Day 64 Killarney - Covered Portage Sunday July 22, 2018

Day 64 Killarney - Covered Portage Sunday July 22, 2018

The night was mild and clouds finally thickened enough for a rain shower over night. The clouds remained through out the morning and day. We awoke for the second day in a row to the smell of a forest fire in French River area to the east. It remained in the air until early afternoon when we arrived at the anchorage. Winds came up much stronger - gusts over thirty and later rain came. But temperatures where in the low 70s. Glad to be anchored early.

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The day was started with a trip out for breakfast. Mike from Rula Bula joined Faye and I as his wife is not a breakfast fan. The smoke from a forest fire to east in the area of French River was strong for the second day. Later in the day I found myself coughing from the smoke.

Back at the boat, a fun surprise was Faye hollering "Claudio!!". I looked up from getting the dinghy stored to see our Swiss couple we met yesterday out in kayaks. We invited them aboard to see the boat and I was glad I was able to give them a boat card with our information - which I thought after parting from them at the light house- I should have done yesterday.  We talked some of their country and hiking and skiing - and now Faye has another destination added to her (and thus our) bucket list of places to go and hike. I must say that I am in agreement with "her" bucket list.

And as an editorial comment, I am very thankful that we mutually enjoy nearly everything - except maybe some of my music favorites.

We traveled just about 4 miles to an anchorage called Covered Portage. We shared the anchorage with about 25 of our "closest friends for the day" It is certainly the most boats we have seen on the trip. It is a very nice place but it did not have the wow factor the anchorages and travel had the last week or so. The cloudy weather may have contributed to the minimum response. Hopefully tomorrow the sun will come out and we will be able to climb up the rock face to the north side we have seen other people do today.

Here are  some photos of the anchorage to show you.

The first one is of the Admiral. She has gotten out the deck chairs and taken her seat. Translation for the Captain, "Time to put the dinghy down so I can see." And the smile is the "Please" that goes with her silent command. And the order was dispatched PDQ. And the two officers of the deck were treated to an afternoon of anchoring mayhem.

I am not going to single anyone out - but the one thing that has me baffled is the general notion that tying up one end of the boat to a tree and sticking an anchor out in front is a good idea - when the wind, very strong at times today, is broadside to the tie up alignment. We saw one person have trouble when the anchor started to drag and after anchoring normally they were fine. The good news for us is this line on shore will hold them and wrap them into the rocks if the anchor lets go so they won't come drifting into us.

Now if it is a very crowded anchorage I can see it has potential to get more boats in and tied up - in settled weather, but today was a good example of that not holding true as the forecast winds of 15 knots was gusting to 30 comes right into this very protected harbor. I will stop my pontificating on the subject now.

The promised photo.

The other pleasant surprise of the day was meeting Doug and Mona from the boat Shannon. It is also a Bayliner 38 (in fourth photo from the top). I had made contact with them on the Bayliners Owners Club forum website. We were going to look for them while in the North Channel but the effort turned out to be much easier than I had expected. They have cruised these waters each summer for decades. They anchor out about 99% of the time. PS They agree with my questioning the tie to the rock approach - I feel much more self - righteous - which generally accompanies the saying  "pride cometh before a fall" - so I will stop there and say, humbly, .......

Good Night and May God Bless