Parry Sound

Geocache Placed – Copegog Island

Activities, GeoBayCaching,

Parry Sound Power and Sail Squadron’s second GeoBayCache has been placed and confirmed on Copegog Island. It’s officially Cache #8.

The cache coordinates are:
45.25237º
-080.20081º

This is the same as:
45º 15.14220′
-080º 12.04860′

Depending on whether you are using a Degrees/Minutes or Degrees format.

As with the Huckleberry Island Cache there is a government dock, in this case co-sponsored with the Wasauksing Band, so there won’t be wet feet. The cache itself is on the other side of the island from the dock, less than a 100 meters away, and not really hidden. The idea of the program is to provide boaters with an opportunity to explore new spots in the Georgian Bay Biosphere.

There seems to be lots of water this year, so there shouldn’t be too many surprises if you follow the charted routes. But be careful on the water and on the islands, you are likely to come across poison ivy and the protected Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. Neither should be a concern if you keep your eyes and ears open and your hands to yourself.

Check out information at the Parry Sound Power and Sail Squadron GeoBayCaching page for information on the Squadron’s geocaching program.

The Dockage at Copegog Island (July 2014)

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Blessing of the Fleet

Activities, Events and Presentations, Parry Sound Area, ,

Adapting a maritime tradition to our local waters the Parry Sound Power and Sail Squadron Executive Officer, and Past Commander, the Reverend Doctor David Hardie will be offering a ‘blessing of the fleet’ on July 1st as part of the Squadron’s Christmas in July event.

Dr. Hardie will be offering the blessing for vessels attending the Christmas in July procession (all are invited to participate – please see an earlier post for information on when and where), at about 9:15 PM after boats have assembled behind Rosetta Island in the Parry Sound harbour.

 

First Geocache Placed – Huckleberry Island

GeoBayCaching,

Parry Sound Power and Sail Squadron’s first GeoBayCache has been placed and confirmed on Huckleberry Island. It’s officially Cache #5, but managed to get placed first.

The cache coordinates are:
45.40139º
-80.11776º

This is the same as:
45º 24.08340′
-080º 07.06560′

Depending on where you are using decimal degrees or degrees and minutes.

Good news – with a government dock so there won’t be wet feet. The cache itself is a bit tucked away from the elements, but not really hidden. The idea of the program is to provide boaters with an opportunity to explore new spots in the Georgian Bay Biosphere.

Check out information at the Parry Sound Power and Sail Squadron GeoBayCaching page for information on the Squadron’s geocaching program. Additional information about Cache #5 can be found at the page on the website.

ParrySights-1130

Christmas in July

Activities, Events and Presentations, General/Travel, Parry Sound Area, ,

Where? – Parry Sound Harbour
When? – July 1st, 9:15 PM

Every year the Parry Sound Power and Sail Squadron sponsors Christmas In July. You don’t have to be a member to express your holiday spirit. Just decorate your boat like a lighted Christmas tree or present and join us.

How? – Decorate your boat and join us behind Rosetta Island at 9:15 on July 1 – Canada Day. Or, if the day is Parry Sound perfect, anchor south of Rosetta (there is shallow water near Parry Island) – have a Bar-B-Q, swim, decorate your boat and join us south of Rosetta Island at 9:15

The parade of lights will leave at 9:40 led by the OPP boat or Cambrian. We travel in line toward Parry Sound Marine then loop to travel along the east side of the concrete wharf (many cheers and halloos, here.) We then try to head out past Bobs Point before the Island Queen returns from her evening cruise. We then tour toward the Old Town beach and Parry Sound Sailing School so the residents of Belvedere can see us. Hopefully we can get back and anchored for the fireworks.

Of course a skipper is responsible for his/her own boat. When and where you break off from the procession is up to you. One year in twenty, I remember a thunder storm that caused a change in plans. Grandchildren can insist that fireworks are more important than a long cruise. But I have never regretted being a part of this Canada Day celebration.

After the fireworks there tends to be total confusion in the harbor. I usually leave my boat anchored and fire up ALL my lights until things quiet down. On other nights I have followed boats out toward the Sound – boats with no lights, boats with their red and green lights backwards. I find it best to wait. On the other hand, even with the crowded harbor we have never had a collision.

Hope to see you at Rosetta this July 1. Contact me if you have questions: John Mason, commander@parrysoundsquadron.ca.

Last Year’s Christmas in July Procession

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Parry Sound Boat Launches – Mill Lake

Boating News, General/Travel, Parry Sound Area, , ,

This is the final installment in the series on boat launches in Parry Sound. Previous posts provided an overview of all sites with individual posts on the Champaigne Street, Waubuno Beach and Smelter Wharf launches. While these launches all provide access to Georgian Bay the Mill Lake launch provides access to, surprise, Mill Lake.

This launch is in a corner of Parry Sound just on the north east side of the Highway 400 bridges that cross the Seguin River and many people assume is part of the neighbouring municipality of McDougall. Mill Lake itself is a smaller lake that does not provide access to either Georgian Bay or other lakes in the area. It is largely surrounded by cottages and homes. Here is an aerial look at the boat launch.

Mill-Lake_Launch_WPSGN

The launch itself is shallow with a gravel base, suitable for the boats that might be used on this smaller lake. Parking is available and once again I suggest people contact the Town of Parry Sound if they want to leave their vehicle and trailer there for any extended period of time.  Here’s a photo looking at the launch area. It’s a pretty relaxed facility with few users and lots of space.

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The dock is about 40-feet in length. A sign at the launch states that dockage is limited to four hours.

That’s it for the review of boat launches in Parry Sound. With a little bit of help we may be able to provide information on boat launches in the surrounding communities.

JB – Communications Officer

Parry Sound Boat Launches – Smelter Wharf

Boating News, General/Travel, Parry Sound Area, , ,

This is the fourth post looking at boat launches in Parry Sound. Previous posts looked at the launches as a group, with separate posts on the Champaigne and Waubuno Street launches.

Also known as the Salt Dock (it’s a major facility for the offloading of road salt for the district) the Smelter Wharf is ‘in transition’ in my opinion. The launch was repaired last year to the tune of about $50,000, and as you will see from photos below it seems to need additional work. At present the launch is restricted in terms of the launch width, but it should not present an issue for any vessel that can be trailered on the road. The aerial photo below (click for a closer view) shows the launch site last Spring while it was still closed off and awaiting repair, with the docks not yet installed.

Smelter-Wharf_Launch_WPSGN

The two following photos show the condition of the launch as of June 2, 2014. The width of the launch is limited and a small section of the launch requires some resurfacing (construction cone). Otherwise the launch is quite functional with a 40-foot dock. There is a rapid drop off, so it isn’t necessary to back up too far before a boat will float.

Looking at the Smelter Wharf Launch

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There is lots of parking available, assuming that there are no events/ongoing in the wharf area. Despite this I rarely, if ever, see vehicles with trailers parked in this area. The Champaigne Street launch seems to be where people leave vehicles and trailers. I suggest you contact the Town for information if you you are interested in longer term parking at this site. I expect there is no issue for same day, or single day overnight parking.

Looking Back at the Launch

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Extended docking is not appropriate beyond the time required to launch.

JB – Communications Officer

 

 

Parry Sound Boat Launches – Waubuno Beach

Boating Information Links, General/Travel, Parry Sound Area, , ,

This post takes a look at the Waubuno Beach boat launch. In a recent post we presented a map identifying the free boat launches in Parry Sound. For those of you new to the area and wanting to get onto the Big Water, this information may be helpful. The previous post looked at the Champaigne Street boat launch area.

The Waubuno Beach boat launch is a secondary boat launch beside the Coast Guard Station. The launch area is protected and relatively small. The dock, about 40 feet long, offers very limited space to tie up if there is active launching.

Waubuno_Launch_WPSGN

The parking area is also very limited and it’s not clear what parking is permitted and for how long. I don’t recall seeing any longer term vehicles and trailers parked in this area, unlike the Champaigne Street launch area. I suspect longer term parking in the paved Waubuno Beach lot (not shown) is discouraged, especially if there is a trailer involved. Once again it is suggested that you contact the Town of Parry Sound for information and any restrictions. But with the Champaigne Street launch just a couple of kilometers away offering a wider launch area and lots of parking there seems little reason to use this launch for anything but boating for the day. The Smelter Wharf boat launch is even closer and we’ll take a look at this facility in the next post.

Here’s a photo of the boat launch taken later in the day. That’s Parry Island in the distance.

 A Ground Level Look at the Waubuno Beach LaunchOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

Parry Sound Boat Launches – Champaigne Street

Boating Information Links, General/Travel, Parry Sound Area, , ,

In the last post we presented a map identifying the free boat launches in Parry Sound. These launches will be familiar to those who have been coming to Parry Sound for  years. For those of you new to the area and wanting to get onto the Big Water, this information may be helpful. In this post we are looking at the Champaigne Street boat launch area. (Yes that’s the correct spelling, Champaigne, I went back to a 19th Century map to confirm the spelling. It could have been error at that time but it has stuck.)

The Champaigne Street launch is probably the most practical and useful for those who wish to come up to Parry Sound, launch their boat, and head out for a few days. It offers a reasonably good boat launch for anything up to 30-feet, perhaps more. There is also a barge ramp beside the launch for those with specialized needs. There are a total of three docks, about 40-feet long. Two are accessible from the shore, the third is a bit under water as it touches the shore. (Early 2013 image when the water was quite low, it’s closer to average at this point, 2014/05.)

WPSGN_Champaigne_Dock_2013

The docks are intended to be used for the loading and launching of boats rather than dockage. This boat launch can get busy and there is no room for boats to be tied up. Free dockage for a couple of hours has historically been available at Big Sound Marina, with charges for overnight dockage. Big Sound Marina has recently been put under new management and it’s possible that they might not extend courtesy dockage for people who want to get out and explore the Town, have a meal or resupply. Give them a call if you have any questions, here’s a link to their website..

The real appeal of the Champaigne Street boat launch is the availability of free parking for vehicle and trailer. The Town is relaxed with regard to parking at this site. I have had informal discussions with Town Staff and they indicated that there is no issue with parking there for a few days, let’s say four or less. Beyond that it is advisable to contact the Town to discuss a longer stay. They probably want to be sure that there is ‘fair’ use of the facility and people aren’t using the area as a ‘storage’ location.

Here’s a photo of the boat launch taken later in the day. The larger dock you see a little further away is the former Imperial Oil dock that is now sitting unused. It cannot be accessed from the shore. The barge ramp is to the left and not shown.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFor those of you with more specialized needs Sound Boat Works offers a hydraulic trailer and crane with the ability to launch and haul power and sail boats up to about 55-feet (possibly even larger).

 

Training / Executive Officer’s April Update

Boating News, General/Travel, Information/Reports, Parry Sound Area, , , ,

On April 22, 12 boaters graduated from the Maritime Radio Course held at Lakeland. This is important for boaters since a certificate is needed when operating a VHF radio.

This is the time of year when boaters harass marina operators to get their boats into the water. Four or five calls per person is common. The local saying here is that the Sound is clear of ice within a week of April 21st. 2012 broke the belief with an early break up. Some boats were in the water on the first day of Spring. It looks as though 2014 will break it the other way.

So: Before planning on early season boating remember: The early bird gets the worm. The second mouse gets the cheese.

The early boater gets to boat alone. Silence and still water can be delightful but first boaters can be subject to the floating debris left after the ice is gone. This can range from planks and trees limbs to docks that have broken free.

The first mouse, the one who gets onto the bay before a strong wind has blown it clear of this debris, can have some dangerous experiences. Planks torn from docks, their four inch nails sticking up, can damage the smooth underwater hull of a boat. There is nothing like skimming along through an early Spring fog and having a tree, branches and all, loom out of the mist in front of you.

Then there is the ice. It doesn’t all melt overnight. An invisible skim of ice can do quite a number on a boat too. And if it does and your boat is sinking, who are you going to call who can possibly get to you any time soon? I do boat in the early season. My rules are simple. Carry the seven or eight items you must as demanded by law. Boat like you will never need to use them. Boat carefully, one hand for the boat – one for yourself, and make no mistakes. Or wait ’til things warm up some.

 Early Season ‘Boaters’ on the Big Sound – No WorriesParrySights-6905-2