North Channel Wilderness Meetup was smokin’ fun
By Rear Commodore David Spencer
Wednesday, July 15 dawned with an eerie orange glow in the sky as smoke from catastrophic forest fires in northern Ontario, Manitoba and as far away as the Northwest Territories blanketed the skies in the otherwise pristine North Channel (NC-0). Visibility was reduced to less than half a mile. What to do? Let’s party!
Eighteen boats made their way to the large and welcoming anchorage at Eagle Island (NC-25) for the GLCC’s 2026 Wilderness Meetup. It was a strange sight seeing boats arrive out of the haze with their navigation lights on in the early afternoon.
Fortunately, some of the smoke dissipated before we gathered on the rocky shoreline for Happy Hour where snacks were shared, old acquaintances were renewed and new friends were made.
Two of the 18 boats were guests and both were Loopers. They were mightily impressed with the camaraderie of the GLCC group and their enthusiasm for sharing knowledge about the Great Lakes in general and the North Channel in particular.
We were particularly pleased to have legacy members Harold and Sue Darch join our gathering. Harold and Sue were cruising with their son and daughter-in-law, Rob and Kelly Darch, who have taken over the Darch family’s CS36 Merlin, Vision. Harold was Rear Commodore for Georgian Bay for many years and attended numerous GLCC events. He was an enthusiastic member of the ever-vigilant “Burgee Police” seeking out improperly flown GLCC burgees and, with good humour, ensured the offending burgee was corrected and gently persuaded the owner to offer him a beer as penance for the offence.
Day 2 started with coffee ashore enhanced with cinnamon squares freshly baked by Donna Whitley aboard Anthem.
While enjoying our baked goods and coffee, we surveyed the uneven terrain and difficult dinghy landing site. After applying a critical eye, we agreed it was less than ideal for our potluck dinner. A dinghy reconnaissance of the area revealed a much smoother rock with easier dinghy access a quarter mile around the northwest point. That became our venue for dinner that evening.
In the morning, a few dinghies headed out to tour the nearby Fox Island and Benjamin anchorages. We beached at a perfect sandy cove (well known to veteran North Channel cruisers) on the south shore of South Benjamin Island. We then returned to our Eagle Island anchorage, dodging islands and shoals through the dinghy passage between North Benjamin and Fox Island.
As the afternoon progressed, one of our guest boats invited all aboard for Happy Hour before our potluck dinner. Kenton and Roz from Lake of the Ozarks, MO, could easily accommodate the 30+ people who attended aboard their big DeFever Sunset Fever. The tangle of dinghies hanging off their stern was an impressive sight.
With clear skies and calm winds, our meetup concluded with a fantastic shoreside potluck dinner overlooking the barrier islands to the north of our Eagle Island anchorage. A fine mix of hot and cold dishes, including some freshly baked bread, was spread on folding tables that miraculously appeared on the smooth rocks.
The 2026 Wilderness Meetup was a no-fee, no-registration event. That format proved to be popular, especially for those with an uncertain cruising schedule. A great time was had by all. Expect more events like this to follow.
We’ll hope to avoid the smoke next time.