Our Season is Finished😥

Baie Fin

Sunset in Baie Fin

 September 15, 2024

      We had perfect weather for heading into Little Current.  The town marina is just beyond the narrows and just before the swing bridge. I imagine if you hit it wrong and have a big wind driven current, it could be disasterous.  In fact, we watched an acquaintance from a previous marina brand his sailboat in later that evening.  It was not pretty.  He took a couple of passes and finally got close enough to throw lines to shore and get tied up.

       We took our bikes down and did a reconnaissance of the town.  There was a grocery store nearby and a brewery.  We opted for the brewery.  It had nice outdoor seating and an Indian Food cart.  We ordered almost one of everything and beers.  We were pleasantly surprised.  The food was excellent - I wish I could go back for more!   The beer was good too.  We sat with a couple from Sudbury who were planning a trip to San Francisco to see the last series played there by the Oakland A’s.  We enjoyed taking to them and hearing about their planned adventure.   When they departed the owners of the only taxi cab service on  Manitoulin Island sat down with us.  They were local and had many stories to tell us about their taxi service.  After a beer or two too many we rode our bikes back to the boat.   

Delicious Indian food

Little Current Marina 

       The next day we woke to the dreaded CRUISE SHIP in port.   They were docked just to the west of us and were off loading passengers as we ate our breakfast.   They were being lightered in from around the corner in the North Channel.  It was cold and windy and surprisingly few passengers disembarked.  We made our way to the grocery store and bought some fresh produce and beer.  We later walked down to the one lane swing bridge - the only road access to the largest fresh water island in the world.  A little surreal. The bridge takes you to Goat Island, which has no goats.  On our way back we ran into a local working in his garden.  He stopped long enough to tell us about his solar panels and electric cars.  We enjoyed our chat.   

Stone Gazebo

Little Current Swing Bridge

Swing Bridge up close

       After dinner we walked up to the stone gazebo in the waterfront park.  There was a band setting up and we thought we’d stay and listen for a bit.   We were so glad we did.  It was their last performance for the season and they were quite good.  There were 5 gentlemen our age sitting in folding chairs and two teens standing behind.  They also called people from the audience to join them- both women quite accomplished in their area.  One sang mostly old country songs and the other play the harmonica.  They were an absolute treat.  We are so lucky .  We find these wonderful gatherings and get to talk with locals and enjoy the local atmosphere.  This is why we cruise.  We’re not foodies and we don’t eat out often but we sure enjoy chatting with other travelers and locals.

Local entertainment 

      The wind finally lay down and we dropped our lines and left for Baie Fin.  We were told it was like cruising in a fjord with steep rock walls and beautiful scenery.  We could barely wait.  The entrance to Baie Fin is well camouflaged and once in you realize that your depth finder will be your best friend.  We traveled up to the anchorage before the pool.  With the wind blowing straight dow the bay, we needed a protected spot for at least a day.  We looked at the recommended anchorages but they were exposed.  We found a sweet little cove and set a stern anchor and tied a bow line to a tree on the shore.   Later that day three looper boats came in and anchored on top of the anchor symbols on Aquamaps.  They had a rough evening and left early the next morning.

     We decided we’d take a ride up to the pool and hike up to Topaz Lake.  Katie and Dean said it was a must see.   When we got to the dock, other cruisers were just tying up.  We spoke and they took off.  We should have followed them.  There were trail markers but at one point other makers appeared and no indication was given as to which went to Topaz Lake.  We chose wrong.  We hiked a good 2-3 miles up a creek bed on rocks and finally decided that we had chosen the wrong trail.   Going back down was easier.  We intercepted the other cruisers and they pointed us in the right direction.  It was a 15 minute hike as opposed to our death march up and down the creek bed. 

      The lake was beautiful with high bluffs surrounding it.  We sat for a bit with our feet in the water cooling off till Abby arrived.   Abby was a sweet mutt who came barreling up behind me panting in my ear.  Scared the bejeezus out of me - thought she was a bear.   Her people arrived shortly there after and introduced us properly.  

      The walk back to the dinghy was half as long and we were glad to get back to our dinghy.   As with all dinghy excursions, they start on a flat calm water but the return is always rough.   The wind had come up and there was a good chop on the bay.   We made our way slowly the 1/2 mile back to Carolina.  We were both tired and hungry when we finally got back.

     The next morning we planned on leaving fairly early for Killarney.  We had a bow and stern anchor to retrieve and a bow line to untie.  Bob pulled himself in the dinghy along the bow line to shore and untied us.  We wear our headsets so we can communicate with each other.  It became very apparent the first time we tried this that communication was essential.   Next I let out more chain on the bow anchor so Bob could pull in the stern anchor.   This turned out to be a long and painful operation.  We eventually had to pull up the bow anchor and backdown over the stern anchor to break it free.  We were well and stuck to the bottom.  Once we had both anchors up, we proceeded through the fjord-like gap and around to the Killarney Channel.

      We had booked into the Killarney Mountain Lodge for two nights with the option to stay longer.  We knew it was expensive and we hoping it was worth the money.  We were pleasantly surprised.  The resort was lovely.   It would make a fantastic place to take your family for a week.  Swimming pool, sauna, restaurants, bars, game room and more.  Our only complaint would be the walk to the bathrooms was about 1/4mile.  Needless to say, we just walked up for showers - which were spotless and well appointed.

     There’s not much in town to entertain and we were at the end of the season so many things were closed.   We did visit Herbert’s Fishery for lunch one day and we shopped at the general store.  We borrowed resort bikes to ride out to the lighthouse.   We had tried to hike out there but once again the trail signs were ambiguous and not marked.  We had walked for a couple of miles and finally gave up rather than get lost.  It was easy to find on the bikes and only about 3 miles.

    While we were visiting the lodge,there was a fly-in of  Lake Amphibians.   There were 8 Lakers pulled up on shore just beyond the marina.  We watched them land behind  our boat then take off 3 days later.  It’s quite exciting to see.  Bob, of course, talk to every pilot he could button hole.  We also met a lovely couple from Illinois.  Wil and Vera were touring through Canada enjoying the beautiful weather.  We had much in common and wish we had more time to talk with them but we had a weather wind and would be leaving at sunrise the next day.

     We ended up staying at Killarney for 4 nights due to wind.  We left early the morning of the 9th heading for The Bruce Peninsula and the Cape Crocker anchorage.  The winds have been a real issue all summer.  Finding an appropriate anchorage meant exploring new possibilities and not just anchoring on top of the anchor emblem on Aquamaps.   We are surrounded by high bluffs.  The topography is exceptional.  The weather had turned cooler and our night here was frosty.

     We are in the home stretch now making our way to Penetanguishene, ON and Hindson Marina for winter storage.  Our next stop is in Big Sand Bay on Christian Island.  The anchorage is empty.  We think we’ve over stayed the season maybe.  The Big Sand Bay is just what it says- big and sandy.  We drop our anchor in 17’ of water and I can watch it hit the bottom and set.  The water is beautiful and crystal clear.  We had a wonderful and peaceful night here and had a lazy morning the next day.  We didn’t leave till almost noon because we only had  3 hr. Cruise to the marina.    The Penetanguishene Harbor is quite protected and much bigger than it looks on maps.  The boat traffic in and out was overwhelming.  We hadn’t seen this many boats since we left Sault Ste. Marie.  Hindson was ready for us and sent a dockhand out to help us find our slip.   We got docked, plugged in and ready to start unloading when we were informed that we’d have to move.  We had just be saying how nice it was to be so close to the restrooms and parking area.  Oh well…..we got moved to the hinterlands a good 1/4 mile walk to shore.  Now our packing would have to start in earnest.  But first we had to meet Katie and Tammy and our truck!  They arrived minutes after we had moved the boat.  

      Katie had volunteered herself and her daughter as delivery drivers.  They had stored our truck for us all summer and now were driving it the 8 hrs. over to Canada to meet us.  We can never thank them enough.  We all went to lunch together and enjoyed catching up on our summer escapades.  They were anxious to get back on the road.  Around 4:30 they were off and on their way back to Muskegon.  Next year Katie and Dean hope to join us for a bit on the boat.

       We spent the next day and a half packing and talking with trades men about work we wanted done.  We were very pleased with our choice of marinas and have great hopes for a wonderful job on our dodger.  Once we had crammed everything not nailed down from the boat into the car, we said our goodbyes and left.  We reached the border after dark and of course picked the slowest line.  With our truck packed so full, we were sure we’d be searched.  When I turn came the conversation started wit,”What’s your nationality?”  Kind of surprised us since we just handed him US passports.  He asked us to roll down the back window.  Looked inside and exclaimed- What have you been doing here for 3 months?  We explained and he was intrigued.  Waved us on and wished us luck next year.  Phew!!

      The rest of the trip was kind of a blur.  We got in late in the evening and unpacked because it was possibly going to rain.  We were beat and Bob didn’t feel well.  He got worse then gave it to me.  We finally tested and we both had COVID 😖.  We spent the next five days secluded in our house trying not to spread the wealth.  It’s now Tuesday,September 24th and we are both COVID free and busy packing for our next adventure.  We’re off to Scotland to cruise the Caledonian Canal (in a rented boat).  Wish us luck.  I’ll try to write a post or two from there but we won’t have dishy with us so Wi-Fi will be spotty.

Stay safe and please remember to get out and vote!  Let’s Make America Kind Again!!

P.S.  Pictures are being a pain - I’ll post them at some later date.😥

On the “road” again!

 August 30,2024

        When we last wrote we had just survived and inspection by Canadian Border Patrol and left quickly for the north channel.  Waiting for CBP had eaten up some of our time.  We were trying to make it to West Grant Island southeast of Thessalon where we were stuck for almost a week.

    We took the downbound ship channel on the St.Mary’s River to the cross over to the St.Joseph Channel into the North Channel.  This was the fastest route and we pushed Hercule and Arthur to their limits.  We arrived at West Grant around 5:30 and put down our anchor.  We were the only boat in the anchorage.  Our plan was to move on to Meldrum Bay on Thursday and stay through a rain storm till Saturday.

Sunset while at anchor in West Grant Island

Ships in the St. Mary’s Channel

     The anchorage was wonderful and quiet.  We were tired of the noise and crowds in the Soo and needed a little down time.  This was perfect.

      The next morning we got up fairly early and pulled up the anchor to set off for Meldrum Bay about 3 hours away.  We had called and arranged for a slip so we would be secure during the coming weather.  Our timing was off by a bit and the wind arrived before we did!   It was a simple docking - we’d tie up starboard side along one of two wharves.  A dockhand was there to help us tie up and I had fenders and lines ready.  The wind was pushing us away from the dock so a quick tie was important.  As I threw the bowline the dockhand informed me that he didn’t know how to tie a line!!!  I instructed him to wrap it around the cleat and I ran to the stern to get that line on and jump to the dock to re-tie  his line.  Just about now another boat decided to come in so dockhand was off to help them.  Thank heavens for thrusters.  Bob and I managed to get 3 more lines on cleats and in close enough to board into the swim platform.

Our slip at Meldrum Bay

Friday and the street sweeper goes by- just like at home.

      The rain began just as we finished securing the boat.  We weren’t going to get into town and it turns out the only store was not open on Thursdays.🤪  This was not the worst marina we have been to but was close to tying for second worst.  The pedestals were covered with live spiders, the docks were floating but tippy, one cleat was very loose and the facilities were minimal.  When I say minimal I’m being kind.  There was one toilet and two showers.  These were shared by the 25 or so campers parked in the campground as was the laundry.  Definitely not worth what we paid.  We asked about the Meldrum Bay Inn thinking dinner out but we told it closed during COVID and never reopened.  Second stop that had no restaurants. No wonder loopers don’t stop here!

       On Friday we walked up to the General Store and bought some souvenirs.  Unique “bear” printed t-shirt and glass cutting board.  We walked to the  Net Shop Museum which was supposed to be open but it wasn’t.  Another strikeout.  We spent the afternoon doing boat chores and prepping for our departure the following day.

      Saturday dawned cloudy but calm.  We had our window to move on.  As we were preparing to cast off two river otters came by to say hello.  That made our day.

     We had chosen a well protected anchorage at Turnbull Island and hoped it would not be full.  It was only a few hours away but we wanted to get there before the weather did.  We had some rain as we left but nothing to worrisome.  The anchorage had one other boat in it belonging to a Canadian couple.  We set our anchor then prepared for a longish stay.

Sunset

Blue moon rising

     Turnbull was a great stop.  We had a nice respite from marinas and other boaters.  Our Canadian neighbors were quite nice and the Austrian couple we had met in the Soo showed up for one night.  We stayed as long as we could but we soon needed to reprovision, dump garbage, and fill up our water tank.Next stop would be Blind River.

Old lumber mill in Blind River

     Blind River is a fairly large community compared to others (like Meldrum Bay) where we have stayed. The population is about 4,000.  We had high hopes for Blind River.  The grocery store should be awesome compared to the last one stop we made.  We’d heard good things about the marina and were looking forward to a night with fans on or air conditioning.   Well we were sorely disappointed.  The grocery store was half what the last town had with many empty shelves. The produce looked old and they didn’t stock many items that we needed.  I’ve been in worse stores but this was a great disappointment.  We did what we had to do, bought what we could, and headed back to the boat.  We were leaving the next morning for the Whalesback Channel.

      The dockhands convinced us to go to “17”, a local restaurant.  We had chosen another spot but after our experience in Thessalon, we took their advice.  The place was like a homey diner.  We sat in the counter service side rather than the dining room.  Our waitress was good and helped us chose the best from the menu.  She also talked us into trying a butter tart.  Another boater we had met in NY had made me promise to try a butter tart when we got to the north Channel.  So we did.  It’s like eating a pecan pie without any pecans.   Dry sweet and full of all things bad for you.  We split one.

Butter Tart

      We left earlish  on August 21st for the Whalesback.  The channel is 14 miles long and between 1-1.5 miles wide.  Within that area are hundreds of small granite islands that help give it the feel of a secluded lake.   We love gunk-holing but we had yet to tie our stern to the shore.  We were hoping we could find an anchorage that had swing room for our big girl.   There were lots of beautiful little coves to anchor in but we had some wind coming and we needed protection.  Between Serpent River and John’s Island turned out to be just perfect.  There was one other boat about 300 yards away so we felt we wouldn’t disturb them if we ran our genset.   The anchor grabbed on the first try and we were set for the next 2-3 days.

     This anchorage is off the Serpent River First Nation where the Anishinaabe First Nation reside.  You’ll see a fish drying rack in one picture and a fishing hut.

Drying rack

Fishing hut

Beaver Lodge

    Our Canadian companions were out fishing as we finished setting the anchor and pulled in an 18-20” bass. That’s another thing the Whalesback is know for - great bass fishing.  We cheered them on and poured ourselves a sundowner to watch the sunset. The next day we put our dinghy in the water, preparing for adventures in the islands.

      We ended up staying just 2 nights.   We were anxious to get to the Benjamin’s and the weather was in our favor.  We waved goodbye to our Canadian cove mates and headed off to the Benjamin’s.

     To get from the Whalesback to the Benjamin’s you have to travel through a narrow channel called Little Detroit.  The narrowest point is about 100 feet wide and 16 feet deep.  There is a swift current running west to east.  This sure makes you stand up and pay attention!  We waited for another trawler to exit heading west then we took out turn heading east.

    The Benjamin’s are a group of islands ( two of which actually called  North and South Benjamin) that are known for the great gunk-holing and their pink granite.  They are situated on the eastern end of the North Channel and provide spectacular scenery.  (None of our pictures do them justice.)  This is the most popular stop in the North Channel and it was obvious by the number of boats trying to crowd into the anchorages.  The winds were not good for the one anchorage and the second was full to the brim.  We opted for Crocker Island the next island east.  It’s also pink granite and very quiet and dark at night.

     We found a likely cove and realized to stay there we would have to do a stern tie.  A new skill for us both.  We made a total mess of it…first our stern line was too short, then Bob ran over it with the dinghy and tangled the line in the prop, we forgot to wear our head sets so we couldn’t communicate and while trying to tie us off, the boat began to swing away from the shore.  We eventually got it right, tied up tight and strung out straight.  We both vowed to do better the next time.  After one night in this spot, the boat down from us left their sweet cove and we decided to move over there.  The neighbors on the other side had played loud music into the night.  Not what we expected in the wilderness. 

Neighbors

Still evening

You can just see our stern line under the water

     We pulled in our stern line , pulled up our anchor and hightailed it over to the new cove.   I must say that this time we did a much better job anchoring and tying the boat.  We spent two nights here enjoying the birds and taking dinghy rides around the islands.  You cannot help but be relaxed here.  Unfortunately, all good things must end.  We had some stinky weather coming in another day, wind was gonna change direction, and the provisions were getting low.  When we woke the next morning the wind was howling and blowing us into the shore.  We decided to untie and up anchor and find a more protected spot to make breakfast, then head on to Clapperton Island.

Frying pan tree at an abandoned campsite

Pink granite boulders 

Seclusion 

Carolina tucked into the rocks

     We decided to move closer to Gore Bay, which is where our next marina stop would be.with left with every intention of heading south and closer but to get there you had to head north and we found a secluded cove that we could tuck into out of the wind.  This was on Fox Island.  BTW there are so many islands that half have not been given a name.  Once again we got to practice our stern tying skills.  The first place we dropped the anchor was not to either of our liking so we brought it up and backed down further into the cove.  This spot looked good, the anchor grabbed first try and there was a lovely large pine tree directly behind us to tie off to.  We were in for the night.  Plans were to get up early-early and book it done to Gore Bay before the rain set in.

      We were up at 6 am and away by 7:15.  We had just a 2.5 hour trip to Gore Bay.  The weather was still good and not too windy…yet.  We ran through a brief rain shower and the wind began to pick up but we were tied up by 10am.  We relaxed for a bit then went for a quick ride to get the lay of the land.  We found the hardware, grocery, post office and LCBO Store.  Then we had lunch at The Codmothers.  I had some of the best fried white fish- in fact best fried fish ever here. Maybe we’ll be back before we leave.  

       The next day we rode to the grocery to reprovision, stopped at the hardware for a filter for our compost can, and checked out the LCBO.  We were glad to get some fresh fruit and vegetables but things are sure expensive.

      Back st the boat we filled up our very empty water tanks (3 loads of laundry will do that to you!) and scrubbed down the boat deck while the dinghy is in the water.   Bob worked on his “to do” list while I worked on this blog.

       On Thursday we wrote postcards to our grandkids, then rode out to the Janet Head Lighthouse.  After the aborted trip on Beaver Island, we were taking no chances.  The website said “Open July and August, 1-4pm on Tuesday-Saturday”. This was Thursday so we should be good to go.  It was not a 19 mile ride like last time.  A measly 2 miles.  We ride out there and arrived a bit early.  We explored the beach across the road and I found some interesting fossils.  Then Mark arrived in his electric big tired bike.  

Janet Head Lighthouse

    We talked electric bikes and cars for a bit with him.  He loves his bike even if it doesn’t fit into his trunk.  Says without the battery on it weighs about 55 lbs.  The battery weighs about 30lbs.  He had his smoke that wished us a great day and rode off into the sun.

     Next a young family arrived- also there to see the lighthouse.  The kids were excited but dad was hot so he took off to the beach to swim. Brrrr!  He agreed that it was cooler than he expected.  By now it was 1:15 and still no docent to let us in.  We were getting hungry so decided we’d come back another day and rode back to town.  The family passed us in their car - guess they gave up too.

    In town we visited the Harbour Center to enjoy the local artist’s works.  There is some talent here.  We purchased a little sack of stones that have been energized by a local member of the First Nation to protect our boat.  Sure hope it works!

Harbour Centre

   Next we went to the Split Rail Brewing Co. For a cooling adult beverage.  We ordered some tapas and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon.  Next door was the chocolate factory so we went in to sample their wares.  We got a raspberry fudge sickle.  Yummy.

      We rode back to the marina and stopped in at the Marina Store.  It was about what we expected.  Nothing we really needed but some interesting charts on the wall to peruse.  Back at the boat we got dinner ready and enjoyed a beautiful dinner with sunset on our aft deck.

     We will be staying here one more day to wait out some nasty wind coming through.  It’s blowing 12 gusting to 24 here in this protected marina.  I’d hate to be out in the channel right now.  Next time I write we will be in Little Current, ON the gateway to Georgian Bay.

Till then stay safe and keep cool!

Sunbathers at Janet Head

      

     

     

      

Sitting in the Soo watching the Footers go by-

 August 16, 2024

      Well a lot has happened since last I wrote.  We headed down the St. Joseph Channel toward the North Channel.  Our fist stop was in Gawas Bay.  We were tucked back in the middle of nowhere.  It was a beautiful spot and we were the only boat anchored there.  A few fishermen passed by but not many.  We were enjoying the solitude after the hustle and bustle of the Soo.  We decided to stay a couple of days at anchor here.   Our last night there we noticed the batteries acting up and decided to run the gen and get a good charge up.  

      The next day we set out for Thessalon, population 120.  They supposedly had 4 restaurants and a grocery store.  The marina was reasonably priced and had nice new facilities.  The young women running the marina were very helpful and accommodating.  We got the bikes down and rode through town to check out the sights.  We found the Thessalon Coastal Trail but it was just for hiking or mountain bikes.  Our bikes would suffer on this trail.  We rode over the historic Red Bridge ( one lane bridge) and checked out the Thessalon Curling Club.

Thessalon Coast Trail

The Red Bridge

 

Curling Club

     One very noticeable feature in town was the extremely large boulders strewn in odd places - front yards, foundations, edge of highways, etc.  we planned on staying two nights so we could get to the grocery, hardware, and LCBO store( package store). Our second day we were gearing up to go riding up to the grocery but all the power went out.  When we inquired about why?, when? We were told it was a planned outage and power would be back on by 4pm.  This was at 8:15 in the morning.  Everything, and I do mean everything in town was closed. No groceries, no LCBO, no hardware.  We’d have to stay another day😵‍💫.  We rode out to the main highway(TransCanada) to the Tim Hortons and they were even closed!  People getting off the highway for gas we’re very surprised.

That’s a big rock!

View of Thessalon Marina

     Our third day we rode to Jones Valu-Mart and stocked upon groceries and sought out the LCBO.  If you remember last blog we were having a dry spell.  The LCBO employees were on strike and all the stores were closed.  Well as luck would have it the strike ended the day we got to Thessalon and the store was open for business.  Speaking to the clerk we found that the province was considering putting liquor into supermarkets.  This would basically shut the LCBO out of business.  A compromise was made and everyone will profit.   We had planned to go out for dinner but the restaurants were all closed on Monday.

     Tuesday morning we decided to leave and get some water under our keel.  We did all our prep then Bob went to start Arthur and Hercule, our JohnDeeres.  When he turned the key all we heard was a clicking.   Well with the power out for a whole day, we must have run the batteries down….but we had been plugged in for 24 hrs. now.  Bob started the generator hoping to give the boys a little extra boost but to no avail.  Never a good sign. Bob tried every trick and tested every connection and ground.  Still no good.   We needed a tester that could handle D-4 batteries.  In this town that’s a real long shot.  It will take 5 days to get here from Amazon and then we still have to get them going again if the batteries are dead.

     We finally rode out to a garage on the edge of town and asked if we could borrow their battery tester and return it later today.  Bob said there was no way they’d let their tools out of the shop but Richard Swan said sure and taught Bob how to use it.  We sped back to the marina and proceeded to ascertain that the batteries were indeed no good. 😱😭  We had planned to replace them this fall while Carolina was in dry storage.  Oh well - sooner than expected.  Now we had to figure out how to get batteries to us in this out of the way spot or go back to Sault Ste. Marie and have it done there.  Bob started calling boat yards and marine mechanics to try to determine where our best shot was at getting someone to put new batteries in for us.  Many shops just said no, some said sure- in September but one shop in Sault Ste Marie, MI said come on, we’ll order the batteries now and put them in when they get here.  One problem solved but how do we get back there if the boys won’t start.

      We needed a big ass self-contained jump starter for Deisel engines.  The shop next to the garage where we borrowed the tester seemed like the place to go.  They didn’t have batteries but could get the charger delivered in one day.  We might finally have found our answer to starting the boys.  It was tough waiting and waiting to stores to open for deliveries to be made.  We had ridden and walked all the roads in town.  The one set of little old ladies that had tea on the front porch each day knew us and waved enthusiastically when ever we rode by.

      The charger came in as promised but we needed to charge it up before we could try it…..another day in Thessalon.😳  That night around 5 pm the charger was ready to go.  We decided to test it out.  Bob attached the leads directly to the starter motor straddling the engine and I got to press start.  YEAH! Arthur sprung to life and Hercule right after him.  We would be out of Thessalon in the morning heading back to the Soo. 

Stanton’s Bar and Grill

Probably the worst restaurant we have ever been to!

     Neither of us slept well and we were up early.  We prepped and then repeated our routine from the night before.  Both boys started up and seemed glad to be running.  Now we had to get to the George Kemp Marina without the engines stopping.  It was a pretty ride and a beautiful day.  We arrived early afternoon and called the Customs and Border Authorities to announce our arrival back in the US.  Usually it’s an easy phone call but not today.  Our good karma had run out and Officer Daniel would be down  to visit with us.  Having never been boarded for a border crossing before, we didn’t know what to expect.  Could we find our new flares?  Did we have fruits or vegetable that needed to be thrown out?  Did we have all the necessary documentation?   Officer Daniel arrived and came on board.  He asked us the same questions they ask over the phone and welcomed us home and left.  WOW, kind of a let down.  Hoping he’d searched and maybe could have found my missing notebook or directions for the printer.

St. Mary’s Falls Hydropower Plant

Dinner at Zorbas Greek Restaurant

     RJ, our electrician from R&R Marine arrived around 5 pm to look at what he’d gotten himself into.  What a knowledgeable and straight up guy!  Good karma had finally caught up to us.  This was Thursday and he expected the batteries by Monday at the latest.

       We spent the weekend visiting local sights- St.Mary’s Falls, the weather station at the locks, the tourist street with all the shops.  We even went to our favorite restaurant - Zorba’s Greek Restaurant. Friday night we went to the local American Legion Fish Fry.  We had a lovely chat with a lady who was visiting from Arizona but had been born in the Soo and was home visiting family.  Her sister joined us and invited us to comeback to Wings Night on Tuesday.  We told her we’d be gone by then(little did we know).

We had great fun at the fish fry!

Yooper Tuxedo  at Sault Historical Homes

     One evening while prepping dinner there was a loud knock on the hull.  Bob went to investigate and a couple about our age were standing on the dock.  They didn’t look familiar but that’s not usual.  We are all travelers and feel a brotherhood with one another.  As it turned out, they had seen our port of call and wanted to know if we were really from New Bern.  It turned out that they were also from New Bern looping for the past 10 months heading to Chicago and the homestretch.   We chatted for awhile about home and the terrible weather they’d been having and tried to orient ourselves to each other’s home.  It wasn’t until I friended Julie on Face Book that we realized we had friends in common.  It’s a small world.  We hope to renew our acquaintance once we’re all home.  Till then, safe travels Jubilee III and Julie and Bill.

       Monday finally rolled around and we were on the phone to RJ hoping that we’d be leaving tomorrow.  The best laid plans and all that.  RJ said the supplier had meant next Monday, not today.😭🤬. We decided we’d make the best of it, rent a car and go touring.  We called the local car rental joint and they wanted $77/day with a 75mile limit.  There’s nothing within 37.5 miles of the Soo.  Next we tried at the airport in Chippewa County Airport.  They said sure they had cars for a better price but they didn’t have any cars right now.😫. We decided to do boat chores - clean out lockers, paint the rub rail, reorganize the cupboards, and clean out the engine room to prep for the removal and installment of the new batteries.

In with the new, out with the old!

        We rode up to the observation deck at the locks and watched one of the footers lock through. We ate breakfast at the LockView Restaurant one morning and did some shopping in the stores.  We rode through new and different neighborhoods and finally visited the Kemp Industrial  Museum.  We killed spiders and sprayed for spiders and washed spiders off the boat.  I cleaned all the isenglass and swept the flybridge.  We kept ourselves busy so we wouldn’t start to dwell on sitting in the Soo for almost 2 weeks.  The marina was great.  They gave us a discount on our slip fees and were  super nice.

       Monday, August 12th just afternoon RJ and Josh showed up toting 4 brand new D-4 batteries for Carolina.  They surveyed the engine room and made a plan of attack.  Within 3 hrs. the old were out and the new were in.  The test run went perfectly and the boys sprung to life without a hitch.  I’m sure everyone in the Soo - both sides- heard us cheering.   

         We went to provision on Tuesday to prep for a Wednesday departure.  We would have to get a pump out here at Kemp Marina then cross the river to Bondar Marina to check into Canada again.  We we away from the dock at 9:15 and finally on our way.  Checking into Canada usually involves a quick phone call but today must have been special.  We called to let them know we were on our way no they told me that was not how we could check in even though their phone recording says we can.😡  We arrived at Bondar Marina and tied to a T-head and I called again.  The sweet lady took the usual information then said to hold.  When she came back, she said an officer would be down to see us shortly.  Not again!!!! I think leaving and coming back so quickly made them suspicious.  Who knows.  We got out our Boarding Book and our passports and waited.  Within 15 minutes a small boat arrived with 3 officers on board.  They boarded our boat and proceeded to search every nook and cranny.  Again, I wish I had asked them to find those printer instructions.  They opened every locker and lazarette.  While they search one officer questioned us and took down all our information.  They were very nice and very thorough.  They gave us our cruising number and departed.  It’s now 10:15.  We need to get a move on.  We’re heading for West Grant Island in the North Channel, about a 5 hour ride and then pick an anchorage.  The weather was spectacular - light winds, warm, and bright blue skies.  We have our anchor set by 6pm just in time for an evening maneuver schlook.   

Canadian Border Patrol

Goodbye!

On our way back to the North Channel

      Next stop will be Meldrum Bay where we will start our North  Channel cruising in earnest.  Till then, wishing you smooth sailing, and gentle breezes.

B&C