At Killarney

After the bears, and getting lost, and getting rescued, it was time to rest. The morning after our saga, AnnTicipation and Banker's Hours departed to be replaced in the same day by Taliesen, Fine Time and a new boat to us, Sugar Bear,  with Sandy and Dale Stringer aboard.  If you have been attentive to this yarn, you realize that we had rushed ahead to meet these boats two days before. They had hunkered in at Byng Inlet, while we braved the "twenty bell" Georgian Bay passage, to be stood up at Bustard Islands.
We forgave them generously.

We had three nights at the Mountain Lodge Marina. It was delightful.  The dinner at 8:00 PM was pretty much free of the young children vacationing at the lodge. The rack of lamb was exquisite and Marion was pleased the local fish poached in a delicate wine sauce. Rating **** $$$ (adjusted for Canadian Exchange).

After dinner Marion and I went to the recreation room. Would it be Pool, Table Tennis, or Shuffle Board?

"We had a ping pong table," she said, "and the kids and I played all the time."

"Funny you should mention it," I replied, "We had a ping pong table we used for a conference table at work. I played daily back in 1968...  at lunch, and after work."

"Then ping pong it is," she said.

"You are on," I said, "but be warned, you are playing against 'The Claw' ... that was my handle..."

We had one rousing game after another. Marion's game improved with each match. She had not been exposed to my style of play so she was at a disadvantage. She wins in Tennis, I won in ping pong. Such is life when you are married to a lady jock.
 
 
 
 

Covered Portage Cove For the next several days the four boats would be traveling together. Our first stop would be only 3 miles away, a new record for short journey.  Covered Portage Cove is a tight little anchorage with 100 foot high cliffs on three sides.  An Indian Face Rock guards the entrance. We left after noon. Spent 30 minutes getting to the location.  Then we spent about an hour getting anchored in rafts of two boats each. Each boat sets an anchor off the bow BUT POINTING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.

Then the two boats tie together side by side one pointing one way, the other opposite.  This way there are two anchors out which keeps the raft from swinging.  This arrangement  is shown at the right.. Fine Time and Remedy are rafted up in the cove 100 feet below.

 
 

We all climbed up the trail to see the cove below. Here are the ladies at the summit. The boats below are Taliesen and Sugar Bear.

 

Baie Fine Baie Fine is a 10 mile long Fjord cut into the light gary granite mountains. It is one of those "Must Visit" places. At the top end of Bayfynn the fjord takes an abrupt right turn and you are in "The Pool". That was our destination. Getting Anchored was a terrible chore due to an abundance of grass. As night fell, the wind died down and the pool became like a mirror... reflecting the lights of the three boats which rafted up.

The next morning the forecast included a band of thunderstorms and gale force winds moving east across the North Channel. After a morning hike up to the top of the western shore, where we saw Topaz Lake, we set out for Little Current.
 

There was only a slight chop on Frazer bay and we made the 24 mile trip in time for the Noon opening of the only bridge to Manatoolin Island. We also made it in time to beat the gale force winds.

The Rush for the USA

We stayed in Little Current two nights to wait out the bad weather. It was there that Sandy and Dale got news of serious medical problems their son in Miami was having. They decided to leave Sugar Bear in Little Current and fly to Miami and attend to his treatment.
 

The weather was getting cold, and all of a sudden the three remaining couples were ready to start moving for the USA.  We still had Lake Michigan ahead once we got there. It was a 54 mile hop to Meldrum Bay. There we met B.J. and were treated to a tour of the town by bike. Next it was a 40 mile trip to De Tour Michigan. There we bundled up warm and went to town for Ice Cream at the Moo Palace. Then we were up at first light to run 34 miles to Mackinac Island. Slips at the marina are a premium and done first come first served. We count ourselves lucky to have made it in to get the last available slips. Tune in later for Mackinac Island. Its a whole topic in itself.