, Indigenous people (commonly referred to as First Nations), Vikings? It's easy to imagine when sitting around a roaring fire under a sky absent of all light except the same thousands of stars that those who came before us sat under.