kayak Georgian Bay - Recently Updated Pages

News & Events

whitesquall — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:43:23 CST

White Squall Paddle Party & Open House

A FREE Long Weekend Event for the Whole Family!
May Long Weekend - May 16–17 (2 Days)

When: May 16–17 (2 Days) May Long Weekend

Time: 9am–5pm each day

Where: White Squall Paddling Centre, 53 E. Carling Bay Rd. Nobel (just north of Parry Sound, Ontario)

Cost: FREE!

What’s going on:

* Free kayak & canoe clinics on & off the water for all ages.

* Test drive the latest boats (lake, sea and whitewater kayaks, lake and whitewater canoes, PLUS new SurfTech stand up paddleboards!)

* Picnic with family & friends.

* We’ll have hot organic coffee, friendly chickens, and ice cream on hand.

* Camp Cooking (not the chickens), Slide Shows, Basic to High Performance Paddling Demos.

* Kid stuff and Campfire Singsongs!

* Don’t miss our famous Cardboard Kayak Race on Saturday & Rolling Silliness on Sunday.

* Great deals on boats & gear.

Media Contacts:
Graham or Tim - White Squall – 342-5324 info@whitesquall.com
More info at http://www.whitesquall.com/programmes/paddling-events/

Event Calendar

whitesquall — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:23:58 CST

Organized kayak instruction around Parry Sound with White Squall

Southern Archipelago

whitesquall — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:03:59 CST

Loop:Snug Harbour, Snake Island, Cathcart, Umbrella Islands Return.

Happy Yakkers on the Bay - photo: Thomas Choe
Difficulty: Intermediate

Route Length: 35 - 40 km ( 3 - 4 day overnight trip)

Topo Maps: 41 H7/8 Parry Sound & 41 H 10 Sans Souci
Charts: 2242

Launch / Landing:Snug Harbour (or Wausauksing Marina - Parry Island - closer launch to Cathcart Island Group)

Description: Part 1: Snug to Snake 5 - 7 km (depending en route).Departing fromSnug Harbourpaddle soutwest with one open water crossing of 2-3 km depending on where you cross. A good rest or lunch spot is 3 km south of Snug, on north Pancake Island - public picnic site with outhouse facility. From here can head due west 4 km to Snake Island . Take caution incrossing the main shipping channel to Parry Sound(yup watch out for the occasional laker or coast guard ship too!) There are several great camping site on Snake Island - one in middle east side, then west side and northwest side of island. There are a fewGLSKAthunderboxes installed at the most used campsites.

Lunch stop at Snake Island, photo: Lee Weitzel

Points of interest:

Quartz / Diabase Dykein Snug Haven Channel - between Middle Island and Bon Air Island -
Jane McLeod Shipwreck- lies in 30 m of water (bow is within 6 m) off southwestern tip of McLeod Island (near cottagers flag pole) - wooden schooner - 1890.
Scenic protected paddle amongst westerly outer islets off Snake is worthwhile

Part 2: Snake to Cathcart / Rumble I - 6 km.Continue southeast towards and through islets off the west side of Bateau I. (Dearlove, Maple I.) and continue to camp on west side of Cathcart or north side of Rumble Island in protected bay. Rumble camp has oneGLSKAthunderbox. Alternative campsite are to the southeast of Cathcart, on either Lally or Stapley Islands - a few smaller sites are on north and south sides of Bricknell island.

View from Lally Island Campsite - photo: Lee Weitzel

Points of interest:

Sandy Island- now part ofGeorgian Bay Land Trust- great daytrip option to circumnavigate while basecamped in area. Eastern side of Sandy has fun sandy shallows to paddle through - thus the name!!!
Bateau I. is another good daytrip option to paddle around - please be respectful to private cottage properties.

Part 3:Cathcart to Umbrella Islands - 8 km(with a 3 km open water crossing). Paddle south of Cathcart / Sandy Island group viaSereres I(see points of interest below), and cross toUmbrella Islands. Camping sites are small and limited on this lonely grouping of islands. The best spot is on one of the middle islands in group (north of the "I" in "Islands" on the Sans Souci topo map - interior camp site. Another small campsite is on the most northeasterly island. Big Umbrella island is worth a look, owned by theGeorgian Bay Land Trust(overnight camping is not permitted).

Points of Interest:

Unique Geologic Feature: Breccia Rock- small islet west of Sereres I.
Fishing Station and old cribs- remains of an old fishing station and docks surrounding two most northerly middle islands in group.

Part 4: Umbrellas return to Snug Habour 18 km- Retrace route north via Sandy , Bateau, Pancakes to Snug camping en route to break up journey home. Another option is to stay base camped on Cathcart/ Rumble/ Lally/Stapley Islands and daytrip down and back to Umbrellas. An alternative (& emergency take out) is at the north end of Waubuno Channel - Oak Island - Wausauksing Marina on Parry Island 1st Nations.

Mink & McCoy Islands

whitesquall — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:19:26 CDT

Loop: Snug (or Dillon) to Big McCoy, Limestones, Minks, Red Rock, Snake, Franklin Island return.

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

Route Length: 40 km (50 km if you paddle to Limestones and back)

Maps: 41 H7/8 Parry Sound - Charts: 2242

Launch / Landing: Snug Harbour or Dillon Cove (**see notes on launching/parking at these sites at bottom of this page)

Description: A great out and back loop from either Dillon or Snug Harbour Public Launch sites for a weekend or up to 4 day trip. This trip showcases some of Georgian Bay's prettiest island groupings. Late summer opportunities allow for a visit to the lonely Limestone Islands (10 km offshore - recommended for intermediate/advanced paddlers only) .
North Limestone Island, Provincial Reserve

The southern islands in this archipelago chain are known as the Mink Islands, delimited by the Red Rock Lighthouse (approximate position 9 km west of Snug Harbour. The northern portion of the island chain are called the McCoy Islands ( 5 km due west of mouth of Shawanaga Inlet or 15 km wnw of Dillon Cove). The Limestone Islands lie parallel to them west of Mink Island Chain ( 5km ).

" Our paddle from the mainland out among the islands as far as Big and Little McCoy will take us into the eroded roots of the Grenville Mountains, possibly the greatest mountain range the Earth has ever seen. Worn away now, but once as high as Everest, mountain peaks rose over Parry Sound and Gravenhurst, stretching in a Himalayan-like range from Texas to Labrador and on to Scandinavia a billion years ago. In fact, some reconstructions of the continents at the time put Australia and southern Africa to the south of Texas and envisage the Grenville Mountains running from there almost to the north pole ! " (White Squall Geopaddle, Prof. David Pearson, 2007)

Part 1: Snug Harbour to Big McCoy (or Dillon Cove to shorten your paddle) Launch from Snug Harbour and paddle up the inside of Franklin Island (Shebeshekong Channel). This is the small boat channel so watch out for traffic! Or alternatively paddle the outside of Franklin Island (west side is most scenic but can be rough water on a windy day). Paddle north to Shawanaga Inlet. Large campsite can be found along the eastern shore of the inlet north of Edge I. in the many coves and bays along the shoreline. Continue to paddle west crossing to Twin Sisters (private island - and boat channel is located here too), then to bottom end of Islands south of Hertzberg I. Possible campsites exist in and around Boiler Bay south side of Hertzberg Island. Continue to paddle west crossing now to Big McCoy. There are many great large campsite surrounding the outside of Big McCoy - most are located at the souteastern and nortwestern corners - thunderbox type outhouses exist at many of these sites (maintained by the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Association).

Points of Interest:

Turtle Rock in Shawanaga Bay (along shoreline just north of Edge I.) - offerings of tobacco, food and beads are left by travelers even today to ensure calm weather - a tradition started by an Ojibway boy caught in a storm, seeing a giant turtle he prayed to it for calm weather. With the passing of the storm, the boy turned to thank the turtle but instead was greeted with a smooth rock instead; the boy then left
an offering of meat as thanks.
The Ghost of Big McCoy Island - local legend has it that on a full moon evening each
September, a mournful scream can be heard from the deepest part of Big McCoy. Why does this
island continue to be haunted? (read all about it in Ghosts of the Bay)
Southwest Island Group (2 km west of Big McCoy) - Nesting area for common and Caspian Terns, Cormorants, & Canada Geese. A single lonely elm tree stands proud and tall and small vegetation thrives due to the numerous rock fissures containing trapped sediment & bird guano.

Part 2: Big McCoy to North Limestone Island (intermediate paddlers only - optional daytrip ) - a 5 km crossing to the west will put you at the Limestone Provincial Reserve Islands. As of Aug. 1st each year, these islands can be accessed by visitors (access is restricted in spring and early summer due to nesting bird colonies). Best to check with the staff at Killbear Provincial Park before you go anytime of the year for permission.

Some Interesting Facts about the Limestone Islands:

Breeding Colonies: They support large breeding colonies of ring-billed and herring gulls, common and Caspian terns, great-blue and black-crowned night herons, double-crested cormorants and many lesser birds and have been a banding site used by ornithologists of the Dominion Wildlife Service for many years.
Fishing Station: (1894) There was a small fishing station on southern Limestone Island.
Aboriginal Pits - inland of fishing station location are evidence of four dug pits - archealogic digs have determined that these pits formed part of the dwellings of Iroquoian Indians, of the pre-European period who, during their period of tenure, there, made use of fire (charcoal remains) to prepare food (broken pots) which food, at least in part, consisted of fish, birds and clams (bone and shell fragments). There is also some very slight suggestion that stone artifacts may have been made there by the occupants of these pits. ("A Preliminary Investigation of the South Limestone Island Archaeological Site"by Garman W. Douglas and John A. Macfie)
Tropical Fossils: The limestone island rock is about 470 million years old and belongs to the middle of the Ordovician Period. The limestone solidified from the mud on the bottom of a shallow, Florida Bay-like sea that flooded almost all of North America and was home to a wide variety of marine organisms. Many great specimens of fossils can be found here (the best examples are at the southwest corner of North Limestone Island). The Limestone Islands are isolated fragments of a once continuous layer that connected to the Bruce Peninsula in one direction and Manitoulin Island in the other. ((White Squall Geopaddle, Prof. David Pearson, 2007)

Part 3: Big McCoy to Green Island - 8 km - paddle south down the island chain. Alternative campsites and lunch spots exist on Dart I., Elmtree, Wallbank. The best camping on the Mink Islands is on Green Island (west, south and northwest sides). Green is a good base camp location to set yourself up for a daytrip out to the Southern Limestone Island group. Green is also the last public camping spot amongst the Mink Islands. All other islands to the south are private but worthwhile paddle through and around.

Points of Interest:

Wreck of the Seattle -
Canadian Architectual Award Winning Cottage on Boucher Island

Part 4: Green Island to Red Rock to Snake Island - 9 km -

Points of Interest:

Old Fishing Station
Red Rock Lighthouse - was rebuilt three times over the years and deceased lighthouse keeper
Adam Brown is still local legend for tending the lonely rock for over 40 years. His name can be
still seen today carved into the hard granite stone - well they had lots of time!!

Part 5: Snake Island to Snug Harbour (alternative route home - cross to Franklin Island - Henrietta Point and extend your stay with a last nights camp or lunch spot on Franklins many southern campsites)

**Snug Harbour & Dillon Cove Parking and Launching Suggestions:

Support the local marinas. They have friendly service, good food, local knowledge and controlled parking - can’t beat that eh? Carling Township ratepayers are the ones who maintain access points for the benefit of everyone, so use the docks and ramps quickly and don’t spread your gear all over hell’s half acres. Thanks!

Snug Harbour

Gilly’s (Snug Harbour Marina)
free launching if you pay for parking… good deal eh
they have a wonderful, inexpensive restaurant with fresh Bay fish
there is also a store there with ICE CREAM and a washroom

Government Dock
free launching
drive and unload at wharf - keep boats/gear neat in small pile - clear area
DON’T TRESPASS on either side of wharf-where it’s obviously private -park back at lot-right hand side before last curve in road as you’re driving in -closest lot is for ratepayers only, so use further one-it is for visitors.
if you park in the wrong spot, you will be ticketed and towed

Dillon Cove

there is no free visitor parking - parking is for ratepayers only
go to Dillon Cove Marina (it’s right there) & pay
they have a great shop with cold drinks and ICE CREAM!
dock is available to all but you must move quickly not to jam up the wharf
unload, keep boats/gear neatly in a small pile. Leave the ramp for motor boats

There is a community-wide voluntary fire ban all summer
NO FIRES PLEASE - SAVE THE WOODS AND SEE THE STARS!!

Route descriptions

catchsun — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:20:30 CDT

To add a route / trip description, please click the "add a page" link in the menu to the left.

We’ll try to help you out with suggestions, but with 2000 km of shoreline to cover, we can’t guarantee accuracy. Georgian Bay is a wilderness setting, though many islands and much of the mainland shoreline is owned. There are no designated campsites unless you're in one of the parks.

What the difficulty levels mean:
novice- no open crossings, lots of shelter, easy launch & campsites (if applicable)
intermediate- suitable for those with a few "novice" trips under their belts, but no (or limited) exposure to "expert" conditions
expert- open crossings, multi-day, wind & waves likely chance to be weather bound

Kayak Friendly Lodges and Camps

catchsun — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:03:45 CDT

This is a template page

Looking for a place to pull up, have a shower, access to a kitchen and BBQ - and a mattress? This Page is intended for links to lodges/camps that are friendly to Kayakers and are located with access to the Georgian Bay.

Franklin Island

catchsun — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:53:17 CDT

Franklin Island

Difficulty	Launch	Length
novice	Snug Harbour public doc (N of Parry Sound)	5 km (return) day trip or overnight (enough for several days)

A large island (13 km2) about 2.5 km from the harbour in a heavily trafficked area of the Bay. Access is relatively sheltered, making this an easy destination for the novice kayaker.

If you don't like open water crossings or the conditions are rough, instead of heading by the lighthouse and straight west to Franklin, sneak north up the inner boating channel just on the east side of the lighthouse (turn right just before the lighthouse). It's a really neat sheltered channel. In one place it's just wide enough in places to dip your paddle so like a one-lane bridge, boaters have to wait their turn — but it's usually not busy.

From there you can sneak north along the mainland and make a hop over to Fanklin at Burritt Pt — about 320 m across the boating channel.

If you do head straight west from Snug Harbour, you can still take refuge from the powerboats and waves at Runaway and Watson Isls 640 m from the lighthouse. From that point on it feels like you're just shoal hopping over to Franklin.

Franklin Isl offers dozens of bays and shoals to explore. There is heavily used camping on the south and east sides. More exposed but less-used sites can be found on the west side.

GLSKA volunteers have placed several "thunder boxes" on the island to help contain human waste. It is up to users to maintain these "outhouses."

A few large trees and some ground cover. Close enough to mainland for bears, raccoons, and other small animals to be occasional pests.

Conditions on the outside (west) of the island can become challenging and dangerous. If you venture to that side for the view or sunset camping, be aware of growing winds and crashing waves.

Noteworthy

osprey platforms in bays at the north end of Franklin (please view only by binoculars so you don't scare off the birds)
parking, outhouse, and pay phone at Snug Harbour as well as a small marina and fish restaurant
small convenience store in marina
smoked fish from the marina makes a real (smelly) treat
sporadic cell phone coverage seems to depend on brand, atmospheric conditions, celestial alignment, and holding your tongue just right - so don't count on it
This is rattlesnake and poison ivy territory!

*Fire ban on the islands due to the fragile nature of the environment and the fact that those tiny trees out there are 30+ years old (the place won't recover if you burn any)

map	shuttle/rental	fees	extensions
topo 41H8	White Squall 705 342-5324	Crown Land permits from the MNR are required for non-Canadians no park or camping fees yet no fees at public dock or launch marina charges launch and parking fees	go around the whole island (20 km) Mink & McCoy Islands chain Minks (W, 5 km from south end) McCoys (NW, 10 km) Herzberg Island (NNW, 8 km) Snake Islands (S, 4 km) Bateau, Sandy, & Cathcart Islands (SE, 7 km)

kayak Georgian Bay Home

catchsun — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:23:59 CDT

Why paddle Georgian Bay?

fresh water
900 km of shoreline to weave through
21 000square km to explore
hundreds of thousands of islands and shoals
Manitoulin Isl: world's largest freshwater island
Parry Sound: world's deepest freshwater harbour

This is the place to share kayaking and trip information.

private land

catchsun — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:37:04 CDT

Many of the islands and much of the shoreline is owned. Especially the southern Bay, Manitoulin Island, and throughout the 30 000 islands. It is not ok to camp on private land without permission.

Clues land is privately owned:
• buildings visible on land or marked on map
• red dots or other signs on trees / rocks
• local MNR office / Crown Land map / marina says so

Outfitters

catchsun — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:35:50 CDT

Wilderness travel is not for everyone. One person’s fabulous trip can turn into another person’s nightmare for so many reasons. We can’t possibly guarantee your happiness. We can only tell you about other people’s experiences. If you’re new to this stuff, hiring an outfitter can give you a lot of piece of mind.

cautions

catchsun — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:34:27 CDT

Can I drink the water?

Depends on where you are, and how resilient your stomach is. Definitely don’t drink it near a populated shore or in a boating channel. Boil or filter water for drinking, cooking, brushing your teeth. See more information in the how pages.

Sun burn / Sun stroke / heat exhaustion / Sun blindness

You’re on the open water. It’s bright out there. Sun is coming down from above, and gets reflected off the water. It’s hot, and you’re wet with spray. You probably won’t notice these conditions coming on unless you’re watching for them.

Take a wilderness first aid course — there is no 911 out here, you’ll be treating someone for hours, if not days. At the very least, take a standard first aid course.

Tips:
• wear sunglasses that actually protect your eyes & wear them (overcast days can be deceiving)
• wear sunscreen and reapply it frequently (don’t forget your hands)
• wear long sleeves (and protect those lily-white legs when they’re outside the cockpit)
• wear a hat that protects your ears and the back of your neck too
• drink before you are thirsty — about 2-3 litres per person, per day minimum
• (if you’re not taking regular pee stops, you’re not drinking enough)
• get shade (see the how page for suggestions)

Rattlesnakes

The Massasauga Rattlesnake is rare and protected by law. They are not predatory. They use their bite as a defense. Leave them alone and they’ll leave you alone. Chances are you’ve camped near them all the time and didn’t even know it. At Killbear Provincial Park campers and rattlesnakes have learned to live side-by-side without incident. They’re proud of it!

Killing a rattlesnake will get you a $5000 fine.

Tips:
• watch where you step and put your hands
• wear shoes that cover you feet and ankles
• listen for the sound of rattling leaves
• move slowly away from any rattling sounds
• do not try to get a closer look at a rattlesnake
• do not try to move or capture a snake, they will move away by themselves
• the size of the snake does not indicate the amount of venom in its bite

If someone gets bitten:
This is a medical emergency.
1. Make the person rest and keep them calm.
2. arrange for transportation to hospital (your first aid and kayaking training will help you decide which way is best. You may be able to call a water taxi from the local marina, flag down another boater, or tow the person in their kayak — ugh!)
3. Keep the bite below the level of the heart.
4. Give first aid for other conditions as they arise but heed the “do not” items below. Folk cures can do a lot of harm in this situation.

Hospitals in rattlesnake territory keep antivenin on hand. There are only a couple of human deaths in recorded history and those people did not get medical attention for days. There are a few instances where dogs have died — so keep a watch on Fido and don’t let him harass a snake.

DO NOT cut the wound (this makes the situation worse)
DO NOT suck the venom out (it causes tissue damage and gets the venom in your mouth — bad situation)
DO NOT raise the limb — keep the bite below the level of the heart
DO NOT apply pressure or a tourniquet (this concentrates the venom, making the situation worse)
DO NOT apply ice (this changes the chemical nature of the venom, making the situation worse)

Disclaimer, it's dangerous

catchsun — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:53:08 CDT

So this is our legal disclaimer, eh?

Use your head and get training. I wish we could be there to make sure your trip is safe and happy. Outfitters try to do that, we just try to provide some idea of what to expect and where you might explore. We don’t try to recommend a destination, launch, marina, or outfitter. You’ll have to judge those for yourself. We just tell you where they are.

Get training, know how to use your equipment, and travel with people who are more experienced than you are. It just makes sense.

Is this safe?

So this is dangerous stuff eh? Not as dangerous as driving to the put-in, mind you. But we wouldn’t want to be negligent and let you think this stuff is for sissies. Mostly, if you get training, know how to use your equipment, and listen to your instincts. There is no 911 on the water.

Be sure you meet Coast Guard regulations. It’s the minimum safety recommendation, and a legal requirement.

Will I drown upside down in my kayak?

Not likely. Even with a skirt on, most people fall out of a kayak when it turns upside down. Get training, then practice before you go out.

Will I get hypothermia if I fall out of my boat?

Depends on many things: time of year, your health, how long you’re out of the boat... In mid summer the Bay is “refreshing.” But when the day turns cold, windy, and rainy, “refreshing” can cross over into masochistic. Get training and know the signs.

Will Superman come to my rescue?
Not if he can’t find you. Marine radios work well. Cell phones do not get service on the Bay. Well sometimes they do, but there are so many variables it would be virtually negligent to rely on one.

There are lots of recreational boats around on the weekends and a few Coast Guard boats patrol the 21 000km2, but they’re not looking for you. Even if they do see you, they may not know you need help. Be prepared to signal with a horn, flares, mirror, smoke signals, carrier pigeon, and whatever other means you had the foresight to take with you. Whistles are nice, but let’s face it, wind, boat motors, and wandering minds can make them inaudible.

There is no 911 on the water.

Will I get wind / weather bound?

The Bay, she has a mind of her own. Get a forecast (ask a local and see the links page) and watch the sky. Weather on the water can be very different from the weather inland. The Bay can also change her mind with short notice. Be prepared to make the safe decisions.
Small craft warnings are a regular occurrence. Good news is, sea-kayaks are made to handle what many small boats can not. Bad news is, the boat won’t make up for lack of training, experience, or judgment.

Anecdotal stories always seem to involve the home stretch. Accidents happen when they’re trying to make it back to that hot shower / meeting / favourite sit-com. Don’t let the desire to “get back” cloud your judgment. Take it as a gift from the gods... just a little longer out on the Bay. In fact, you may soon be wishing for bad weather: “sorry boss...”

Other Boaters

Watch out for speed boats, sailboats, personal watercraft (e.g., Sea-doo), tankers, cruise liners, and the lock ness monster. Oh, maybe not that last one. Make sure you’re visible, and when in doubt, get out of the way.