We were now officially out of Georgian Bay and into the Northern Channel. The North Channel provides a protected passage between the large islands of northern Lake Huron and the mainland. It lies nearly east-west and runs from the lighthouse at Killarney in the east to De Tour village in the west, 130 statute miles. The North Channel is more rugged in appearance and there are far fewer cottages, passages are wider and there are fewer small islands and there is more open water to cover. I definitely noticed that the further west we went it became more isolated.
Our first anchorage after leaving Killarney was Covered Portage. We passed Sheep Island to enter the bay. The anchorage is popular but we had space to anchor. There is a place to land your dinghy on the shore in the northwest corner of Covered Portage Cove. A trail leads from here to the ridge along the cove providing a breathtaking view and a chance to see our boat from 120 feet above. It’s a challenging hike, a rugged trail of around 2 miles and 800 feet elevation. (good thing we brought our walking sticks)
Margie and Bill were already anchored when we arrived and they went with us to hike up the mountain!
Below left: Sheep Island
