Little Current to Drummond Island

From Little Current to Drummond Island, USofA

Commerce on Lake Huron

Heading out of Little Current, we opt for the northern edge of Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Had time been on our side, we would have headed north to the more remote shoreline of the North Channel. The north shore meant long stretches of wilderness with the occasional small town accessible only by boat or small float plane. We would have stopped first at the Benjamin Islands just NW of Little Current known for their spectacular scenery and landscape. Instead, our passage skirts the southern boundary of the channel leading to the Benjamins. We look, with sadness, at what would have been a breathtaking anchorage and continue SW to Gore Bay.

Sunrise over Gore Bay, North Channel

Gore Bay is situated at the end of a bay; one of many bays on the northern shore of Manitoulin Island. Manitoulin Island, the largest fresh water island in the world, is oddly shaped. The north shore, bordering the North Channel, has many bays and an undulating shoreline. The south shore, bordering Lake Huron, slopes gradually to the Lake with sand beaches and shoals lining its coastline.

Manitoulin Island has a history of folklore. It is described as a "kind of crossroads of the spirit world;ancient Indian gods and heroes dwell alongside the European explorers of folklore and history". Dotted with as many as 100 inland lakes and streams, it takes just an amateur fisherperson (or so we're told!) to catch one of the chinook salmon, rainbow trout, perch or whitefish swimming about. While there are marinas/ports to pull into with a bustling city beside them, most of the island is untamed wilderness.

Our dinner companions at Rocky Racoon, Gore Bay

We spent just one night at Gore Bay as we were watching the clock tick. How we hate to have to keep to a schedule but the clock is ticking and we need to be in Chicago by September 6th.

Enjoying a cocktail evening aboard Colonel's Lady

We're planning to arrive in Drummond in three days so that means we haven't planned our trip all that well. The descendants of the Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawotami Indian tribes host lavish pow-wows every year about this time and had we not lingered in the previous portions of our trip, we would have been able to attend one here on Manitoulin Island. As it is, we must cruise everyday to meet our deadline.

Gore Bay is one of the islands' busiest ports small though it is. There are plenty of marine support services but the town is also host to many campers and fishermen along with bed and breakfast's set in very old, restored homes.

Wild Turkey at Anchor, Covered Portage Cove, Killarney Bay

There are other places to stop but Meldrum Bay is an easy days' cruise from Gore Bay. Meldrum is a port of entry for US boaters arriving from the US. It was originally a very busy commercial port, especially for fish, but since the fishing dried up in the 1940's, Meldrum Bay serves as a tourist environment for mariners. Anticipating our arrival in the US tomorrow, we schedule a barbeque feast to use up our Canadian Beef. Meat from Canada, including pork and chicken, is not allowed into the US. Given that we are not too concerned about bringing meat into the US, we eat up the beef by having steaks for dinner with Ron and Molly from Colonel's Lady. We still have pork tenderloin, chicken and a flank steak in the freezer with hopes that Customs doesn't inspect our freezer! No mad cow disease in chickens or pork is our justification.

Becky celebrates her birthday today...let's see, 36? Can hardly believe how old that makes me!!

A working lighthouse greets us as we enter the Gore Bay Marina

Steve's Northern caught in Baie Fine

It's August 10th and we're off to the USof A via Drummond Island, just north of Mackinaw Island by about 50 miles. We're ready to be home. Our adventure has been indescribably wonderful 'til now but since we have to head south, and we're so close, the heartstrings are pulling us towards our own country. Cruising today has probably been one of the most beautiful; passing many an inviting cove beckoning us to anchor, commercial ships carrying ore to Canadian ports, cruisers flying by us in both directions, sea gulls crying out for food, fish jumping and azure waters. What more could one ask for? Home!! We arrive at Drummond Island about 12:30, clear Customs (even with all that Canadian meat in our freezer: the Customs agent said they wouldn't know what to do with it anyway so just keep our mouths closed...which we did) and settle in for the night. We're off to DeTour tomorrow or if the weather holds, we'll penetrate deeper into US territory and go to St. Ignace. Mackinaw Island Marina is booked solid with a significant waiting line. There is a ferry from St. Ignace to Mackinaw, and we can take our bikes, so that makes the decision for us. Still, no phone service from here...guess Cingular is not all it's cracked up to be.

The Captain at the helm of the dinghy


Entrance to Baie Fine looking into Frazer Bay

Tomorrow, we're off to the next destination and a few days of rest after beating all the way from Little Current to Drummond. We know we've missed some prime cruising grounds but unfortunately, since we have spent so much time in earlier locations, we couldn't linger in the North Channel. Another day!

What an adventure this has been. We have seen some spectacular places, met wonderful people along the way, found cruising grounds unique to Canada, bypassed more than we were able to stop at, and have fallen in love with the area. God willing, we will be able to return and share with you some new areas, anchorages and friends. We're two thirds finished and are now anticipating our cruise down Lake Michigan and a 10 day stop in Chicago.