The Bruce Peninsula, part of the Niagara Escarpment and located in the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, divides Georgian Bay from Lake Huron and is both an amazing yet challenging area for boaters to explore.

Last summer we took our time cruising from Tobermory to Owen Sound, touring the rugged shoreline up close, and what an experience it was! In this “Part 1” I cover our travels along the north shore, with stops at Tobermory and Wingfield Basin, including short videos of the escarpment cliffs and basin entrance.

When first starting to plan for this trip, and as the navigator of our boat, I thought it would be an easy one – just point and go! More accustomed to cruising the east side of the Bay, the west side looked simple – no 30,000 islands in our way or small craft routes to challenge us. We’d been to both Tobermory and Owen Sound before so how hard could everything in between be?

But after some careful research and chart reviews, I realized that the “everything in between” would be the most challenging due to weather, wind and currents. The protected anchorages are few and far between, the water often ugly and mean as Lake Huron and Georgian Bay converge across the top of the Bruce.

A brief history of this area: the Niagara escarpment was formed over 450 million years ago and stretches from the Niagara River up to Tobermory, on to Manitoulin Island and over to Michigan. The Bruce Peninsula portion as seen from the water of Georgian Bay is incredible! The high escarpment cliffs along the north and east sides of the peninsula are composed of dolomite rock, a type of soft limestone very susceptible to erosion, thus creating the amazing shoreline with it’s multiple caves, flowerpots, overhangs and cliffs.

At the northwest tip of the peninsula sits the small harbour town of Tobermory, a welcome safe haven for recreational boaters before or after a Lake Huron crossing and quite the happening place through the summer months! 

Tobermory is also known as the freshwater diving capital of Canada due to the multitude of shipwrecks within this area, most more than a century old! It wasn’t until 1858 that the first navigational aid was erected on Cove Island, and then towards the end of the century two others were added at Big Tub Harbour and Flower Pot Island but before this time many ships had met their untimely end, the countless mooring balls which designate the dive spots bouncing on the water like tombstones.

However the water is cold and clear which is perfect for both preserving the wrecks and viewing them!

Approaching Tobermory from the west, there are 2 routes in: the shallower Cape Hurd channel, and the deeper route that passes the Devils Island Bank and Russel Island, keeping both to starboard. Follow the markers up and around Russel Island and then head southeast.

Arriving from the east be sure to stay well offshore as you round Dunks Point and then proceed slowly into Little Tub Harbour.

For transient boaters Tobermory offers:

• Fuel and pump out services, washrooms, laundry facilities.

• Slips for boats up to 125′ in length

• A few cafes and shops along with a small liquor store. Groceries are a little outside of the village.  

And as a visitor here are some interesting facts:

• Tobermory is the summer home to the iconic Georgian Bay ferry MS Chi-Cheemaun (Ojibwe for “Big Canoe”). Since 1974 this passenger and vehicle ferry has been providing service between the harbour and Manitoulin island from May through October.

• Another boat you may see in the harbour is the Dawn Light – likely the oldest operational tug on the Great Lakes, now working as a dive boat.  Built in 1891, she has sunk and been raised three times over her long life!

• “Flowerpots” are the name for the rock pillars of dolomite limestone eroded into what look like upside down flower pots.

• Flowerpot Island, located about 4 nm NE of Tobey, is well worth a visit! There are walking trails and a light station, it’s a great dinghy day trip but only on a calm sea day.!  Note there are no docking facilities for private vessels and a day pass is required from the Parks Canada visitor centre in Tobermory.

Tobermory is always a fun stop for boaters and if you haven’t yet visited this eclectic harbour village, consider adding it to your list for this season!

Upon departing Tobermory and heading east along the north shore you will encounter some of the most spectacular shoreline in Ontario! And one of the best ways to explore this area is in a dinghy or small boat, keeping a careful eye on your charts and the depth.

Some of the interesting sites you will pass are:

• The Grotto: a very popular tourist destination in the summer months, it is a large sea cave carved into the limestone with an inner pool of water accessed by an underwater tunnel. 

• The deepest point ever surveyed on Georgian Bay at 541 feet (the average water depth of the Bay is between 100 – 300 feet)

• Ancient Cedars – these scrubby little eastern white cedars grow from the crevasses of the cliffs with no soil! Some have been dated at centuries old, their branches well weathered and gnarled, wrapping around and grabbing onto whatever piece of rock they can to keep their footing! One discovered outside Lion’s Head was found to have germinated in the year 688 AD and is over 1330 years old! 

Here is a short pictorial of some of the stunning scenery we passed along the way:

And this all leads to the beautiful and protected – although sometimes challenging to enter or exit – Wingfield Basin.

Located within the Cabot Head Provincial Park, on the NE shore of the Bruce Peninsula, this is the only harbour between Tobermory and Lion’s Head and that’s over a 30 nm distance between the two.

The basin is named after Lieutenant David Wingfield of the Royal Navy who was one of the early Georgian Bay hydrographic surveyors.

The entrance is narrow but there are range markers on shore to help guide you in; just be sure to stay offshore until you line up with them and then carefully proceed in. Surrounded by escarpment views and thick forest, the basin is a great refuge for both mariners and wildlife!

Take a look at this short video and listen to the waves roll into the basin. At the end I include a sailboat exiting which shows how fun the narrow entrance can be to transit!

And do not miss touring the grounds of the Cabot Head Light Station on the point. Dinghy to the east shore and locate the trail just past the shoreline. Take bug spray, hiking shoes and be sure to keep an eye out for rattlers and poison ivy.

This property, although abandoned and desolate now, was just a few years ago a thriving tourist destination and museum! Here is a link to the history behind this abandoned light station and what may be in store for the future:

https://georgianbaybeauties.org/2023/08/12/cabot-head-light-station-another-ghost-of-the-bay/

Cruising this part of the Bruce requires a careful watch of the weather and wind forecasts, especially when planning any long-haul dinghy trips. However as we all know, the best things in life are not without a little extra effort but you will definitely be rewarded with magnificent scenery, interesting history, and so much to explore!

Next month I will be following up with the second half of our journey – Part 2: Cabot Head to Owen Sound.

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