(June 26)
So far this season we've anchored at places we had not been before: Killarney Bay, McGregor Bay, Fraser Bay and now Fox Island. At Killarney Bay, we had anchored at Covered Portage and the little channel between Pine Island and the mainland. Killarney Bay per se is perfect
in light winds and protection from the North. Now that we have a wind generator, we seek places where there is protection while still catching enough wind to recharge the batteries (minimum 10 knots wind). We could have spent a whole week in McGregor Bay. A chartplotter is a necessary tool though; as there are many rocks and submerged high voltage cables for cottages within the bay. Fraser Bay was nice but limited protection from the South and South West wind/waves.
Now, Fox Island (West side) to me so far -- we arrived yesterday -- is awesome. After we anchored, Frank and I went on a discovery kayak trip. We entered all the little nooks and cranies near our boat. There are a few channels among the rock islands that only kayaks and non-motorized watercrafts can access. Many rock formations make it easy to land by kayak or dinghie. These mini-islands are perfect for bathing, camping or just a campfire (when allowed). Their rocks are smooth, many without slippery moss (rare in the North Channel). The trees are spread out; so walking around is doable.
I was able to walk the East half of the South shore.
I'm not very knowledgeable about bird breeds. But just by the various bird songs we hear at any time of the day, we know there are many bird varieties here. Frank was able to take a few beautiful pictures of a resident blue heron and a big family of ducks (or was it a daycare? LOL!). As for fish, Frank is quite pleased. There's a lot of bass. Yesterday, after about 90 minutes, he came back with his daily quota: 3. We had dinner with half and I'll make a new recipe with the other half. Frank fish with either the dinghie (Zodiak) or his kayak. The kayak allow him to go to shallower areas where, often, he can also find spike hiding in the weeds.
Cell connection (Bell network) is iffy: sometimes you get only one bar (could text); you're lucky when you get two. However, a short kayak/dinghie ride outside the anchorage will get you enough connection to make calls and surf the internet.
