Beyond Peterborough

Journey to Parry Sound - Part 3

Day 9
We'd hoped for an early start, but were delayed when we went to the fuel dock for a pump out and to top off on fuel. The marina only had one dock hand on duty, and he wasn't moving very fast (it was already getting hot and humid). It took a long time since 2 boats were waiting ahead of us. The guys sent me back to the store for more drinks while we waited It was approaching 1000 by the time we reached the lift lock, and we weren't alone. Two other boats were waiting for the doors to open and we spent most of the day locking through together, which always slows down the process. Pierre saved the hull from getting dinged when he grabbed a loose fender and did the movable fender bit between the boats as "Motley's Cruise" a 26' power boat, entered the lock. After that, we opted to let him go ahead of us to avoid any problems. On board were a family with 2 teen aged daughters who would have preferred to be anywhere but on the boat, so Mom and Dad were doing all the work. The other vessel was a single handed pontoon boat, who did a nice job of handling his boat.

Approaching the Peterborough Lift Lock

The lift lock guide track

The second lock of the day was the Peterborough Lift lock, was the largest hydraulic lift in the world. We took our spot in the pan (the tank of water that is raised to the next level), and once it started, we were at the top of the lock in 2 minutes. Amazing! One pan acts as a counter weight for the other one. When we asked for our lock cards, the lock tender walked out on the metal arch of the pan. This lock is also the largest unreinforced concrete structure in the world. The whole structure and operation were very impressive.

Looking down at the lift lock from the upper level

At the lift lock we heard 2 of the locks we'd gone through earlier were closed due to mechanical problems. One would take a few days to fix, and the other would open after 1500. We were glad not to have gotten delayed, and it looked like we'd have less traffic coming behind us at least for a day, not a bad thing for us, since there'd be fewer boats in the locks. We were also in the heart of houseboat country, and we were seeing more of them. After we'd cleared one lock, we saw a family being checked out on a large houseboat. Will immediately grabbed the :movable fender" and went to protect the hull. We were told not to worry, the lock master was taking the boat through the lock, and they were headed the other direction.

The day, which was already warm when we started, only got hotter as the day progressed. We managed to sneak through a number of locks with the generator running to keep the AC going, but were finally asked to shut it down in one of the bigger locks. This was the first day that the lock tenders didn't come chat and we had to request the lock cards. Turning the sweeps had to be exhausting in the heat. It was oppressive enough on deck in the locks, and we could cool off in the AC once we were underway again. We did locks 20 through 31 (there is no lock 28), most only a short distance apart. The pontoon boat stopped after Lock 26, the Lakefield Lock, and Motley's Cruise stopped after Lock 27, at Young's Point.

Checking the cooling water filters

The day was not without incident. As we waited for Lock 27 to unload downstream traffics, Leonard called to Pierre's attention the change in the sound of the generator exhaust. Up went the garage door, and Pierre went to check the water filters which had picked up enough weeds in the intakes to restrict water flow. Two filters got cleaned, then we locked through, tied up on the lock wall on the up stream side and also cleaned the engine water filters. The canal had a lot of seaweed, some all the way to the surface of the water. Good catch, Leonard. The generator should shut down if it got too hot, which would have been even more exciting until the problem was diagnosed.

Many of the islands have houses on them

A portion of the canal is dubbed Hell's gate and like the one in NYC is all rocks, only with out the strong currents flowing through it (a good thing since some of the rocks were barely visible at the water's surface just outside of the channel). The channel wove between rocks and wasn't a problem so long as you stayed in it. The scenery was spectacular. Most of the little islands had homes perched on them. One of the larger "rocks" is home to the "Church on the Rock", a pretty white building. We made it through without a problem, and finally got in a stretch of open water and had a chance to check out the trim tab "fix". The switch was the problem, and it was nice to see the bow drop down and allow better forward visibility when we got up on plane. The fuel consumption and speed also improved.

Church on a Rock

At Lock 28 a new sound started, and once through the lock we realized it was coming from the boat, so we tied up on the upstream lock wall to figure it out. It took a while before it was traced to the Direct TV scanner. Apparently it was searching for a satellite, and we were tucked down behind some rocks. The problem was solved by turning it off.

Along with the heat and humidity, there were a number of thunderheads building around us and possible thundershowers were in the forecast. We'd planned on spending the night on the hook (something we want to do before we leave the boat), but given the weather and the heat, Pierre opted for the marina in Buckhorn so we wouldn't have to run the generator all night. Running generators all night is frowned upon on the lack walls due to the noise. The marina folks had us on a face dock due to our length, but once tied up, we found our power cable wouldn't reach the outlet. Pierre solved the problem by talking to the owner and getting a covered slip whose regular occupant was cruising. The dock was 45' long, and the width a tad narrow, but he slid the boat in nicely. As Pierre commented, the close quarters would give them the chance to scrub both sides of the hull. This was also the place where he'd arranged to have the new trim tab switch delivered so we needed to stop here anyway.

A tight fit in the boat shed

Day 10
I'd read about a bakery in town that was touted to have great sticky buns, and as we locked through Lock 31, I saw a sign for a farmer's market on Tuesday morning. I could go exploring while the guys cleaned and Leonard plotted our route on the chart plotter. I'd planned on walking, town was a bit over a mile away, but by 0800 it was already hot and sticky, so I got a ride into town with Lindsey, the marina owner's daughter. She'd never been to the bakery or the market and was more than willing to go exploring. The bakery was a bit of a bust, no sticky buns until the afternoon, but I picked up a couple of muffins for breakfast. We made a quick stop at the supermarket across the street since she needed to pick up somethings, and then swung by the market. It was interesting, but more of a craft than farmer's market. Only 1 stand had produce, and most of that wasn't home grown.

I invited Lindsey to come look at the boat and meet the rest of the crew when we got back. The marina here is a family operation and is "the place" in the area that does prop repair. Given the local waters, they are kept very busy. She picks up and delivers props over a wide area. John, her Dad, also came aboard to check out the boat while Leonard worked on replacing the jury rigged trim tab switch. With everything done, we began all the final chores before departing.

Unfortunately, once fired up, the generator didn't sound right, and after a few minutes shut down. Not a good sign, but at least it shut itself down and didn't run until the motor seized up. Pierre and Leonard set about diagnosing and fixing the problem which turned out to be the impeller which apparently had been damaged when the water filter got clogged. So we proceeded to install the spare impeller and once again our plans for an early start were delayed, but thankfully the boat is in a shed which makes working on it much more comfortable than in the heat of the sun. Pierre is learning the fine art of cruising - fixing things in exotic places.

Pierre had Will dive to see if there was a screen missing from one of the water intakes which is causing the build up in the filters, but it was just a small, flush, through hull fitting. If we run the generator while underway we'd have to make frequent filter checks. It was lunch time by the time we were ready to depart. Pierre just threaded our way back out to the channel when the generator shut down again with the water filter clogged again. While we were stopped at at the lock wall just past Fenelon Falls replacing the impeller which doesn't survive a clogged filter, another cruiser gave us the name of a supplier at Orillia where we could get more more impellers as we were now out of spares. Given the weed problems, we decided it was better to do without the AC while underway and save the generator for when we were at anchor and needed power to cook. Once the job was done we walked into town to stretch our legs and get some ice cream and take a walk before heading to an anchorage in West Bay on Balsam Lake.

Taking care of the engines

Once we had the anchor down it felt good to cool down in the lake. The weather has been pushing into the 90s for several days, with each day getting a bit hotter than the day before. It's not too bad when we're underway, but can be brutal while we wait and get locked through. Once at anchor, the AC cooled the cabin down enough to make it comfortable in the cabin even after we shut the generator down for the night.

Day 11
It was easier to get an early start when anchored out. We were underway shortly after 0700, and headed for the Trent Canal, a 6 mile long ditch that's too narrow to allow larger boats to pass when they meet. We made the required announcement that we'd entered the canal to warn anyone heading in from the other end. Just before we reached Mitchell Lake (a very shallow lake) we heard a call from the 110' cruise ship that they would be departing the Kirkfield Lock wall headed east. No way we could meet and pass in the canal. We were able to talk to the captain and he waited at the west end until we cleared the canal. It's very interesting to look out the salon windows and see rocks trees within touching distance. Leonard drove the first half, and Pierre the second, making sure to stay dead center.

Morning shoreline reflections on Balsam Lake

The Trent Canal Cut

Tight fit

Past the cruise ship at the Kirkfield Lock where the canal is wider

The Kirkfield Lock was another lift lock, and we slid in with another powerboat from Minnesota and a houseboat from Tennessee. It was a bit of a squeeze, and we did 5 locks together before they stopped at the Lock 41 wall for the day. We had a few minutes wait at one of the railway bridges. It was closed and not high enough for us to slide under - it would have cleared the decks! Usually the RR bridges are open unless a train is due, and a train had been heading the other way shortly before we got there.

Going down in the Kirkfield Lift Lock

Waiting for the rail road bridge to open

We headed to Lake Simcoe, the largest lake on the waterway. It was perfect weather, hot and flat, so we hopped up on plane, heading to a marina on the other side to pick up 2 spare generator impellers that Pierre had arranged to have delivered to a marina. After we took on fuel and got the parts, we headed for an anchorage at the far side of Sparrow Lake. We'd been hoping for the clear water we'd seen most of the day, but the bottom was mud and the water more murky. A swim and a quick shower on the aft deck felt good, it had been a very hot (well into the 90's) day with humidity to match. With the generator up and running, I did 2 loads of wash on board, figuring everyone would be glad to have fresh clothes. The combo unit on board does a better job with small loads.

Looking back through Hole-in-the-Wall Bridge

Day 12
We had a quick breakfast on the hook before heading to the next lock, Swift Rapids. It has a 47' change in the water level, the biggest in the Trent Severn Canal, and once the water starts to drop or fill, it can't be stopped. We were warned NOT to cleat the lines to the deck. It would be more difficult locking up with the water flowing in, and the lock master said they've had boats literally hanging by their lines when they get hung up. It was a great ride down for us with no problems.

Out of Swift Rapids Lock

Heading down stream with the current

Getting positioned in the Railway Lift Lock slings

Next was the marine railroad we'd heard so much about. We thought we'd have to tie off on the "blue line", the place you wait for getting into the lock if it's busy, and as Will was in the process of transferring fenders to the port side, we were told to come into the center of the carriage and stow all fenders on the deck. We slid in, the slings were cinched under the hull, and we were on our way. The ride was one of the best parts of the trip. Pierre handed his camera across to the crew via a coffee tin on a pole so they could take photos of the" IPS" units and the boat in the slings. We didn't have a chance to drop anyone off on the dock to walk down and take photos of the boat on the descent, not that anyone would have wanted to miss the ride! Past the lift, there were a series of tricky passages through narrow river gorges.

A view of one forward facing IPS drive

Over the road on the railway lift

Out of railway lock

Out of the Railway Lift Lock

Another narrow channel downstream in the current with a blind approach ahead

And more narrow channels in the current

We were glad to reach Lock 45, the last lock on the waterway (we locked through a total of 43 on the Trent Severn as one lock no longer exists after locks 27 and 28 were rebuilt and combined, and one was down on a lake off the main route). Locking through the canal had been easier than expected, and we had no major problems in the locks (we even managed to keep the fenders off the grimy lock walls most of the time, so Will wouldn't have to keep scrubbing them). It was about 1100 when we left the Severn river and worked our way out into Georgian Bay. We'd spent a chunk of the previous evening trying to plan where we'd spend the night. We'd been unsure how long we might get hung up at any of the locks or what the weather would be like on the Bay, so we'd looked at several places beyond the canal. The Bay was a virtual mill pond, and after being restricted to 10 mph the guys were itching to open up the throttles and do a fast run up to Parry Sound while the weather conditions were good. So they decided to take the "outside" route straight up to Parry Sound. This route was less scenic, but more direct, and after having spent the last 6 days dodging rocks and shoals they were ready to forgo scenery for speed.

Georgian Bay scenery

We reached the marina at Parry Sound by 1400, a fast trip. Leonard had trouble getting the way points plugged into the chart plotter to give Pierre the next course (he said the chart plotter had problems keeping up with the boat speed). The skies had clouded over as the day progressed and it looked like it might storm by the time we tied up at the dock. A cold front was due to pass through, a welcome event since we were all tired of the hot weather. We'd considered starting the generator to run the AC (and computers) once we got out on the Bay, but Leonard thought that since the water intake was small and flush with the hull there might be a problem with the water flow at high speed, and we didn't want to replace another impeller. It was great to have reached our destination with no scratches or dings (the owner was surprised that we'd not dinged a prop).

At Parry Sound

Final engine check at the marina in Parry Sound

A new problem came up at the dock. The vacuum flush indicator in the forward head had a red light, which according to the manual, meant the holding tank was full, but the gauge only read half full. There had been an issue with the water tank reading half full when it had been emptied when we'd flushed the water tank at Peterborough, so perhaps this gauge wasn't reading correctly. (Note: this boat discharges no gray water. Everything is discharged into the holding tank, and all water used on board comes from the water tank, including water for the anchor wash down.) Since the marina had neither fuel nor pump out facilities, we went to another marina to top off the fuel and empty the holding tank. That didn't solve the red light problem. Leonard read through all the manuals while Pierre and Will cleaned the boat and I made dinner. After dinner Leonard crawled down in a hold (the sensors were located under the wine cooler, a less than accessible part of the bilge) and started poking at the wires. Eventually he and Pierre figured out that the sensor wires needed to be secured with a cable tie which solved the problem.

Day 13
In the morning we started detailing the boat so it would be ready for the owner when he arrived later in the week. It's been an interesting experience to crew on a power yacht. I could get accustomed to all luxuries, it's more like a moving vacation in a condo than traveling by boat as I know it, but they all come at a cost. Simpler sometimes means less headaches. The guys have been busy fixing one problem after another, and the boat is only 2 years old. And while it's much faster than Antares, I'm thankful not to be footing the fuel bill. On plane once we were on Georgian Bay, we burned 35 gallons/hour, that's bigger than Antares fuel tank.

Building wall art in Parry Sound

Michael Hawkins, Pierre's friend who did the attenuating breakwater at the Burlington Sailing Center, arrived in the morning to drive us to the Laundromat (the marina only had 1 washer and dryer) so I could get everything washed. I would have been a very long walk, especially given the amount to be done! The town of Parry Sound is within easy walking distance, but the supermarkets and other necessary places are almost two miles away. The big Sobey's store offers free transportation for those needing to re provision, a nice feature. After a full day of getting everything spiffy, Michael took us to his house for a cookout. The sun was just setting when we got back to the boat (2130). Daylight seems to stretch forever - we're both north and west of Burlington.

Day 14
We were up at dawn getting ready to head home. Much to our frustration, the laundry facilities at the marina were locked (they had been open early the morning before). We tossed our sheets in the washer/drier on the boat which has a very long cycle (2+hours) in hopes it would be done in time to get our bed remade. It wasn't. When Leonard tried to reset the machine to release the door lock (it had been on the dry cycle) it promptly began the wash cycle again! We finally got the, now damper, sheets out and put them on the bow rail in the sun. So much for conveniences! Everything was "like new" (except for our bed) when we loaded all our gear into Michael's van and headed for the 2 hour ride to the Toronto airport to pick up our rental car for the drive to Montreal. This whole trip has been in stages, so why would our trip home be any different

Bear cage in a parking lot next to the marina at Parry Sound

Stage 2 was the long drive to Montreal, passing a number of the places we'd been earlier on the trip. I'm not sure which seemed longer, the days on the boat, or the hours packed into a car with all our gear. We met Isabelle east of Montreal and drove to the Canadian border to meet Pierre's Dad, who'd driven up Pierre's truck for our 3rd stage. Isabelle and Pierre would return the rental car to the Montreal airport since we weren't allowed to leave Canada in the rental car, while we headed for Burlington.

The final glitch in the long trip home occurred at the border. The custom's officer decided that since we were in a truck and had "delivered" a boat (he assumed we'd towed the boat) into Canada, we were a commercial vehicle and therefore required to pay a $10.75 transit fee. No amount of explaining could sway his decision (like the umpire that stole that pitcher's no hitter earlier this year) we would pull over and pay. Once again, it has something to do with power. We spent a few minutes chatting about the trip with Pierre's Mom and Dad (great folks) when we dropped his Dad off in Swanton before heading home. Once again, it had been a long day!

In all, we went through 60 locks, 9 on the Chambly Canal, 1 before Sorel, 7 on the St. Lawrence and 43 on the Trent Severn Waterway. We spent 1 night on a lock wall, 10 nights at marinas along the way, and 2 nights anchored. Having done the trip, we'd spend more time anchored out or on lock walls if we did it again. However, it was really nice to have AC at night when the weather was so hot. Running the generator on the lock walls is frowned upon (no electrical service is provided on the lock walls), and when we did anchor out, we shut down the generator when we went to bed.

Looking back on the trip, it was an adventure, both fun and work. The crew was a mix of generations that meshed and worked well together (I can honestly say I liked Will's music which always seemed to fit the situation, from mellow to upbeat and beyond). We had some good times to counter balance the white knuckle moments that happen when you go cruising. Being part of the crew was a pleasure and a great way to see another portion of the "Loop". Thanks for asking us Pierre!

Lynnea

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