Monday, August 5 - Sunday, August 11, 2013
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| Locks on the Trent-Severn Waterway |
cast off at 8:00 a.m. and floated as
Journey got a pump out then
Harmony was able to cast off.
We made good headway on our 1st day by traveling 25 miles and 7 locks in less than 7 hours. We pulled up to the blue line at the bottom of Lock 8,
Percy Reach, for the night. The lock master was very friendly and even shared his cheese curds with all of us. I learned that if the curds don't squeak then they are not fresh. Very squeaky! After relaxing under the trees for a time we head back to prepare dinner. This lock does not have power. Only one of the 7 we locked through today did. The generator gets some exercise. After going over charts with our friends we head back home. Margi can always count on me to accompany her as she walks Teddy before bed.
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| Pulling Out of Fraser Park Marina in Trenton |
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| Beginning the Next Adventure |
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| Lock 1 - Trenton |
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| Trenton Lock Station |
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| Traditional Hand-Cranked Lock System |
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| Lock Master's Garden |
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| 5 of the First 7 Locks are Bordered by Dams |
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| Batawa Lock Master's Station |
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| Margi and Rick Walking Teddy at the Frankford Lock |
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| Much of the Landscape is Farm Land |
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| A Little Rough Along the Edges |
Our group was the first through Lock 8 Wednesday morning at 9:00. Mike was not feeling well but we plugged along. He was not alone. Rick and Bob felt nauseous too. I don't think Mike will eat cheese curds again! Hence the day was short but busy. Five lock in under 7 miles!
Ranney Lock 11 and 12 are in a flight meaning we move from one directly into another.
Campbellford looked like a great place to stop. The town wall was along a park downtown. It was disappointing to realize that our mooring pass would not work here. Some of the power connections did not work so we spread out along the wall. Canadians refer electricity as 'hydro' since the power is generated by dams. When I heard 'hydro' the first time I thought people were referring to the water available at the dock. We discovered later the free dock was just on the other side of the bridge but the guys were whipped and so we paid up and stayed put. The market across the street didn't offer much variety so Margi and I walked a little further and discovered a grocery store. Later, Janet, Margi and I walked across the bridge in search of the
World's Finest Chocolate Outlet Store. Amazingly, I walked away with nothing! Such will power!
A couple other Loopers were approaching wall in Campbellford. Two sailboats....
Aurora and Carina, charter members of the
Hudson River Homesteaders!
We had not seen them since Montreal! Cindy and Mike walked to a gas station to refill their fuel tanks and purchase ice. When we told Kent and Jane that these were not the free dock they decided to mover on a bit further. The tortoise takes the lead!
That evening the park filled up people toting umbrella chairs. We were treated to a free concert by a local bluegrass band. Mike was resting below so I sat on
Journey's bow tapping my foot to unfamiliar tunes. The music seemed to bring Rick back to life! Before dark, 3 boys came swimming past the boat. It appeared like the last one was struggling so Mike offered the ladder on our swim platform as an escape. Two of the three took us up on our offer. I guess they weren't too tired as they repeatedly jumped off the bridge and the banks trying to one-up the others.
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| Meyers Lock, #9, is Traditional |
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| A Suspension Bridge Connects Ranney Falls to Ferris Provincial Park |
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| Ranney Falls Flight Lock has a 48 ft Lift |
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| A Road Follows the Canal |
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| Once A Bridge, Now a Billboard |
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Two Sides of the $2 Coin Called a 'Toonie'
(The $1 Coin is a Loonie Displays a Loon) |
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| Designed by Local Artist Brent Townsend |
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| Campbellford Park from the Bridge |
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| Free Concert Sponsored by the Local Lions Club! |
Flip the calender, it's August!
Overnight showers lingered until around noon. After a meeting of the minds, it was agreed we would move on rather than pay for another nights stay. (Upon entering the Chambly Canal we purchased a combination
seasonal lockage and mooring permit from Parks Canada for $18.60 per ft (36 ft for us) or about
$670. This
would carry through all the Canadian canal routes.) Everyone was trying to get the most from their dollar!
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| A Great Place to Watch the Canal Traffic |
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| Crowe Bay Lock #14 is an Island |
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| A Rocky Shelf Diverted Thanks to the Lock |
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| Lower Healey Falls Lock #15 |
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| Waiting on the Blue Line for Our Boating Buddies |
Irish Attitude tied off to the wall on Lower Healey Falls, Lock 15. Our trio of boats will not fit on the wall as we wait for the lock to open. The stairway is an unusual design. Great for fishing boats but to low for
Journey's fenders. Docking along the other side would make it a narrow exit for the boats locking down. Rick decided to hang back until they could enter the lock. After this lock we called it a day. Three more locks checked off.
Upper Healey Falls was a peaceful setting. (Most of the locks feel remote because we don't know what lies beyond the tree!). Once settled in Margi, Janet and I walked to the upper falls. Poor Teddy. The walk was further than expected and Teddy's little legs couldn't keep up. We took turns carrying the little Yorkshire Terrier. I think this hike should have been made from the flight of locks ahead! We were happy to get back and join the our guys relaxing under the trees.
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| Mike, Margi and Rick in Lock 15 |
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| Water Rushes in to Fill Lock 15 |
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| Rock Garden |
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| Rick, Margi, Mike, Janet and Bob |
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| Day is Done |
Friday the guys were feeling 100% again. It was not far to the next locks,
Healey Falls Flight Locks 16 and 17. We walked past here yesterday! Four locks and 55 miles would put us in
Peterborough for the night. This is a scheduled stop because we had our mail forwarded here. I called the marina to make arrangements and they suggested I contact their harbor hosts, Freya and Don from
Last Resort! Mike and I were introduced to them by Shirley and Tony on
Headquarters back in Daytona Beach. I contacted Freya via text and received a forwarding address. In the past we have sent our mail to post offices or marinas. Luckily we don't have much correspondence, choosing to scan it rather than send it. I didn't get a picture of the fountain in
Little Lake but I did notice the spray blowing in the wind! We fueled up and pumped out before docking. Lots of friendly boaters on this dock willing to catch a line.
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| Moving from Lock 16 to 17 |
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| This Place Has a Bridge Connected to Their Island |
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| This Lock Passes Through Town |
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Lock Master Waits on Traffic Before Pushing Crank Handle Around and
Around to Swing the Bridge. It Balances Perfectly on a Wheel in a Track |
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| A Beautiful Spot - Notice the Terraced Lawn |
Our group ordered pizza for dinner and we ate aboard the
Irish Attitude. Don and Freya joined our party but they had already eaten. Freya gave us pointers on where to shop and what Peterborough had to offer. Saturday morning the women went to the grocery store. The farmer's market was the opposite way and we we headed there next. It was a large market with cheese and maple syrup as well as vegetables. Janet and Bob are bread lovers and she usually finds something good! Mike spent the morning helping Rick work on
Journey's DVD player. Upon our return the guys were heading to a local
Boater's World. (Not the same store as in the States.) We tagged along....back towards the grocery store again! We got our exercise today. We hung out on
Journey that afternoon with plans to attend the free concert in the park behind the marina. Freya suggested a dinner at a local restaurant. That evening I started feeling queasy and left before ordering. Did I catch the cheese curds crud?
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| Local Talent at the Farmer's Market |
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The Marina is on Little Lake
A Silver Triangle Marks a Band Shell for Free Concerts |
Saturday morning I was ready to pull out, but weak. Don and Freya came by with gift bags for all of us, including Freya's homemade jam! What a sweetheart! Hugs all around (except me) and we were off to catch the 9 am lock opening. Lock 20,
Ashburnham is a just across a small lake and a short lift, under 4 ft. What we have been anticipating is lock 21, the
Peterborough Lift Lock. It is the 1st of 2
hydraulic lift locks on the TSW and
highest in the world! Most of the day was a blur for me. I was in robot mode as we locked through the next 4 locks. (Evident by the lack of photos!) Don from
Last Resort was waiting for us along the way to make sure all was going well.
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| Bob, Janet, Freya, Don, Margi, Rick, Mike and Me! |
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| Peterborough Hydraulic Lift Lock, Largest in the World!! |
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| Windows? Peterborough Lock Reminds Me of a Gothic Prison! |
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| Water Fills the Other 'Tub' Causing Our Side to Rise Past it |
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| The Waterway Below is Barely Visible |
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| A View From the Top! |
Irish Attitude's day ended at the bottom of Lock 25, Sawer Creek. There was not room for all 3 boats on the wall and I was exhausted. Mike agreed we should stay and the others would move on. It was very disappointing to separate from our boating buddies. After we were securely docked, I crashed. Janet text messaged us to let us know they stopped at lock #28. Freya had caught up with
Journey and
Harmony and dropped off Canadian bacon. (Unlike bacon in the States, Canadian bacon resembles a roast and oval pieces are sliced off.) Since we had split up, Freya backtracked to us and brought us our Canadian Bacon. We were astonished with the care the Peterborough harbor hosts had shown us! Many thanks to our friends on
Last Resort!
Monday, August 5 - I am feeling much better and ready to roll! Scenery is the word of the day. As we travel our along the TSW, rocks are increasingly more prevalent. Our I-Pad shows us many of the rocks (with and + symbol, a dotted circle or simply the letter R) but there is nothing like the naked eye! Concerns of hitting a rock decreases as we are told repeatedly, 'Stay between the buoys and you'll be fine.' Keep reassuring us! Glaciers carved the granite and limestone thousands of years ago. Watersheds were created as the ice melted and the result is spectacular.
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| Many People Visit the Locks by Car and Bicycle |
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| Rock Island Homes |
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| Island Hopping, Canadian Style |
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| St. Peter's On-the-Rock, Accessible by Boat Only! To Bad It's a Monday |
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| Rock. |
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| Hop, Skip and a Jump! |
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| This Speed Limit Sign is Mounted on a (nearly invisible) Rock |
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| 2 Small Rocks Peek Above the Water's Surface |
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| 360 Degree, Waterfront Property |
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| Is This the Glass House....Nope. |
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| Here It Is! Complete with Dual Boat Lifts! |
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| Entering Burleigh Falls Lock # 28 |
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| No Hand Cranks At This Lock |
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| Lovesick Lake |
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| Many Cottages/Homes Line the Lake |
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| Approaching Buckhorn Lock and Traffic! |
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| Buckhorn Lock 31 |
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| Tourists are Permitted to Cross the Lock Gates Once Securely Closed |
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| Danger Alert (2 Rocks Just on Surface of Water) |
Bobcaygeon Lock was the
first lock built on the
TSW, 160 years ago! The metal doors tell of obvious upgrades. Many boaters choose to stop here and houseboat rentals are popular in this area. It would have been a nice place to stop but we were anxious to catch up to our friends. Everyone agrees; the Loop is amazing but it's the people that add the perfect spice!
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| The 'Blue Line' at Bobcaygeon Lock #32 |
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| Lock's Open, Just Waiting on Departing Traffic and the Swing Bridge |
Our friends aboard
Journey and
Harmony had a slip in a marina saved for us. I am glad we put in the extra effort and caught up with them so quickly. Over 40 miles plus 6 locks!
Birch Point Marina had some empty slips but we got some strange looks as we entered. It turned out they don't usually rent to transients. I guess we lucked out. Did my luck run out when I slipped into the water on the boat ramp while retrieving a ball for a couple young kids? Nope! My clothes and pride were drenched but..... my phone still worked! After I changed we gathered to go over charts, visited for awhile and then turned in for the night. All's well the ends well!
Over the next couple days the waterway narrows in many places. This may prove to be interesting. Especially for
Journey a
power catamaran with an 18.5 ft beam. Heading north around the bend we bypassed
Lindsay Lock #33, which is not on the route. Five locks and 38 miles are on tap for the day. The canal section leading to
Fenelon Falls Lock is narrow but deep. A relative word but the depth ranged from 12 to 54 ft. here.
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| Homes Near Rosedale Lock |
The
Trent Canal is up next.
Harmony was in the lead, followed by
Irish Attitude with
Journey in the rear. Signs were posted to signal a 'Securite' on the VHF. The canal is very narrow and it is recommended that traffic travels one direction at a time. Bob called out the '
Securite' alerting oncoming boats that 3 boats were entering the canal and heading west towards Kirkfield. One boat responded and said they would wait for us to pass where the waterway widens. I guess they got impatient because we met them midway! The captain was familiar with the canal (or ignorant!). They pulled over to one side and clung to tree branches to give us more room. The canal edges were rocky and none of us were comfortable passing. Bob expressed what we were feeling, cautioning the other that the last boat was even wider. Confronting the unknown is part of the adventure!
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| Journey in the Trent Canal |
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| Jagged Rocks are Visible Under Water Also |
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| The Width Appears More Generous Than it Felt! |
Well if that wasn't enough for one day we had another 'adventure' ahead of us. After a brief widening in a marshy area it was back to a narrow canal. Since entering the TSW we have 'locked up'. At
Kirkfield Lift Lock, #36 we would be 'locking down'. Kirkfield Lift Lock is the
2nd largest hydraulic lock in the world at 49 ft. (The largest, as stated earlier, is Peterborough.) This is the highest point on the TSW at over 840 ft. above sea level. The approach to Kirkland is significantly more dramatic. At Peterborough our boat entered the 'tub', rose 65 ft, the gates opened and we motored out. At Kirkland we entered the tub, stopping just short of the (low) gate and a 49 ft. free fall!! Creepy, but what a view! I don't understand why it didn't bother Mike. A small nudge on the throttles and ...... Maybe it was because I was on the bow. The lock attendant said not to worry.... the gate locks were reinforced with 2 pins! That's comforting! He told me this as he climbed past me along the frame work of the lock. The buoys changed sides after passing through Kirkland Lock. Continuing on to Georgian Bay, the red is now on our left.
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| Sailing Off the Edge of the World? |
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| Yikes!!! (Note the Pin on the Left Side) |
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| Janet and the View Atop Kirkland Lift Lock |
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| Lock Attendant Passed Along the Edge |
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| Rub-A-Dub-Dub, 3 Boats in a Tub |
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| We Have Locking Next to Harmony Down to a Science Now |
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| I'm On Top of the World! |
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| Ride's Over, Journey Departs, Whew! |
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| Hole-In-The-Wall Bridge |
After locking through
Bolsover Lock #37 we decided to stay on the top of #38,
Talbot Lock and lock through in the morning. Since it was 5:00 pm we had permission to tie along the blue line. It was a day of adventure (which in our family translates to: a day of harrowing experiences that we survived!)
Wednesday, August 6 - Today's float plan included
Lake Simcoe. This is the largest body of water we have seen since Lake Ontario. First, we had 3 locks to pass through. As the day advanced, pop-up showers spotted the area. This lake is know to stir up quickly. If it rains to hard we have to close up the windows on the canvas. The front window usually remains open since we don't have windshield wipers! Lake Simcoe did prove to be a little rough and dark clouds gathered off to the south.
Irish Attitude took the lead since the water conditions resembled many voyages in the Great Lake State. Mike quartered the waves to minimize the impact and shared his plans with the others. We zigzagged our way across with no issues. Not the same for Bob and Janet. A wave mixed with the wind caught
Harmony on the beam causing her to roll. She dumped the contents of the galley in a split second before Bob gained the upper hand. Capt'n Mike runs a pretty tight ship so our 'stuff' was stowed. (Early into our adventure I was reminded of the logic of this discipline as I attempted to gather the contents of our knife block!)
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| Looking Aft in Gamebridge Lock #41 |
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| Weather Moving In |
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| Choppy Lake Simcoe |
Clouds followed us most of the day. We traveled along the Trent Canal as it linked nameless lakes.
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| Waiting Our Turn at Couchiching Lock 42 |
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| Secluded Residence |
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| Our Path Narrow Again |
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| Starboard Side Buoy is Close to the Rocks |
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| Dodging Rain Showers |
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| Crossing Sparrow Lake |
By the time we decided to stop for the day, the sun came out. Another five locks and 50 miles behind us! We spent the night at
Swift Rapids Lock 43. Getting out to stretch our legs, Margi and I peeked over the lock wall at the boats below. Who should we see but
Aurora and
Carina! The tortoises are always in the lead. Margi yelled out, "Aurora"! Mike was down below in Aurora and he told Cindy he thought he heard someone say Aurora. Naturally she told him he was nuts. We gathered up our group and planned to make our way down to see Mike and Cindy and Jane and Kent. Mike must have convinced Cindy he was not nuts because they made the climb up to us.
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| This is a Pack In - Pack Out Lock Due to it's Remote Location |
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| Ramp to Lower Lock but Our Friends Were on the Opposite Side |
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| This 47 ft Drop is the Largest Transfer of Traditional Style Lock on the TSW |
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| This Lock has 2 Gates |
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| Carina and Aurora, Barely Visible on the Wall at Lower Swift Rapids Lock |
Thursday, August 8th - A new day brings a new adventure! We began locking through Swift Rapids Lock at 9:00 a.m. Less than 10 miles to the next lock. This is a spot on the TSW we have anticipated before we even started our trip. Mike had read about it; Dale and Lorraine shared their experience; Bruce, single handed a sailboat, had a video of it but nothing prepares you for the real thing. I am referring to the
Big Chute Marine Railway! This is the
only lift on an incline plane in North America! Boats are loaded onto a 'cradle', moved along a track out of the water, across a road, down a hill and released into the water below. What! Wait a minute. Boats don't have flat bottoms. Won't they tip? A huge concern whether you're a day tripper or it's your home being transported! Straps secure the boats similar to that of a marina boat lift. Which is to say, there is a bit of shake and sway. Before attempting this bizarre feat we docked at a day dock, then set off to investigate. We observed other boats making the transfer. Taking a closer look at the cradle, it's cargo and the eventual release. Afterwards we walked up the road for a meeting of the minds and lunch at the
Dam Grill. An ice cream cone gave us the courage we needed. Now we were ready to take on the next big adventure.... the Big Chute!
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| Exiting Swift Rapids Lock |
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| Boathouse (House is Hidden up the Hill on the Right) |
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| The Big Chute Marine Railway, Amazing! |
A little history on this unique lift lock: Due to a lack of supplies and manpower early into World War I this design was suppose to be only temporary. Updates were made over the years but the design remained. The original lock portaged boats of only 35 ft. It was soon realized that was not sufficient. The cradle was increased to accommodate boats of 60 ft. Today's cradle can transfer boats up to 100 ft.!! (That's means 10 ft. hangs off at both the bow and stern!)
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| The Original (Cradle and Bob form Harmony) |
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| Research - Mike Observes Operations From the Railing Below |
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| Crossing the Road (Lower Left - Irish Attitude at the Day Dock) |
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| The Lock Operator at his Command Center |
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| Heading Down |
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| Slight Overhang |
We moved over to the blue line, a staging dock visible to the lockmaster from the cradle. A Parks assistant relays to the boats the order and flight they will be in. Multiply boats ride together depending on size and weight. After 30 years on the job the lockmaster has seen every make and model. His knowledge and experience assist him select groupings. He guides his assistants on the placement of the straps to keep from causing and damage.
Harmony was in the first flight, followed by
Journey and last,
Irish Attitude. In between, boats made the lift in the opposite direction. Finally we are up. A 340 Sea Ray, 20 ft (?) bow rider and our 360 Carver slowly entered the cradle when directed. Having watched the other go ahead did nothing to calm my concerns. All fenders and lines must be stowed. What! That is my security blanket, my cape of super powers. I felt powerless. Dramatic? Sure, but you get the point. I had been replaced by a boat hook! Entering a lock while standing on the bridge was a different prospective for me. Mike had everything well in hand. I don't know where he gets his nerves from.
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| Secured and Underway the Rails Are Visible Ahead |
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| Once We Clear The Road, Traffic Resumes |
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| Heading Down the Hill |
To open the video below:
- Right click the link
- Select 'Open link in new tab'
- Download will appear in small box at the bottom of window
- Click 'box' after video loads and turn up your volume
- Expand
- Enjoy!
(If you think that was confusing, you should have seen how long it took me to figure it out!!!!)
Wow, that was amazing! It was mid-afternoon, still time to make it to the wall at
Port Severn about an hour ahead. As Harmony and Journey approached the dock they relayed that it was full. We had stopped to fuel up at
Starport Marina and reserved slips for everyone. None of us wanted to pay to stay but this was a very nice place. The regulars were friendly and the staff was very attentive. An advertisement states their crew is I.C.S.A. certified, (International Customer Service Association) and they deliver! Boaters can order breakfast and have it delivered to their boat the next morning, complete with a newspaper! Dock hands come by twice a day to pick up your trash! It was a great place to catch up on laundry, bedding and all because it was
FREE! Margi and I folded clothes in front of the big screen T.V. Nice!
The township of Severn is much smaller than I expected. Our group walked a bit to a local restaurant with a view of the lock. Another ice cream (I prefer mine in a dish) and we headed back to the boats. Canadian ice cream is very popular with Loopers. Personally, I recognize no difference but I am happy to help in the taste testing! We stayed a few days here, pulling out on Sunday, August 11.
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| Another Narrow Section |
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| Starport Marina # 1 in Customer Service |
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| Starport Marina Boater's Lounge (from their web page) |
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