Lynn and I just returned from a 2-week cruise on "Cat's Paw" to the North Channel of Lake Huron. We wanted to try the area after reading the exploits of "Busca Brisas" (M17), "Peapod" (WWP 15) and others. Thanks folks for sharing your experiences; the Channel is truly a fine cruising ground for tiny boats like ours. We used Spanish Municipal Marina as our home base, anchoring out eleven nights. Our tour ranged from Dewdney Island (West) to Baie Fine (East). Winds ranged from dead calm to about 30 knots (we sat those out!), with many hours in the 5 to 15 knot range. We were under way about 75 hours, and of those used the motor about 23 hours. The Honda 2-horse used 12 liters of gas. Some highlights and observations that might be of use to others interested in a similar trip: - We were pleased with how well the boat took care of us in several 15 - 20 kt conditions. We reefed early and generally went with the flow (i.e. downwind); we also could get upwind effectively in 2-3 foot waves as long as there was plenty of wind for driving power. - We religiously monitored the Environment Canada forecasts on VHF weather channels 3 and 9. These reports were pretty accurate and saved our bacon a couple times. - Our time between marina visits was limited to about 3 days, primarily by porta potti capacity. We found that with planning we could make a midday stop at Spanish or Little Current (town dock or Spider Bay) and then continue to an anchorage. - Anchorages were generally not crowded; 5 of the eleven nights we were alone. The most boats we encountered was 9 (storm forecast), otherwise never more than 3. Like most cruisers, we sought anchorage early in the day to enjoy the swimming, blueberries, and quiet. - Shoal draft (centerboard and rudder up, steering with the short-shaft motor) allowed us to get into a few really unique spots. We touched bottom only once. - We carried two Danforth anchors (8# and 4#, each with 10 feet of chain plus 150 feet of rode) and a 100 foot shoreline. These were adequate and necessary. Since the water was warm and we love to get wet, swimming or wading to shore was fun. - We don't cook on the boat under any circumstances; for hot meals we took the butane backpacking stove ashore. - Everyone told us that complete charts were a must--they were right! There are lots of rocks awash, tricky reefs, and shallow passes between islands. We made good use of our hand bearing compass, steering compass, dividers, course plotter, and GPS receiver. And we did a lot of conning from the foredeck. Fog was never a problem during our trip. - The natural values are unsurpassed: clean water, cliffs and other rock formations, fossil beds, wildlife. "Cat's Paw," in her second year on the water, is sailed mainly here in Duluth MN. Weekends often find us exploring the harbor or swimming off the boat on Lake Superior while waiting for wind. Appreciation to Jerry Montgomery & Bob Eeg for designing & building a solid, fun boat. Stan & Lynn Froseth M15 #616 "Cat's Paw" Duluth, MN _________________________________________________________________ Dont just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/