Scott - some answers for your questions
Anchoring - my recommendation is to do what others are doing - if others are swinging from one anchor then you want to swing with them. In fact, if you come in and anchor with 2 anchors and others aren't you are asking for trouble. With the exception of Covered Portage near Killarney - in the North Channel, I have rarely seen anyone anchor with two anchors. On the other hand anchoring with 1 or 2 anchors from the stern and with the bow tied to shore is quite common in lots of anchorages in the North Channel. Midland to Goderich - Ports indicates that it is 186 nautical miles from Midland to Goderich. You could do that in two days and one night of sailing/motoring if the weather co-operates. Good sized waves against you can slow you down quite a bit. You could otherwise stop off at Tobermory and do it with two very long days. Tobermory is close to the middle of your trip so you could stay there except from late June to mid August it is very busy and you won't get a slip if you get in late - you can't reserve. Personally, if I had to do it in a short time, I would go for two shorter days and one night. Depends on you and your crew. At night you do want to be confident in your sailing skills and knowledge of your boat (it is new to you) as you may have to deal with challenges when you can't see easily. Straying into US Waters is not a problem. If you want to land somewhere it becomes more complicated and there are various requirements and options that you need to be aware of. We used to just call in from even a minor port when we landed - now it is a great deal more complicated in Lake Huron - it is much easier in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie which have OARS on the US side (I forget what the letters stand for, however it is a video link to Customs and border protection). Be aware that there are major shipping lanes on the West side of Lake Huron. VHF range on Lake Huron - if you are talking with the Coast Guard I think 40nm to 50 nm is probably right and may be conservative. Their antennae are high and the signal is very strong and reception sensitivity is good. In Lake Huron the Canadian Coast Guard have antennae at Tobermory, Kincardine and Sarnia which provides reasonable overlap. The Michigan side is well covered as well. From sailboat to sailboat I would probably say 30nm +/- is probably OK although I have never tried to verify this. Range athwartships is affected by heel - ie you are sending your signal into outer space or into the water. If your instructor has the CCG Radio Aids to Marine Navigation for eastern Canada - Page 2-65 indicates coverage which shows that Lake Huron is well covered from a Coast Guard broadcast perspective - and as I said their receivers are sensitive, however if your antenna connections are not good etc then whether they can receive you is more of a concern. Fair winds!
Anchoring - my recommendation is to do what others are doing - if others are swinging from one anchor then you want to swing with them. In fact, if you come in and anchor with 2 anchors and others aren't you are asking for trouble. With the exception of Covered Portage near Killarney - in the North Channel, I have rarely seen anyone anchor with two anchors. On the other hand anchoring with 1 or 2 anchors from the stern and with the bow tied to shore is quite common in lots of anchorages in the North Channel. Midland to Goderich - Ports indicates that it is 186 nautical miles from Midland to Goderich. You could do that in two days and one night of sailing/motoring if the weather co-operates. Good sized waves against you can slow you down quite a bit. You could otherwise stop off at Tobermory and do it with two very long days. Tobermory is close to the middle of your trip so you could stay there except from late June to mid August it is very busy and you won't get a slip if you get in late - you can't reserve. Personally, if I had to do it in a short time, I would go for two shorter days and one night. Depends on you and your crew. At night you do want to be confident in your sailing skills and knowledge of your boat (it is new to you) as you may have to deal with challenges when you can't see easily. Straying into US Waters is not a problem. If you want to land somewhere it becomes more complicated and there are various requirements and options that you need to be aware of. We used to just call in from even a minor port when we landed - now it is a great deal more complicated in Lake Huron - it is much easier in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie which have OARS on the US side (I forget what the letters stand for, however it is a video link to Customs and border protection). Be aware that there are major shipping lanes on the West side of Lake Huron. VHF range on Lake Huron - if you are talking with the Coast Guard I think 40nm to 50 nm is probably right and may be conservative. Their antennae are high and the signal is very strong and reception sensitivity is good. In Lake Huron the Canadian Coast Guard have antennae at Tobermory, Kincardine and Sarnia which provides reasonable overlap. The Michigan side is well covered as well. From sailboat to sailboat I would probably say 30nm +/- is probably OK although I have never tried to verify this. Range athwartships is affected by heel - ie you are sending your signal into outer space or into the water. If your instructor has the CCG Radio Aids to Marine Navigation for eastern Canada - Page 2-65 indicates coverage which shows that Lake Huron is well covered from a Coast Guard broadcast perspective - and as I said their receivers are sensitive, however if your antenna connections are not good etc then whether they can receive you is more of a concern. Fair winds!
