MY FAVORITE ANCHORAGE:  THE POOL, GEORGIAN BAY

Written by Linda Boynton, SV Tiger Lily

Favorite anchorage? That's so hard! I will write about our FIRST favorite anchorage way back in 2019 when we moved out of our house in the Chicago suburbs onto SV Tiger Lily. We decided to explore Lake Huron (Georgian Bay and the North Channel) before we headed out the Erie Canal to the Atlantic. One of the blogged-about spots is The Pool (46 02.693'N, 81 28.683'W) on the north shore of Georgian Bay.  It is reached by going through a long narrow fjord at the east end for Baie Fine.  The passage through the fjord took an hour of careful attention, especially with our seven-foot draft and some very shallow spots along the way. Thanks in part to unusually high water levels that year, we slipped through without a single “bump."  Normally this anchorage is bustling with boats, but arriving in early September we were late in the season so we were sharing the Pool with just one other boat.

After settling in, we took the dinghy ashore and set off on a hike to the famous Topaz Lake. Somewhere along the way we missed the trail turnoff and ended up hiking much farther than planned. It seems that our water navigation is better than our land navigation! Eventually, we made it to the lake, and it was absolutely worth the extra effort. The water was crystal clear, perfectly still, and surrounded by trees which were reflected like glass. It practically begged us to jump in, so we did.

Although there was no cell service (This was before we got Starlink!) we learned via VHF radio that the forecasted thunderstorm was indeed still expected in the area. We decided to stay put and let the storm pass in this well-protected anchorage. Whether the Pool lived up to its reputation or the storm simply missed us, we’re not sure—but our surroundings remained beautifully calm and peaceful.

The day was very relaxing with me reading an entire book and Bob pulling out his beloved Sailrite sewing machine to sew a proper harness to safely hoist the dinghy engine aboard Tiger Lily. The real highlight came when I spotted two black bears wandering along the shoreline. We watched them for 30–40 minutes through the binoculars, completely captivated by the experience. I didn't want to think about the fact that their location was exactly the start of the trailhead to Topaz Lake! You actually can see one of the bears in the picture if you look really closely!

What's your favorite harbor?  Email [email protected]