Anchored in Hopewell Bay

Southern Style left Snug Harbour Saturday August 4th heading for an anchorage in Hopewell Bay.  It was tough to leave our new friends Doug, Rosemary, Kate and family, but the Loop must continue.

Snug Harbour Lighthouse as we left Sunday morning

  It was only about 8-10 miles from Snug Harbour so we arrived early and got the anchor set and the kayak and dinghy down.  Saturday and Sunday were spent relaxing, kayaking and Captain Keith fishing.

Southern Style in Hopewell Bay

Pengi kayaking and showing more pink granite

There are also numerous Inuksuks that can be found in the area.  These are made by many of the campers and cottagers, but were originally man-made stone structures or cairns built by the native Inuits of the region.  They take the shape of a person and were used for navigation, communication and to designate important places.  Other ancient peoples of the Artic region also made them and they have been found from Alaska and Canada to Greenland.

There are wild flowers tucked up among the rocks

And the water is very clear

Many trees grow slanted due to the prevailing wind

Not a bad day kayaking

The fishing in Hopewell Bay was not as good as South Bay Cove and Snug Harbour, but a bad day fishing beats a good day at work.  Luckily I had some nice steaks on board and also made smoked fish appetizers for dinner on Sunday.

Wish we had smell-o-vision on the blog.  Ribeye Steak for dinner

Some stormy skies threatened on Sunday night but we only got a sprinkle and no bad winds. 

On Monday morning August 6th we were off toward Byng Inlet and Britt, Ontario.  The skies were cloudy with occasional sprinkles.  We went out into open water of Georgian Bay at Pointe au Baril for about 2-3 miles.

Pointe au Baril Lighthouse

The Barrel at Pointe au Baril

Pointe au Baril was named after the barrel on the point that originally (1870s) marked the treacherous entry into the main channel from the open water of Georgian Bay.  As the story goes, early fur traders lost a canoe near the point.  The canoe included a barrel of whiskey that was found by stranded traders the next spring.  After a drinking spree the whiskey barrel was left on the point as a beacon.  French mariners were soon calling it Pointe au Baril.  Later the marker was improved to include a lantern that would be lit by the first fisherman returning inland each day to light the way for the rest of the boats.

Waves on the bay were around 1-3 feet for us Sunday, but all went well.  We arrived at Byng Inlet about 11:20 AM.

Byng Inlet Lighthouse