Great Loop & Cruising Adventure Blog

Another gorgeous day in the North Channel. We were anchored in the “Pool,” a well protected cover just at the end of Baie Fin. We took advantage of the great weather by exploring by dinghy and beaching the small craft on a rocky shore so we could hike up the rocky cliff to Topaz Lake located at the very top.

Yes, you read this correctly, we hiked “UP” to the Lake. The reward for our efforts, after a very hot and buggy hike, to Topaz Lake were many – not only was the view remarkably beautiful but the small lake that had been carved out by glaciers was crystal clear – very inviting and refreshing on this hot summer day. After a long dip in this wonder of nature we made our way back to the dinghy to continue exploring the area by water.

To view additional photo’s check out Lisa’s photo site Stock Favors

Baie Fine is a wonderful 10-mile cruise laden with fantastic photo opportunities around each rocky bend and cliff as you work your way up to a little cove called the “Pool.”

We anchored, as is tradition, in the med-moor style with a stern line run to shore and tied securely to a tree. It was so peaceful we stayed for two days but could have easily stayed a week. Too much to see and too little time I guess. Our first day we spent swimming around the boat (taking a fresh water bath) and cooking dinner on the rocky shore. The entire time I was cooking I was watching out for bear, thinking the aroma from the grille might attract their attention. It was only a week earlier we had spotted a bear at Crocker Island so I guess I was a little on edge.Because of the narrow entrance to the “Pool” boaters are protected 360 degrees around an anchorage. We found ourselves sitting at the bottom of a rocky ravine and loving the natural beauty.

One of the most beautiful and satisfying trips in the North Channel is the trip up Baie Fin (pronounced Bay Fin) to the Pool. You would think you were traveling in a scandinavian fjord the way the quartz cliff rise so high from the water. Baie Fine is an exceptional experience that all cruisers to the North Channel should experience, especially if you’re only going to travel through once.

Not only a lovely scenic view but appetizers today for the crew of Kismet.

Two miles to the west of Killarney lies Covered Portage Cove, a kunkholers dream. The narrow entrance, that has large boulders protruding from the water makes for an nerve racking entrance for ones first visit but made easier if the cruising guide advice is followed.

Once inside it’s common practice to anchor med-moor style, this giving the greatest amount of room for other boaters as this area can get pretty busy at times. Lisa and I landed our dinghy so we could take advantage of the trails by climbing the rock bluffs up to the their summit. We did not see any bear but there was plenty of the blueberries they love so much. The sight from the top, although a hiking challenge, was well worth the effort, especially being able to see down at all the boats comfortably moored in the completely protected cove.

Killarney, what a great name but more importantly what a wonderful boaters paradise. Killarney sits at the northwest corner of Georgian Bay and the northeast section of the North Channel in Ontario Canada.

We’ve been to Killarney a couple of times but to me I think it’s a place we could never tire of. Big enough for basic supplies but remote enough to one feel like there a long long way from home. On our last trip through Killarney we stayed at the dock at Killarney Mountain Lodge. The nice thing about the Lodge is that they have a pool, restaurant, bar and laundry facilities all on sight. No trip to Killarney would be complete without a trip to the Little Red School Bus for their fish and chips and this time was no exception. If you’ve never visited before be sure not to miss the fish and chips!

Canada’s North Channel is a magical boating paradise and for us Croker Island is one of its gems. The reason we like Croker Island so much is because it has a cove that provides an excellent, well protected, anchorage. From here you can dinghy and explore around Croker, or go over to the equally magnificent Benjamin or Fox Islands to dinghy through the menagerie of coves, creeks and unique, glacier created, rock formations.

Nestled into our anchorage with a half dozen others, sterns tied off to the rocky tree lined bluff we settled in for a three day stay. The water is gin clear down to at least 10 feet. I can attest to this because I accidently knocked my sunglasses off my head and watched them sink all the way to their resting place on the sandy bottom. The water is also very cold, even in August – as I quickly found out when I dove in to retrieve the glasses. It sure is fun being a boater!

One night while we were finishing dinner on the boat we heard a lot of commotion coming from some of the other boater. We saw the dads running up the rock (yes right in the area we had hiked earlier in the day) lined bluff frantically waving oars over their heads. At what? You may have already guessed… a black bear, of course.

Apparently their kids had gone for a blueberry picking and island exploration and saw a bear and began to yell. So this prompted the dads to defend the kids with the only weapon they had handy – the almighty oar. Bears like blueberries and Croker Island has lots of blueberries therefore they have bears. It worked out in the end as all the dads and kids returned safely to their boats.

A short while later Lisa and I took the dinghy around the point of Croker Island to where we thought the bear had gone to escape all the ruckus. Much to our surprise we spotted the bear’s (he had swam to a nearby island and was now swimming back to Croker) pointy ears sticking out of the water as it was swimming right in our path. If we had not seen those ears protruding from the water and slowed down we could have run right into the him, we were that close, and that would not have been a fun encounter.

And this is just a minute taste of the wonders of the North Channel and more specifically the Croker Island area.

We walked to Fishbusterz’s (an amazing fish market right on the docks of the fishing boat harbor on Stock Island) today with the sole intent of securing some fresh tuna for dinner. We had our eyes set on a huge hunk displayed in the case when all of a sudden one of the fishmongers and another man came and took the whole hunk away (apparently a restaurant buyer securing his own bounty).

With our mouths left hanging, because we thought it was a certainty we would have a few steaks off that fillet tonight, we only had to wait a minute, however, before the fishmonger returned and said, “No Problem!” We have more in the back. Off he went and in the room across from the counter two guys pulled out a WHOLE TUNA and began cutting.

Not only were we able to watch our dinner being carved  from this magnificent hunk, right in front of us, but we got some of the freshest tuna in town.