Byng Inlet to Parry Sound

Byng Inlet to Nares Inlet and Nares Inlet to Mowat Island in Parry Sound were the two last legs before reaching my summer goal of the GLCC Rendezvous.  

I went from Byng Inlet to Nares Inlet and anchored in an unsounded cove noted in the GLCC harbor reports.  The only note was for the entrance..."Tricky!"  I found that was an understatement to the extreme! 

 Byng Inlet To Nares Inlet (Hidden Cove) - 07/11 - 20.8 NM



Commercial fishing boat leaving the town of Britt in Byng Inlet just before I departed at sunrise.

Light at entrance to Byng Inlet. One of the few light houses manned by Coast Guard in Canada  The rescue I facilitated out of the Bustard Islands launched from here.

This is the type of navigation typical in this area.  Rocks, rocks, and more rocks!  Marked with all manner of buoys and day marks.  One of the problems is that colors change all the time depending on which channel you are in so you can not get distracted and must be alert at all times!  Very tiring when alone.

Looking back at the entrance and the boat who blocked me on my approach.  I went around his stern in this picture and touched bottom but sustained no damage.

Nares Inlet - Hidden Cove - Unsounded Water

Google Shot Of Hidden Cove

Looking into the entrance and the rocks on each side.  Very narrow! And, it cost me on departure even though I surveyed it with both the dinghy and kayak three times before leaving.  

The wind pushed me slightly to port of where I wanted to be on departure, or to the right in this picture, and I hit a rock with my port rudder. 

I have a jury rig strut (wood) to hold it down if it is broken but may need to find a backup in case I break another actuator arm, or perhaps the jury rig itself!  There are still a lot of rocks to go through before I leave Georgian Bay and the North Channel!

It was a tight anchorage but pretty and mostly quiet, except it was every one's favorite fishing destination!  At least four different fishing boats came in while I was there but were not around long.

Interesting rock formation, looks like lava flow to me?

Evening sun shining off the water

Beautiful anchorage, one of my favorites of the trip!

They're back! 
In the same place fishing at the entrance the next day. This is what it looked like when I approached this harbor.  The guy in the boat asked on approach "where are you going?" when just feet from his boat.  I said in here... and he scrambled to pull up his anchor! 
I told him never mind, but which way did he want to go around his boat, by the bow or the stern?  He picked wrong and I hit, but did not do any damage on entry.  !

I was out in my kayak this evening.  They were busy boarding a very nice walleye at the time.  I guess it was a good fishing spot!  They were cordial and asked how my evening had been?  I complimented them on the restored wood strip boat, which is very nice as you can see.

Here is a shot of a zip line I found on a small island, one of two actually.  The other one went over to the left of this picture from the terminus of this line.

Here is a better shot of the cable

The tree platform for launch.  I was tempted to use it but could not figure out how to get it back to the original launch point. 

These were the zip line instructions to users, which did raise some critical questions if I was doing this alone.  I could just see myself stuck mid-channel hanging from the cable and no one around!

On the left is the zip line island and the old dock used for that purpose.  The cable was attached ashore to my left. There was also a nice fire pit on the island which I did not use.

I discovered this narrow passage about a quarter mile long that ran between the islands and eventually came out into a larger bay. 

Great kayaking!

Coming out into the wider portion of the kayak passage on approach to my anchorage. 

A fishing canoeist surprised me in the anchorage and subsequently disappeared in this general area.  I figured there must be some type of narrow passage a canoe or kayak could get through so I checked it out.  It was only passable by canoe or kayak, but not a dinghy with motor.

 Sailed Outside to Parry Sound - 1st Leg

Light at entrance as I approached my destination on the second leg from Nares Inlet to Parry Sound.  Note helicopter platform on top for servicing.

 Sailed Outside To Parry Sound, 2nd Leg - 07/14 - 39.2 NM

Windswept trees on low island in background.

Mowat Island anchorage.  About 5 NM from Big Sound Marina where the Great Lakes Cruising Club Rendezvous was going to be held the next day.  I planned to go into the marina first thing in the morning.