Sat, Sun Aug 5-6 Anchorage to Kingston ON

Sat, Sun  Aug 5-6  Anchorage to Kingston ON  

Our plan was to pull up anchor early and travel to make the 0900 opening at Lock 43.  The bottom surface of this anchorage was mud and weeds, and we pulled it all up.  It took over 45 minutes to pull the anchor up, using the boat hook to pull seaweed off the chain and anchor, disentangle a 4 ft. log which had the chain wrapped around it, and to dislodge a second log in the claws of the anchor.  We took turns driving, pulling off weeds and together dislodged the logs.  We were very relieved when we were finished - free at last.  The journey today involved the last 7 locks on the Rideau Canal, many boats traveling on this long holiday weekend and attentively steering thru narrow, well marked, shallow channels.  On the chart plotter, the area was all green to signify grasslands; no blue for water.  On the chart plotter it looked as if we were cutting someone's lawn.  The 30 mph wind blew all day which was an added challenge entering and leaving the locks as well as in the open water on the small lakes.  After the last lock, we raced - as fast as a trawler can race - to catch a lift bridge.  The bridge tender was very considerate of the wind and water conditions and opened the bridge quickly for us.  We entered the marina basin in Kingston, headed to our assigned slip and with the strong winds we had 5 dock-hands on the pier ready to "catch us."  We were very happy to be secured to a pier.  It was cold on the aft deck, so we headed into downtown Kingston, which was right off the marina pier.  We walked up Princess Street just as the shops were closing for the day.  We ate dinner at a Pub, then back to the boat.  We were exhausted.  Tom was in bed by 2030 and lights were out before 2200.  

The next morning, we got the bikes off and rode to church.  Kingston was hosting a triathlon, beginning and ending at the waterfront so roads were closed and a lot of people were mulling around.  We did our sightseeing by bike- the Penitentiary museum, the Bellevue House and a car ferry ride (on bikes) to Wolfe Island.  The rain fell on and off all day forcing us to seek coverage and move between the raindrops.  The winds finally calmed and the evening on the back deck was comfortable.  Pam and John brought over a birthday cake (3-2-1 cake) and ended Colletta's birthday with singing and chocolate - Perfect!!

The ball of weeds and a log underneath. What a
way to start your morning

The slow process of removing the "salad" as we
called it.

This is what the  chart plotter looked like when crossing By Lake.
It looked like  we were cutting across someone's lawn. Very narrow channel
with stubs and dead heads outside the channel

The Kingston Mills Locks. The final locks on the Rideau canal,
A very windy day. Luckily we were going down in these locks
which makes for an easier ride in the ;lock.

By the harbor in Kingston. Colletta is the "I" because it is her
birthday

Riding the free ferry to Wolfe Island between rain drops.

Downtown Kingston and the marina

Riding back on the ferry

In search of the famous Canadian butter tart. There are many
variations and we are trying them all

 

Thurs, Fri Aug 3-4 Chaffey Lock 37 to Morton Bay Anchorage

Thurs, Fri  Aug 3-4  Chaffey Lock 37 to Morton Bay Anchorage  

We got moving slowly today because we were comfortable mooring to the wall and watching the boats come and go.  That turned out to be a mistake.  As we were readying to leave the wall, the lock hands said that the traffic at Jones Fall, (4 locks in a row) was heavy and there was a 3 hour wait.  We decided to leave and drive slowly in an attempt to not get there too soon, but also to get in line for the lock down.  We drove slowly, 4-5 mph, arrived 1 1/2 hours later and still found a line of boats on the blue line and a 1 1/2 hour wait.  We shoulder moored off Short Vacation and waited patiently.  Eventually, the lock master double downed, meaning he had 2 groups lock down, one right after another.  We were in the second group and only had one other boat with us in the lock.  The locks were filled within inches of the top in order to lock us down safely and 75 minutes later we were eventually on our way.  We headed to Morton Bay to anchor for the night, only 45 minutes travel time.  As soon as we were anchored, Tom had our dingy down and we were swimming off the swim platform - the water was 78 degrees, the sun was shining and we felt like it was summer time!!!  John and Pam rode their dingy over, we went for a short cruise and then back in the water; A refreshing end of the day.  

The next day was a leisurely one.  About noon we took a 5 mile dinghy ride to the small town of Seeley Bay.  Not much there, but a hardware store, grocery, pub and of course an ice cream store.  The black raspberry thunder and the bear claw ice cream was another great discovery.  The dingy did not cooperate on the way back so we idled all the way home to the boat.  The remainder of the day involved reading, swimming, a few raindrops and a cat nap; the perfect way to enjoy an anchorage.

Even busy lock tenders have to take a break between cranking
open and closing locks.

When we arrive at Jones Falls Lock. A number of boats await
us. There is enough room for one of us so Short Vacation pulls
up the the Blue Line lock waiting wall and ties up first.

We then come along side and shoulder up to them (we call it rafting
in the States) and wait. It will be about 1 hour wait and then the
lock tenders decide who fits with who for going into the lock.

We were to big to go in with Short Vacation so they locked in
ahead of us with bunches of smaller boats. We ended up going in
about 20 minutes after they exited this lock because this lock leads into
a turning basin then a flight of 3 more locks. They use the water from
our lock to fill the lock below us. You can actually see the water
level go down and then come back up.

Going down the flight of 3 locks, Short Vacation is
down below the locks waiting for us.

Entering Morton's Bay thru a narrow rock filled opening that

thankfully is well marked

Really narrow entrance

 

The bay opened up and we proceeded further up to Flood's Island

 It was a secluded cove with a couple of houses and cottages
on it

I was swimming off the back of the boat when I noticed this head

coming my way so I swam over and introduced myself. His name

was Ron and he had built his house on the cove. Nice guy with good

conversation. Thanked him for letting use his cove and he said no

problem. I think I noticed a twinkle in his eye as he swam away

he turned back and said we never even mentioned Donald by name. Referring to our

President. I think he knew about something else we would find out about

soon enough.

 

I think this was Ron's Surprise. The bottoms here

are mud with a heavy covering of plants. This what

comes up when you pull your anchor up in the morning.

Mud covered by a heavy plant covering. How to

get this off?

You have a good farm girl on board as crew who

knows how to pitch hay, of course. Really you have

to work on the clump of weeds with a boat hook and

slowly pull it off. Took us 45 minutes before the anchor

was clear.

We weren't the only one with this plant issue.

John on Short Vacation also had plenty of salad

to deal with

 

 

 

Wed, Aug 2 - Westport to Chaffey Lock 37

Wed, Aug 2 - Westport to Chaffey Lock 37  
 After a quick trip to the Bakery for butter tarts and after we savored but devoured them. We left Westport and go thru the Newboro lock.  This is the top of the canal system, 407 ft.  We now switch the red and green markers and are being lowered in the locks.  We come out on Newboro Lake and find we are "On Golden Pond."  The loons greet us with calls between mates, numerous coves, island and anchorages can be seen each direction we look, and the locals and cruisers are all enjoying the water.  It is very scenic.  The entrances of the locks are very narrow and twisty which reminds us of the Dismal Swamp, but the water is now clean and very clear.  We can see fish swimming and the rocks on the bottom in the canals.  We are close to a waterfall again and the lock hands once again move planks to control the speed of the water.  We moor to the wall at the bottom of Chaffey lock and go to the famous Opinicon Resort

 

restaurant.  It was been renovated, remodeled, expanded and is booked for dinner every night so reservations are a must.  We did not plan in advance, so we decide to eat a late lunch in their pub which was casual but very good food. We enjoyed watching boats come and go thru the lock - the max was 9 at a time. 

On the Chaffey Lock Wall. We had power so it gave the generator
a rest and was quieter

 

The dam spillway next to the lock. Still quite a bit of water
going thru. I took a swim up from here off a dock and it was
really nice because as far as you could dive off the dock
the current would bring you right back. You just had to make
sure you didn't miss the dock or down the spillway you would
go.

Beautiful scenery along the way

Two great boats along with Sea Wench in front of us

Words cant describe how beautiful this part of the trip is.

Loon

 

Mon, Tues -July 31 and Aug 1 -Smith Falls to Westport

Mon, Tues -July 31 and Aug 1 -Smith Falls to Westport    

Today was a longer mileage day (27 miles) with only 3 locks and we ended the day in Westport.  The ride was through narrow areas as well as open lake areas on the Rideau river and the Rideau Lake.  The path twists and turns thru the lakes and we follow the red and green markers very carefully.  As we get into the wider lake areas, the depth increases, sometimes over 100 ft deep and the path is relaxing.  Along the way, many fishermen are testing their luck as we see and hear loons and their mates.  The big Rideau Lake is beautiful:  shoreline dotted with cottages, small islands with quaint private homes, tall evergreens reaching into the skies, canoes and kayaks skimming the smooth waters in a peaceful, scenic atmosphere.  This exceeds our preconceived image of boating on Canadian inland waters.  We moor in a marina in Westport, plug into electric and the boat's generator can rest for a few days.  In-between raindrops we walk into town and dine at a local restaurant, the Tangles Garden Cafe.  A relaxed evening finishes our day.

There is a lookout on Foley Mountain and Tom and I started our day with a bike ride - straight up a steep hill - pushing our bikes.  We got to the park on the mountain and enjoyed a ride in the shade on a winding road only to discover that we rode too far, went down and then up a very steep hill (pushing our bikes up again).  We retraced our steps and finally found the lookout which provided a lovely overlook of the town, water and area.   The ride, or should I say, coast down the mountain went smoothly and fast and we arrived safely.  We explored the town a little by bike and then stopped at Steve's restaurant which was a family style restaurant but also served Greek food.  Tom enjoyed lunch and talking with the cook and waitress.  The remainder of the day was spent shopping, both together and separately.  Tom prepared nachos for dinner again and the day was closed with a stop at the ice cream shop.  The flavors of Moose Tracks and Pralines and Creme were shared and enjoyed.

One of Colletta's favorites, a Loon calling

Riding to Foley's Mountain the highway to heaven
Very steep

Right past this sign is the turn off for the lookout that we missed and proceeded
to ride all the way to the end of  the park's road only to have to go back
up another incredibly steep hill to get back to here. What a work out!

From the Lookout over the town of Westport.
Get a little town with good stores, restaurants, and
ice cream

Another view of Westport without the cute young lady to distract
you

Hey, you ride 10 miles straight up a hill you had better see some
unusual birds. Look close to the right of the tree on a branch.

Back in the kitchen again. Turned out we had some of
the same purveyors .Stanislaus Tomato products

This is for Colletta's dad, Wally. The guy definitely needs
some air shocks in the rear.

Exiting Westport Marina. A nice place to stay

 

Sat, Sun - July 29-30 Lock 20 to Smith Falls (Lock 29)

Sat, Sun - July 29-30  Lock 20 to Smith Falls  (lock 29)  

Sun up and so are we.  The lock workers dropped another beam into the dam to continue to slow the water flow.  20 minus later we receive word that all locks are open and boats should start to move - so we do.  We said good-bye to our new friends and head south to Smith Falls.  We pass many boats' wakes as we all travel and many boats also follow us up.  8 locks, 17 miles and 5 1/2 hours later we arrived, found a spot on the free wall and set out to explore Smith Falls.  We rode our bikes into the business district, found the big box stores and enjoyed Tom's favorite - Dairy Queen.  While on the back deck of the boat, we watched other boaters lock thru, 6-8 per lockage.  Everyone is happy to be moving.

This is Allison one of the lock tenders at Lock 20. She gave us a ride
into Smith Falls and along with the other staff members: Kevin,
Jordan, and Griff tried to make our unscheduled stay as comfortable
and pleasant as possible. Great bunch of people.

 

Before we depart a little vegetation had to be removed from
our rudders and struts

 

 

 

Sunday -

Time to go to worship.  We attend church today - which really felt good; many prayers continue to be said.  The two museums in the area were the Railroad Museum, where a gentleman shared with us info about train communication via Morse code, flags, lights and radio.  We climbed aboard engines, cabooses and even a dentistry rail car.  The other museum was a Heritage Museum which displayed the visual history of Smith Falls.  We enjoyed some folk music in the park and the fresh sweet corn with our steaks - delicious.  

The gentleman who demonstrated railroad communication
to us. A retired school teacher who always loved railroads
after 38 years teaching got his wish.

A really impressive museum that was well done
and very informative

A Canadian railroad track snow plow. They don't mess around
up here in the Great White North. Where the CN is on the side that is
a wing that folds out to cover more area and throw the snow further
off the track

One of the nicely preserved railroad cars with a also nicely preserved
couple in front

John and I were hoping to get to drive this 2 man car but it was not
to be...today.

 

Thurs, Fri - July 27-28 Lock 20

Thurs, Fri - July 27-28  Lock 20    
The sun is shining and the water is still flowing.  Tom, Pam and John decide to ride into town and go to the library to use the Internet.  Tom wants to post some days on the blog and there is no Internet here and nothing else to do so it would be a good use of his time - however, the library was not open until the afternoon, and even when it was open the Internet connection was very slow so unfortunately he was not as successful as he had hoped.  Colletta stayed on the boat, did some light cleaning and did her own thing in a relaxing atmosphere.  The lock activity of the day involved a crane being brought in to remove the large cedar log plank which is dangling by a chain over the dam.  The lock hands maneuver the log from one side of the dam spillway to the other by hand crank and then the crane lifted it out of the water and placed it on top of the walkway ready to be inserted when needed.  The process was very efficient and Colletta learned that they have done this before.  Also one of the log planks costs $8000 so it is very important to retrieve the plank and have it ready for use.  

Friday was the first day in which a log was replaced back into the dam in an effort to slow the water speed and still continue to lower the water level.  The lock master for the day, Allison, offered to drive us 20 miles into the town of Smith Falls.  There we did laundry, some provisioning, and walked around the harbor. Their lock is also closed as we spoke with the lock master and viewed their lock and waterfall and dam area.   We will be here soon by boat, but not today.  

The rescue and retrieval of the log begin when the

crane arrives. the lock tenders put down sheets of

wood so the grass wasn't torn up

They hook the log and get it in to position

Up it comes to be rehooked

Rehooked and ready for lift to begin

Positioning the log back in position above the dam so it can be lowered

This is the passenger vessel the "Kawartha" which had 45 passengers
on it for its trip from Kingston to Ottawa. Unfortunately with the
high water from all the rain it couldn't get under some of the
bridges on the way to Ottawa so they turned it around and sent
it back to Kingston. don't know how the passengers fared in all
this or how they got to Ottawa.
The boat is too long for the locks so the bow folds up hydraulically
so it will fit in.

They had to fill the lock all the way to the top to get the Kawartha
thru the locks. A little too full as can be seen here. Turn the water off!

I told you there was a strong current in the canal. Actually
this is right below a lock at Merrickville and the current while
strong was this bad down by our boats

But we were warned by the lock staff of the possibility of increased
current so wee doubled up on the docks lines just to be safe.