We will spend the next two nights at anchor. Our first anchorage is at Covered Portage Cove and the second is The Pool at the end of Baie Fine. The total miles cruised is 48.
We pull anchor at Turning Island and decide to cruise through Collins Inlet.
Collins’s Inlet is a narrow channel that separates Phillip Edward Island from the mainland on the north shore of Georgian Bay. It is part of the Georgian’s Bay Granite Coast and the scenery is beautiful despite the somewhat gloomy day.
The area is pretty much uninhabited, with pine trees and granite cliffs lining the waterways. Occasionally, we see campsites and a lone hunting/fishing cabin, all of which must only be accessible by a boat or a sea plane as there are no roads nearby.
We turn around and head back toward Covered Portage Cove. We pass by Killarney and stop for ice on our way.
Our spot for the night. There are about 5 other boats in the cove with us. This protected little cove can be quite popular with mariners, so we are fortunate on this particular night the anchorage is not very crowded.
A perk of anchoring in these little coves, away from the lights of town, is viewing the night skies. It is amazing to look up at the sky and view shooting stars, satellites (surprisingly many), and the milky way. These night skies, a sparkling wonder of our universe, never stop amazing us and will be greatly missed when we head back home to the bright lights of city life.
The next morning, we began our journey to Baie Fine (pronounced “Bay Fin”). Baie Fine is one of the largest freshwater fjords in the world. Geography lesson of the day: Fjord is a long narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs created by a glacier. This tear in the earth’s surface is about 9 nautical miles long and offers very beautiful scenery. It is a must see for those boating in this area so we set our path to Baie Fine as the final destination of the day.
On our way, we pass the sailing vessel Playfair. Playfair’s home port is in Toronto but sails the Great Lakes regularly. This ship is unique in that it is a sail training ship. Its purpose is to build character in young people by providing challenging programs aboard the traditionally rigged ships. The entire crew, with the exception of the captain and mate, are all youngsters between the ages of 13 to 18. They are responsible for managing and operating all areas of the ship. Playfair can accommodate 18 trainees on their overnight voyages.
We pass the Okeechobe Lodge. Built in 1941 as a private lodge, it now hosts corporate retreats and family reunions. It is only accessible by boat. While they no longer offer beverage or food service, they still rent out cabins and boat slips. The cabins range from 250-450 (Canadian dollars) a night.
A random rustic cabin will appear every so often.
We head into Baie Fine.
Entrance into ” The Pool”.
We arrive before dinner and the weather is still a bit cloudy.
1/2 hour later it is beautiful with blue clear skies!
We share the anchorage with approximately 10 other boats and see some familiar faces and vessels from our stay in Killarney. A special thanks to MV Never Home for allowing us access to their Starlink account, as Verizon was non existent in this remote area.
We spend a very nice quiet night on the hook, even with a passing storm. The following day we take our dinghy to shore.
From these docks on the shoreline of The Pool, we can access the trail that takes us to Topaz Lake.
It is a rocky path uphill but the trail is pretty well marked along the way.
The views are gorgeous
While many hikers go down to the lake for a jump and a swim, we skip this tradition on this chilly morning.
We head back down the trail, and take a dinghy cruise to explore more of The Pool.
A bit muddy on the shoreline from last nights storms.
So glad it is sunny today!
Just beautiful
Abundant aquatic plant life on and below the surface.
After three nights at anchor, we will head back to Little Current for water, supplies, a pump out, and cell service!
6 thoughts on “Turning Island Anchorage to Portage Cove and Baie Fine Anchorages”
We did it!! See, I never break a promise!!
Beautiful Pictures…
Hi Jackie 😉
Hi Jerry and Natalie! 😉
Jackie looks like you and Tom are having a wonderful trip, with tons of beauty. You’re doing a fantastic job narrating the trip.
Thanks Jack! Appreciate the nice comment! Hope all is well with you and Kate. If your up for visitors in January… let Tom know. 😊
What a wonderful experience! Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures!
Thank you Peggy!