Speaking of cruising in Georgian Bay

[scottbr]

The sad aftermath of a couple ( stated as experienced sailors by the OPP ) that hit a shoal north of Parry Sound ( halfway up Georgian Bay) at 11:30 pm. Abandoned into a dinghy and resuced at 2 am by Coast Guard. Waves were 1.5 metres or 5 ft. with 10 - 15 knot winds. No mention if they had GPS w/chartplotter or not. CG blamed driver error.

Very sad sight

[sailingdog]

How much diesel leaked from that boat when it sank??

[xort]

11:30 PM; nuff said.

[patrickrea]

As someone who does a lot of boating (both sail and power) on Georgian Bay, I am not surprised by this. Georgian Bay is a rock garden covered with a thin layer of water in a lot of areas. I personally have lost 4 props since the age of 15. My dad managed to crack the keel of a Bertram power boat, my uncle backed into a shoal in an 18' Hunt power boat and killed his lower unit. In fact, in my area of Honey Harbour (close to Midland), if you have a medical emergency and call for police assistance, they won't come. They tell you to call a local in a water taxi. A good set of charts for the main waters and a good local knowledge for the back waters are essential along the eastern shore. These back waters have not neccessarily been well charted except in the areas where commercial fishing and lumbering took place.

[scottbr]

Patrick, funny enough, we headed up to Killarney early August and listened to 3 Mayday calls for people abandoning their boats after running onto the rocks. We watched a salvage boat towing one of the casualties with several gas pumps on the deck trying to keep it afloat as they towed it back to the marina.

Curious about your comments about the OPP. I've been in the Honey Harbour area for 25 yrs. and see the OPP and Coast Guard on a regular basis in all the water areas in that region. I watched as the Georgian Bay National Park Ranger and heard the OPP boat responded to a 2 boat collision near The Del, going full tilt through Big Dog.

I also find the "back waters" well charted in both the strip charts and on my chartplotter. I've been into several out of the way areas without any problems (yet). It's also a good thing the locals mark the submerged rocks with the javex bottles in the bays. Although, I do go slowly and keep a good eye when out of the main channels.

[Valiente]

I would imagine the situation has been made worse for keelboats with the lower water levels of the last few years (with the potential exception of this year).

Water levels on Lake Ontario were quite high in the spring, about as high as I've ever seen them, but that may not have been the case in Huron/Geo. Bay, where I understand locals have more beach that ever before.

[scottbr]

Water levels were actually up in July from the previous year. That was from a record 14 cm increase in June, nearly 3 times the normal. Michigan/Huron is still 12 inches below the monthly average, where Ontario remains close to its average. Michigan / Huron looked like it was headed for all time record lows last December until we got tons of snow this year and rebounded from January on.

Even with the low levels, this area is very well charted and marked. If you run aground its because you're not paying attention or just plain dumb. I watched a brand new 36' Regal power boat heading at a good speed ( but on plane) between a small island/rock and shore. The water is only 2-3 ft. there and luckily another boat anchored near by and people on shore caught their attention soon enough to slow down and tiptoe out of the mine field. This area has well marked chanel buoys and a chartplotter will tell you you're in the wrong spot.

[Stryker72]

Originally Posted by patrickrea

. Georgian Bay is a rock garden covered with a thin layer of water in a lot of areas.

I just flew over the bay yesterday (Sudbury to Toronto) and I was amazed at how shallow and rocky it appeared.

[scottbr]

Some areas look like wide open water but you must keep within the marked chanel or end up on the rocks. The red marker is above my dinghy and the green is almost on the horizon to the right, fairly tight area. The rest of the "open water" is rocks just below the surface.




This is at the north end of Georgian Bay, just south of the Bustard Islands, in an area of wide open water.




The area in the chartplotter

[patrickrea]

Originally Posted by scottbr

Curious about your comments about the OPP. I've been in the Honey Harbour area for 25 yrs. and see the OPP and Coast Guard on a regular basis in all the water areas in that region. I watched as the Georgian Bay National Park Ranger and heard the OPP boat responded to a 2 boat collision near The Del, going full tilt through Big Dog.

The OPP has always responded to calls like this and the CG used to have a summer station down near the entrance to the South Bay area. I am talking of medical calls. I know of several people bit by rattlers. I am on Starr's Island over near Frying Pan Bay and we see alot of those little critters. It used to be that OPP would not come get you. Your best bet was to call someone like Jack Legault or even get in touch with the doctor at Camp Queen Elizabeth on Beausoleil for treatment. I have know a few people taken there for clear glass to be removed from a deep cut and snake bites.

The other thing I have noticed this past season was the OPP going out for "Ride" patrols at 10PM. I spent a portion of my teen years doing things at night that I would lose my drivers license for now. Of course I am older and wiser now .

Gee, people moving too fast through Big Dog..... And a collision..... Not surprising.

Originally Posted by scottbr

I also find the "back waters" well charted in both the strip charts and on my chartplotter. I've been into several out of the way areas without any problems (yet). It's also a good thing the locals mark the submerged rocks with the javex bottles in the bays. Although, I do go slowly and keep a good eye when out of the main channels.

I only seem to hit things during the day. Usually because I am over-compensating away from a shoal, I hit the one on the other side.
It is better now and my GPS does a good job as well. I depend on it for muskie fishing!
The javex bottles also help but there a few spots where the chart location is off and the javex bottles just don't stay attached to their blocks. Right in front of my cottage is a prime example. The proper position for the shoal is off by about 40' (I know, it doesn't sound like much but explain that to your prop/keel/fishing lure), the wave action can be severe and the shoal structure doesn't lend itself to anchors. I have personally towed at least 5 boats bigger than 20' off that shoal.