July 31 - Midland, Ontario

Today we completed the Trent Severn waterway and entered the Georgian Bay and the land of rocks.  We also went through our last lock today and 72 locks total on this trip.  That's enough locks for one Summer.  The Canadian locks are great in that each has a park with picnic tables, fire pits and rest rooms.  Tying up at a lock for the night, especially in the country locks, is like camping out - not really - we have the luxury of a 36 ft trawler so shared our hot breakfast scones with boat/tent campers.  We had camp fires a few times and met some very nice families.  And the staff that work the locks are great.  All friendly and can't help enough.

The next to the last lock was not a lock at all, but a "marine railway" at the "Big Chute".  The Big Chute is famous in Canada and to anyone that has traveled the Trent Severn.  Traveling it the first time is an adventure, but was easier than most locks.  Just pull in and they lift you out of the water, carry you across a road, down a hill and dump you into the water on the other side.

We stayed overnight at the bottom of the Big Chute last night and came to Midland, Ontario today.  Getting a wash done and preparing for anchoring out this weekend.
Our internet access is going to be spotty for a while, so we'll update the blog again as soon as we can.

July 28 - Orillia - Cold

Forecast is for 48 degrees tonight.  It's cold out there campers.  Makes for good sleeping, although everyone is concerned that the summer may be history.
Nothing exciting happened today (a good thing).  Although we spent time doing what we wanted to do.  I rode my bicycle to the local golf course (up hill), and Patti worked to complete new curtains for the aft stateroom (very nice).  It was good to do our own thing for a few hours.
Orillia has been a good place to relax.  And it has been a good place to spend time with other people.

Maybe that's the best part.  The Canadians have been great.  We always get a nice welcome.  And the other people doing what we are doing are always looking for new friends and new things they can learn.  Patti said that we will meet our next best friends, and I'm sure we all ready have.  Several times.
Tomorrow we move on.  It's always an adventure.  A bit stressful combined with excitement of something new.

July 27 - Orillia, Ontario

67 locks so far and 4 to go.
We left Fenelon Falls three days ago after a little excitement.  While we were tied up to the wall in Fenelon our boat was hit by a houseboat (not a small houseboat & not slowly).


Everyone jokes about inexperienced house boaters, but it's not until they hit your boat that the joke wears thin.  Patti was on the boat when she heard everyone yelling.  It seems there was some confusion about which way to push the throttle to go forward or backward.  They caught at least one bumper and then took out two small pieces of fiberglass.  Not that big a deal considering.  We made a deal with the houseboat company, and left the next morning to get further in the Trent Severn system than houseboats are allowed to go.

We crossed Balsam Lake into one of the narrowest parts of the Trent Severn.  It is several miles of very narrow canal with rocks on both sides.  The rocks seem to be a couple of feet off of the boat on either side.  They recommend calling out on the radio before entering the canal. The theory is that the opposing boats are listening or even have radios.  We made it fine.  Just like going down the Dismal Swamp canal (with rocks).

Then we rode the second lift lock at Kirkfield and "camped" at a country lock with plenty of peace and quiet, and no houseboats.

Yesterday we crossed the largest lake on the Trent, Simco Lake.  Reports are that it can get rough, but it wasn't.  We went to the Orillia Marina, right in the middle of their Beatles festival. There were Beatles bands everywhere until midnight.
We get a free night if we pay for two, so we're staying put.  On Tuesday we'll start out push to the Georgian Bay.

July 24 - Fenelon Falls

Bobcaygeon was nice, but pretty busy and a lot of houseboats.  From a cruisers perspective, houseboats are to be avoided at all costs, with your boat hook ready.  They are all great people, but they get a 20 minutes of video training and they send them out.  Mix in a little wind and watch the fun.  The tourists love it.  They get crossways in the locks and can't figure how to straighten them out.  And many of the houseboats are huge!
But if you haven't experienced houseboats, I recommend them as a family vacation.  And the Trent Severn is a great place to try them out.

Yesterday we moved 15 miles to Fenelon Falls.  15 miles is our daily pace now.  Today we're staying put, and maybe a little golf. Tomorrow we'll do another 15 to the lift lock at Kirkfield. 

We've done 62 locks and are about two thirds through the Trent Severn.

Patti is "practicing" fishing, usually in the evenings, and we're enjoying exploring these small towns.  Everyone is great and very friendly.

July 23 - Bobcaygeon

Great names of the towns up here.
So far 61 locks, and the last two have been busy.  Seems like everyone likes to go to get ice cream in their boats and clog up the locks.  Then there are the houseboats.  Everyone on the houseboats is on vacation and new to steering a box on floats.  As we go further west we're hoping to out run them.

Yesterday we had the boat engine mounts blessed.  They said that a forward lean to the engine posts is not unusual and not a problem.  And, no charge for the inspection.  People up here are great.
Today is cloudy, we're not in a hurry, so maybe we'll sit tight or go a short ways.

July 21 – Buckhorn, Ontario

Three days ago just before Lakefield, Ontario my cell phone died.  It's been working up to this for some time, but I thought if I charged it every 15 minutes it would be fine.  And without a cell phone all our logistics change (we're addicted to these things).  I was sitting at a bench at Lock 25 trying to figure out what to do, and Tom Marsden walked up.  Amazing.  But actually not too coincidental.  Tom knew we were in the area and his parents have a home in Lakefield.  And Tom saved our phone by taking me to the only place on the Trent Severn that could fix an iPhone on a Saturday.  We are eternally grateful to Tom for rescuing us and our phone.
Actually, Tom, Diana, Jacob and Tom's cousin Nick joined us for a one hour tour on the boat from Lakefield to the next lock at Young's point.  Tom and Nick expertly handled our lines while we locked through Lock 27.   The Marsdens graciously invited us to a dinner on land at their house, and we really appreciated their hospitality.

Patti and I are now in Buckhorn, Ontario and officially half way through the Trent Severn.  120 miles and 120 miles to go.  Today we went through some beautiful and rocky lakes (Clear Lake and Stoney Lake).  The channel winds through the rocks and the scenery and cottages are really pretty.  It was a nice 15 mile and 3 lock cruise. 

We're here at least one day to have our engine mounts checked, but they can't look at it until tomorrow.  Tonight we're having a Canadian Chinese dinner.  Not sure what that is yet.

July 17 - Peterborough, Ontario

We made it to Peterborough in time for the Wednesday night concert.  Collin James performed to 12,000 people, all free.  I hadn't heard of Collin James, but he's big time in Canada.  A combination of Bruce Springstein, George Thoroughgood and Jackson Brown.
It was a good night, but cold.  It has been a cool summer up here.  I'm not complaining, but we're afraid that summer may be over.
We're taking a layover day and only moving the boat across the Peterborough lake up to the next lock.  Then we'll get our bikes out and explore.  We're looking forward to a quiet day and taking out time.
Our cruising partners on Castaway II (Curt and Marilyn) and John B (Don and Kathy) are moving on.  They have a schedule to complete the Great Loop and need to get through the Trent Severn sooner than us.
It makes us think about our schedule.  But maybe not so much.

July 15 - Hastings, Ontario on the Trent Severn

Three days and 18 locks - 6 each day.  We have traveled 50 miles on the Trent River. Water levels are up so there has been a lot of current and swirling water at the entrance to the locks. Patti drove into each one of them and did a great job. Although we're tired at the end of each day.  We need a rest day soon.
It is cool up here (sweaters and jackets) and the scenery is great.
Patti got a fishing license but no fish yet.

July 10 - Oh Canada!

We finally made it to Canada.  This morning at 6:00 we left our good friends Don and Connie Rutsch, who we had spent the last three weeks with, and pointed our boat out onto Lake Ontario and 30 miles of open water.  We enjoyed Don and Connie's company on the New York State in-land water ways, and look forward to doing it again with them.

The trip across Lake Ontario started out a little bumpy with 1 to 3 foot waves, but it wasn't bad at all and within four hours we were at the other side.  When we reached the north shore of Ontario the islands settled the water down and it was a really nice cruise in the North Channel and the Adolphus Reach.  We planned to finish in Picton, Ontario and call in to Canadian customs.

After giving all our information to customs on the phone, the normal procedure is that they give you a number to tape in your window, and then you're done.  Instead they said "stay right there, we'll be right out".  All kinds of thoughts ran through my head.  I'm imagining the great "Two Buck Chuck" bust when the find Patti's stash.  Then I remembered our good friend, Charlie Burke, giving us advice (which I won't mention here) on how to get through customs.  After waiting a hour and a half for a customs officer to arrive, and after he explored the boat a little, we were cleared to set foot in Canada.  He said it was a random check.

It's a beautiful day in Canada.  About (or as they say up here: aboot) 70 degrees and sunny.  We wore sweaters, blue jeans and coats last night and this morning.  I don't miss the toasty Virginia summer.
Tomorrow - Trenton, Ontario.

July 9 - Antsy But Cautious

While watching for our weather window yesterday, we moved to a nice park setting just before Lock 8 in Oswego; the last lock before Lake Ontario.  The lake winds were predicted to be 10 to 20 knots diminishing but with chance of severe thunderstorms so we stayed put.  Sad, but validating, was the news that in Minetto, (where we just left), a 30 mph microburst demolished the local drive in, golf course, homes & cars, & the area is without power. Tomorrow the forecast looks excellent so today we refinish teak, bike, read & share Happy Hour with the parade of cruisers.
In later news this evening at lock 8 ... one boat forgot to take the engine out of reverse & almost backed into the closing lock doors until his wife's "stop reversing" screams registered, & another did not secure the lines before the wind turned them around180 degrees inside the lock - never heard if they went out backwards, but both were shaken. Lots of lessons.

July 7 – Waiting for a Window

Waiting for a window is a pain.  A weather window that is.  We left Baldwinsville and arrived in Minetto, NY on Saturday.  Minetto has a nice floating dock with electric and clean bathrooms – a cruiser’s nirvana.  We have four locks and 4 miles to go to enter Lake Ontario and head up to Canada.  We’re not in a hurry and for obvious reasons, we’re waiting for a weather window that has calm seas and no storms.  Looks like the next three days will be good.

Minetto is not much of a town, but they have a Stewart’s.  To those not from upstate New York Stewart’s is known for one thing:  ice cream.  Other than that, Minetto has a small waterfront park perfect for two boats to sit.  Maybe too perfect.  People have come by and taken us to the grocery store.  There’s a drive-in movie theater down the street and a golf course.  But there is no internet for miles.

We’re still traveling with Don and Connie Rutsch.  We joined them on our trip on June 22^nd, in Kingston, NY.  If anyone is in no hurry more than us, it is them.  Their patience with our slow pace and zig-zag route has made it an enjoyable trip. Or maybe it’s the happy hours. 

We go separate ways from Oswego.  They are going northeast to the Thousand Islands, and we’re going pretty much due north to the Bay of Quinte (pronounced Qwinty, Kintee, Kant, or whatever you prefer).  I did find it on the map though.  Tomorrow we’ll move to Oswego and probably to Canada on Wednesey.

July 2 - Baldwinsville, NY

We made it back to Baldwinsville.  Never heard of Baldwinsville?  We were last here on our 2006 cruise when the canal flooded and we were stuck for a week.  We tell people that we spent a week in Baldwinsville one night.

The last time was the Fourth of July and we had fireworks right over the boat and a concert by Shania Twin at the amphitheater just across the water.  This time it's the Grateful Dead (without Jerry Garcia) tonight and the Allman Brothers (or some version) followed by fireworks both nights.  The river walls are free and we have a front row.

The Erie Canal is beautiful west of Sylvan Beach. We crossed Lake Oneida on a beautiful day and cruised past some beautiful summer homes (they call them camps) along the way.
On Saturday we'll head up to Oswego, NY to prepare to cross Lake Ontario to Canada.
Although we have flash flood warnings this afternoon.  Could be another week in Baldwinsville tonight.  Although we're not complaining as we see the hurricane Arthur news down south.
Pictures to follow.