Tobermory Sidetracked

Click here to see Tobermory Pictures

It was an 11 hr. motor from Baie Fine to Tobermory.  Wind  was 10 knots on the nose for most of the day therefore we motored.  We stopped in a cove on a uninhabited island for lunch.

While there, a pair of sand cranes took flight and flew right past us - what an awesome sight!  The water here on Georgian Bay is unbelievably clear. You can still see bottom at 40 feet. The changing water color relative to the depth reminds us of the Carribean - too bad the temperature wasn't similar!  It's been rather cool on the water!!

We arrived in Tobermory at 6:30 p.m., ready to be in out of the wind and ready for a cocktail. Then we were off to the "Crowsnest"  for dinner.  As you can see in the pictures, the seagulls are very accustomed to people and always looking for a handout!

We woke up on our layover day in Tobermory to the strains of nearby bagpipes. Tobermory used to be a fishing village but now is a quaint tourist town.  One of the major attractions here is scuba diving the many shipwrecks that litter the depths. Doug went diving in the morning to the wrecks of the schooner "Caroline Rose" at 50 ft. and the tanker "Niagara II" which lies from 90 - 120 ft.  He said it was quite interesting but really cold despite the wet suit. ( See below for a You Tube link).  

Click Here for a replica of Doug's scuba dive

In the meantime, John & Kini Meyer (Andrew's parents), drove 2.5 hrs from their home in Holyrood to spend the day with us.  We had a great day wandering the streets, poking into assorted shops & galleries and dining on the local fish & chips.  We also hiked the "Burnt Loop Trail" out to the tip of the  Bruce Peninsula. Hopefully some of our pictures will communicate the natural beauty we have seen these past few days. The day ended back at the "Crowsnest" with great live entertainment and cold beer. In case anyone questions, the live entertainment was not Doug and Andy!!! Just saying.....

Today began with a few boat chores and provisioning. Once that was done, we left Tobermory for Flower Pot Island. We are now cruising in the Fathom Five National Marine Park which requires a boat and individual passes to transit.  Flower Pot Island is made of dolomite, a type of limestone, which has resulted in intriguing cave and rock formations due to water erosion. We did another great hike - rock, trees and water - they never appear the same twice and you never get tired of them!

We are now sailing on a lovely beam reach with 12 knots of wind under warm, sunny skies headed for our next anchorage of Cabot Head.

To those who know of our alternator problems, it remains intermittent but the bypass method works perfectly!

Joann