Where Have All The Rocky Fork (Ohio) Sailors Gone?

 

By  Howard Staley

 

In the heat of July and August it is easy to make a decision, to sail……uh…uh,  North!..…,    to

Lake Huron’s North Channel, to cruise in our 24 foot Neptune, sailboat.

 

Kathy and I make this cruising decision almost every summer.

 

North Channel’s summer daytime temperatures are in the 70’s to low 80’s, then down to a cozy 50’s at night…. all with low humidity.  The winds are generally mild and steady, but at times quite strong; rain and fog, although infrequent, add to the maritime ambiance.  Of course, the mosquitoes arrive every sunset (9:30) leaving you confined to the mosquito netted protection of your boat for the rest of the evening. Heck, usually you are ready for bed anyway.

 

Where is this place?  In Canada, at the northern most, very top end of Lake Huron.  It is the body of water that lies between the northern (mainland) shores of Lake Huron and Manitoulin Island, about 20 miles to the South.  ..

 

 

 

How do we get there?    Towing the boat, we take Interstate 75, north, through Ohio and Michigan, across the

 

 

Mackinac Bridge to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  While high up on the bridge, Lake Huron’s blue water view to your right, and Lake Michigan’s view to

your left, create a chill of excitement for what lies ahead of you.  A nice travel break is to stop in St. Ignace, just on the north side of the bridge, to spend the night in an old knotty pine type motel. (remember, for the next 2 weeks you will be sleeping in a V berth!)  Definitely enjoy dinner at one of St Ignace’s  waterfront seafood restaurants and savor the view of Mackinac Island and its busy ferry traffic.  The next morning, continue north on I75, across the very flat Upper Peninsula and on to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Still on I75, cross the International Bridge, high over the Sault Locks, to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. (while on the bridge, look down to see the large ore boats locking through)  Proceed east on Canadian Route 17, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) to Spanish, Ontario.  Spanish is where we launch our 24 foot sailboat, Aeolus.  Ramps, a lift sling and a mast raising pole are available.

 

Total travel time is 11 hours, per Mapquest.  We take longer since I tow only at 55’ish MPH and stop regularly along the way.  The entire road trip is easy level towing. 

 

 

What do you have when you get there?  Unlimited Wilderness Sailing.

 

“Simply, one of the best sailing and cruising grounds in the world” (quote per the local Chamber of Commerce).

 

There are several small harbor towns, hundreds of rock and pine tree covered islands with their protected anchorages, untold square miles of crystal clear water (you can see the bottom to 15 feet), islands teaming with wildlife, such as bald eagles, loons, sand hill cranes, herons, osprey, a few black bears, mink, and beaver, etc.  It is true wilderness island sailing dotted with occasional port visits.

 

We anchored overnight about 80% of the time; sometimes close enough to shore where we could just step off the boat.  Otherwise, we swim or dingy to shore, to hike and explore, or, to read a book and nap on a sun warmed rock!   A typical travel day might include setting sail at 10:00 or so, sailing for about 5 hours to the next anchorage (about 15 to 20 miles), anchor, usually with one

 

anchor out and maybe two stern lines to trees on shore; then settle down to relax……… When refreshed, we hike the new island and pick wild blueberries for tomorrow morning’s pancakes, explore the area by kayak or dinghy, visit other boats in the anchorage, nap,

read, and eat, etc.  Often we would layover at the anchorage for an extra day(s) to further enjoy its beauty and just

 for plain ‘ol relaxation.  You wonder where the time goes.  (Or more honestly

stated, “who cares where the time goes”)

 

During port visits, there are the town docks to roam, restaurants to relax in, other boaters and local people to talk to, historical museum visits, shopping, …..  even rent a car for a day to explore Manitoulin Island.  In visiting with other boaters, we ran into folks whom we met last year at an anchorage (and with whom we subsequently visited last fall in their Tucson, Arizona home); we met another boater whom we initially met three years ago at the docks in Port Sanilac, Michigan where they joined us for a couple of days sailing to Lake Erie’s Put-in-Bay, on their way to the Bahamas.  Re-meeting these people and sharing their adventures is much of the fun of being here.  Last summer we were invited to the home of a Little Current resident for dinner (simply a nice couple with whom we struck up a conversation t a local music-on-the-town-docks event).  What an enjoyable evening in

our newfound friend’s home, overlooking the Little Current harbour, food and wine, and listening to other guests entertain with their harmony folk singing and guitar music.

 

 

How was our trip ?   Statistically, it was 675 road miles (one way), 300 total sea miles, 4 1/2 weeks, with 22 nights at anchor, 5 nights at a dock, and 2 nights in a motel (going and returning).

 

Kathy and I spent 4 weeks in this isolated splendor.  It was our 6th year sailing North Channel.

For the first two weeks we joined a group of 8 boats, sponsored by the Trailer/Sailor Association.  T/SA is a US and Canadian group of trailer sailors

who primarily share information and their own experiences through a thrice yearly publication called “Clipper Snips”.  T/SA also organizes sailing trips in the North Channel and other cruising grounds.  Here is a link to their web site:  http://www.trailersailors.org/

 

The T/SA cruise consisted of 3 separate sailing groups: Group #1 was an introductory one week cruise for sailors new to the North Channel area; Group #2 was a two week cruise staying within

the North Channel area; and Group #3 was a two week cruise extending east into the open waters of Georgian Bay covering 170 miles of sea travel.

 

#3 is the group we joined.  The sailboats ranged from 21 to 26 feet.  Precisions, Catalinas and MacGregors were most common.  The trip required extensive use of paper chart navigation, supplemented by GPS waypoint navigation.  There are many, many islands, and near surface underwater rocks at harbor entrances that required you to “read the water colours and wave patterns” using a bow watch.  You had to pay close attention to the wind, the waves, the bottom conditions (i. e., mud, sand, rock, weeds, etc) and the weather forecast when anchoring for the night.  In many areas we had to follow the lateral (red & green) buoy system and navigate using range markers.  VHF usage was required to send “Security”

warnings to safely transit narrow one way cuts (specifically a cut called “Little Detroit”), and for other needs like requesting the Little Current swing bridge to open and let you pass and to receive weather reports.  Our sailing group also had a VHF radio net at 0830 and 2030 to keep all the boats informed of plans.  At  0900 each morning there also was a radio net from Little Current that broadcast to the entire North Channel.

 

We started our voyage launching at Spanish, Ontario, then sailed to Little Current (on Manitoulin Island), then through the swing bridge and on to Killarney and further points east to a town called Britt, with many nightly anchorages in between each port stop.  Some days we sailed ALL day; other days we motored due to no wind, or headwinds.  Many boats carry jerry cans of gas for extended cruising.  One day we plowed into steep 8-foot waves brought to us by a 35+ knot headwind.  That was by accident and I never want to do that again!  We also did a lot of kayaking and island hiking while our “mother ship”, aka Aeolus, was at anchor.  All in all, the two weeks was a great trip into new waters (for us) and we are looking forward to next year’s adventure.

 

The TS/A trip photos are not yet published for 2008; however, here is the link to the 2007 trip pictures:  http://www.trailersailors.org/gallery2/main.php/v/NC2007/  Note the average age of the sailors.

The third week of our cruise was on our own, that is, not with the T/SA’ers any more.  However, we did add a guest on board; Paul, who use to sail Persuasion, a Catalina 27, at Rocky Fork, joined us in Little Current.  He wanted to see

 

North Channel with the thought of returning next summer, on a charter or

on his own boat.  We showed him six days of sailing, with two harbor visits and anchorages at four islands.  It was really nice to have a third crewmember

 

for a while.  It gave the off-watch person time to totally relax…… and do a lot of quilting.

 

Our fourth week was totally by ourselves,……. just Kathy and me.  We took it easy by actually sailing only three days and spent the others enjoying layover days at anchor.  In Oak Bay we relaxed to a whole day and night of rain drops tap dancing on our cabin top, and in Fox Island Harbour, just reading, hiking, bird and wildlife watching, visiting other boaters in the anchorage, swimming, kayaking and of course, napping.  Such is life in the North Channel and the splendid isolation of wilderness sailing.

 

At week’s end, we loaded our “floating pop-up-camper” on its trailer and headed home.

 

Will we go back ?

 

  Yes!…, Of  Course!,

 

same time next  year.

 

     Are you coming  ?