Boating with Kids Summer of 2019 Part 2
Oct 24, 2019
By Laura Briscoe-Schell
Laura and Royce live near Lake Nipissing but boat on Georgian Bay. This year we were out of Key River so sadly missed a month due to the big fire.
The pair have boats in their blood. Laura provided some background: “Some is from my time as a child on our 36 ft Chris Craft. My husband grew up on Georgian Bay. We did take a couple of boating courses and I plan to take more. Most specifically navigating, as our dream is to do the loop one day. (Once we manage an upgrade!)”
Dad Royce and Ryan. We have a picture of them both taken in the exact same spot when Ryan was just 6 months old.
August- Britt and French River
Golden Sword Island is favourite anchorage for all of us. It is sheltered from the worst of the wind, there is an old chimney still standing on the shores that fascinate the kids. Sadly, the beautiful shoreline is now marred with multiple windmills. These huge structures do take away from the scenery. It’s a shame and that progress and clean energy have to be so grotesque. Still, it remains a popular spot as it’s a short trip from Britt and a great stop over on the route north to Killarney.
Sunset Golden Sword Island
Henvy Inlet Windmills
jumping at Monkey Cliffs
Son Colt and grandson Dayton
If you are looking for a quiet and picturesque place to anchor for a night or longer the French River area is the place to go. There are countless bays and sheltered spots for boats of all sizes and draft to sneak into. The pine trees and rocks create a stunning landscape. We managed to tuck in behind an island where we felt we were alone in the world. Right beside us were some cliffs that just screamed to the kids “jump from us”. If you looked at the cliffs carefully you could see the face of a monkey. The boys now call this spot “Monkey Cliffs”. The kids had a blast kayaking around this bay and jumping from the cliffs.
We rode out a summer storm and enjoyed a light show that the kids slept through! It never ceases to amaze me what kids can sleep through!
It’s true we didn’t go as far as we had planned this summer. But we had an amazing time anyway. Our summer entailed everything that I believe boating is about. Time with family and friends, we met new people. Learned from some of these people. The kids expanded their kayaking and swimming skills. Baby Dayton took his first steps on the boat and proved to be a true sailor. He slept right through a couple of pretty rough crossings! The boys learned how to handle dock lines and take some responsibility from us. It was a true summer on Georgian Bay!
Brother bonding time
