Georgian Bay

You are looking at a mural on a full size grain elevator

After Locking through Port Severn we thought we had it made . After all “The Georgian Bay” is one of the finer cruising grounds, open water, lots of Islands,plenty of anchorages and great scenery.
Leaving the lock in Port Severn guess what we found – all of the above except the “Open Water” part. We had to negotiate – yes you guessed it – more narrow rocky channels until we reached an opening to the bay and we headed for Midland. Great Mural on the grain elevators. We also got to watch some races. The canoes started out by rowing and then switched to sail when there was enough wind. We stopped there for a short shopping trip and then headed across the harbor and anchored out off of a state park.

Monday through Thursday – July 26^th to 29^th

Bay Moorings is sponsoring a Looper's Reunion. It is just a short ride around to the other side of the Peninsula to Penantanguishine (hereafter called Penantang).About 19 Looper boats are expected. We know about ½ of them at this point. The Marina charged for the docking, but all of the other events were free. It started Monday night with a wine and Cheese party – a great mixer. And they announced that on Tuesday at 11:00 would be the start of the Cardboard Boat race.

Putting the deck on Loopers Blooper

Teams were to to consist of two boats – we get to choose our own teammates. Four teams formed up. At 11:00 o'clock each team got to pick their own refrigerator box out of a pile, and we were each given a box knife (not many metal detectors out here) and two rolls of duct tape. We had 1 ½ hrs. to build our boats. Bill (from High Spirits) and I did most of the building, Barbara was our Gopher and Carole was the Decorator. We had thought a bit about it ahead of time. Bill was sure we would run out of time so we finished the basic boat in ½ hour and had way too much time to decorate it. Carole made a name board “Loopers Bloopers” and then painted a mermaid (complete with nipples) on the foredeck. Since the piece of cardboard we used for the foredeck came with a round hole in it we had to put a flagpole up. We used a broom for the mast, three stays and AGLCA and Bay Moorings pennants flew from it. If there had been a prize for decoration (there wasn't) we would have won it easily! Bill also used the extra time to completely cover the outside of the boat with duct tape to help make it more water resistant.

At 12:30 they served us lunch and at one the race was on!

The building of the "SLED"

I was the driver since I was lighter than Bill and neither Carole or Barbara would even consider getting into a cardboard boat – even if it was completely covered with Duct Tape. The race started from the boat launch ramp, went out about 25 yards to a docked boat then ½ way back to another dock where we were given a drink to finish before the finish line and back to the ramp and a short run to the finish line.

The starting Line

The Start

Well at least most of us started

The "SLED" takes off

I start behind these two

Chugging Along

Second to the start line,
the finish is ten yards up the ramp.

Award Ceremony

I predicted that our boat would not sink, but that I would probably turn it over. I almost did. As the race started I slipped on the ramp on to my butt, taking the boat with me. There was only 2” of water at that point and Bill caught the boat. The slip at the start put me 3^rd of out four boats. The fourth boat turned over at the start & never floated. The boat in front was an ingenious design. It was basically a surfboard and the driver/captain lay on it and propelled it with swim fins. I knew I had no chance against him as I was using a kayak paddle and our boat was basically a box with a slanted front. Does paddling a potato chip give you the picture? Each stroke I took would spin the boat around and I would need to take a stroke quickly on the other side to keep it more or less in the right direction. We did have that nifty flagpole though! In second place was a more conventional type boat, slightly pointed in front and it was being propelled by a kayak paddle made of two oars taped together. He was struggling and as I passed him I watched his boat fill with water and sink. I eventually got sort of a rhythm going, but the surfboard was at the drink station by the time I reached the turn. Fortunately he had not heard that he had to finish the drink before finishing the race. It gave him a pause which gave the water more time to soak in to the cardboard. The drink was in some kind of kids sipping cup with the straw all wound around the outside of it. It felt like I was sucking my guts out each time I tried to drink more. I had the straw in my teeth and was paddling and sucking while I tried to catch up. Jay, on the surfboard, got off the surfboard before it got back to the start line and had to go back. By then the board was totally waterlogged and he was out of gas. He could not get the boat to move. He got off and dragged it to the start line, but he was wearing flippers and I got the boat to the start line about the same time he did. Without flippers on it was no contest to the finish. I was so tired that I couldn't break the the tape, or maybe it was because they used Police Barrier Tape (that's my excuse). The whole thing was a blast and it was even better because we won. The “Boat” was on display all the next day in front of the Marina Office. On Wednesday night they did a Barbeque Buffet Dinner, and the boat was on display again. One boater had Carole sign the deck and she took it on her boat as a memento.

Blacksmith

During the day on Wednesday we visited a recreated Jesuit/Indian village, circa 1629 . Using Archeological findings the St. Marie village was recreated. It was originally built so the Jesuits could convert the Indians to Christianity. In the end it created a conflict in the native community and led to the end of the tribe. Intern/Guides dressed in period dress were stationed in many of the buildings. They were usually engaged in an activity that was common at that period (making candles, birch bark pots, wooden planks, etc.) It was very well done and they were quite knowledgeable. Carole got to try her hand at writing with a quill pen, difficult but with practice it was doable.

After the village we visited the Martyrs Shrine commemorating those who died Christianizing the local natives. It was – well a shrine. The church was beautiful, just not my thing.

A BBQ at night with a good presentation on the trip up the Georgian Bay – what to see, what routes to take, places to anchor, and places to avoid capped the gathering.

Mitch practicing his vise

On Thursday morning there was a 1 on 1 route planning and Q & A session, and at noon we headed out on to the Georgian Bay. 2 ½ hours later we were anchored in Longuissa Bay with about a dozen other boats – One was another looper and one about to be. Had cocktails aboard Windsong a 38' sailing catamaran out of Salem Mass. With three chocolate labs aboard.

The trick in this area is finding a place to take Annie ashore. Most of the land around here is privately owned and it is not considered polite to go ashore on some ones land. There are many smallish rock islands in the anchorages and the locals call them “Dog Poop Islands” and they are! It does work for us.

Friday July 30^th

A 35 mile trip takes us up the 30,000 islands to Port Rossum Bay. This is a Dominion Weekend – The first weekend of every month is a 3 day weekend) and by 2:30 when we arrive there are boats in almost every anchoring spot. We have been traveling with Windsong and Lazy Dolphin is also coming so we are looking for a place to anchor 3 boats. We finally find a cove with enough room and all get anchored

Serendipity at anchor

The trip was really pretty. This area is an outcropping of the Canadian Shield and there is solid rock everywhere. We might be traveling in water 90-150 feet deep and the shore is 20 feet away! Like nothing I have ever seen before. Social hour on our bridge today.

Weather has been cool and very comfortable. Great for sleeping but a bit cool for swimming although Annie doesn't think so. She jumps in to the water every time I take her to shore.

Saturday July 31^st

We will probably stay put today. Yesterday we were besieged by lots of boats rushing about. I expect today will be much worse and anchorages will be full by the time we get to them at 7 mph. One thought was for the 6 of us to get in a dinghy and go for an early dinner at Henry's fish camp about 5 miles back. We shall see. Carole, Annie and I took a short dinghy ride this morning and then hiked a little on a nearby island. This is National Park territory so there are no private lands or cottages here. Lots of moss and lichens growing on the rocky land. We did find a patch of black raspberries for a morning snack. Back at the boat we had a bacon and egg brunch.

Carole Fishing

Carole started fishing and I was headed out in a kayak with a fishing rod when I heard a shout. Carole had caught a 2 lb. Smallmouth bass. I spent the next hour and a half fishing all of the “good” spots and caught nothing, while Carole got her bass under the boat on a worm. So much for the great fisherman! Anyway fish dinner tonight.

Bass for dinner was good. It was a clear cool evening and with no lights for miles around the stars were incredible.

We have decided to stay another day and have lunch at Henry's Fish Camp on our way up the bay on Monday.

It has been three days without internet, and I am still going through withdrawals. Although we still have cell phone service I feel like I have lost contact with the rest of the world as I know it. We can sort of get one TV station and we have a few DVD's of shows we recorded. It is likely we will be in this situation for the next few weeks so I better get over it.

Sunday August 1^st

The group at Moon River Falls

Overcast, cool with a light wind. One side of the dinghy was deflated this morning. It was the patched side and I was concerned that the patch failed, however I found the cap on one of the inflation valves was off and it probably leaked out overnight. I re inflated it and took Annie to shore and it is holding fine.

Mitch contemplating a dive

We are riding about 7 miles to Moon River Falls with two other boats in their dinghies (ours is too small and too slow). We were told that it is a great place to visit and we do not want to miss it. Sun is coming out but still lots of cloud cover. What a fun trip. An hours ride through rock canyons and open bays took us to the head of the Moon River and a small falls. The place was loaded with campers, day trippers, canoes, and rental aluminum boats. Kids (young and old) were jumping off the rocks in to the pool below the falls, others like us, were just hiking and looking. I thought about trying a jump but I was already cold and the prospect of an hours ride back at 20 mph in a wet bathing suit stopped me.

Social Hour tonight on Lazy Dolphin.

Monday august 2^nd

Raised anchor at 10:30 and headed NW to Henry's Fish Camp for lunch. I got a birthday card signed by everyone, Barb & Randy, Jay & Joan, and Carole. Had a Henry Burger which is Fried Pike (Walleye) on a roll and enough fries (nice and crispy) to feed all six of us. Everyone got that that many fries. Pretty good lunch and a great show. Dock hands (3 at a time) running to help dock all of the boats arriving and they were being choreographed by the dockmaster up on the hill. At the same time seaplanes were landing and taxiing in. About 8 planes were in and out while we were eating lunch. Several had to wait for dock space.

Seaplanes at Henry's Fish Camp

Carole has observed that the Canadian dock hands were way better than the U.S. Hands. They listen and and seem to be more knowledgeable and they are not looking for tips. In fact we have had several refuse them.

After lunch we continued on to Parry Sound. The marina is run by the local Chamber of Commerce and the dock hands did not live up to Carole' Canadian standard. Nice town – Bobby Orr's hometown – we did not go t the museum, but did go to the movies. Saw “Inception”. Very different, somewhat strange at first and then very good. We really liked it.

Tuesday August 3^rd

Shopping and laundry took up the morning. I was a little antsy so we hooked up with Windsong and pushed on another 15 miles. After negotiating a lot of narrow channels (Windsong took the outside route so they could sail a bit) we entered Snug Harbor. It was too small and shallow for us to anchor so Windsong headed for a side bay behind an island. We heard a loud crunch and saw Windsong had run up on a submerged rock. Jay was distracted by two girls in Bikini's paddling a canoe. He claimed that they seemed to be struggling and he wanted to give them room. Fortunately he did little damage although it did take both of our boats at almost full power to get him off. The owner of the nearby island came out in his outboard and helped turn Windsong around. He also offered to pull them off with his tug. When they asked if he was affiliated with Towboat US (Windsong's towing insurance) he told them that there would be no charge. The local people here are amazing. A number of people stopped to see if they could help. When we anchored behind the island, one boater came by to tell me that I might be anchoring on the island's power cable. At that point Bob (the island's owner) came over to return the towline I had used. He told me that it was only his phone cable and that if I raised the anchor and saw the line to just remove it from the anchor. The three of us (Bob, myself, and the other boater) sat and talked for a half hour about tug boats. Bob's was a 1942 restored tug.

Jay and Joan insisted on treating us to dinner. On the way over in their dinghy we saw a mink running around in the rocks. A really good fish and chips (what else?) restaurant. They had just finished smoking a batch of whitefish which was excellent.

Wednesday August 4^th

Started this morning with a call shortly after we left Snug Harbor. Windsong had lost both its engines. They were able to run slowly, and we accompanied them back in to Snug Harbor. After some investigation we found a fuel filter on one engine was loose so that engine problem was solved. The other engine appeared to have a failed fuel pump. Jay had an electric pump that he could use to replace the engine pump. We were sent on our way whole he did the repair, cleaned up and did some testing.

We continued on to Hopewell Bay. Lazy Dolphin had gone on to Pointe Au Baril found nothing and came on back to Hopewell Bay. Windsong and Selah also also showed up there. We hosted social hour on our flybridge.

Thursday August 5^th

Carole had a mini melt down today. After the grounding of Windsong she was understandably nervous about hidden rocks. On entering Hopewell Bay last night I was headed for what I thought was the opening, when Carole came up she pointed out that I was one island off and that it was real shallow where I was headed. I naturally argued with her, but she was right. The combination of events did shake her up a bit. Being used to mud bottoms where if you run aground it is only an inconvenience to a rock bottom where hitting something hurts either the people or the boat is a big transition. So I understand the concern and we have come to some agreements and I have promised to be more diligent.

We took a 2 ½ hour bumpy ride across Byng (pronounced bing) inlet and ran about 4 miles up to Britt. A nice marina and campground. I was able to refill our propane tank. I can not exchange it since it is an aluminum tank. We ran the refrigerator 14 days (some of them 24 hrs.) as well as cooking on the tank. I am happy with that.

A tight Channel

We did a chart session with Selah, Windsong and Lazy Dolphin to see where we would go the next day.

Friday August 6^th
Wind is not quite as bad this morning. We had some short fairly exposed runs. In the afternoon we had our choice of a tight inside passage or an outside run. Selah took the outside (they were about 1 ½ hrs ahead of us) and anchored in the Bustard Isles after reporting a 1 -2 ft. chop. Windsong (about ½ hr. ahead ) decided to push on to Beaverstone Bay on the outside. I called Lazy Dolphin (about 45 Minutes ahead) to find out what they had found, and learned that they had taken the inside channel. They reported it was well marked and very scenic although it was a bit tight is was doable. We had just reached the decision point and were leaning towards the outside run when Randy's report changed our mind. Carole was O.K. As long as it was well marked – so off we went! One of our best decisions so far this trip. It was a spectacular trip. When Randy told us it was tight, but easy it was before he had come to Obstacle Island and Parting Channel. About 25 minutes after we entered the channel Barb called and said if we thought we had seen tight and narrow she said: “You ain't seen nothing yet!” WOW – we turned into parting channel and were looking at a huge rock in front of us. The channel was maybe 30 ft. wide and in about 2 ½ boat lengths we we had to turn left at the rock. Turn right around the rock and then left again to avoid hitting our flybridge on an overhanging rock. The vistas were wonderful. Looking our over all of the red rocks surrounded by water. It was a real beautiful treat.

The narrows

Uh Oh!

Made the first turn

This is what we saw after the first turn

We then took a short run outside and up the Bad Rive to an anchorage at Devils Rapids. I was having trouble deciding where to anchor when Randy offered to have us raft up to them. After a bit of a struggle we managed to set our anchor and tie up alongside the Lazy Dolphin.

What a great anchorage. We took the dinghy to go on a nearby island with Annie. On the way we thought we we look around for Devils Rapids before the walk. ! ½ hrs. later we got back to the boat. We had gone through the rapids (it was running slow this time of year) and in to a canyon. Then we took a side canyon up to a small falls and then found another canyon that we followed for about ¾ mile up to another falls. When we got back I took Randy and Barb up there as their dinghy is too large to go there safely.

Rafted in Bad River

Small Canyon near Devils Rapids

Cardinal Flowers at Devils Rapids

One of the rapids - no we did not go up them!

We were intrigued enough to decide to stay for another day.

Saturday August 7^th

Cool, sunny and calm this morning. Carole heard a strange sound and went out to see if the dinghy was rubbing against the boat. She called me to come see. Up on the hill on the Island next to us were a pair of Sandhill Cranes feeding (we had too look them up). We watched them for about 15 minutes before they flew away.

We went off with Randy and Barb in two dinghys – we took Annie and hoped to hike on the island nearby. If we could climb to the to we would get a great view of the area. We tried four different approaches and each one was separated from the highest island by water. We wound up motoring around the island and never did find a way up to the top. We did have a fun afternoon drifting down alongside the rocks with the current.

On a Hike at the rapids

Sunday August 8^th

The day started overcast with a short rain shower. We decided last night that if the wind died we would go today. It mostly died, but the forecast was for 15 kts. In the morning building to 20 by noon. We were undecided. Lazy Dolphin contacted The Old Grouch who were already underway. They reported that it was lumpy, but O.K. We both decided to go. It was a bit uncomfortable but doable. We would only be underway outside the protection of the islands for 1 ½ hrs. And then the rain started. We pulled in and anchored behind Burnt Island in the Beaverstone Bay (still in the Georgian Bay) in a pouring rain. It is 1 o'clock and there is no wind- I mean none- and lots of rain (not in the forecast). Makes one wonder what the forecasters are doing. After we anchored at 1:00 we spent the afternoon working on a puzzle. After the rain cleared we took a dinghy ride over to the nearby island (not Burnt Island). Interesting rock formations. It looked like the rocks had been set in concrete similar to the way bricks look with ribbons of cement between them. Carole and I both liked the island so it is now “our island”! Since the 20 kt. Winds were non-existent we had a beautiful evening.

Aah!

Monday August 9^th

Mist in the treetops at 7:30 am and very calm. At 8:00 the fog starts to drop and by 9:00 we socked in solid. Lazy Dolphin and The Old Grouch who are in the anchorage with us are invisible. By 10:00 the fog had lifted and we got underway. We are headed for Killarney and it proves to be another really scenic trip. It is really amazing how the rocks and the formations change as we move along. Every channel seems different. I realize that the pictures do not show it to its best, but every area we pass through has a different feel to it.

By the time we reach Killarney it has gotten quite warm. This has been the first real swimming weather in about a month. I had really expected to see more warm weather than we have had. Killarney harbor was not the most inviting swimming place, but the shower in the marina was great!

On the trip over I found the water tank empty. I did not think we could have used that much, but it was possible. When we arrived I filled the tank and turned on the water pump. It seemed to be running a long time when Carole found water coming out from under the sink in the forward head. I shut off the pump and found the hot water pipe going in to the sink had pulled out. I replaced and tightened it, but still had a slow leak. There is no hardware store in Killarney. I shut off the water pressure for the night and hope that we can find a hardware store soon.

We went to the “World Famous Fish and Chips” at Herbert's Fishery. We ate it on the patio at the dock. It was really fresh since the fish come to the dock on on side, are cleaned and then cooked on the other side. Service is out of an old school bus. Have to say the fish was slightly overcooked.

Stoney Lake Onwards

Thursday, July 15th
The WiFi Antenna works. Without it I got an unusable signal from the Resort, with it I got a good solid wifi connection.

This is all rock

We did some housecleaning this morning, had lunch and then left for an anchorage in the middle of Stoney Lake. We had met a fishing guide at the resort and when we told him about Carole's search for the cabin she used to vacation in, he showed us a place we could anchor nearby and be able to take Annie to shore. Since almost all of the islands and shoreline are private you can not go ahsore just anywhere, so his advice was appreciated. The trip took all of 45 minutes and we were anchored (for the first time this trip) in 15' of water by 2:00. We were surrounded on 3 sides by islands, all rocky. The bottom is rock also. It is really strange. The wind is light so most of our anchor chain is laying on the bottom and as the boat swings we can here the chain dragging across the rocks. A bit different than the muddy bottom on the Chesapeake.
We took a ride in the dinghy to “Carole's” island. She was surprised that after 58 years there was much that had not changed. I was surprised that she recognized it and also that she was able to pick it out from a chart! After all, she was only 12 the last time she was there and at that age who thought about how she got there. The building had been refurbished and was quite different, but the property ( and nearby properties) still had the same layout.
Friday, July 16th

We took another tour of the area and stopped at the property to see if there was anyone she could talk to. We found a woman sunning herself on the boathouse deck and she came down to talk to us. Turns out they had only bought the property a month ago. She (Karen) and her husband, Mike, knew a lot of the history, and was interested in more. He knew of the woman that Carole's family had been there with. When Carole mentioned about when she had been there Mike immediately asked if it was Billinghurst or McDonald? It was Billinghurst who Carole had lost touch with. She had owned and visited the property until she was in her nineties and played bridge with one of the locals for many years. She had sold it in 2001. They gave us a tour of the property and offered a house tour, but it had been changed so much that Carole only took a quick one. It was really great. We left with a promise to send them any pictures Carole could find from when they visited as they were quite interested in the history.
We had been told by our Canadian friends on “Scallywag” that lots on the lake sell for 3-400 thousand. Mike corrected that to ½ million. Also the zoning laws do not allow new building within 150' of the lake front so they need to build on the old footprint. 150' back from the lake and there is no view. Trees can not be taken down either.
We made a visit to a nearby island for Annie to romp and swim.
Actually made coffee this morning without starting the generator! We may be getting a handle on this power thing. I will keep on trying things until we find the limits and then live with it.

In charts we trust!

I finished the morning by puncturing the dinghy. No more anchoring until I repair it. Fortunately we will have many more lock walls to tie up to.
Raised the anchor about noon and headed back to the waterway. We were tied up at lock 31 by 3:30. The last few days have been really nice. The rocky river and islands are fascinating. Running in a channel where you can rocks underwater alongside brings out meaning of “Trust your charts”. I am really enjoying it.
We ½ way through the Trent-Severn Waterway.
Tomorrow is Saturday, it might be interesting finding space at a lock wall.
Saturday July 17th
Clear, cool and windy again.
Terrain is changing, while it is still rocky, there less conifers and more deciduous trees. The lake shores are lined with homes. We traveled through several lakes and ended up at Bobcaygeon. We stayed below the lock as there was no room above it. I was ever hopeful that I would find space above the lock as it would be cooler there, so spent a good deal of time lock watching. Had a good show watching rental houseboats trying to maneuver in the wind. The operators tend to be inexperienced and the boats are underpowered, they really get banged up quite a bit. We got lucky as the weather cooled down a lot and we stayed below the lock.
Sunday, July 18th
More lakes – cool weather (long pants). Stopped to shop in Fenlon Falls, then headed out to lock 35 – Rosedale.
A very isolated area. We had cocktails with 3 other boaters. It ended when the rain started about suppertime.
I have one more of my electrical glitches worked out. The generator needs to run off the house battery, which gets charged while the generator is running. Otherwise it drains the engine batteries which are not charged by the generator. Still more stuff to work through.
Monday, July 19th
Hard to believe we have been gone 7 weeks. In some ways it feels like we just left and other times it is like we have already been gone a year. We certainly miss all of our friends at home. In addition we are now missing some of our travel friends who moved ahead while we were package waiting. Of course we are meeting lots of new people, some of whom we will call friends at some point. All have been fun to spend time with, and of course they are always a good excuse to avoid work on the boat.
I have a really good arsenal of excuses, being sociable is just one of them. When we stop at night it is too hot in the engine room. In the morning I do not want to wake Carole up. When we are at a Marina I do not want to turn off the shore power. When Carole is cooking I can not open the floor boards to get in the engine room or get in her way, etc. etc.
Tonight we stopped at Thorah another very isolated lock. I sat for and talked with the operators for quite a while, fished a bit, but mostly just hung out.
Tuesday, July 20th to Thursday, July 22nd
Port Orillia has a 3 nites for the price of 2. How can we pass that up? Used the time to get some shopping in and I get a much needed haircut. Carole was able to sew a No-see-um screen for the salon door and I installed some snaps. Now we can leave the door open at night.
Tuesday one of the 9 loopers that are here organized a “standing room only” cocktail party. There is no drinking at the park so we had to have it on the dock. There are no tables and chairs on the docks – ergo standing room only.
We also spent an evening with Randy and Barb on “Lazy Dolphin”. They had us over for a glass of wine (Their after dinner – ours before) . Randy loaned me a battery charger to see if the engine batteries were any good since my tests showed them marginal. Turns out one is bad the other seems to be O.K. I think that are secondary charge system in the inverter is not working and will need to be replaced.
Friday, July 23rd
Hazy, overcast, drizzling

Carole and Sue relaxing at the lock

Head out of Orillia and hook up with Joe and Sue on “Quixote” (the original name of our boat) on the trip. It cleared a bit and was a pleasant ride through some narrow, windy, channels. We stopped at Swift Rapids lock 43. This place is so remote that the operators get here by boat in the morning. It is also the highest conventional lock in the system at 43 ft. Annie had a ball here – two of the kids on the boat next to us threw the ball for her (their dog – a retriever- had no interest in retrieving). One of the lock operators told me of a stand of wild raspberries, so I picked some for Carole's dessert. Even with the other boats at the lock it was a very quiet evening.
Saturday, July 24th

At the bottom of lock 43

I was glad we stayed above the lock. I learned that at 5:30 am about 40 swimmers accompanied by Kayaks and canoes were dropped off for an 8 mile down river charity swim. We passed them all as we went on down.
At 1030 we stopped at Big Chute Railway for the night. We got to cheer the swimmers in as they arrived.
We toured the Big Chute Railway and I was really impressed by this piece of machinery. In place of a lock they built a rail car to take the boats over a hill and put them back in the water on the other side. The reason we were given was to prevent Lamprey eels from invading the fish population in Lake Simcoe. To call it an oversized travel lift is a major understatement. (For the non-boaters a travel lift is a large wheeled cage that has straps that can be lowered in to the water and then raised to pick up the boat and carry it to a spot on land where it can be blocked up for storage or other work).

Big Chute Railway

When the car comes over the hill it resembles some “Star Wars” creation. The car is set up remotely by the operators on board to accommodate the boats that are waiting to travel over the hill. It can hold up to 9 (16') small boats – 3 across and 3 deep. The larger boats will go 1 or 2 at a time depending on whether they can sit on their bottom without damage. The straps are only used to keep the boats upright. The carriage then goes up the hill across a road and down the other side. It says level all the way. If you are looking for hydraulics or a mechanical leveling system you will not find it. It is kept level by running the wheels on two different tracks. One end travels on an inside track and the other end on the outside tracks. I expect to post pictures and video.



Sunday, July 25th

We are first on the blue line this morning. (The blue line is a section of the lock where you tie up to indicate that you are ready to lock through). Because of the bottom shape of the two boats waiting we had to go one at a time. Our bottom will not allow us to sit directly on the keel without damaging the rudder so we went over the top with about 4' of boat hanging off the end. We then got a rather fun ride over the hill, followed by an exiting ride down river through another narrow gorge with the current running hard behind us.

A wee bit tight

The Lock at Port Severn comes up quickly. We are squeezed in to the lock with three other boats and we are in the Georgian Bay. Several more narrow windy channels later we head for Midland.
Stopped at the town dock to do some sightseeing and then anchored out across the bay.









No More Locks til Chicago!!!!

The Saga of the package continues

Monday, June 28^th

Shopping in the morning so we will be ready to leave for Kingston, Ontario as soon as it gets here. While working on the boat I looked up and saw the UPS truck past the Museum. When I went to the museum they told me it did not stop. I wanted to call UPS, but did not have a tracking number. We had to wait until noon when Radiolab opened in California. At noon the company called UPS and was told that the package was refused- refused? The driver did not even stop! What is going on? I get hold of the company and the tracking number, called UPS and got hold of a supervisor. Once again it was sent to the Post Office, the address never changed. More phone calls and the package will now be sent to Trenton, Ontario. We can wait for it there.

Off to Kingston, Ontario – 3 hrs. later we are out of the country! Kingston seems nice. Large well protected Marina. On arrival we are greeted by a looper (the one who sent us a picture of Serendipity at Boldt Castle he took as he went by on a tour boat). We are invited to a BYO cocktail party on “Mas Buenos”. After checking through customs – five minutes on the phone – they had all of our information from last year – we joined the cocktail party. Seven other loopers of which five were from Tennessee. We had a good time and got some Kingston Information. They were all leaving in the morning, no room at the Marina with Canada Day coming up. We were able to stay another day since we were smaller and they did not need our dock.

We finished off the day at the “Pilot Bar” with Fish and Chips for Carole and Steak and Kidney Pie for me. A nice ending after a disappointing start. It seemed like two different days.

Tuesday, June 29^th

Shopping this morning. Carole for Art Supplies and I for a new USB Mouse. Both very successful. Kingston is a great stop. The downtown area is right on the waterfront. The art supply store was only six blocks from the waterfront with the computer shop two doors away. We even took Annie in to the stores and no on e seemed to mind. Actually many of the stores had dog treats for her.

Kingston is the largest city in the area and yet feels like a village. No one seems to be in a hurry. Even the cars are not rushing from one light to the next. And lots of people walking. Today was farm market day in the town square, really nice looking produce from local towns and islands. This time of year it was Radishes, garlic, lettuce, peas onions, and asparagus. The town square has a freezer coil under it and doubles as an ice rink in the winter. There is even a building for the Zamboni machine.

In the afternoon we took the Trolley tour. The tour covered the historic parts of the city and several of the forts (had to keep the Americans from taking Canada in 1812).

Later we went clothes shopping for Annie. Carole wanted a harness to make it easier to get her out of the water if she fell off the dock. I did not think we needed it - until  she fell off the dock and I had to drag back on to it by the scruff of her neck.. She looks kind of spiffy in her new harness.

There are so many restaurants here that we had to eat out. I was opting for a brewery pub, but Carole won out with an upscale french place where she could get Duck Confit. Meal was excellent.

Westward Ho – tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 30^th

Clear and cold ~ 51 degrees with west winds about 15- 20 Kts. The Gods must think we have a sailboat, the wind is right on our nose. We are looking at whitecaps on the lake and 2-3 ft. seas. We have to go about 5 miles across the lake and then we will get some protection in North Channel (not THE North Channel – that's much later) behind Amherst Island. The seas drop to 1-2 ft and it is quite comfortable. Annie who is nervous in bumpy water is asleep on the bridge. The wind continued and as we turned in to Picton Bay it seemed to increase. It has stayed cold all day. We stayed at Tip of the Bay Marina on the skinniest docks we have seen yet. The base of our two step ladder that we use for boarding almost does not fit the dock. We stick out about 6 ft off the end of the dock, and then they dock a 50ft. Tugboat next to us!

Town of Picton is smaller than Kingston and yet feels more like a city. Still very nice. There was a Juried Art Show for local artists and there were some really good works there. A first class show. Also the marine artists guild has there headquarters there and they were also showing some good works.

This would be a primo stop if it weren't for the docks. The town dock was nice, but it only has room for two boats.

Thursday, July 1^st Canada Day

Clear and cold again, 55 degrees. Calm at 7:00 am, we shall see as we get underway.

It started to warm up and by midmorning the wind had gone to 20 Kts. Gusting to 25 and still from the west – the direction we are going. Another 5 mile stretch (Big Bay) with whitecaps.

We arrived in Trenton, Ontario to find 12 other loopers already there. Including the Tennessee contingent and “Two Turtles” our friends Tony and Liz. Marina Managers Sandy and Craig decided to put on a Canada Day BBQ for all of the boats. We all brought the sides and they grilled Hot Dogs and Burgers. We talked until dark when there was good fireworks show preceded by the lighting of the new “Quinte West – Gateway to the Trent Severn” sign for the first time. We had front row seats with two other couples on our bow.

What great people! We spent 4 days with the loopers, the marina managers and some seasonal people on the dock. Rides were offered when we needed something as well as good conversation. We – of course were waiting for our packages. What with Canada Day and July 4^th we did not expect them to get there until Monday. We were hoping for Friday, but of course that did not happen and Canada does not have Saturday mail delivery. We did get to visit the RCAF air museum. A trip worth making. There is a restored WWII DeHaviland bomber that was recovered from a lake in Norway after 50 years underwater. The rest of the time we worked on the boat and harrassed Craig and Sandy.

Monday came and went without any packages arriving!

Wednesday, July 7^th

We waited for the mail and when it did not arrive we made arrangements with Sandy and Craig to figure out how to get it when it did. At 12:30 we left Trenton. It is now very hot and humid. We only went 7 miles and 6 locks, before stopping at Frankford above lock 6. A Pastoral setting. Stopped at the top of lock 6. There was a beach on the river below the canal and campsites in the park. The lockwall had electricity available also – a rarity here.

So far all of the locks are manual. The lockkeepers have to push a “T” bar around in a circle 12 times to open the lock doors. It was really hot at the bottom of the lock as we entered. We are locking up for the first 36 locks – so we enter at the bottom, they close the lock door, putting us in a concrete box and no wind until the lock fills up and we are at the top. Annie likes it here. Water to swim in , ducks and geese to chase and of course, lots of well aged goose poop to roll in.,

Thursday, July 8^th

Package #1 has arrived and Sandy will drive it up to us. We decide to stay another night since she does not get here until afternoon. I went for a swim (?) in the river. Felt great, but it never got more than 3 feet deep all of the way across and had a very rocky bottom. Later I went for a real swim in the canal, weedy but deep. Happy Hour with three other couples. One US and two Canadians. All going to the Georgian Bay but not on the full loop

It is still hot and sticky.

Friday; July 9^th

Slightly Cooler, 6 locks to go to Campbellford. Sandy expects to visit her son in Peterboro on Monday and the packages should be in Trenton so she can bring them up to us there on Monday.

The Alternator died today. Crap! This is the second high output alternator that I have tried. I will put the original one back in and see if I can fix it. The Canadian locks do not allow you to run your engine in the locks, but without an alternator I am worried that I will not be able to start the engine at the top. The first operator said not to worry, let it run. At the second lock I started the Generator and shut down the engine. In the third lock the operator (the first woman we saw) would not let me keep it running. We had a shouting match (we were at the bottom of a twenty foot lock and she was on the top wall. After I refused to stop the generator she opened the lock door and told me to back out of the lock. There was another boat behind us (their sympathy was with us – they were one of our happy hour mates) and I refused to back out. She finally said that if I did not get started she would help tow us out of the lock.so I agreed and shut down. I started the generator first and then the main. I ran the rest of the day with the generator on and had no more trouble at the locks.

Had dinner that night in Campbellford with same couple. Canadians that had a house in Mexico, where they spent the winter. In the summer they spent on the boat, so they only used their house near Kingston about four weeks a year.

Package did not come today.

Saturday, July 10^th

A lot cooler. Moving on we passed up a quiet lock wall since it would leave too long a day tomorrow. We want to be in Peterborough on Sunday night since Sandy will be coming up on Monday. We continued on to a stop above the lock wall in Hastings. Very busy place on a Saturday. We stopped below the lock and I walked up to see if there was any room on the upper wall. The upper wall is usually preferred as the breeze is better and you do not start the day with a lock. There was just enough space up there so we locked on through.. Turns out all of the boats were only day trippers so we had the wall to ourselves that night. We walked down both of the streets in Hastings, but not much to see. One Pizza bar, a beer store and an LCBO (liquor and wine) that was closed by the time we looked. I talked with the lock operator for a while about the locks and where the fish might be. While I was talking to him two young Indian (Asian) women came over with a plate of food (Chicken & corn) for him. They were part of a family gathering and said that they came there to picnic every year and wanted to treat the operator. The lockkeepers are really very nice (with an occasional exception). They seem to want you to enjoy your trip and will go out of their way to be helpful. They always ask if you are going to the next lock. If you ask if there is room at one of the other locks for you to stay overnight, they call ahead to check. Need a restroom key for the evening they have them for you. And most of them will sit and talk with you if there is no lock lock traffic.

We ran the generator for a while so I could watch the soccer match and make popcorn. I also finally found a site that I could download TV shows to watch when we have no internet. Hulu will not send shows to Canada. I could really use that WiFi antenna now. I hope that the second, third time around is the charm.

Sunday, July 11^th

Cool and clear with a light wind. - Off to Peterborough!

Rice Lake was beautiful – calm – I took the opportunity to swing (adjust) the autopilot compass. It worked! The autopilot now agrees with the GPS. From the lake we head up the Otonabee River. It starts with wooded marshy islands, becomes grassy marsh and as we get close to Peterborough it gets rocky. The lock before Peterborough is the oldest lock in the system, and has the worst lockkeeper! I guess not all of them are great. We approached the lock and there was another boat going up, so we knew we would have to wait. The lock came down and I thought I had seen a boat in the lock, so I thought that the lockkeeper would be talking to them for a bit. We then watched the two keepers with their back to us talking to each other. Not only did they not let the boat out, but we could not get in. I thought that maybe they had not seen us, so I sounded the horn signal (three shorts). They looked up told us to wait, and when we finally got in told us that they had seen us and proceeded to tell me that they were not upset with us, but we are pretty big and that if we can see them they have seen us. They treat each person in the lock with as much time as they need and we should be patient. HAH they were talking to each other and could not be bothered to open the lock.

As we left the lock and turned in to Little Lake we were treated to a huge fountain at the entrance to the Marina. The dock hands refused a tip! And after checking in they insisted on giving me a tour of the facility. The showers here were really hard needles – great – helped make the day. It does not take much to get my mind off of the stupid stuff. And we arrived in time for me to watch the World Cup final. Spain won in overtime.

Riley's Pub was So So. Wings were breaded and fried. Flavor 1, Heat 3, meaty 2, Crispy 3, total 9. I need to weight the ratings. A nine is way too high a rating.

Tomorrow the package?

Monday, July 12^th

Fished off the boat for a bit in the morning. Little Lake is supposed to have a number of of Muskies. You could not prove it by me.! Not even a nibble.

At noon I checked on the packages. The good news is that one, the antenna came in. the bad news was that Sandy's son decided that Monday was not good and so she was not coming up until Friday. We decided that we would wait until both packages came in and then Craig would next day them to where ever we would be.

Wednesday, July 13^th

Heading out of Peterborough we found 7 other boats at the first lock. We thought we would have to wait for a while since up until then the operators were only allowing two boats at a time in the lock. Luck was with us. Only four boats were actually waiting and they put all four of us in at once. The next lock is the lift lock and before the lock is the canal visitors center so we stopped. to visit. A good movie of the canal construction was the highlight, also a pretty good explanation of how the lock works. This is the lock that uses an hydraulic cylinder to push a container of water up sixty five feet., and we are in the container. It is counterbalanced by another container that goes down as we go up. To provide the driving force the upper container stops 12” short of the water line and fills with 130 tons more water than the lower container. A valve between them is opened and the water from the upper container pushes the lower container up as it goes down. A quick and easy ride. This lock is 106 years old and still going strong.

Four locks later (in the pouring rain) we arrive at Youngs Point for the night. Fairly isolated, only a few buildings around. No room at the top so we tie up below the lock. Met up with several of our eating and drinking friends and spent some time socializing.

We had a power emergency. We had been using the generator running to use the slow cooker. I noticed that the batteries were running down and I found that there was no voltage from the generator., It then failed to start and the engine start battery was dead. I was able to start the main engine from the house battery (the generator only works from the engine battery) and then could start the generator after I reset the circuit breaker. I was still not charging the engine battery from the inverter/charger for some reason. And then I was not charging anything. I shut down all electrical & started the main engine. I let it run for about an hour to ensure that it would start in the morning.

That was the end of the slow cooked dinner! The pot roast came out of the cooker, a piece of it was cut off and put on the grill. Rice was cooked (the stove is propane) and all else was kept off.

Earlier we confirmed that both packages had arrived and they would be shipped that afternoon via Purolator next day to a resort on Stoney Lake, where we expected to be. Here is hoping.

Wednesday, July 14^th

Engine started easily and we were off at 8:50 – by 10:30 we were at the resort and at 11:00 THE PACKAGES ARRIVED! We were checking in when the Purolator truck pulled in and two packages were delivered. Carole made me go in to make sure that they were not refused, but the driver came out empty handed so we had them finally, YAY! No more stuff sent to Canada unless we have two weeks lead time and we do not have a clue where we will be in two weeks. Everyone tried their best, but with this lifestyle we just have to do things differently.

The three unexpected checks in the mail probably just made up the costs we incurred trying to get the packages.

Nice resort, even though the hot tub is out of service they have a nice beach for Annie to play in and a pool for me. We took a walk in the woods that was cut short because I did not think to put on insect repellent and the mosquitoes were ravenous.

Also I checked the electrical systems and everything is working fine. Who says boats don't have antibodies! Actually I believe it was a power management problem. Too many things on at once and then we turned on the microwave which popped the breaker. I am hoping that I have a handle on it now. Time will tell tomorrow we are going to be at anchor for the first time just off the island that Carole's Family went to in August for several years. She is pretty sure she located it on the chart.

Stoney Lake is …
                                     well stoney.

New Territory

Oswego to Clayton

Sunday, June 20^th

We are leaving the last lock for a while and head off in to Lake Ontario. It is a big flat lake, but we are only going across a small corner of it. We are going to Sackets Harbor so Carole can investigate her origins. She learned that one of her ancestors was buried here in 1828, and she wants to see if she can learn any more.

The lake is pretty flat, but the 1' waves are coming from our side and the boat is rolling about
5 degrees. The day started sunny, but it quickly got overcast. Seeing sailboats with their masts up is a novelty (it doesn't take too much to entertain me).

Navy Point Marine seems to be the only show in town. Liberty Marina's phone is disconnected and the Barracks Marina is closed on Sunday! Navy Point Mariner advertises “concierge” service -HAH! The entire time there we never saw a marina employee on the dock. When you arrive they ask you (over the radio) to go to the office to check in. If you want fuel, you go to the office, give them a Credit Card and pump your own. Same with a holding tank pumpout. Otherwise a nice place to stay. Lots of sailboats here and it is a great sailing area lots of open deep water, consistent wind, and islands and anchorages abound.

Sackets Harbor was involved in the war of 1812 and it was the Naval Center for the Great Lakes for many years. The battlefield and buildings have been preserved and are now museums. One of the guides offered to watch Annie for us while we toured the Commanders House. (In Fulton at the John Wells House they let Annie into the museum with us) It was well worth the visit. The exhibits were very innovative and well planned.

When we went to dinner we saw “Two Turtles” anchored in the harbor.

Monday June 21^st

Carole takes a Taxi to Watertown to do her Genealogy research. Turns out that they have a genealogy researcher at the Library there. Meanwhile I get to scrub the boat.

We called the local Canvas Shop to have semitransparent window covers made. They quoted ¼ the price we got in Brewerton and would have them ready the next morning. The price was so good that I considered staying another day to have side window covers made. Then sanity took over and we decided to wait.

I did order a WiFi amplified antenna for the laptop when I saw that Tony (on Two Turtles) was getting 8- 10 connections available when I could only see 2, and his signal strength was much higher than mine. It is scheduled to arrive by Thursday so we are having it delivered to Clayton, NY.

Tuesday June 22^nd

The window covers were installed first thing in the morning and look great. They also came in under the estimate.

Pumpout and get underway. Headed for Cape Vincent, The gateway to the St. Lawrence. And according to some great plan – it is raining. Our first sight of Canada is a large windmill farm – about 100 of them. They are on Wolfe Island across the St. Lawrence River. Not an ugly sight, but I am sure that many people are lamenting the change of the view.

We stay at a free town dock – no amenities except a picnic table and Port-a-pot. It is quiet and the town is well kept and seems to be in good repair. While docking I was trying to get close to shore and I pushed against an underwater rock shelf with the side of the boat. Lots of grass on the rock so it was well padded. I was only drifting and the only way I new I was against it was that the bow would not turn. The water is so clear that it is almost impossible to determine depth by eyesight. I eased off and tied up farther out on the dock.

Since this was a night for grilling it naturally rained, that is until Carole was finished using the grill outside and then it stopped.

Wednesday, June 23^rd

Walked in town this morning. Very well kept, nice wide (8-10') grass strips between the sidewalk and the street. No curbs. “Two Turtles” reported that two beers and a glass of wine was only $10.00 at the local pub.

We went to the fisheries aquarium. Small, but they have a good display of the local St. Lawrence fish species.

A small market about 1 block from the dock provided a few essentials for the larder.

We left St. Vincent about 10 to head for Clayton. Some brief sunshine and we passed the “Pride of Baltimore II” on the way. She was headed for Oswego for the Tall Ship Festival there this weekend.

It was only a 2 ½ hr. run to Clayton. On the way I was torn between watching the scenery and watching the USA World Cup soccer match. The US game was on French language TV from Canada. I did both. The scenery here is gorgeous. There are a bazillion islands, yet lots of open water.

After Clayton I do not have any paper charts. I can either print them or buy them.

The village of Clayton is upbeat. “Two Turtles” is there ahead of us,. They passed us on the way. I think that we are vying to be the slowest boat on the loop this year – and seem to be winning.

On arriving I called California to check up on when my Antenna would be arriving and learned that it had not even shipped yet! I was expecting it to arrive A real treat. Avery extensive collection of very well restored boats housed in several buildings and some in the water in covered docks. One building is devoted to speed – speedboats from the early 1900's to the present including engines. There is an extensive collection of outboards going back as early as 1894! There is one that has the powerhead at the bottom of the shaft. The propeller serves as the flywheel. To start it you tipped it up, wrapped the starting rope around the propeller shaft and pulled. I it started you lowered the shaft back in to the water – getting sprayed by the turning prop. At that point it would probably stall and you get to do the whole thing over again (the museum's description). .Also in the collection is a Millionaire's Houseboat. - built in 1903 it is a two story house with 5 bedrooms and a master suite (yes bedrooms – not cabins), 4 or 5 bathrooms (with porcelain tubs) and servants quarters. There were also many skiffs and sailboats, mostly related to the Thousand Islands history.

The Antenna should arrive tomorrow and we will head downriver in the afternoon.

Friday, June 25^th

I checked online for the UPS delivery schedule and found that the package had not left California and would not be delivered until Monday! A call to UPS did not help much at first. There was nothing they could do. I had to contact the shipper. They could not change it to next day air. I finally got a manager and she told me pretty much the same until she read the delivery address – the company had not changed the address and it was still scheduled to go to the Post Office and they could not deliver it there. I had to wait until noon to call the company. I realized that nothing was going to happen for a while, so we headed to Heart Island.

On the way I was able to finally reach RadioLabs. What a mess! They had the right address and had not bothered to change it on the package! And now to get it before we go to Canada I have to pay for next day air – which I will not get until Monday anyway. Every other method might get it to me on Tuesday – MIGHT! So I bit the bullet and authorized the shipping. Once I get it I will argue with them some more.

The castle on Heart Island was built by the same millionaire that built the Houseboat. Another astounding place – a 127 room castle on an island in the St. Lawrence River, started in 1899 and construction was stopped when his wife died in 1904. The first building he completed was a power plant where they generated electricity (DC) for the construction. He never returned to the Island although he did keep coming here in the summers. It had been enclosed before construction stopped, but never lived in. Across the water on an another island he had built a boathouse. This was also immense. He was reported to have 60 some boats – from skiffs and raceboats to a 127' steam launch. The boathouse had three slips, all the same length. The center slip housed the steam launch. All of the slips had lifting jacks for raising the boats out of the water in the winter or for repairs. The center slip (which housed the steam launch) had a funnel that could be lowered over the smoke stack so the launch could fire up before leaving the dock.

Continuing with our great timing – we found that when we got to Alexandria Bay that it was the 1000 Island Motorcycle Rally weekend. Big tent at the end of the dock with a sound system set up and several hundred bikes parked around the street. Along with the corresponding number of tattooed, studded, bearded, and beer bellied men and women. The anticipation was worse than the reality. Although crowded, the people were nice and friendly. The music was rock and blues, and the speakers were facing away from the docks so not too loud.

We had the best dinner out since the Highlands, making for a rather pleasant experience.

Saturday, June 26^th

After pumping out we left Alexandria Bay and took a short trip through Canadian waters and back into the U.S. Stopping at Canoe Point State Park for the night. Nice hiking area. And of course it rained. There were a number of boaters from a marina in Alexandria Bay that were all there as a group for the weekend. One of them showed up on a Jet Ski with his wife, and after the party they drove back home on the Jet Ski. He said it was only a 15 minute ride – It took us 2 ½ hrs.! One of the kids was fishing and catching little (like 3” long) perch. At last count he had caught (and released) 125 of them. I suspect that it was the same few fish many times. Oh and did I mention that it rained.

Sunday, June 27^th

Took a short hike this morning – it was sort of sunny. Annie had a great time running through the woods chasing a ground squirrel. She bounced around like a gazelle in the high undergrowth. We tried but could not get a picture. After we returned Carole took out her sketchbook for a while. We also saw our first loon about 20 yards off the dock.

All that before 10:00 when we left to return to Clayton, NY. I spent the afternoon setting up for the new depth sounder. Carole went out looking for art supplies.

We were going to order Pizza. None of the pizza places had anchovies – which is the way I like it. We went out to find some and wound up at the 1000 Island Inn – the original home of 1000 Island Dressing. We tried some and decided on Blue Cheese.

The “Roseway” is in town and I visited to see if there were any familiar faces, but there were none that I knew.

Tomorrow the package comes!