Recently I was passed down some of my family’s Georgian Bay boating history – two generations of ship’s log books to be exact. And I carried them with me onboard, enjoying a story or two every weekend while sitting on my own boat on the Bay. And I noticed that both my grandparents and parents were more about stories than stats, and thank goodness for that!

Along with recording forecasts and conditions, my family wrote long detailed stories in the ship’s log about their explorations of the Bay by boat and the many friends they made along the way. Some of the entries were even written by a very young me.

And for whatever reason, we would often (and still do) use the term “beauty” to refer to the more memorable times – be it a stunning sunset, a fish caught for dinner, or a perfect anchorage. And that’s not to say there weren’t issues! Mechanical, navigational, electrical, rough seas, fog, storms, running out of ice…LOL…always lots of misadventures to manage!

The knowledge these experiences left with me formed a great foundation for my own boating life. At a very young age I learned to navigate using paper charts and a compass, record and interpret the MAFOR, how important the log book is, plus nothing beats an outdoor education like exploring Georgian Bay as a kid!

I now travel the Bay on my boat “Georgian Pearl” based out of Midland Ontario. From May until October this 20 year old beauty is pretty much my home and every day is an adventure! Together we have traveled the St Clair River, Lake Huron, the North Channel and Georgian Bay.

My parents have since retired from recreational boating in favour of cottaging so I now find myself the last family member to continue the “ship’s log.” And after careful consideration I decided to create my “log book” online, making it accessible to boaters, cottagers and any others who love this sweet water sea!

In the fall of 2021 I created “Georgian Bay Beauties” and in the first year received such terrific and positive feedback from my readers, more than I ever expected! ❤️ And one year later the Toronto International Boat Show noticed my site and asked if I would present daily seminars at their 2023 show – an amazing opportunity for me to showcase the stunning anchorages of Georgian Bay!

Through “Georgian Bay Beauties” I highlight the natural beauty of the Bay and all she offers boaters, cottagers, visitors, and those of us lucky enough to live year round on her shore. My goal is to set foot on every one of those 30,000 Islands before my time is up! LOL

–Elizabeth Wilson

P.S.: Occasionally I will include Turks and Caicos stories on my website and Facebook page – my family has resided there part time since the 90’s and I try to visit as often as possible. I enjoy writing about Providenciales as it is so similar in ways to Georgian Bay – beautiful water and islands – but without the cold icy winters!