7/20/14 Echo Island to Parry Sound

We are having some problems with our batteries.  After running the generator last night for a couple of hours, we've found that we had no power this morning.  Then the starting batteries did not work either.  We have two separate battery banks, but both seem to be experiencing some problems.  We plan to stop at Sound Boat Works to have them check our batteries on Monday.  We again wound through beautiful small channels, which were very narrow in spots and shallow.  There were other areas that were very deep (140+ feet) and wide.

Osprey nest

There is was 17 foot swing bridge before entering Parry Sound.  Ron went up and lowered our antennae and I drove through without a problem.  If we had been too high, we would have waited for the hourly opening of the bridge. 

As we pulled in to the slip today at Sound Boat Works, we realized that the depth was 65 feet.  Unbelievable when we are used to 6 or 7 feet.

very fragrant milk weed

Sound Boat Works opens at noon on Sunday.  As soon as it opened, the only worker (a female) was inundated with business.  She had boats lined up for pump outs all that way out to the sound and numerous boaters were on the radio trying to get a boat slip.  She raced up and down the dock, pumping fuel, doing pump-outs. answering the marine radio and assigning slips.  Quite a worker!!

Ken and Ann arrived about 3 hours after we got here.  They were able to get here with their malfunctioning transmission.  Occasionally they put the boat in reverse and it doesn't work.  Tomorrow they will have a mechanic take a look.