Logfishing

I don't think you need a special license to go logfishing in Canada. But if someone wants to catch logfish they need a really big hook with really, really, stout line. An anchor and chain will do in a pinch.

At first, the chain came aboard as normal as we took up the 90 feet or so we had in the water. But then the winch motor started to struggle even as the chain kept coming aboard and the boat drifted a little. Clearly we were not stuck to the bottom.  This was something new. As more chain came aboard, the mystery was solved. The chain had somehow gotten itself warped completely around a good sized log including throwing a pretty good excuse for a cinch knot. The weight of the anchor was holding the cinch tight and the logfish wasn't going anywhere.

Deb and I traded places for a couple of minutes. Me on the deck and her at the helm while I tried to unravel the dilemma of how to unravel the chain. My first thought was to just dead lift the anchor to take the load off the cinch. That should let the log just slide out of the loop. I reached down to grab the chain but Deb had already mention that I needed to watch my fingers. That warning triggered something I had learned a long, long time ago. When things heavy get tangled up and loaded this way they tend to unload with enthusiasm. Various heavy things tend to fly off in unanticipated directions at speeds that will do much damage to any fingers, arms, and even legs, that happen to be in the way. I poked at the mess a bit more with a boat hook but it was no match for the weight of the anchor. Whatever it was that needed done would require more than two hands. Fortunately the wind wasn't blowing nor was there any current. With the anchor at the surface and the logfish still hanging in front of the bow, First Light was content to just sit right were she was. Which made the whole thing a lot easier.

Deb came down from the helm. With the two of us working together we got one of the bow dock lines looped around the anchor hoop. That way I could lift without being in the line of flying heavy things.

It worked. The chain slapped around as the logfish spun a bit and then slipped free. The anchor dropped, snapping the chain tight in a way that would surely mangle any body parts in the way. I got back up on the helm. We got the anchor aboard and I backed away from the scene of the crime. The logfish might have been lurking right under the bow, waiting to munch on a passing propeller or thump a rudder a good one. Maybe it sank back to the bottom to await another anchor. All I know is that we cleared the area with no more ado.

Other than a few fishermen, we were the only boat in the shipping channel to Sault St. Marie. Kind of a surprise as I was under the impression that this is a rather busy port. There is a one way channel north and and different one way channel south. There are places on the chart where the two are separated by a few hundred feet of water that is just 3 feet deep. Don't get out of the channel. No wonder they are one way.

Once in the harbor itself, we went hunting for the Roberta Bondar Marina. It is on the small side with less than 30 slips and an interesting approach, one that is kind of hard to spot for a first timer until you are almost past it. Follow the route line on the chart and “Oh, there it is!” Helping hands got us tied too and it isn't even 1400 yet.

After getting situated, we took a walk along a pretty nice boardwalk that they have here along the waterfront. The boardwalk is the beginning of a 25km trail that's supposed to be only for bikes, feet, etc. but we did see some motorized scooters along the way. The trail goes quite a ways and passes by a ton of historically important places with educational placards along it. We only walked as far as the locks and back, but we were pretty impressed with their waterfront improvement project. I wish St. Louis would be able to complete something like this for the waterfront by the Arch.

When we finish up here, we will be heading back into the US. In fact, I can see it off the stern of the boat. But first we are going to take a train ride. (More on that tomorrow.)

The day started out with a lot of fog

Fog and a log...sounds like a Dr. Seuss book.

The International Bridge