Leg 19 of our 2022 cruise up north
(to read about Leg 18, The Bustard Islands, click here)
After so much motoring the last two weeks, I hoped we would get to sail back west to somewhere near Killarney, 25 miles away. At first we had northeast winds at 10 knots, which is good for going west, but started the motor when the wind died off after about 8 miles. Thunderstorms are forecast for later tonight, so I wanted to end up somewhere protected, too.
Since we were motoring anyway and wanted something protected, we chose to follow the Collins Inlet. It’s a naturally formed, narrow, 12 mile long channel between Philip Edward Island and the mainland, with cliffs and trees soaring above on both sides. It’s super pretty, but since there’s rarely wind in there we only go there on motoring days anyway. (I’ve written about the Collins Inlet before)
We anchored in a new-to-us spot this time, by Deadbolt Island (near Keyhole Island) at the west end of the Collins Inlet. From a scenery standpoint, if this were Lake Michigan it would be “awesome,” but by North Channel standards it’s only, “okay.” The water here is still pretty warm at 73, so we got a swim in after a hot day of motoring.
There is a campsite ashore that’s occupied by a large group, so I hope we’re not blocking their view. I might want to at least move the boat away from them tomorrow. Otherwise, the weather forecast looks rainy, so we’re probably here two nights.