Parry Sound to Hopewell Anchorage to Wrights Marina (Byng Inlet)

Aug 11 and 12  Sat and Sun  Parry Sound to Hopewell Anchorage to Wrights Marina (Byng Inlet)

We travel 31 miles today through a few well marked passages which the captain maneuvers thru cleanly, including the Hole in the Wall which is a narrow canyon-like passage with steep granite walls that we just drive through.  We anchor in Hopewell Bay and are the only two boats there.  The back deck is breezy and comfortable as Tom calls marinas to check on diesel fuel prices ($1.43 per liter = $4.15 a gallon which was the cheapest - yikes)  We won't take much fuel, but just enough to be sure we can get to our destination back in the US.  The rest of the day is spent reading, fishing and eating - 3 of our favorite things.

Anchor up a little before 8 heading towards the inside passage which includes Hangdog Channel and Alexander Passage.  We first pass Pointe au Baril lighthouse which is a comforting sight for mariners.  Thru good teamwork between the captain and his navigator, we were able to travel thru some hairpin turns and narrow, rock strewn passages.  We used range markers, buoys and landmarks to travel this 9 mile stretch.  The scenery was magnificent and the houses were rustic and secluded.  We finally made it out into open water.  The water is so clear that we can see the bottom and the random rocks in 17 feet of water.  The Bay is very calm - a great day for off-shore cruising.  We make our way up Byng Inlet and dock at a quaint marina - Wrights - after taking on some fuel.  The attendants are friendly and lend us the courtesy car to travel to the only grocery/supply store.  This is the last place to get propane for the grill for a while so the guys fill the tanks.  We ate lunch at the restaurant which is above the grocery story.  After another planning session on our next few anchorages, we get ice cream at a local place - Ice Cream on the Rock - Tom has lemon cream pie - delicious.

The white paint up on the rock signifies the entrance

to Hole in the Wall passage.

Right as we were preparing to enter Hole in the Wall

we saw this small cruise ship exit the opening.

Hole in the Wall, kid of like driving thru a canyon

Local rock climber practicing his craft, he hadn't made much

progress up the wall by the time Short Vacation followed

us thru

Shear rock walls

Short Vacation entering the channel of Hole in the Wall

Kilbear Point Light

As we approached these markers it looked like

we were going to go right thru this boat house.

You turn left,  right before it though and it must be a little

uncomfortable if you are sitting on a deck chair

and a boat approaches

Entering Hopewell Bay

Sharing our anchorage at the end of the day

Anchor retrieval in the morning. Colletta prepares

the fresh water wash down hose to clean off the

anchor.

A new day begins, calm seas just what we like

Point Au Baril lighthouse, kind of makes you wonder

how it could be closed?

Hang Dog Passage. twisty, turny, very narrow

with lots of rocks

 

Thanks to a great navigator with her keen eye on

the paper charts we navigate thru safely. We have

electronic charts on both chart plotters and an Ipad

but it is nice seeing the big picture when you navigate

thru tight areas

yes, we came thru here

We have seen a large number of Monarch butterflies

up here in our cruising

These are range markers that you line up, one on

top of the other to aid your navigation. Here we are

to far to the left of course and need to steer right

to get these to line up. They are really for much

larger boat then us but they are nice to use.

Sometime and sits and think and sometimes I just

sits.