In Part 1, I covered Tobermory to Wingfield Basin and in this second part I travel from Cabot Head to Owen Sound, with stops at Lion’s Head and Melville Sound. Here is a link to Part 1 if you missed it:

Cruising the Bruce Peninsula Part 1: Tobermory to Wingfield Basin

Part 2:

Departing Wingfield Basin on a beautiful day we round the cape, passing the light station on our starboard, then head south, staying well offshore. The first community we pass is Dyers Bay – a small village with a mix of seasonal and permanent residents. But no amenities or services for boaters here, this is best explored by dinghy.

And just 10 nautical miles further south we arrive at our next destination – the picturesque village of Lion’s Head!

Located at the 45th Parallel Lion’s Head sits half way between the equator and north pole, and likely half way between Tobermory and Owen Sound.

With a population of approx 600, it is situated at the base of the Niagara escarpment and named for the cliff face that used to resemble a lion’s head until the nose fell off due to erosion.

The entrance is narrow and in a strong east or north wind the harbour tends to rock and roll!

We spend 2 nights at Lion’s Head; the Harbour Master Jon and his staff are amazing, all very helpful!  Services include fuel, pump out, and a pretty decent launch ramp. The washrooms are clean with large showers, and there is a sandy beach inside the harbour with a roped off swimming area. For provisioning there is a small Foodland, LCBO, and the Lions Head Pub.

The Bruce Trail is nearby and a nice hike takes us to Lion’s Head lookout for some stunning shoreline views

Boaters note that the small harbour can only accommodate so many transient vessels (they are limited on space for 40’ and up), and they do not take reservations so be sure to have some communication with them prior to showing up and assuming a slip will be available, particularly if you require power for the night.  

Departing Lion’s head we head south passing Barrow Bay. There is a creek here that leads to a small inland lake; I’ve not had the opportunity to explore this however I have heard it is accessible by dinghy during high water years.

Rounding the next corner, we enter Melville Sound. There are 4 areas to anchor here: MacGregor Harbour, Sydney Bay, Hope Bay and Jackson’s Cove. 

MacGregor Harbour offers good protection but the low lying shore has homes, cottages and a road running along side. Sydney Bay and Jackson’s Cove have reasonably good protection while Hope Bay is exposed to east & northeast winds. 

Departing Melville Sound to continue south, we round Cape Croker and the light station bringing three islands into view: Hay, Griffith and White Cloud Islands which mark the entrance to Colpoys Bay and Wiarton. 

White Cloud island’s “Kidd Bay” is a popular anchorage for local boaters and just west of here lies the small village of Wiarton, home of Wiarton Willy!

There is also a famous shipwreck within the waters here – one of the Bay’s worst marine disasters: the Jane Miller which sank during a vicious storm in November 1881 claiming all 30 lives onboard.

It was only recently – in 2017, 136 years later – her resting place was discovered. Designated a protected archeological site under the Ontario Heritage Act, the exact location has not yet been divulged.

Continuing on we quickly arrive at the entrance to our next stop – Owen Sound.

Incorporated in 1857, the town was a booming harbour town in the 1800’s, ship building being its main industry.

Some Owen Sound built ships you may have travelled on: two Maids of the Mist tour boats and although no longer travelling the Niagara River, one of those boats is still in use and can be seen in the summer at the Parry Sound town dock – The Chippewa! 

Georgian Shores Marina is where we stay for 2 nights and what a great team of people! We receive a very warm welcome, a consultation on which slip would fit us best, and an information package about the area. 

The marina offers the usual services – fuel, pump out, hydro at slip PLUS they have a great club house for boaters with a fireplace and lounge – including TV, kitchen and couches, spacious clean washrooms, and laundry facilities. 

If going to town for supplies, I would suggest you dinghy as it is a far walk from the marina.

There is a short term visitor dock with grocery and a beer store nearby plus some fun eateries in town. One of my favourites is the Mudtown Station Brewery. The restaurant is located in the old CP Rail station which they have re-purposed into a diner but left the interior authentic! After completing the renovation into a brewery & diner, they won an Ontario Heritage award for Excellence in Conservation.

We really enjoyed our stay at Georgian Shores and exploring the town of Owen Sound! One thing I must mention about arriving and departing Owen Sound – the Meaford firing range is located on the southeast bluff so be sure to give this wide clearance! It is clearly marked on your charts and they do practice live firing, in fact occasionally the booms from the range can be heard clear across the Bay in Penetang!

Owen Sound was our last stop before heading east back to home port in Midland with bittersweet feelings – cruising the Bruce was one of our best experiences on Georgian Bay but then it’s always nice to come home after a long journey!