Heck of a Day

 Had some adventures cruising on Thursday June 30. We were told to lay low on Canada Day which was Friday July 1 so our goal was to get to a nice marina, Starport Marina. This meant going 38 miles through 7 locks including another lift lock at Kirkfield (#36), going through a long stretch of very narrow canal lined on both sides by jagged rock walls, through very shallow water, across a big lake notorious for big waves before making it into our marina.

Well, we finally made it after 11 hours and a couple of exciting moments. The Kirkfield lock takes you down 49 feet as opposed to the Peterborough lock that took us up. So, you drive into the chamber all the way forward until there is no more water only a steel gate beyond which is nothingness, very different. Then you are gently lowered down to water level. Everything was going very well until we got down. Jane had tied off her line because she was convinced that we were going over the edge. And... once again TB was strangled against the wall and again we had to cut our line to get off the wall. This has to be some sort of Trent-Severn record. 

Second most exciting moment was going thorough the Trent Canal. Narrow enough for one boat but not necessarily wide enough to pass anyone going the other way. So you announce via your radio you are entering the canal as a heads up to other boats. So we did and did not hear from any other boats. But about halfway through two boats showed up coming the other way. Crap! It all worked out mainly because we were lucky enough to be in a wide spot that allowed the other boats to pass, just barely.

Fenelon Falls

 We stuck with our pattern of early departures and were out of Lovesick by 6:00 am on our way to Fenelon Falls, a great little town and another pretty, calm lock wall. BTW -  We bought a pass that allows us to stay on any lock wall the entire system so these are good opportunities to cut down on our docking costs. We made the 33 miles from Lovesick to Fenelon Falls in 7 hours through 3 locks ending at Lock #34. 

We hit a local brewery and had dinner at "The Locker" overlooking the falls. We splurged for ice cream from a local shop just steps away from the boat.

Up in the Air!

 On Tuesday morning we got up early and were moving less than a mile to Lock 20 by 6:00 am to get in line for the first opening at 9:00. A houseboat was already there so we went into Lock 20, and the rest of the locks that day, with it. Made for a slow day but eventually made it through 10 locks and 25 miles ending the day at Lovesick Lock (#30) out in woods. Stayed the night on the wall... very pleasant and peaceful.

The second lock that day was Lock #21 - the Peterborough Lift Lock, very exciting. We drove TB into the chamber and took an elevator-like ride to the the top 65 feet up in the air! The view out our stern was amazing! 

Trent-Severn Update

 The last couple of days have been a blur because we are trying to get to a fun marina named Starport to hunker down for Canada Day weekend which starts Friday July 1. We've been told it gets pretty busy and crazy on the water so best to stay put and relax. That means we've been putting in long days through many locks, staying on peaceful lock walls and seeing a few fun towns. At the end of Thursday we will have locked through 42 of 44! Only a couple to go after the weekend.

We've seen some amazing sights and fantastic scenery. Just wanted to give a quick update for now and will add pictures and more information this weekend. 

Happy Fourth of July from "the Bles-sing!"

Petersborough and On To the Lift Lock!

 We had a good dinner with other loopers in Hastings and set out early Sunday morning June 26 to Petersborough. This 33 mile route took us across Rice Lake and through several miles of winding channel into Petersborough Ontario. It took 6 hours and went through just one lock, #19. Winds picked up Sunday evening into Monday so we stayed put and are leaving Tuesday morning for a day of cruising that will take us through the famous Petersborough Lift Lock. It is the highest of its kind of lock in the world. Hard to picture how it works and what it will be like but we've been told it is like driving the boat into a giant bath tub on one end of a teeter totter while the other end goes down to lift you up.  Hmmm... we will take pictures!

On the way into the marina we passed through the spray of a majestic fountain in downtown Peterborough. It turns on every the spring, the stream of water shooting 250 in the air.

Another Adventure: "the Bles-sing!" Gets That Sinking Feeling

 One of the very first pieces of advice that you are given in boating seminars is to get a good knife. You never know when you are going to need to cut a line. Ok, sure. Well it happened the other day and it was the captain's fault. But first a quick lesson in locking through on the Trent-Severn. 

Each lock has steel cables coated with plastic hanging down from the top of the lock wall spaced about 10 feet apart the length of the chamber. To secure the boat in the lock you simply attach a line to the boat on a cleat and then pass the line around the cable and back to the boat and hang on to it. Two lines, Jane on the bow, me on the stern each time.  As the water floods the chamber the boat rises and gradually the looped line travels upwards with you. 

So back to our adventure. I noticed some of our lockmates tied lines off back on their boats so they are free to relax, look at their phones and chat or look around. They looked so cool and nonchalant ... very in control. I had to try this. It was going great, I was deep in conversation with the young captain behind me when I noticed my line was NOT sliding up. It was stuck... meaning the stern of our boat was being pulled down into the water on the port side against the wall. "Um, hold that thought man, I'll be right back. I need to loosen this line." First mistake was tying the line off. Second mistake was tying it wrong so that as the tension increased the knot locked down on itself tighter and tighter. It took just one quick second to know that I was not going to loosen that line. Time to cut the line, and the sooner the better. The lockmaster and staff were running to the rescue with knives out.  Luckily and thanks to our training, I had stowed a very sharp cutting tool very close by. I got ahold of it quickly, reached over  to the cleat and the line exploded as I cut. The sinking stern jump up violently, hit the lock wall and swung into the middle of the chamber. The Admiral was on the bow wondering, "WTF is going on back there?"

Now to make a long story longer. In Canada they require you to turn your engines off in the chamber (BTW not a fan of this). It makes for a nice quiet ride, eh? But it also adds another step to the process when the stuff hits the fan. Anyway ... after restarting I calmed TB down using the engines. From the wheel I was able to smile at Jane and say, "Hey there. How ya doin?" 

On to Hastings Ontario

 We departed the wall at Campbellford at 6:30 am on Saturday June 25 and secured our place on the "blue line" at lock 13 on the way to our destination for the day, Hastings Ontario. The locks open at 9:00 so we had a chance to relax. The short trip from the wall was so nice; nice cool temperature, no humidity, no wind or waves... just great.

Double Locks

 Got to learn about double locks in the first flight of locks on the way to Campbellford. You go into the first chamber, are lifted and as the doors open you drive right into the next chamber. They look monstrous on the way in!

We prepaid for a lock wall pass that allows us to stay on any wall on the Trent-Severn. Our first night on the wall in Campbellford was very peaceful. No facilities or power but it is a good deal.

Into the Trent-Severn Waterway!

 Conditions settled enough for the locks along the Trent-Severn to open on Friday June 24 so we left bright and early to pump out and fuel up ($10 per gallon) before getting in line to be among the first boats to be lifted at lock #1. We are still on the leading edge of many loopers making their way through Canada. During our delay at Trent Port Marina around 20 boats had arrived waiting to enter the locks. We had an organizing meeting and it all worked out well as some decided to stay longer, some went early on Friday and some went later on Friday.  

It was a long day as we were on the water 10 hours and locked through the first 12 locks with a group of 3 others. We only covered 26 miles to the little town Campbellford Ontario and stayed on a wall above the last lock. The locks take about 30 minutes per so it took a while.

Leaving the marina and entering the Trent-Severn.

There is no radio contact with the lock masters. You line up on the "the blue line" (at right) and enter when the lock walls open. The locks are only big enough for 3 or so boats at a time.

For the first 12 locks we were directed to raft up with friends on a beautiful 49' Beneteau Grand Turismo. It is 14.5' wide as is "the Bles-sing!". The lock is only 32' wide so it was a tight fit. Our friends would tie off on starboard and we would gently squeeze in on port and hand them our lines.

Tight Fit!

These locks are very old and open with manual help from the lock staff (at left).

Update from Trenton Ontario

 Trenton Ontario is where loopers enter the Trent-Severn Waterway that connects Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay. It is a very popular route that takes boaters through 45 locks and features great scenery and fun stops through little towns and a couple of very different and exciting locks like the Peterborough Lift Lock and "The Big Chute" (more on these later). Terrible winds and high water have made many of the locks unsafe currently so officials in charge of the canal system have closed most of the locks starting on Monday until further notice. We plan to make the most of the delay and take a side trip via Canadian railway to Toronto. We will catch the Yankees vs. The Blue Jays on Sunday and see a bit of Toronto before heading back to the marina on Tuesday June 21. 

Trenton Ontario

 Made 72 miles from Kingston to Trenton in about 8 hours on Wednesday June 15. It was a long day but when you start at 5:30 am  it really doesn't seem bad! Had wonderful weather and the waters were calm. Gorgeous morning with the full moon going down on one side of the horizon and the sun coming up on the other.

Leaving Kingston -

moon going down, sun coming up

Wind power is big up here.

"the Bles-sing!" Goes International

 Made it into Canadian waters early in the morning of Tuesday June 14! Had a nice welcome from Royal Canadian Mounted Police and United States Coast Guard who boarded our boat just as we entered. We were instructed they were boarding so we cut the engines and they pulled along side. One Canadian officer and one US Coast Guard were in our cockpit in no time. They were looking for smugglers of Busch Light and had a tip that we might have several 30 packs on board. After inspecting our passports and documentation (which Jane had perfectly organized and available) running them through an online check, and few questions about drugs and guns it was over with a hearty, "Welcome to Canada". Really, they could not have been nicer. So... check the "been boarded" box off our list of experiences. Anyway... on to Kingston Ontario to check in officially.

Arrived at Confederation Basin Marina in Kingston Ontario about noon after a beautifully smooth little two hour cruise and called a customs number from the boat after docking. Everything went smooth and we got our official number to display the rest of the time in Canada. Down went our yellow quarantine flag and up went the Canadian flag on our bow. Had a great time seeing a few sights in Kingston.

Thousand Island Tour

 We enjoyed a tour on the St. Lawrence yesterday with the crew of Compass Rose. It took us north (downstream) on the river to Boldt Castle and Rock Island Lighthouse. Along the way we passed by homes and estates built on tiny granite islands owned by some very wealthy folks. The scenery was fantastic and it was nice to be able to relax and let someone else drive while we took in the views without worrying about navigation.

The Crew at Rock Island Lighthouse

George Boldt was a wealthy hotelier from New York City. He built Boldt Castle for his wife Louise around 1900. 

Ole George had so much money he even built himself a boathouse that he would drive his sail boat into! He had about 30 - 40 other boats and a large staff of craftsmen, who lived in the boathouse, to maintain the fleet. 

People own these islands and build homes on them for summer residences.

What a great place!

 Clayton New York is a wonderful, charming town on the St. Lawrence River.  Perched on the shores of a beautiful river it offers a wide variety of shops, restaurants, museums and attractions and would make a great summer get away. We hit the River Rat Cheese Shop for some snacks and toured the Antique Boat Museum yesterday where we saw a boat donated by Alan Jackson, "Flat Top". Everything is an easy walk down the promenade along the river from the marina.

Alan Jackson's Boat

"Flat Top"

Clayton Harbor

 Travelled about 63 miles out onto Lake Ontario and up the St Lawrence to the municipal marina here in Clayton NY. We picked a great weather day that made for a long but pleasant cruise into Clayton. The water is very clear and is a pretty shade of green. We will be here waiting out rainy weather and touring some local castles before heading into Canada on Tuesday June 14.

Working with other loopers and locals on when/where/how to check into Canada.

 

Oswego New York

 Early in the morning on June 8 we started one of the most pleasant cruises we have had the entire trip.  On a beautiful day we set out for Oswego NY at the shores of Lake Ontario and made it there in 5 hours going through eight locks on the NY Canal System. One final lock on the Erie Canal before heading through 7 locks on the  Oswego Canal. A new one-day record! We will stay at Oswego Marina for three nights waiting on good weather to get out on Lake Ontario and head to the Thousand Islands destination of Clayton Harbor Municipal Marina where we will see some beautiful sights and wait on our next weather window to head into Canada!

Next Stop - Thousand Islands!

Que es Ess-Kay?

 Ess-Kay is a marina that we stopped at in Brewerton NY on June 6 for two nights. The original plan was to, on our fourth consecutive day of travelling, make it from Little Falls to Sylvan Beach which located just west of Lake Oneida, a good size lake about 20 miles across. Like other big bodies of water it can get rough.

We started in a pack of 6 looper boats with Compass Rose in the lead. As the day went on other boats stopped at different points until it was 3 of us moving. It was a very nice day and we made good time so when we reached Sylvan Beach we decided to go on across Lake Oneida into Ess-Kay. It made for a very long 11 hour day going through 5 locks in 62 miles but was definitely worth it. 

Little Falls New York

 We departed Riverlink for Little Falls New York on Sunday morning June 5, our third straight day of cruising.  We made 42 miles after passing through 7 locks, most of the time with 6 looper boats locking through together. Again we missed out on the spots with power but again enjoyed a steep discount for the overnight! At docktails that night we met up with our friends and current buddy boaters on Compass Rose. Three boats left early the next morning for Sylvan Beach.

Little Falls is a very pretty town.

Saw some rock climbers on the way into Little Falls.