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Franklin, Mink and McCoy, Parry Sound
1/3
Franklin, Mink and McCoy, Parry Sound

Franklin, Mink and McCoy, Parry Sound

$1,345.00 CAD

Eastern Georgian Bay is known for its iconic smooth, flat rocks and windswept pines. Franklin, Mink, and McCoy Islands are a paddler's paradise: stunning scenery, sheltered channels, and open crossings across the Thirty Thousand Islands. This five-day instructional expedition explores that coastline while building real navigation and coastal travel skills.

Your group travels as an expedition pod, navigating, cooking, and camping together. Everyone has an active role. This isn't a guided tour, it's a structured instructional expedition with coaching built into every day.

Franklin Island Georgian Bay
5Days
Franklin IslandsGeorgian Bay
1:4Instructor Ratio
L1+Kayak Ontario Level

Itinerary

Exact route and campsites may shift based on weather and conditions. Flexibility is part of the experience.

Day 1: Snug Harbour
Arrive at Snug Harbour for a trip briefing, orientation, and gear check. Meet your coaches and fellow paddlers, then launch into the islands.
Days 2 to 4: The Islands
Paddle through Franklin, Mink, and McCoy, exploring the region's coastal waters. Navigation with charts and compass, coached paddling, and hands-on coastal skills en route.
Day 5: Takeout at Snug Harbour
Final paddle and takeout at Snug Harbour. Closing debrief. We usually head for fish and chips at Gilly's afterward (your own cost).
Georgian Bay paddling

What's Included

  • Five-day instructional expedition with experienced Kayak Ontario coaches at 1:4 ratio
  • Group meals, planned, prepared, and cooked together as an expedition pod (Days 1 to 5, except Day 1 breakfast and Day 5 dinner)
  • Shared group gear: tarps, group kitchen essentials, and charts, compasses, and cases for navigation
  • Camping at scenic sites, with permits and reservations arranged for the group

What to Bring

  • Sea kayak and dry suit: bring your own, or rent from us and select at checkout
  • Transportation to and from the put-in at Snug Harbour, and any parking fees
  • Personal paddling layers: dry suit or neoprene and paddle jacket, as appropriate
  • Snacks and extra personal food: assume all snacks are on you, and bring plenty. Group meals cover Days 1 to 5, but bring more than enough of your own food to stay fuelled and happy across the week. Day 1 breakfast and Day 5 dinner are also your own.
  • Personal camping gear: sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, available to rent if you don't have your own

Good to Know

  • This is an active expedition. Everyone participates in paddling, cooking, camp setup, and navigation. No passengers.
  • Georgian Bay conditions can change quickly. Route and campsite decisions adapt as needed, and that is part of the experience.
  • The Thirty Thousand Islands offer everything from sheltered channels to open crossings, ideal terrain for building navigation and coastal judgement.
  • Rentals available: expedition kayak, dry suit, and camping gear. Select your rentals at checkout.

Prerequisite: Kayak Ontario Level 1 minimum, Level 2 recommended. An equivalent Paddle Canada or ORCKA sea kayak Level 1 also qualifies. You should be comfortable with wet exits, basic re-entries, and a full day on the water. Not sure if you're ready? Get in touch and we'll help you assess.

Questions

Do I need my own kayak or gear?
You can rent what you need: kayak, paddle, spray skirt, dry suit, and personal camping gear. Select your rentals at checkout. Shared group gear (tarps, charts, compasses, group kitchen) is included, and you bring your own personal layers and sleeping kit. Bringing your own boat is welcome.
How does food work?
Meals are planned and prepared together as a group across Days 1 to 5, except Day 1 breakfast and Day 5 dinner, which are on you. Snacks are your own, so bring plenty, you want more than enough to stay fuelled and happy on a full week of paddling.
How do I get to Snug Harbour?
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the put-in at Snug Harbour, near Parry Sound, and for any parking fees. Carpooling among participants is common, and we'll help coordinate if useful.
What if the weather is bad?
Georgian Bay sets the agenda. We build flexibility into the route and campsite plan for weather holds. Learning to make those decisions is part of the expedition.
Is this a guided tour?
No. It's an instructional expedition. You'll have qualified Kayak Ontario coaches throughout, and the five days are structured around building real expedition competence: navigation, coastal travel, group management, and camp craft. Everyone in the group has an active role in making the expedition work.
Can I earn a certification on this expedition?
Yes. This expedition suits any level of the ORCKA Kayak Tripping and Guiding program. Pair it with the matching online module (KT1, KT2, or KT3 when it launches) to be assessed and certify. You certify one level at a time, and each certification includes its own assessed trip, but every expedition you paddle also logs kilometres, nights, and leadership toward the levels above. Prefer just the paddling? The trip stands on its own with no assessment. See the pathway below.

Certification Pathway

This expedition works for every level of the ORCKA Kayak Tripping and Guiding pathway. Come to tour with no assessment, or pair it with the matching online module to certify. Either way, the kilometres, nights, and leadership you log here count toward your progress.

Counts toward every level
KT1 KT2 KT3 · soon
Online Module + This Expedition Kayak Tripping Level 1
Complete the KT1 theory module and this expedition to earn your Kayak Tripping Level 1 certification, the foundation of multi-day paddling.
View KT1 module →
Online Module + This Expedition Kayak Tripping Level 2
Complete the KT2 theory module and this expedition to earn your Kayak Tripping Level 2 certification, expedition leadership and guiding.
View KT2 module →

KT3, the capstone (coming soon). Where you cross from skilled tripper to trip leader. Pass it and you hold an ORCKA trip leader designation, qualified to plan, lead, and guide multi-day expeditions of your own. This expedition counts toward it too.

See how the full pathway works →

We acknowledge that this expedition through eastern Georgian Bay and the Thirty Thousand Islands, in the area now known as Carling, takes place on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe peoples, the Ojibway, Odawa, and Potawatomi, within lands covered by the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850. We recognize the enduring connection of local communities, including Wasauksing First Nation, to these lands and waters, and we are grateful for their stewardship.

This acknowledgement, accompanied by action, includes contributions to Indigenous-led organizations that make a lasting impact.

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