What's above and sometimes just below the water in Georgian Bay...................Rock!!!!!!
Georgian Bay and the North Channel have been an anticipated highlight of this season's cruising plan for a long time. This part of the trip features the remote and rocky wilds of Canada's most beautiful "of the" Great Lakes. Some slight these waters by calling them a part of Lake Huron, but once you've seen the distinct topography and geology, you realize this is a separate, unique and very special place.
This segment of the trip includes a lot of anchorages (thanks again to the network of loopers and Active Captain to help us find/plan our way). Towns, villages, marinas are much more remote so we need to plan our daily routes to make sure we know where our next fuel, water, food stops are and have backup plans (B, C and D!) for extra days in case we need to take cover from the weather.
We quickly learn that we're back in big water again. Like Chesapeake Bay the water can be whipped up by the winds in a hurry. Traveling here is with the permission of the weather. It seems that the prevailing winds are from the west and our cruising route is along the northeastern shoreline. Even though we are traveling in the "small craft" channel, the winds have some 40-60 miles of "fetch" all the way across from Michigan and so can generate some scary big waves.
As we follow the charted channels as they zigzag their way through the rocky islands (both above and below the water (.........again scary)), we are still very exposed to the winds and waves of the bay. Taking a day or two to wait for good traveling conditions is a prudent thing to do (as long as you have enough cold beer in the fridge!).
Bettern' a tractor pull down yonder.
Leaving Midland, our last town stop for supplies before heading north into the wilds.
Picking your way through the rocks requires prudent attention.
.......and then there are the charted, but sometimes submerged rocks (all the "+" symbols)!!!!
One of the last commercial Walleye/Whitefish fishing boats on the Bay. Clearly built to take water over the bow.
You see a lot more locals with heavy duty aluminum "work" boats. here.
............but any boat can be a work boat with most of the land being islands.
Inunnguaq's, the arctic peoples way of sharing "the way" with other travelers.
Inuksuk (also spelled inukshuk, plural inuksuit) is a figure made of piled stones or boulders constructed to communicate with humans throughout the Arctic. Traditionally constructed by the Inuit, inuksuit are integral to Inuit culture and are often intertwined with representations of Canada and the North. In Inuktitut, the term inuksuk means "to act in the capacity of a human." It is an extension of the word inuk meaning "a human being." Inuksuit have been found adjacent to archaeological sites dating from 2400 to 1800 BC. While stone figures resembling human forms are often referred to as inuksuk, such figures are actually known as inunnguaq.
.......then there are the more contemporary canookshooks.........
At the end of the day there are some stunning anchorages.
