Georgian Bay, often referred to as the sixth Great Lake, is a prime cruising destination that stretches 100 miles long and 50 miles wide. This vast area offers sailors and boaters from both distant ports and nearby locales a diverse array of sailing conditions, usually accompanied by favorable winds. The bay's unique geography features a steep-to coast that provides smoother seas on the windward shore and a succession of charming village ports.

Sand beaches front the gently rolling southern coast. Behind these shores small cities and villages combine resort life with local industry and agriculture. The long eastern shore is a different world of islands, inlets, coves and bays, laced by complex waterways. This coast is predominantly granite surrounded by stands of pine. The land and waterscape become more wild and austere as one proceeds north toward the Killarney and La Cloche Mountains.

Georgian Bay has two distinctly different faces: the north end of the Bruce Peninsula, the northeasterly coast of the Thirty Thousand Islands, and the opposite coast. Most cruisers on the Thirty Thousand Islands side travel the small-craft route between the end of the Trent-Severn Waterway and the North Channel. They anchor overnight in one of the hundreds of easily entered anchorages or tie-up in a marina. 

Cruisers on the opposite side of the Bay find far fewer anchoring options, although marinas are conveniently located in the small towns along the Bruce Peninsula between Tobermory and Collingwood.

CAUTION: Due to the remoteness of much of Georgian Bay, particularly north of Parry Sound through to Killarney, pump-out facilities will be infrequent and expensive when you do find them. Deal with this issue before you head into these remote regions. Under no circumstances should you pump overboard. The fine should you be caught is a significant one and other boaters will not hesitate to report you.

Cruising Conditions

This is generally a lee shore. A hard-running sea will obscure as many rocks and shoals with spray as it shows in surf, not to mention its side-setting effect on a small vessel and the disappearance of the spar buoys beneath big waves. On exposed runs you're far wiser to take a lay day rather than heading out. In smaller, narrower channels check behind you to ascertain that you haven't been pushed sideways out of the channel. 

Be ready to use your motor at narrow passes and sharp turns and be sure to monitor VHF Channel 16 for Securité calls. Keep your air horn close for boats without VHF radios. Eyeball piloting and careful chart work are more important than your compass headings. Staring at a chartplotter or GPS can quickly lead to groundings.

Cautious navigation is mandatory at all times, whether you are traveling on an open-water passage or on the inside small-craft route. Cruisers doing overnight offshore passages across Georgian Bay are advised to keep a watch for lake freighters. Traveling the small-craft route at night is not recommended. Even if it were not for the narrow passages, unlit markers and the many rocks and shoals, there are often small local cottage boats running about without navigation lights.

Since the Great Lakes are non-tidal, depths typically change very slowly but they do, in fact, change. If you have traveled this area before, be aware that there may be more or not as much water as on your last trip. These fluctuations are particularly important on this coast. Rocks are revealed or concealed accordingly and anchorages that are feasible for your draft one year may be dangerous the next. Inform yourself about the bay's level with respect to chart datum and adjust your depth readings accordingly.

NOTE: For up-to-date information on water levels for all the Great Lakes, call the Canadian Hydrographic Service at 877-247-5465. You can also find depths online at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Occasionally strong winds will create a seiche effect, pushing water into or out of bays and channels. In extreme and fortunately rare conditions this will create differences in depths of as much as 4 feet.

Navigation

These are excellent cruising grounds, especially for those who have just come through the Trent-Severn Waterway and crave the open water offered by Georgian Bay, as well as those who wish to avoid the heavy boat traffic and deep wakes often found on the eastern end near Midland. Dare not assume, however, that simply because what you see looks like an open water stretch that it is safe to cross.

Actively seek local knowledge if unsure about your position or intended destination as towing services can be few and far between. If you do get lost, stop to determine your location before proceeding.

Cruisers enter Georgian Bay at Cape Hurd (Tobermory) from the west via the Trent-Severn Waterway at the southeast corner or from the North Channel to the northwest. Georgian Bay runs northwest by southeast, is about 120 statute miles long by 50 statute miles wide and offers diverse passage opportunities. For passage planning cruisers should note that winds are generally out of the northwest. 

Those wishing to make faster passages will find that running outside the small-craft route (or diagonally between Wingfield Basin and Christian Island) provides clear, deep passage with few obstructions and fewer boats.

If you are a dedicated to gunkholing, we recommend that you use a handheld depthsounder or leadline and check out questionable anchorages from the dinghy before entering.

Anchorage Note

Etiquette in the small coves and bays of this region dictate that you do not use a noisy generator past a reasonable hour and most certainly not overnight.

VHF Radio

Marinas on the Canadian shore commonly respond on VHF Channel 68 (not VHF Channel 16). The Canadian Coast Guard will gently remind you should you forget and hail on VHF Channel 16. Wind information is given in metric and knots so listen carefully. In addition, weather information is given in both of Canada's official languages, French and English. If you hear a broadcast that you do not understand just wait a few minutes. The broadcasts are identical in content, giving you a great opportunity to learn Canada's second official language.

Cruisers' Net

The North Channel Cruisers' Net is broadcast every morning at 9:00 a.m. on VHF Channel 71 from July 1 through the end of August. The Net covers news, weather, location of boats, aids in emergencies and helps with cruisers' needs. The Net can be heard from Beaverstone Bay in the Georgian Bay to the west end of the Whalesback Channel in the North Channel.

Additional Resources​

The prudent boater will purchase the latest charts and refer to the Local Notice to Mariners before beginning any cruise. Another "must have" is the online Waterway Explorer, a free interactive web application for navigation. Specific marina and anchorage information can be found as well as details on navigation alerts and cruising news. The site provides the ability to make updates, report hazards and read or write reviews on facilities. To help other boaters please take a moment to enter a rating and add any updates when you visit a marina or anchorage. You can also sign up for weekly news and navigation updates, delivered directly to your inbox. 

​Canadian Customs

If at any point during the transit you come to port, anchor, moor or make contact with another vessel, you must immediately report to the  Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). There are three ways to report:

• Call 1-888-226-7277 from a marine telephone reporting site to request clearance to enter Canada;
• Report directly in-person at one of the marine reporting site locations, which are staffed by the CBSA; or
• Enroll in the NEXUS program, which provides low-risk travelers the option to be pre-approved by both the CBSA and the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

NOTE: You are exempt from these reporting requirements if you do not embark or disembark people or goods in Canada.

For those seeking a comprehensive guide to safely and thoroughly enjoy all that Georgian Bay has to offer, consider purchasing the Waterway Guide Great Lakes Volume 2 Edition. 

Exploring with Scho & Jo

Integrate your journey with insights from Scho & Jo's YouTube series on Georgian Bay, which offers firsthand experiences and tips from various parts of the bay. Their videos cover everything from navigating tricky channels to exploring local communities and natural landmarks.