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Day 60-61. 2nd year. July 20-21. On to Byng Inlet and the town of Britt and on to the Bustards Miles 16. Total miles 3578

 We woke to a rainy morning.  Waited til most of the rain had passed us and weighed anchor to head out Alexander Passage and into Georgian Bay for a short run to Byng Inlet.


Someone was watching over us as the rain let up as we left the anchorage and stayed behind us as we made our way north. 

Found the lighthouse and range markers that led us into the inlet and followed the narrow channel passing  cottages and granite cliffs up to Wrights Marina.  Unfortunately it started to rain again as we traveled up Byng Inlet and we pulled in while it was still sprinkling.  




Here are some shots of the entrance of Byng Inlet and its narrow channel.    NOTE :Byng is a British family name that means family living by an open manger or stable.



Got our selves settled in one slip to find it the electrical hookup could not support our electrical system.  So we filled up with water and moved to another slip.  Yeah, we have electricity and water now.  Next we tackled chores. I did the laundry and took a long hot shower, then tackled the grocery shopping.  We were driven to the small grocery store by a dock hand. A nice perk!  Bill tried to get the latch on the dinghy engine fixed, to no avail and succeeded in get a score of 10 in acrobatics by replacing the cotter pins in the dinghy hoist as he was balanced on a crate and step stool and piece of plywood.  He still had to tippy toe it to get high enough to get to the cotter pins. Then he tackled the much safer job of rinsing the boat off. 

Have several options for anchorage tomorrow so will have to nail that down tonight.  Will be a nice evening as the sun came out now.

There are three Loopers in the marina here, brought in here due this off and on rainy day.

Day 61 2nd year  July 21   On to the Bustard Islands      Miles 20  Total 3598

On this wonderful sunny morning we left Wrights Marina and headed back out Byng Inlet.

Then we headed north and follow the small craft route past the wind farms on the mainland near Boulder Bay and Black Bay.

We slowed down considerably to go through Cunningham Channel which is filled with lots of submerged rocks.  Had to stay alert as the channel was short but sure wound around a lot.  

Wandered past a few more small rock islands to Rogers Gut. This cut is straighter, but very narrow with rocks on both sides.

Next we traveled between the many finger bays on the mainland and granite islands off shore.  One of these islands is Dead Island an ancient Indian burial grounds.

Our cruise next took us outside for about three miles of open water on Georgian Bay until we arrived at our destination today- the Bustard Islands. (These islands were named as their shape resembles a bustard.) 

There are six main islands in the island group and close to one hundred smaller rocks and islands.  Will have lots to explore in the dinghy. 

Right now the only noise we hear is the wind through the trees and the birdsongs. We anchored on the east side of the islands along with two other boats. Am sure more will join us later today and tomorrow.  

Day 63. July 23.  On to East Arm  of the French River.    Miles.      Total

On to our next adventure on this gorgeous morning.

We headed back out the east channel of the Bustard Islands to head north traveling past the Bustard Island group in the Northwest Passage.


Next we turned east to follow the long rocky channel that leads to the French River.  This is where Samuel de Champlain, having traveled the St Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, entered the French River and discovered Georgian Bay and Lake Huron in the early 1600’s.

French River is all provincial park, thus it is wild and natural.

We negotiated the wandering rocky channel very slowly to travel a bit further east to anchor in the East Arm of the French River.

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