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!