Day 399 – Britt, Ontario to Roque’s Marina, Killarney, Ontario - August 8, 2012

Weather has not been our friend lately.  Yes, weather is again dictating (in a slightly negative way) our travels.  We had hoped to go from Britt to an anchorage in either the Bustard Islands or in the French River.  However the wind prediction for today and tonight is higher than we would like for being at anchor.  Therefore we have decided not to anchor out but to go directly to Killarney where we can be at a marina for a few nights while this weather system works its way through.

So, our travel took us out the Byng Inlet across the north end of Georgian Bay through open water (not through the small-craft route) and then to Beaverstone Bay.  Beaverstone Bay connects with Collins Inlet which goes inland almost to the channel where Killarney is located.  Years ago we traveled part of the Collins Inlet in our sailboat and spent the night at anchor in Mill Lake.  We remembered the inlet as beautiful although quite narrow with shallow edges.  Well we were right about the beautiful part, but perhaps slightly less correct about the narrow, shallow part – I guess that’s what happens when you travel the REALLY narrow, REALLY shallow parts of the Loop – narrow and shallow that used to make you nervous just doesn’t have quite the same effect.  This biggest thing we can say about Collins Inlet is that it should be on every Looper’s “don’t miss” list.  The eastern entrance to the inlet was shallow (Fred saw 5.5 feet on the depth sounder), but the scenery is definitely worth it.

We arrived in Killarney to find a number of boats we have traveled with over the course of our Loop – Outport who we spent time with on the Trent-Severn and Karma who we last saw in Oswego, NY are both here as well as Jim’s Joy who we last saw in the Chesapeake.  We had an enjoyable dinner with Karma, Jim’s Joy and One September with the major discussion of the evening focused on anchorages in the North Channel and which ones are our favorites.

            Miles: 53.3      Bridges: 0        Locks: 0

Lighthouse on Grondine Rock with La Cloche Mountains in the background -
and that's not snow, the mountains are made of white quartzite

entering Beaverstone Bay

the colorful granite in Beaverstone Bay

the east end of Collins Inlet

Collins Inlet

the colors and the shapes of the granite are beautiful

through Mill Lake and into the western portion of Collins Inlet

near the west end of Collins Inlet with the La Cloche Mountains in the background

lighthouse at Red Rock Point on the eastern
end of Killarney Channel