Lower Brewers Lock to Kingston, ON

Our last day on the Rideau as we close in on Kingston on Lake Ontario.  Only 16 miles, a flight of 4 locks at Kingston Mills and 2 bridges that must open.  The last bridge at Kingston only opens on the hour.   We leave Lower Brewers and its old grist mill at 8:45AM.

Very quiet at Lower Brewers in the morning.  I walk up to ask the lockmaster (eclusier) to call Kingston Mills to give them a heads up we are coming.  It can take over an hour to reverse the 4 locks.  

Oh well, the best laid plans! We arrive and they were just reversing the lock to lock upbound traffic, we are downbound so we tie up and enjoy walking around the lock.  About an hour later we are able to pull in to the lock.  Note the train trestle.  It is said to be the busiest track in Canada.  This is not a popular overnight stop for that reason.

Link to Info on Lock, scroll down for pictures

 Enlarge the photo on the right to see our circuit. Down the St Lawrence to Montreal, up the Ottawa River to Ottawa.  At Ottawa we scaled the 8 step locks to enter the Rideau Canal where we headed south 125 miles and 45 locks to Kingston.  WE transited  six locks on the St Lawrence and also two locks on the Ottawa River  both of which I have detailed earlier.

For some reason Pam enjoyed handling the stern line in the locks.  Note the line passes around a cable and back to the vessel.  One must make sure that it does not get hung up.  When entering a lock for a downbound lockage, the aid of the lockmaster is needed to secure the bow line to the cable.  The lift/drop is 8-20 feet per lock.

The Rideau is back to a canal and it is shallow due to lack of rain.  I saw 4.8 feet in a few spots, IH needs 4.2 feet.  Didn't hit bottom at all though.  

This is the bridge into Kingston, a major road that opens on the hour but not at noon or at rush hours.  IH needed 50 gallons of fuel and a pumpout at a marina before the bridge so we just stayed at the fuel dock until the 2PM opening.  

 Debbie was generally up early with Bryce so she captured a great shot of "sea smoke"

It is starting to feel like fall in Canada. Bryce is warm in his cuddly bed.  He has adapted well to his new home on IH,

Our marina in Kinston is Confederation Basin, a large marina right in town.


Link to marina info.