08/05/08 to 08/10/08 We are back in the USA

The Admiral at the Helm

Three float planes being checked in by Customs Officers in Gore Bay, ON

8/05/08 Little Current, ON We spent a second day in Little Current, the largest town (approx. 1600 people) on Manatoulin Island in the North Channel of the Georgian Bay. It is the largest freshwater island in the world, 100 miles long and 2 to 40 miles wide. Within its boundaries are several lakes.
8/06/08 Gore Bay, ON You’ve all noticed that we live by the weather. All cruising boaters talk about it, listen to the weather reports, and consult each other constantly. It would be foolish, occasionally fatal, to disregard weather information. Today looked good, but breezy. By 11 AM it became outright windy and we battled beam seas as we entered Gore Bay. One of our cruising friends called it "lumpy water". The marina at Gore Bay was our reward at the end of our trip: new docks, plenty of room, clear water. The marine store had plenty of boat stuff (Bob’s standards are pretty tough here). As we walked to town, we saw a doe and two fawns calmly eating drop apples in someone’s yard, not disturbed at all by people walking by. Once in town, we walked through the business district (all one and a half blocks) and made a few purchases. Back at the marina, three new seaplanes coming from the U.S. landed and were checked out by Canadian customs officials, as required, before delivery to customers. Gore Bay is also on Manatoulin Island, just 25 miles north of the U.S. border.
8/07/08 and 8/08/08 Meldrum Bay, ON For many boaters, this is a stop on the way back to the U.S. Although not a fancy marina, it is sheltered from the wind and waves. There were half a dozen cruisers here, most of whom stayed an extra day because winds were 15-20 knots on Friday, much too strong for boats whose top speed is 7-10 knots. Friday we organized a potluck dinner, and everyone enjoyed the change.
8/09/08 Drummond Island, MI Everyone who had been holed up in Meldrum Bay got an early start westward this morning. The water stayed calm until we turned south to go to Drummond Island, Michigan, then once again the winds picked up and made it tough going. As we approached the U.S. customs dock at Drummond Island, it began to rain. Going through customs was a breeze: we filled out some paperwork, paid $27.50 for a re-entry sticker, and that was it.
8/10/08 Drummond Island, MI Spent a second day here because it was too nasty to go further.