Rattlesnakes and White Knuckles

The Trent Severn Waterway is a lovely 250 mile system of narrow canals, rivers (The Trent and the Severn) and lakes that connect Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay.  The Waterway was built in sections over 100 years ago to foster industry although now it only serves recreational traffic for boats that draw no more 5 feet.  There are many, many locks, 43 to be exact. I must say that we became very weary of going through the locks but there were 3 in the waterway that were particularly memorable.

Approaching the lock by kayak.

Here I am standing below the raised
Peterborough lift lock.

The first impressive lock

We first observed the lift lock.  Here the
lock on the left is going up while the
one of the right is going down.

was the Peterborough lift lock, the largest in the world, which is basically a balance scale of two very large pans of water, roughly 50 feet by 100+ feet wide and 7 feet deep.   By adjusting the amount of water, one pan goes up 95 feet and the other one goes down 95 feet.   Interesting, a boat in the pan displaces water that exactly equals the weight of the boat.  We went through this lock twice, first by kayak with our Looper friends, Jan and Stacy, and later on Salty Paws.  [The Kirkfield lift lock that is slightly shorter.]

The second to last lock is called Big Chute and was amazing.  We were able to tie up to a dock next to this engineering contraption to observe its action before going up ourselves (and also waiting for the rain to stop).

Here a boat has moved into the
Big Chute Railroad Lift.

Now that boat has been raised out of
the water and is on the railroad to go
up and down the hill to the water
500 feet away and 100 feet lower.

We are now next in queue as another
boat is coming at us.

Now  it is out turn to enter
Big Chute.

So you motor on top of a very large, submerged railroad platform, while 6 lock operators are doing their job from the raised platform on the side. They told us to put our bow and stern lines in a place where they could reach them and then sit down and enjoy the ride.  They pull your boat into place and tighten two wide straps underneath, like a sling. Apparently, they are familiar with the different kinds of boats and know what your keel (boat bottom) looks like.  You are then pulled on the rail and begin to go up as you come out of the water. The bow of the boat is somewhat lifted until you reach the top of the rail and you then see what looks like a roller coaster dropping you down a steep hill into the water. I had taken to heart the sign at the beginning of the lock that tells you that the Canadian Lock System is not responsible for any damage done to your boat! Thankfully, this experienced group knew what they were doing, and as far as we know, Salty Paws sustained no damage.

We are now on the railroad while
inside our boat and shaking our heads!

Big Chute is now behind us!

Here is one lock where we stayed
below the lock on the wall.

During our 10 days on the waterway, we spent most nights on the lock wall on the far side of a lock. The locks don’t open until 9am and we like to get going at around 7am, so we planned our stops accordingly.  We found that by doing this, we could often be the only boat going through the next lock and they tended to be open when we arrived, allowing for fairly quick passage. Otherwise, there is a lot of “hurry up and wait”. The other advantage to this is that we aren’t going through the locks with the giant rental houseboats. 

"Bumper Boat"

These houseboats are affectionately known as bumper boats. It seems that most of the folks renting them know little to nothing about boating and are given a very rudimentary introduction to their operation by the rental company. It’s a short film and “off you go”. These boats flip around in the locks and are often covered with dents.  Bill did ask why they don’t have fenders and was told that costs more!  Doesn’t give one much comfort. Fortunately the lock operators are prepared and give these “captains” guidance for the process.

Across the glassy Lake Simcoe and through a few more locks (have we been through 100 yet?!) and we were in the magnificent Georgian Bay, sometimes described as the 6^th Great Lake. It is said that this Bay has 30,000 islands and I believe it. Most people travel through the northern small boat channel which has most of the granite islands.  This area reminds me a lot of the coast of Maine.  The water, however, is a lovely 72 degrees.  We anchored for 2 nights off beautiful Beausoleil Island, part of the Canadian National Park system. 

We kayaked from our anchored boat but
the Park also has a number of dock
space available on a 1st come basis.

Beautiful Fairy Lake on Beausoleil.

We were able to take 2 long hikes, a kayak trip and swim in the clear, clean water. There are loons everywhere and they don’t seem to mind being close to the boats. OK, so let me tell you about Beausoleil Island.  It has rattle snakes! I asked a fellow before our first hike if he had seen any that day. “Oh yes, just a couple. They tend to be curled up on the granite, warming up in the hot sun. You’ll probably hear their rattle before you step on one.” Needless to say, I watched my feet with every step and wouldn’t let Bill talk, lest I miss the sound of the rattle. I jumped as one snake wiggled its way away from me.  Not sure if it was a rattlesnake or a garter snake. Let’s just say it was a rattler.

The weather has mostly been splendid so far, with an occasional mid-afternoon rain storm. Last night at midnight we had a wild one. Bill slept right through the lightening, thunder and torrential downpour, while I battened down the hatches (literally) and prayed that our anchor was holding steady.  Bill was quite surprised when I informed him that I had kept us safe from midnight until 2am!

Cousin Bob met us in Collingwood and we had a memorable
24-hours together!

This morning was a little windier that most days had been, but nothing compared to the winds we can find in Maine, so we set off early to cross to the south side of the bay in preparing to meet Canadian Cousin Bob Majowicz in Collingwood on Tuesday. While the wind was only blowing 10-15 mph and the seas were 1-2 feet, the chop was terrible. This is what I meant when I told Bill before our trip that I didn’t want to go out in  anything crazy, as we had done on our last trip due to time  constraints. Anyway, here we are, safe and sound and in a very peaceful spot. Bill really is a trust worthy boatsman.

More white knuckles from Bill feeling like he needed to go to the emergency room again, as he woke up with chest discomfort.  As soon as he arrived, Bob took Bill to the hospital and then gave me moral support while Bill underwent further testing, including a CAT scan.  The competent ER doctor here agreed to confer with our Maine friend and ER doctor Mike Sullivan.  They both agreed that Bill has some small blood clots in his lungs and needs to go on a blood thinner for three months.  And, they are both fine with our trip continuing, provided Bill avoids contact sports and jumping from high places. We'll see! And so, we carry on. 

Post note: Decision making seems to be getting more difficult with retirement. Shall we take our wine up to the roof deck now, or should we stay in the cabin and finish our gin tournament. Bill won the tournament, although I decreased my early 1700 point deficit to a 300 point deficit. I think we are both winners!

Chest Pains

The docktails (a cocktail party on a boat) began at 5 pm and were hosted by the Trent Port Marina Harbor Hosts, Eric and Karen, who are volunteers to assist Loopers on their journey.   We met some other Loopers and got Eric’s briefing on the 250-mile Trent-Severn Waterway, the next phase of our cruising.

My chest discomfort started mildly but soon rose to the point where I signaled to Molly that I needed to leave the gathering.  We made a graceful exit but I soon had to stop on a bench as the pain intensified, perhaps now a 7 on that hypothetical 10-point scale.  We both quickly agreed that I needed to go to the local hospital.  Could I, healthy me, be having a heart attack?

The pain was an 8 when the ambulance was called, and I struggled to get enough air.  Finally the ambulance arrived, and I do remember thinking that the EMTs should have jumped out of the vehicle more urgently then they did!  After all, this is my life here.  Molly sat in front and I was strapped in the rear, asking for oxygen.  The hospital was only a few minutes away, and I was quickly on an ER bed in the hospital.  Now my pain level was a 9, perhaps, the most intense that I have ever experienced.  They put a number of probes on me along with an IV that was used for morphine.  The ER doctor made a brief appearance, checked my vitals and called for a chest x-ray.

The results came back quickly – DOUBLE PNEUMONIA!  Yippee, my heart is fine!!  I was discharged at midnight with my antibiotic prescription.  Full recovery from pneumonia takes times, but I am now well on the mend.  We will never know how I got it although my swimming and cleaning canal dirt off the boat probably didn't help.  Molly has been a great nurse, but my privileged state is almost over!

Here Salty Paws is tied to a typical wall in a town along the
Waterway.  At each stop we like to explore and often talk to
other Loopers.

Campellford honors the work
of its local artist who
designed the Toonie,
Canada's two-dollar coin.

 We spent an extra couple of days at the Marina and finally entered the Trent Severn Waterway on August 7^th.  The Waterway crisscrosses beautiful Ontario and includes 44 locks.

. 

This is the only lock so far where we
have had to tie up to another boat, in
this case our Looper friend Zyg's
30-foot sailboat Domino.

The locks take any kind of
boat from jet skis to canoes.

 The canal waterways all have a number
 of  low bridges.  To transit, sailboats
have to take their masts out and carry
them horizontally using cradles
that are strapped to the deck.  Zyg
is doing most of the Loop solo. 

 After the Erie and Oswego Canals, locks have lost their excitement.  As one Looper told Molly,” there are two favorite locks that you will have” (Molly was listening in anticipation about some new upcoming lock) ----- “your first one and your last one!”

The lock operator is opening the lock door.

The locks on the Trent-Severn tend to be a little smaller and are much less automated than those in New York.  Many of the lock operators are young women.

These ducks entered the lock
with a purpose, feeding off
zebra mussels just below
the waterline when the lock
is empty.

The Peterborough Lift Lock.

Actually, we would add at least one more lock to the favorite locklist, the Peterborough Lift Lock, the world’s largest such lock.  Basically it is balance scale with each side being a vat that is,

Behind Molly is the piston
of one of the lift locks that
will go down when there
is more weight (water and
boats) in its twin lock.

perhaps, 50 feet by 200 feet and 8-10 feet deep.  The more weight that is added to higher side causes the lower side to rise until they switch places.  We are staying for two nights in Peterborough and walked up to see the lock before we have the opportunity to “float” up the lock.  In fact, it is so intriguing that I am trying to convince Molly to first do it in our tandem kayak.  Stay tuned!

A boat has entered the raised lock.

The operator added more water to the lock on the left and took
out a foot or so from the lock on the right and now the left lock
is going up and the right lock is going down.

Off to Canada

The barracks at Fort Ontario

So now we’re off to Canada.  Back on the Erie and then the Oswego Canal to Oswego, the city on Lake Ontario.  We tied up to the wall near a bridge, and it should have been under the bridge given the heat. We walked to the grocery store and laundromat and had a visit to Fort Ontario.  The Fort has had many demises but was always rebuilt on the ashes of the previous war.  In WWII, it served as a refugee center for Jews from many European countries, all of whom were required to sign a document indicating they would go back to Europe as soon as the war ended.  The US didn’t want refugees, but all were eventually allowed to stay.

It is hot.  Bill tried to start the generator so we could turn on the air conditioner but the start cord fell apart on the first pull. Needing the generator for many things, Bill sprung into action and quickly found someone who could fix it and he took off running with the generator in our folding wagon. He was lucky to have found an Uber driver with a van who could take the generator and the cart and he was back in two hours.

The next morning we went through the last Oswego lock at 7am and headed north on Lake Ontario. The winds were not too bad, but we had following seas which tosses the boat around quite uncomfortably. Some of my friends would have enjoyed this 30 mile open water trip (Dottie and Leslie) and some of you would have definitely NOT liked this passage (Mark and Norah).  I must say that this required me to get my sea legs back!

Some of the flooded docks in Cape Vincent

Our first stop on the upper St. Lawrence River was in the little town of Cape Vincent.  Most of the docks in town were under water.  From what we have heard, the water level has come down about a foot from its peak, but has about another foot to go to reach normal levels.  This has devastated many docks and has severely affected tourism along the waterway.  We did find a spot on the Dept of Environmental Conservancy and were able to spend the night in this sweet town.  We had a fantastic lunch at Crave, a restaurant owned by a Floridian whose restaurant in Florida had been wiped out by a hurricane.  We also took a long walk along the shore. We very well might have been the only tourists in town.

At the Boldt Castle dock.  One the shore
behind us s Boldt's boat house that could
accommodate is 105 foot yacht.

Coming up to Boldt Castle.

Boldt Castle.

I had told Bill before the trip that I was not interested in going to any castles.  Why, I’m not sure. In any event, he convinced me to go to Boldt Castle the next day.  It is on one of the 1800 islands in the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence.  The castle was fascinating.  It was built by George Boldt who had emigrated to the US from Poland in the 1800s without a penny. He worked many jobs including starting at the bottom in a hotel in Philadelphia. He worked his way up, ending up building his own hotel (the Bellevue).  After the Bellevue successfully hosted the wedding of an Astoria with over a thousand guests, he partnered with Astoria in building the Waldorf Astoria in NYC.  Success made him a millionaire (when a dollar meant something), and he built this castle for his wife Louise, who died before it was finished. He immediately abandoned the project. After decades of neglect the State of NY purchased the property and is finishing the facility much to Boldt’s original plans.  It is now a very popular tourist destination. The weather has now become stunning.

We then found a quiet dock for the night on Cedar Island, part of the NY Park system.  The next day we motored to Singer Castle, a beautiful structure built by Singer Sewing Machine President, millionaire Frederick Gilbert Bourne,

Singer Castle is designed based up the 1832 book Worcester
Castle by Sir Walter Scott and includes a lot of secret passages
so servants could look meet the needs of the family and guests
without going through a room.

but very different and available to rent for less than I would have thought.  It was the last of the great castles built in the peak of America’s guilded age, 1888-1905, and modeled after Sir Walter Scott's novel about Woodstock Castle (1832) in Scotland.  The story is that after Boldt stopped work on his castle, all his laborers went to finish Singer Castle, and it was finished in record time, two years.

After the tour we headed north into Canada, less than a mile away to the north.  When a boat enters a foreign country it is expected to host a yellow flag on its starboard side amidship.  We hoisted ours, called Canadian Customs and were directed to the custom phone on the dock in Rockport about 6 miles or so away.  So…  On our way to settle up with Canada, I get a phone call from Aetna letting me know that my Medicare Advantage coverage had been denied.  Grrrrr.  While on that very long and fruitless call, we hear a toot behind us and realize that we are being stopped by the Canadian Mounties, a boat with six officers on board.  They no doubt saw our yellow flag. “Sorry”, I tell the Aetna guy, “we are being boarded by the Mounties in the middle of the St. Lawrence River and I can’t talk to you right now!”. I’m sure he thought, “that’s a new one.”  Let me just tell you, I had much rather deal with the Canadian Mounties than with Aetna!!!  Anyway, the officers were helpful and polite (and cute). I complimented one of the officers on how professional and polite they were and he replied “We have a stereotype to maintain, ma’am.”  Oh, Canada! After this, Bill was able to go through Customs in Rockport, and we leave Aetna for another day.  I promise, no more on Aetna.

We ended up in a group of islands in the Canadian Thousand Islands National Park and anchored on quiet Endymion Island and were able to go for a pre-dinner swim in the St. Lawrence, the clearest, cleanest water north of the Bahamas. The next morning we had a lovely kayak around all the little islands.  Bill had made a map on a paper towel so we wouldn’t get disoriented. We left after that to head to Gananoque Island in the Canadian 1000 Islands to check into Canada and to meet up with a Spanish family, relatives of Caroline’s AFS host family in Austria.  We had met them in Austria in 2012.

Danny at the helm.

The town dock in Gananoque.

That afternoon, I walked 2 miles through the pretty town of Gananoque to get groceries and Bill stayed on the boat to wait for our friends from Europe  {Bill’s note: While waiting for Molly, Salty Paws is tied up at the Gananoque Town Dock, that is level with the water.  As boat wakes come in the harbor I need to use my legs to fend off.  After an hour of this, a particularly big wake from a large speed boat comes to the dock, and it takes all my strength to keep Salty Paws from ending up half aground on the town dock.  After that, I immediately move our boat to a nearby safe dock, despite the NO DOCKING sign.] We took the four on a short boat ride. I must say, I had rather ride with daughter Cristina or son Daniel at the helm than father, Alberto (so sorry Alberto!).

Cristina at the helm.

The De La Vega Leinhart family from Spain.

We anchored that night, again in islands in the National Park, and spent the next days motoring 90 miles to get us near the Trent Severn Canal which we enter day after tomorrow. I must say, the St. Lawrence River is a magnificant boating area and has every kind of vessel, from tankers to jet skis, cigarette boats, sailboats and weekender cabin cruisers. We haven’t seen anyone else doing the Great Loop in the River, but we think we are now headed into more popular territory for “Loopers”.