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Cruising the North Channel

There are many lovely places to sail in the world, but the North Channel between Georgian Bay and Lake Superior may be the loveliest of all. It is also a trickier place to cruise, especially when water levels are lower than normal.

To cruise the North Channel, it pays to be prepared. We have prepared a list of the charts you’ll need, as well as cruising guides that we recommend. There are several charts required for the North Channel

Charts:
2205 Killarney to Little Current
2206 McGregor Bay
2207 Little Current to Clapperton Island
2245 Manitowaning Bay- East End of North Channel
2257 Clapperton Island to John Island
2258 Bayfield Sound & Approaches
2259 John Island to Blind River
2268 Boyd Island to Spanish River (and various harbours)
2299 Clapperton Island to Meldrum
2251 Meldrum Bay to Joseph Island

Richardson’s Chartbook is also an option. It is cost effective because it provides charts for all of Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, and the North Channel. It is also a comfortable form factor for using on chart tables aboard yachts. However, Richardson’s does not legally cover you in terms of the requirement to carry large-scale (small area) paper charts. Richardson’s Chartbook would certainly be accurate for navigating (after updating with Notices to Mariners). When possible, we advise purchasing both the Richardson’s and the paper charts, to provide ease of use, and satisfy legal requirements. While this would cost more than simply buying Richardson’s alone, it would definitely cost less than the price of a fine from the Coast Guard. If cost is an issue, we strongly suggest buying the Paper Charts.

Cruising Guides
Well-Favored PassageWell-Favored Passage is a classic, and a definitive cruising guide for the North Channel. We have the 40th anniversary edition, updated with GPS coordinates and new information. Also very popular is the PORTS Cruising Guide: Georgian Bay, North Channel and Lake Huron.

We cannot strongly enough recommend exploring the North Channel. It is truly one of Ontario and Canada’s greatest treasures.

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