Spanish Marina, North Channel

This blogging is a responsibility. Miss a day and then the email comes in. Where are you.

Some anchorages don't have coverage for the mobile stick.

After Covered Portage we went back into Killarney to pump out and get fuel and water. Were successful with the fuel and pump out, but got busy talking to friends Bob and Carol Booth off of Crackerjack and completely forgot about the water. We have raced against Crackerjack in the GBSR for many, many years. They are always great competition and a lot of fun. They had spent time in the North Channel and were waiting to go back home. Sadly they said they had participated in their last regatta. But then they said that last year too.

Had to go for the famous fish and chips and ice cream cone. The Killarney tradition.

Left Killarney to overnight at Heywood Island. A beautiful anchorage and great nights sleep.

Then we were off for Little Current to catch the 10:0 am bridge opening. They do not leave the bridge open for 15 minutes if you are not sitting right in front of them. We were approaching and could have made it if they waited the 15 minutes. But it was not to be. Waited for the 11:00 am opening.

We were off for the North Channel. Where to go. We decided on Croker Island as a protected anchorage from the expected SE winds and a thunderstorm overnight. There were 23 boats in the anchorage. It was quite congested in the area we wanted to be so we anchored out a bit.

Well at midnight the storm woke us from a sound sleep as it moved through. Winds were from the north. What the ..... Croker is a great anchorage for all wind directions except the north.

The storm passed very quickly and by 12:30 it was only rain.

From here on we are sailing in virgin territory to us. All of the new navigational systems Peter worked so hard on are making sailing life a breeze. We are delighted with the chart plotter; it displays where everything is relative to the boat. So much easier than reading charts and hoping that you are where you think you are or sometimes hope you are.

Peter has often talked about Spanish and wanting to go there. So off we go. It is an overcast day with chances of rain and a thunderstorm overnight. A marina tie up and shower will be most appreciated. The channel to Spanish is buoyed and is quite shallow. Sand bottom. We helped them dredge a bit on the way in. Got stuck on some of the sand bottom; but skipper Pete and his mighty diesel pushed thru'. A really nice marina, with good docks, and yes those promised showers.