Go Back   Cruiser Log World Cruising & Sailing Forums > Cruising Forums > General Cruising Forum
Cruiser Wiki Click Here to Login

Join Cruiser Log Today

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 12-25-2012, 12:59 AM   #1
Nicholson
 
Nicholson58's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Home Port: Grand Rapids
Vessel Name: ROXY
Posts: 13
Default North Channel, Ontario, Canada

Its no wonder this is rated in the top ten world cruising destinations. Sweet water, friendlies, safe harbors, great scenery.

PHOTO ALBUM
Places - Images

We spent several weeks in the summer of 2012 cruising the North Channel of Lake Huron. This is an archipelago of isolated islands bordered on the south by Manatoulin Island and on the north by Ontario mainland. To the west is the shipping channel through the Soo locks into Lake Superior. To the south and east is the north end of Georgian Bay. The waters are clear and generally shallow enough to be swimming-warm in the summer cruise months. Most of the area is accessable only by water. There are many small villages seldom visited by cruisers, but don't take jeans and sweets to trade. You will need Loonies and other Canadian currency to trade with the friendly natives. I summered in Northern Michigan from the time I was a child and much of this area is reminiscent of Michigan's north of the 50's and 60's. There are several charters available. You can find them easily with a Google search. We sailed in the company of our dock mates on Emerald Isle from Muskegon, Michigan.

The cruise is up the west coast of Michigan. You can do this in continuous sail, taking advantage of the prevailing SW winds. We made several stops, Luddington, Frankfort, Charlevoix, Government Bay as we traveled north. There are several other harbors of refuge as well. Many of these towns may have summer festivals. You might plan to spend a few days at the Venetian Festival in Charlevoix for example. Make sure you have up to date charts for the harbors if you draw more than 5 feet. The shipping ports will have well maintained deep water channels.

We checked into Canada at Meldrum Bay on the west end of Manatoulin Island. This was an easy procedure; tie up to government dock, call on the phone, exchange particulars, have a nice time, thankyou very much. Holding in the bay was a bit dicey. The prefered spots were taken. We found the bottom in some areas to be cobblestone paved. Eventually we found sand/mud.

Over the next three weeks we visited both villages and remote anchorages. A google earth search will tantalize you with the photos others have left. We visited Kagawong, Bear Drop Harbor, Little Detroit, Hotham Harbor, Little Current, Maei Fine, Topaz Lake, Killarney, E Rausch, Whalesback Channel and many anchorages without name. The water was great. We swam daily.

Total cost was low. We consumed about 110 gallons of diesel over 3.5 weeks and 1200 miles. We get about 4 km/gal and we also run a gen-set about 5 hours per week. You will find many places where motoring is mandatory due to draft and wind. Once on a return schedule, (hate that word) we had to motor in some windless conditions. Roxy is 55,000 displacement, 6'-7" draft, 16 beam and 80 feet clearance. Plan to arrive at Little current early and take a slip at the city marina for the day. There is NO CHARGE, honest, to dock, hook-up power and water for the entire day as long as you pull out by 9:30 PM. The plan is that you will shop and eat at the restaurants. We felt obligated and did this. If you do decide to stay all night, it will not break the bank.

If I had to recommend a favorite place, I'd have to say Baei Fine and Topaz Lake. Others will spend several days in the Benjamin Islands.

Retun to the US can be at Drummond Island Yacht Haven on the NW corner of Drummond Island. This is a pretentious name for the ugliest smelliest place we stopped over the entire cruise. The agent was a nice young man. You can also check in at Mackinaw Island or a few places on the NW end of lower Michigan. You might find the Homeland Security guys in the black boats a bit more excited by this plan but I am told it is OK.
__________________

__________________
Nicholson58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2012, 02:13 AM   #2
Moderator
 
redbopeep's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Home Port: Washington DC
Vessel Name: SV Mahdee
Posts: 3,236
Default

Sounds like a wonderful trip. We're only familiar with Lake Superior's North shore--nothing else of the Great Lakes. We've talked to various cruisers from Europe who've enjoyed cruising the great lakes as well as the East and West coasts of North America. Whereas we North Americans seem to be in an all-fired hurry to vacate the continent for anywhere but here! Glad to see you're doing it right--enjoying it all.
__________________

__________________
"Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda

What we're doing - The sailing life aboard and the Schooner Chandlery.

redbopeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2012, 09:20 AM   #3
Lieutenant
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Home Port: Cheyenne, WY
Vessel Name: CAREFREE
Posts: 55
Send a message via Skype™ to gts1544
Default

Nicholson58, Thanks for the video tour of the North Channel. I echo Redbopeep's sentiments. So much to see here if we would only look!
gts1544 - George
__________________
gts1544 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2012, 01:43 PM   #4
Nicholson
 
Nicholson58's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Home Port: Grand Rapids
Vessel Name: ROXY
Posts: 13
Default

Here are a few video links if you are interested in checking out this destination.

North Channel - YouTube
Sailing North Channel in Beauty - YouTube

Anchoring in S Benjamins
South Benjamin Island, North Channel, Lake Huron, Ontario - YouTube

Discovery Yacht Charter promo
Discovery Yacht Charters - North Channel Lake Huron Georgian Bay - YouTube

The North Channel - YouTube
__________________
Nicholson58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2012, 01:47 PM   #5
Nicholson
 
Nicholson58's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Home Port: Grand Rapids
Vessel Name: ROXY
Posts: 13
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by redbopeep View Post
Sounds like a wonderful trip. We're only familiar with Lake Superior's North shore--nothing else of the Great Lakes. We've talked to various cruisers from Europe who've enjoyed cruising the great lakes as well as the East and West coasts of North America. Whereas we North Americans seem to be in an all-fired hurry to vacate the continent for anywhere but here! Glad to see you're doing it right--enjoying it all.
If you still are in the area, try the Apostile Islands and the Keewanaw. Also, Superior/Duluth always looked interesting from the car.

I am having trouble getting my wife to do Superior but maybe I can convince her to do the Soo Locks and the East end. Tje locks are free.
__________________
Nicholson58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
canada, georgian bay, lake huron, little current, north channel


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Spain/Canaries hitch to S/C/North America or Canada! bizous4u Crew Positions Wanted 0 12-12-2012 09:56 AM
English Channel: Sailing conditions in November? dokondr General Cruising Forum 4 10-09-2012 08:54 AM
Somali Pirates In Mozambique Channel Lighthouse Regional Piracy 5 01-13-2011 10:15 AM
Cruising Wiki Page: Mozambique Channel yachtquovadis Cruising & Sailing Wiki Discussion 1 10-02-2008 09:10 PM
Advice for Crossing English Channel Kaptain von Klepper General Cruising Forum 1 10-03-2006 03:26 AM

Our Communities

Our communities encompass many different hobbies and interests, but each one is built on friendly, intelligent membership.

» More about our Communities

Automotive Communities

Our Automotive communities encompass many different makes and models. From U.S. domestics to European Saloons.

» More about our Automotive Communities

RV & Travel Trailer Communities

Our RV & Travel Trailer sites encompasses virtually all types of Recreational Vehicles, from brand-specific to general RV communities.

» More about our RV Communities

Marine Communities

Our Marine websites focus on Cruising and Sailing Vessels, including forums and the largest cruising Wiki project on the web today.

» More about our Marine Communities


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
SEO by vBSEO 3.6.0
×