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North Channel 2024

July - August 2024
  • Terry And Randy Clarke
A 47-day adventure by Terry And Randy Read more
  • Terry And Randy Clarke

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  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    I didn't take many pictures so I borrowed this from their website.
    This is the spot campers were allowed to park overnight. Such a shame it's prohibited now.Tug was hot so he found a place to cool off.1Our view from Split Rail Brewery.Very common sight in Gore Bay. I borrowed this from the town website.

    Happy Early Anniversary

    Jul 28–29, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We pulled anchor after listening to the Cruisers Net at 9:00 am. It was a bit of a challenge getting Tug to take his sedative, but finally, success. It really makes a difference for us all when he is calm. It took about 2 and a half hours to reach Gore Bay, and he was okay for about half of the trip. We had to wait a short time to get our services, but it wasn't as busy as we expected. We anchored in 6 feet of water close to the permanent docks to make it easier to take Tug to shore. The first stop was the grocery store, and the second stop was the LCBO. One thing we love about Gore Bay is the deer population. I think there are more deer than people. We saw the first ones before we left the boat. While walking from the grocery store to the LCBO, we saw a couple in people's yards. When we came out of the LCBO, there was one across the street, and Tug was so focused on it that he missed the one on our side of the street that was about 10 feet away from him. The young man in the LCBO said deer hunting season is pretty funny. Hunters spend hours in the bush and come back empty-handed. Once they are back in town, the deer are everywhere. Smart deer no hunting in town. We chatted to a lady who was reading on her veranda, and she said the deer eat her gardens. We went back to the boat and put away our supplies before heading out to celebrate our anniversary. Fun piece of Randy and Terry trivia, 19 of our 29 wedding anniversaries have been spent in the North Channel. We stopped to say hi to Ruby and Jake Haasnoot, who spend summers on their 28-foot Doral. Randy went to school with their kids, and Jake just celebrated his 90th birthday. Jay from Ks and Jay's was helping fix one of their davits. We last saw him in Carla's office in Tobermory. We went to Split Rail brewery and tried a couple of their beers. I had a flight then ordered the lager. We chatted with a nice couple on a Mainship 39, Three Rings. They summer on the boat and winter in an rv, so we had lots in common. We went to dinner at Bouys, beautiful evening on the patio with entertainment. On the way to the restaurant, we stopped where there used to be a spot for 3 rvs to spend the night. Sadly, there is a sign that says no overnight parking now. Years ago, we met Paul and Mariska from the Netherlands who were parked there. We still keep in touch after spending time with them in Gore Bay. After dinner, we visited with Ks and Jay's before heading back to the boat. It was a very nice early anniversary celebration. The next morning, we couldn't get Tug to take his sedative, so it was a stressful 2 and a half hour trip to Croker. Poor little guy shook and cried most of the way.Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    We had a great spot to anchor at Croker Island.
    There are a few beaches to explore on Croker IslandCroker is part of the Benjamin group of islands so has the beautiful pink rock1Mike from Sacagewa shared a drone shot of the anchorage. Can you spot us?A drone shot of the potluck.Beautiful sunsetEast side of the island had cool features.There are lots of places to take Tug to shore. This one was just behind the boat.Lots of blueberries hidden in this spot. Close to the boat and easy to get ashore.The anchorage cleared out on our second morning.

    Crocker Island

    Jul 29–31, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We'd forgotten how beautiful Croker Island was as it's been a few years since we've anchored there. The small bay we usually go to had a few boats tied to shore and didn't appear to have room to swing at anchor. We went to the back of the big rock and found enough depth and swing room for us. It was a beautiful spot and was a little more private. There were more boats anchored near the beach than we'd ever seen. As we were getting settled, two dinghies stopped for a visit and invited us to a potluck on the big rock that evening. Both were loopers, and they assumed we were as well. There were three other Nordic Tugs in the anchorage who were doing the loop, so they thought we were one more. A catamaran came into the little spot we were in, but they went in further and tied to shore, so we still had some privacy. We took Tug to the beach and chatted with two boats anchored beside the beach. Both were loopers but were considering finding a place to store for the winter close by so they could spend lots of time in our area. They said of the 6000 miles of the loop, the North Channel was the most beautiful. One boat had a blog written from the perspective of their dog Lily. The potluck was a lot of fun. Everyone but us were loopers and had some great stories. They were all interested in our local knowledge. Mike and Elaine on Sacagewa, a 48-foot Ocean Alexander, were from the Pacific Northwest.
    They took their previous boat a 32 Nordic on a 3 month trip to Alaska. What a great adventure. A few had sold their homes and were living full time on their boats. The next day they all left but we stayed. The forecast was for rain all day, but it ended up being a beautiful day. We picked blueberries and explored the southeast coast of Croker Island in the morning. After lunch, we took the dinghy over to the Benjamins. Wow. There were 43 boats anchored in the main anchorage, and only 6 were sailboats. On our way, over 8 center console dinghies passed us, so we were expecting to see some big boats. There were a number of boats rafting together. One had 12 boats anchored, rafted, and tied to shore. Hopefully, the storms in the forecast don't materialize. I can't imagine the chaos of high winds with all the boats tied together. It looked like everyone was having fun but not what we are looking for when we come north. We took a walk on some of the beautiful rocks but were glad to head back to Croker. It was so busy at the trailhead that we didn't even attempt to walk across South Benjamin Island. There was a beautiful sunset we watched from the bow oh Hogsbreath and we had a quiet night. We were glad we stopped in Croker, and we will definitely be back.    Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    Our point of reference to drop the anchor. Good depth to shore and great holding.
    Alternate means of transportation.Nice anchorage behind Middleton Island.These small islands provide some additional protectionLots of cool places to explore in the dinghyTwo bays over was a beautiful beach.Someone left us a heartTrumfanger and Evalina at anchor.

    Amadroz Island

    Jul 31–Aug 2, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    It was a short trip from Croker to Amedroz Island. We anchored there one night last year on our way east with Sticks and Trumfanger and really liked it. There was only one sailboat in the anchorage, and we were able to get in close to shore and drop anchor in about 12 feet of water. It's deep until about 3 feet from shore, and there was a really cool dead white birch tree we could use as a reference point. While setting the anchor, we saw about 4 big bass swim by so figured there may be good fishing. After we were settled we went over to the sailboat and introduced ourselves. My Girl is a 30-foot Grampion, and the owners are from Bay City Michigan. We tried a little fishing but no catching. We explored in the dinghy, and I used my kayak for the second time. We heard from Trumfanger, and they are heading our way tomorrow. There are hundreds of little fish in this bay. That may explain why the bass weren't interested in our lures. We kept trying, but still no success. We did a little laundry, and the little fish were very interested in our clothes as I rinsed them behind the boat. We spent quite a bit of time in the water, it was really hot out and the water was really refreshing. My Girl left early the next morning, and we had the anchorage to ourselves until Trumfanger and Evalina joined us in the late afternoon. We took the dinghy to a really nice beach two bays over and then around the northeast corner of the island to the other anchorage. Later that afternoon, Evalina dropped anchor with two blocks of ice for our cooler. Shortly afterwards, Trumfanger joined us with a third block of ice. Cold drinks all round. It was great to see Ann, Jim, and Dan as they made their way back west. Hopefully, we will see them at their home in Indiana while we are traveling in the RV.Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    Hard to believe we have the whole anchorage to ourselves.
    Another view of the empty cove. Those are the La Cloche mountains in the distance.Beautiful day for floating. It was hot and the water was refreshing.There is a nice beach in one corner. Great place for Tug to wander.Saturday we had company. Three sailboats and two trawlers.Gord and Marge Beaton from SYC joined us for a night. It was great to catch up.It was a little more challenging rowing home after happy hour.1Beautiful sunsetsGreat places to go ashore.Colours are beautifulThe boys enjoying the sunset.

    Third Time's a Charm

    Aug 2–4, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We didn't have a clear plan for the next few days, so we decided to head to Mosquito to hide from the winds coming our way. We had already been there this year, and we knew the holding was good. It was close by, so it was a quick trip. When we arrived, there were a couple of boats already anchored. One was tied to shore with tons of scope, so we couldn't get as close as we like to. The anchorage was rolly from passing traffic, and we weren't comfortable, so we pulled anchor and set off for Louisa. Again, it was a very short trip. There were about 8 boats already at Louisa, so we decided to head to Sturgeon Cove. The entrance is a little tricky, but it's a large anchorage, and if we could get in the bottom, we would have great holding and good protection. Unbelievable, we were the only boat in Sturgeon Cove. It's definitely a first for us. We chose our spot and settled in for a couple of nights. We dinghied over to Bell Cove and found only one boat there. We looked for blueberries, we found lots of bushes but no berries. We did see three eagles, one juvenile and two with full colours. The largest kept a very close eye on us, so we kept a very close eye on Tug. It was really hot so we spent a lot of time in the water. The next morning, we were joined by two sailboats and two trawlers. Later in the day, Gord and Marge Beaton from SYC came in on On Beat. We had a nice visit and a fun happy hour. The following morning, the winds were changing direction, so we decided to move on. We need to head into Little Current for services but are waiting till Monday. It's the Haweater Weekend there and it is really busy. They host a beautiful fireworks display on Sunday night, which we have to avoid because of the dog. We decided to head to East Rousse and the Beatons on to Hotham or Fox.Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    Tug decided this was a good place to hide from the deer flies.
    Deborah Ann at anchor in East Rous, it was nice to catch up with Jeff and Deb.Since we stayed inside to hide from the deer flies. The boys decided a nap was in order.

    Deer Fly Invasion

    Aug 4–5, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    East Rous is a well protected anchorage just to the west of Little Current. It's not the prettiest spot, but it has great holding and is very convenient if you are planning to go into town. We spoke to Deborah Ann, a beautiful Nordic Tug 32 on the radio, and Jeff said there was plenty of room, so we headed in. We anchored in the east end in about 7 feet of water. Jeff and Deb came over to chat once we were settled, and the deer flies were crazy. We both had our fly swatters working overtime. Deborah Ann was heading into Little Current to pick up company so it was a quick visit. We took Tug to shore and then decided to try our hand at fishing. We watched a small fishing boat with five people aboard catch fish after fish, but we had no luck and finally gave up. Greg and Jen on Huzzah from SYC came in later in the day. Greg had raced the Bayview Mackinaw race and placed second. He then went on to the North American championship and came in first. Congratulations. We spent more time inside than usual because the deer flies were so bad. The next morning, we were up and pulling anchor early to put those flies behind us. We both managed to only get a couple of bites, but they are super itchy.Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    Leaving Little Current when the bridge opens.
    Our anchorage in the east end of Hotham Island.Last Resort was anchored ahead of us. Their dog is such a characterOur view from the bow.Our view from the sternOur view from the port side

    Decisions Decisions

    Aug 5–6, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We headed to Spider Bay Marina in Little Current for a pumpout and water. The marina wasn't busy, so we were out in time to make the 10:00 bridge heading east. Heywood Island was our destination, and we were hoping to tuck into the small bay at the west end of Browning Cove. Unfortunately, there were already two boats anchored there, so we headed to the east anchorage. There was lots of room there for us, so we tucked into the back end. If the weather cooperated, we would head to Cove Island on Tuesday and then Kincardine on Thursday or Friday. According to the long-range forecasts, after that, the winds may pick up, so we may have to stay somewhere to wait out the winds. This part of the trip is never a lot of fun. We wait and watch the weather always a little apprehensive even when we are not sailing to a schedule. I noticed our bag of dog food was getting a little light. Tug's appetite has been really good this trip, and he hasn't been sick. I think we underestimated the amount of food we needed. I figured out we had about 5 days of food left. That wasn't going to be enough if we had to wait out any weather. There was a vet in Little Current who carried his food, but they didn't open until Wednesday. There was no vet in Tobermory, so Kincardin may be the next spot we could purchase his food. We decided to head into Little Current Tuesday and pick up the food first thing Wednesday morning. If the weather forecast was correct, we could then head for Cove Island at the 10:00 bridge opening. Randy had reached out to Harbour View Marina in Little Current to get details on storing the boat for the winter. It's something we've discussed over the last couple of years. Now that we have our home in Brights Grove, we don't really use the boat before and after our North Channel adventures. Neither of us really enjoy the trip up and down the lake. We thought it may be worth looking into options since we had an unplanned day in town. We liked the information and decided we would visit the marina while we were there.Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    Randy being interviewed by Roy Eaton on the Cruisers Net
    Randy Roy and Terry. Roy has been a positive influence on the boating community for over 20 years.Our walk to the marina. I didn't take any pictures.I borrowed this picture of the marina since I didn't take any myself.

    Change In Plans

    Aug 6–7, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    It was a bit of a bouncy ride from our anchorage at Heywood into Little Current, which was a surprise. According to both weather apps, I use the wind was supposed to diminish in the early morning. While we were underway, I reached out to Paul and Deb on Nadura. They are friends from our yacht club who have been keeping their boat up here for several years. We will need to get our car if we are going to leave our boat here. Paul was heading to Brights Grove on Sunday and was happy to give me a ride if needed. That was a huge hurdle taken care of. We tied up to the west wall by the pavilion. Typically, we like the wall rather than a finger dock as it is easier to dock and leave when the current is strong. It was a beautiful sunny day with enough breeze to make it comfortable even though it was really hot. The marina was a bit of a walk, but it was nice to get off the boat and stretch our legs. Jill, the marina manager, was wonderful. She answered all our questions, and we felt confident that the boat would be well cared for. We arranged a haul out date of August 19th. We could empty and winterize everything and still catch the last ferry off the island later that day. We would have to come back in October with the winter cover and to take care of anything we missed. Jill offered to drive us back to town, so we had her drop us off at Manitoulin Brewery for a celebratory craft beer. We enjoyed the company of the bar staff and some other travelers. It's hard to believe we have finalized this change so quickly. I let Paul know I'd be joining him on Sunday and booked a ticket for myself on the ferry. I will do what I need to do on Monday and then come back on Tuesday. We talked to the dock staff and reserved a week at the town docks. We can use the 7 days when we need them. I'd prefer Randy to be at the dock while I'm gone, so that should work well. While taking Tug for a walk, we met up with Paul and Paula. Randy worked with Paul in the 90s, and the last time we saw them was years ago in Titusville, Florida. We had a nice visit and then met up with them at Elliots for dinner. The next morning, we were at the vets when it opened and bought a bag of dog food. We stopped into the Cruisers Net Broadcast, and Roy interviewed Randy about our trip last fall on the narrowboat. Randy did a great job. When we got back to the boat, Glen from Last Resort told us Tug had been crying the whole time we were gone. That's unusual, and we thought it may have to do with all the people walking by the boat. Maybe the wall isn't such a good idea. We decided to head to Covered Portage for a few days. Karen and Bob on Hunky Dory are there, and we haven't seen them in years.Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    The Indian head at the entrance to the inner bay at Covered Portage Cove.

    Back In 50 Cove

    Aug 7–8, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We were pleasantly surprised to find 50 Cove empty when we arrived at Covered Portage. There was only one boat in the outer bay, and it didn't look crowded in the inner bay either. We set the anchor, took Tug to shore, and had a late lunch. We joined Bob and Karen on Hunky Dory for happy hour and had a great time catching up. We made plans to go to Kilarney by dinghy the next day. Yeah, I'm finally going to get some ice cream. We had great cell service, so we checked our weather apps for the next few days. Oh no, strong wind warnings starting Friday through Sunday night. We were planning on heading into Little Current on Saturday but decided to head back early. We let Bob and Karen know we weren't sticking around. It was rainy and cool, so they decided not to go to Kilarney on Thursday either.Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    Randy's prizes from Turners. Everything is really nice.
    We are docked beside a boat from Port Elgin. We've met them at anchorages over the years.That big blue building in the distance is Hogsbreath's new winter home.

    And More Changes

    Aug 8–11, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    It was a windy ride back to Little Current from Covered Portage Cove, and we traveled a little quicker to flatten out the ride. We arrived at the bridge a little earlier than needed, so we checked out Harbour Vue by water. Once we were through the bridge, we arranged a slip on the west side of A dock. Between the winds and the current, it's going to be a wild few days. We had Paul and Deb over for happy hour and enjoyed catching up. Tug lost patience with us by 7:30 and insisted on having his dinner. We went for a walk, but it was chilly, so we headed back to the boat and watched YouTube. Friday, I did some laundry, and Randy started organizing the boat. Randy dropped into Turners for the Friday contest, and he was the winner. His prize was awesome, two sweatshirts, a ball cap, and a toque. As the question was about Baie Fine, so were the prizes. We took Tug for a walk to check out where we would park the car and decided to stop in at Boyles Marine. What a great decision. Randy asked if they had room for our boat in their inside storage, and Pat said yes. What! We've been asking about inside storage for years and haven't even been put on a waiting list. It's quite a bit more expensive and it's not heated but what a great opportunity. We told Pat we'd be back Saturday morning to let him know. Roy was hosting the Cruisers Net Happy Hour at the Anchor Inn, so we headed over. There was a big crowd. Deborah Ann was in town dropping off their guest, and they came bearing gifts. They used to have a green 32 Nordic Tug. Someone had given them a hat from Nordic Tug with a red tug on it. They also had a hand towel with a red 32 tug on it. That was so nice of them. We met a lot of new people and enjoyed the pizza and birthday cake. We took Tug for a walk and listened to the music downtown. The docks and wall were full, and there were lots of boaters out for a stroll. After we took Tug back to the boat, we decided to go to the Legion for a beer. There were four people at the bar and four boaters at a table. The four boaters were the ones we suggested the Legion to, so we joined them. They shared some great stories. Saturday morning, we went to Boyles and signed up for inside storage. They can accommodate us on August 19th, and now we won't have to come back to put the winter cover on. We let Jill at Harbour Vue know we won't be storing there, and she was very gracious. It was windy, cool, and wet for most of the day. We spent some time checking out the shops, and whenever the rain stopped, we would get outside. We had a nice dinner at the Anchor Inn, then watched a movie onboard. The wind howled, and it rained most of the night. Tomorrow will be an interesting day. I'm heading home, and Randy is staying onboard with Tug.Read more

  • Terry And Randy ClarkeTravelerNorth Channel 2024
    Little shops, an art gallery and best of all an icecream shop at South Baymouth
    We were close to the front of the line for boarding.Beautiful Chi-Cheemaun arriving from Tobemorey.Getting ready to boardLeaving the dock and then spinning around. We drove in the bow and will drive off the stern.Heading out towards open water.The small town of South Baymouth.Passing the Cove Island lighthouse. Cove Island is our first anchorage on our trip north most years.Otter Pass, this is a short cut to the Cove Island anchorage on our way home.Driving off the ferry in Tobermory1The parachutes to cover the tug are at the back. Thanks Mike I couldn't reach.I was a little early for the ferry.Pretty sailboat coming into harbour while I waited for the ferry.The ramp we use to drive on the ferry.Line in Tobermory waiting to board. I'm the 7th car in lane 1.The Cove Island lighthouse on the trip back to Manitoulin. Another nice day onboard Chi Cheemaun

    Quick Trip Home

    Aug 11–13, 2024 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    It was a windy, rainy morning and other than to walk Tug we didn't leave the boat. Paul came over a little early in case the scheduled Pride parade wasn't canceled. If it was still on the streets would be closed, and it would be a challenge to get out of town. I had a few things I was bringing home, so it was nice that Paul's car was at the top of our dock. We left around 1:30 to give us plenty of time as we needed to be at the ferry at least an hour before the sailing time of 3:30. It was a beautiful drive, the skies had cleared, and the views were breathtaking. It took about 45 minutes to get to South Baymouth, so we were close to the front of the line. To board the ferry, you just need your reservation number. It's pretty simple. We went for a walk and spent some time in the little art gallery. They had some really beautiful pieces, and most were from the island. Boarding the ferry was interesting. We were on the side ramps, and when we were told to stop, we were on a very steep angle. Paul switched off the car and engaged the parking brake. I was concerned we were making the crossing that way, but as soon as the ramps were full, they were raised, and we were level. We had to leave the car and couldn't return until we were docking in Tobermory. We found a spot in one of the lounges where we had great views. The scenery was amazing and the people watching very interesting. We were one of the first cars off the ferry, and traffic wasn't bad, so we were out of Tobermory in no time at all. Paul was a great driver and tour guide, pointing out shortcuts and good stops along the way. We went to the yacht club so I could pick up my car, and I pulled into my driveway at 11:00 pm. It took 9 and a half hours door to door. I really appreciate Paul letting me join him on the trip home. I'm booked on the 5:45 pm ferry on Tuesday and have a long to-do list. There was a nice surprise waiting for me at home. Dianna had arranged to have all the windows cleaned as a birthday gift. The house looked amazing. I was able to get everything done on my list and had a great lunch with Alexis and Charity. Mike and Lori stopped by to help me get things down from the attic in our shed. We had a nice visit, and Karen and Larry stopped by as well. The drive to Tobermory on Tuesday was quite enjoyable, traffic was light and the weather was beautiful. I left home at 10:30, and even with a few stops, I was one of the first cars in line for the ferry. I wandered around and recognized a couple of boats in the harbour. Driving on the ferry was easy, and although I was on one of the side ramps, I was in the middle, so totally level. I was also beside one of the access doors, so it was easy to get on deck and return to the car when we docked. I had dinner onboard, watched out the windows, and read. The trip went by really quickly. The drive back to Little Current took about 50 minutes, traffic was light, and I was back with Randy and Tug before the sun went down. All in all, it was a great trip home.Read more

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