Blind River, Ontario, Last Canadian Port

Days on cruise:  127

Distance traveled: 44.3 miles

Travel time:  4 hrs, 47 mins

Total trip odometer:  2,727 statute miles

We pulled our anchor early this morning, said good-bye to Stephen and Charlotte on Jackets II via VHF radio, and headed west.  It was sunny with light wind, and we were on a mission to get to Blind River.

At Little Detroit Channel, a narrow, shallow, blind corner, we had to make a Securite call on the VHF to alert any oncoming boats to our presence, but since we were following a large sailboat through, had no concerns.

More granite islands, negotiating channels through shallow water and rocks, and gorgeous scenery. Finally after 4 hours we saw the village of Blind River in the distance.

We pulled into the Municipal Marina, and two hours later our friends Gene and Joyce arrived at the boat. We first met Gene and Joyce two and a half years ago when they were traveling by RV on the mainland of Mexico, and we were doing the same, only on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Gene stumbled across our blog and sent us an email as we both had Arctic Fox fifth wheel trailers. We kept up an email correspondence and learned we would all be in Alaska that summer.

So we first met them in person summer 2010 on the Kenai Peninsula. In 2011 they flew to Hawaii and had an overnight in Seattle on the way, so we spent a day together showing them our hometown.  This past January as we drove to Florida to start the Loop, they were in Yuma, Arizona, and we met for lunch.  We’ve never been to their home in Bozeman, Montana, and they’ve never been to our home in Olalla; we only meet on our travels! Three days ago we got an email from Gene saying they were on a road trip from New Hampshire to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan via the north shore of Lake Huron, wondering if we might meet somewhere?  Hence our trip to Blind River, and their trip to our boat and out to dinner together for a visit tonight. It was such a hoot! We gave them a boat tour, and as usual, we talked and talked for 5 hours about our mutual travels and adventures.  They are great folks, and we’re sure we’ll see them again, but no idea when or where.

The forecast tomorrow is for light winds and sunshine, followed by 4 days of possible rain and thunderstorms, so if the forecast doesn’t change, we may make a dash across Lake Huron tomorrow back to the United States, another 45-mile crossing during which we’ll be out of sight of land, so good weather is a pre-condition. Look for a SPOT message from the U.S.A. if the forecast holds.