We enjoyed Lakefield. Debbie and Barb even found a store open on this holiday weekend, handmade pottery.
Nice having an IGA for provisioning.
We departed Lakefield at 9:00AM without deckboss Debbie.(see prior post) First it was cruising on a river but later it opened up into beautiful lakes with rock islands, and also rocks lurking just below the surface as a trap for the unwary.
One of the many islands we passed today, some had homes on them.
The lakes are connected by canals with locks as the lakes are on different elevations.
We wanted to stay on the lock wall here at Buckhorn, but being a long weekend here for Canada Day we smartly decided to book a nearby marina
I guess this is why they call it Buckhorn
WE tied up to the Buckhorn Yacht Harbour marina at 1:30PM after traveling 22 miles and four locks, tying on the outside wall. Island Hopper was too big for the inside portion of the marina. It was a mile walk to town which we did in the afternoon. Lots of holiday picnics at the nearby lock park and good ice cream.
We decided to fix dinner on the boat so Eddie and I dressed for the occasion. The marina rules prohibited grilling on the boat so we found a nearby bench and set the ship's grill on a steady platform. Wine was poured, chicken thawed and cooked and thanks to my able crew with my careful supervision, we enjoyed a very nice meal.
Bryce enjoyed the grilling, as well, from a distance.
We stayed two nights in Peterborough. Barb and Ed joined us here having driven from in Cincinnati. With a car we were able to re provision easily as we didn't have to carry everything from the store! We enjoyed taking a walking path to the lift lock and several good restaurants.
We left Friday morning at 8:45 AM to make the first lockage at the nearby lock 20. WE entered the lower pan of water on the lift lock. The gate closed behind us and after a brief announcement by Eddie the lockmaster up in the air 70 feet we went.
Looking out the stern of the boat one could see how high we were raised above the valley. The gate in front of us opened and out we went. We had 7 locks today but only 11.5 miles.
We tied up to wait at the next lock for the lockmaster to "turn" the lock, about 15 minutes.
Barb was practicing her deckhand duties as the stern line handler. A bow and stern person had to wrap a line around a cable to hold the boat as it was lifted in the lock.
We arrived at Lakefield at 2:00PM. Since it was Canada Day weekend,(their July 4th) we elected to stay here two nights to avoid the bedlam on the water. Nice town to walk, bicycle and take it easy. Bryce enjoyed walks in the nearby park.
We received distressing news that evening from family in Cincinnati that Debbie's cousin passed away at age 53, suddenly. Thanks to the internet Debbie was booked on a flight home from Toronto a 2 hour drive away for the next day. Luckily Eddie and Barb had their car in Peterborough so I arranged a ride to the car from the dockmaster. Debbie will return later this week to meet us in Midland, We were also fortunate to have experienced boaters on board so we could meet up with Debbie when she returns. Flexibility is the word of the day while boatiing.
We left at 8:30AM for Peterborough, a trip of 40 miles and one lock, yippee No rain forecast and the weather people were right. Debbie took the helm for a spell across one of the Lakes we traversed today, a nice change from the narrow rivers and canals.
At 12:30 we enter lock 19 just before the Peterborough Marina. A beautiful relaxing day on Island Hopper.
Who do we see in the lock but the slow boat, Canadian Flyer, he departed Hastings before 6:00 AM he tells me.
As we enter the "lake" at Peterborough a lovely fountain is before us. At night the colors of the lights change.
The marina is handy to town so we enjoy the amenities of a town of 75,000 boasting two universities. Plenty of Pizza joints but also nice restaurants. Island Hopper is on the right.
We are spending two nights as our friends Ed and Barb Daniel are joining us here for a several week trip. They drove up from Cincinnati. Ed is a college fraternity brother. Here are Debbie and I at a statute along a lovely walking trail near the marina.
We walked to thePeterborough lift lock about 2 miles away. We will lock up through this lock on Friday morning as we head north.
Note the pan that is up in the air. There is a similar pan on the left in the water. You pull your boat into the pan, tie it off and by a push of a button you go up 70 feet to the canal above. The gate opens and out you go. Not bad for being built in 1906
We walked up to the control room after viewing the visitor's center. Ed the lockmaster allowed Debbie to push a few buttons to lower the pan with a pleasure boat in it.
The poor Captain had no idea Debbie was operating the lock. This is the upper pan about ready to go down the 70 feet.
An uneventful day today traveling 40 miles and 6 locks to arrive at Hastings, Ontario. We departed at 8:45 AM to make the first lockage which starts around 9:00 AM. We tied up to the blue line and I walked up the hill to the lockmasters house. Nobody was there. Finally at 10:00 they appeared. Due to austerity programs in Canada the workers are doing double duty traveling between locks by car.
Shortly after entering it started to rain so out came the raincoats. It rained off and on for the first 4 locks. Luckily no lightning or high winds.
When the lock opened out came a vintage Chris Craft, a real beauty.
We traveled with the slow boat again, he rafted off to me in the lock and a 46 foot Grand Banks, both owners were retired pilots.
In this double lock when the gates open to proceed forward you enter another lock! Tie off and up you go again.
The Grand Banks owner had not one but TWO standard poodles on board.
We traveled through cottage country on the Trent River. This was a neat Boat House we passed.
We entered the last lock at Hastings just before the marina. We lost the slow boat after lock 5 as we had 16 miles of open cruising. Note the roadway bridge had to rotate to allow us to pass through. We tied up at 2:30PM. The Grand Banks and Island Hopper cruised at 10MPH except in a few speed zones that were
restricted to 6 MPH
in narrow areas.
About three hours after our arrival the slow boat appeared on the lock wall across the river from our marina.
We departed the lock wall at 8:15 AM to arrive at the next lock by 9:15 when they open for business. We tied up on the blue line to the lockmaster knew we awaiting lockage. We walked Bryce in the adjacent park until the lock was ready.
We entered the lock following a Camano 31 who spent the night on he wall with us. A former sailboater, I knew I was in trouble when he bragged about his fuel economy which was accomplished by never going over 6 MPH!!!!
We had to traverse 6 locks today and 32 miles to Cambellford Ontario.
We were traveling on the Trent River which was running about 1-2 MPH against us. No problem for us but my new buddy slowed to 4-5 MPH. We had to stay together for the locking we were told.
We tied up to a wall at a park in Campbellford provided by the Chamber of Commerce, complete with power.
Note the statute of the $2 coin called a "Tooney" in the park with Island Hopper in the background. We arrived at 2PM checked out the town and decided to grill on the boat.
We awoke to thick fog, so we waited and at about 8:45 it lifted enough for safe navigation. We are beginning the Trent Severn waterway today, total length about 240 miles, connecting Lake Ontario to Lake Huron (Georgian Bay). Check out the link to Trent Seven Waterway
Debbie, my hardworking crew, wife, soul mate, best friend and chief cook and bottle washer set the fenders in place to protect Island Hopper from the rough concrete walls of the locks.
First lock was only a 15 minute
ride. We waited for the gates to open and in we went.
After buying a one way pass for about $250 we headed to lock 2 another 15 minute run. The lockage takes about 20 minutes from the time the gates are manually closed until they reopen.
Each lock is associated with a dam to control flow and water level. With all the recent rain the gates are open to allow the levels to recede. Each Dam also has a hydro electric generator to harness the power.
After 6 locks today we decided to stop after lock 6 at Noon for the evening. This is one of the few locks with shorepower, called Hydro in Ontario. It is a great park like setting with the small town of Frankford a 10 minute walk away. Cost for the night $45 plus $10 for Hydro.
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| Picton Harbour |
We departed Picton, for Trenton at 9:15 AM, a 40 mile run at slow speed. The weather prediction was not good, rain and thunderstorms as a front is coming. The instruments on IH has a Sirius satellite weather module, so one can see the upcoming weather on the computer screen at the helm.
The skies darkened but he rain held off until we were entering the Fraser Park Marina in Trenton. We slowed our pace and by the time we had to dock the rain stopped saving our crew a soaking.
We have internet access even underway thanks to a subscription to Rogers Wireless (the Verizon of Canada) and a SIM card for the IPAD which gives the vessel a hotspot to connect all of our devices.
Bryce is very observant even while cruising.
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| Trenton Ontario |
The beginning for us of cruising the Trent Severn Waterway, the Trent River.
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| Fraser Park Marina |
We were shoe horned into the marina but were right along a nice park, great for Bryce.
With the aid of Trip Advisor with a recommendation by the dockmaster, Debbie reserved dinner at Tomasso's just a block away from the marina.
We traveled through cottage country on the Trent River. This was a neat Boat House we passed.
