Killarney, Ontario

Sunday, August 8, 2010

045-58.200 N
081-30.960 W

Ahoy/Eh from Killarney, Ontario!

We left Tobermory first thing yesterday morning and headed towards Flower Pot Island, which is about 4 miles away. Flower Pot Island got its name from some free standing rock towers that someone decided looked like flower pots. It's big business to bring people out to the island to see these. They charge $33/pp to do this, and I can't see that there's a lot else to do on this island other than hike to the other side to see a lighthouse. I'm glad that we went a few miles out of our way to see them rather than paying someone.

After we made the turn towards Killarney we decided to put the sails up. Just before we were ready, the high temperature alarm went off on the engine. I ran down to check and saw that the belt which drives the water pump and alternator had broken. We quickly put the jib up to provide steerage, shut down the engine and I swapped out the belt. Then we had a nice sail/motor-sail/sail/motor to Killarney. The winds were fluky from all directions, switching 270 degrees during the day with a variety of wind speeds. The forecast called for variable winds and they weren't kidding.

Killarney is at the southern end of the North Channel, which runs from Killarney to Sault Ste. Marie, MI which is at the mouth of Lake Superior. It winds through thousands of little islands and bays and is very lightly populated. The coastline reminds me heavily of Maine, without all of the lobster pots and people. There are beautiful rocky shorelines which consist of pink granite and towering hills of white quartzite. We've been told to expect to see bear, moose, elk, eagles and osprey. You definitely have to navigate carefully through the area as there are lots of hazards hiding under the water. Hopefully my charts are good!

Lots of boaters go through Killarney on their way to/from the North Channel and as a result it has a lot of dockage. The town itself is pretty much spread out along a 1 mile channel with docks lining both sides. There's not a lot to do here as basically there are just docks, lodges and a few restaurants. People come here to enjoy the Provincial Park which provides wonderful access to fishing, canoeing and hiking. It's very laid back and quiet and you're put to sleep by the sounds of loons crying to one another and are awoken by Canadian geese honking as they take off.

Today was a rainy day and we decided to stay for a second night. Tomorrow we'll begin slowly moving through the area and enjoying beautiful anchorages. If you need to contact us, do it now as we'll be out of contact for quite a few days.

-- Geoff & Sue

P.S. The photo on the left is of Patience. We met Wayne and Vi, who own Patience, when we were in Tobermory and they were headed the same way that we were. They left this morning in the rain and re-appeared about an hour later due to the heavy rain and lightening.

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For the cruiser: We stayed at the Sportsman Inn where dockage was $1.50/ft which included 30A. The island side docks are a bit shaky, but fine. The town side are new and much better. If you want a nicer place to stay at that includes access to a beautiful lodge and semi-heated pool, check out the Killarney Mountain Lodge, which is $1.75/ft + $5 for 30A. The lodge also has 3 moorning balls for $20/night. Fuel up before you get here, as diesel and gas are about $4.50 per gallon. The bakery has apple-cinnamon bread that makes GREAT french toast. If anyone tells you that you have to try the fish at the Red Bus, ignore them, as it's fair at best.

Log ID: 1377