BB20: Georgian Bay, Lake Huron

Port Severn opens up into Georgian Bay in the eastern area of Lake Huron. Georgian Bay spans 120 miles by 50 miles and includes the “Thirty Thousand Islands” on the eastern side of the bay. The scenery is wild and spectacular. My first stop was Midland, Ontario to fuel up, pump out, fill my water, and catch up on laundry. The plan was to be on the hook the whole week until I made my way to the North Channel so I had to make sure I was well stocked and wouldn’t run out of fuel or Guinness! I spent two nights in Midland because I was waiting for a weather window to start my route up the east coast of the Georgian Bay. The bay was calm so Kali and I rode up top and enjoyed the sunshine.

Indian Harbour was my first anchorage in the Georgian Bay. It was a lovely little place as a launching point. Kali and I spent a quiet night there and then moved on. We did make a quick stop at Gilly’s in … Snug Harbour! I had to buy something for my lake people to prove I was there. Funny enough, Pops was tracking my progress at the time and texted me “I bet I know where you are going. Snug Harbour. Prove me wrong.” Ha!!! I miss my own Snug at Elk Lake but at least I had a little piece of it here.

I knew Wade-ing Around was heading to Hopewell Bay, plus it fit in well with my schedule, so I mapped my Navionics route and set out on my way. As I approached the harbor, I checked Nebo to see if anyone else I knew was there. Holy cow! There were 10 looper boats in the anchorage. I knew several of them including Bahama Problem who I traveled with for a bit from Delaware City and up through New Jersey to Great Kills, New York. They were who I was with on my best day in the Atlantic Ocean and on my worst day in the New Jersey mud swamp. I had not seen them in over a month. It was so amazing to reconnect and we shared big hugs!!!

Hopewell Bay was my first experience rafting up to other vessels (not counting dock parties at Elk Lake). It was like having a slumber party! Paul on Wade-ing around needed to keep moving the next day to get his brother to his jumping off point, but I stayed an extra night just to hang out a little longer. I latched on to Toscana on another flotilla my second night there and my friends on Traveller and Andreas Fault also caught up. I rode over and snacks and cocktails ensued.

Toscana coined this “6699 rafting” for obvious reasons to those with dirty minds. The 2 boats in the middle are anchored opposite of each other and the boats on the ends are along for the ride. The ‘Nati Nomad is a 9!

Gorgeous weather arrived and Hopewell Bay cleared out, scattering loopers in the Georgian Bay again. I did not want to miss the Bustard Islands so I planned to anchor there. As luck would have it, that was also Traveller’s and Andreas Faults’ plan so Kali and her buddy Dozer were back together again. What a great opportunity for pulling the kayak off the flybridge for a spin.

I tucked back into the nooks within the islands and tried not to get lost in the maze. I was intentional to pay attention to all 5 senses:

• Seeing the reds and grays within the rocks below the different shades of green in the lichen, moss, and trees
• Listening to the sound of the wind in the trees and the songs of loons in the morning
• Smelling clean air with a hint of cedar from the trees
• Feeling the cold water on my skin while I took a dip in the harbor
• Tasting Jennifer’s cooking, my first home-cooked meal in months

Kali has gotten so, so much better with people and dogs. I am so proud of how brave this little girl has become. She even lets her looper friends give her belly rubs. My sweet little Kali Bong! While I had some spare time, I took the opportunity to tackle replacing the seal in my Vacuflush toilet. It was relatively easy but a shitty job!! Nevertheless, another skill learned.

I was rafted up to Traveller for the night…

The winds and pop-up thunderstorms blew through but we were well-protected. We had a narrow window of calm the next morning and we went our separate ways. I did not want to miss Bad River and they were heading to Mill Lake. Looper reviews recommend at least a quick stop at Bad River to experience this wilderness. It is also where Devil’s Door is and an opportunity to take your dinghy down the rapids.

After our selfie photo shoot, Kali found a Massasauga rattlesnake hiding under a rock. Sorry fella – didn’t mean to bother you – photo shoot over!

The spontaneity and lack of planning on this adventure is one of my favorite parts of this journey. As I am typing this blog, I have no idea where I will be anchored tomorrow and the 2 marinas that I called to check availability for 2 days out have no room. And…it’s honestly fine. I assume I will be alone again for a bit and find an anchorage…or maybe I will stumble upon other loopers. As my amazing cousin Molly says, “who can say?”.

“To sit in solitude, to think in solitude with only the music of the stream and the cedar to break the flow of silence, there lies the value of wilderness.” – John Muir

To support the adventure or to track The ‘Nati Nomad’s progress, visit greatloop.thenatinomad.com.