The evening of Canada Day fireworks in Orillia, this “car” motored through next to the boat!
Left Port of Orillia morning of July 2. Stayed that evening at Swift Rapids Lock, most isolated lock in the system boasting an 11-mile dirt road stretch to reach it by land! Staff told us they take a boat to it and that only takes 20 minutes.
Left early July 3 from Swift Rapids. Encountered some narrow passageways with granite sides.
Made it to Big Chute to line up and wait for a “carriage” ride (carriage pictured below). Big Chute is not technically a lock, as it is a marine railway that has a 58-foot vertical drop. The boat rides on hydraulic-powered slings attached to the open-air carriage which rides down twin tracks, first crossing a street then descending “the chute.”
We floated onto the carriage.
In carriage and travelling up rail.
Picture on left shows rail behind boat on carriage as we ascended. They stop traffic below on street for carriage to ride rail past street.
Workers ensuring that boat is being lifted correctly. Middle picture shows their work stations at side of carriage.
View of rapids at top of Chute
Starting descent. Quite a view.
Looking behind
Left below is looking forward while descending and right is looking back when reaching bottom.
Looking back from exiting carriage at bottom of Big Chute.
After Big Chute, made it to last lock at Port Severn. Waited out rain then locked through and crossed to Midland in more rain! We’re now in Georgian Bay!
Left Peterborough Municipal Marina on June 27. We locked through the Ashburnham Lock then arrived at the Peterborough Lock which is the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world and, thus, not a good spot for those who don’t like heights (65-foot vertical lift)! First two pictures below are of view approaching the lock.
This is the view standing on boat looking up at the towers. The picture on the right shows the descending “pan” on the other side of the lock holding the boats being lowered.
Below left shows our boat in our “pan” (on bottom of picture) which is being raised. Picture on right is looking behind boat the few feet to the edge of the “pan” — !!
After Peterborough Lock, went through five more locks to stay at Lakefield above lock on night of June 27. The following day, Friday, June 28, went through three more locks to Buckhorn (half-way point on the Trent-Severn) and stayed above lock two nights because of weather. Nice little town.
Buckhorn has a very busy narrow waterway on wall leading to lock, however, and many vacationing houseboat renters got turned sideways trying to maneuver toward the lock. Made for lots of shouting from other boaters and fending off. Some of the houseboats (example below) can be quite large, so it’s tough in a narrow space.
Saturday, June 29 – One week on Loop today! Not veterans quite yet.
Left Buckhorn on June 30 for Fenelon Falls. Stopped briefly but very crowded and busy with Canada Day celebrations close to lock wall. High winds. Decided to go on to Rosedale. Very blessed by some people who helped us off wall, as a small boat had docked right under our anchor pulpit. Made it to Rosedale where it was 61 degrees and windy! However, able to purchase a shower for $3.00. It’s the little things in life, you know?
As soon as lock opened, left Rosedale, as we knew it was going to be a long day. Rosedale was the last lift lock. It’s all downhill from here! After you cross Balsam Lake, you’re in and out of what’s called the Trent Canal (affectionally dubbed “the ditch”), a manmade cut through the “Canadian Shield” (geologic feature/exposed rock). It feels very much like you’re riding in a ditch. It’s extremely narrow and shallow and makes for a white-knuckling experience for boaters.
They piled the slag/remnants along shore.
We made it to Kirkfield Lock, a 49-foot vertical drop. Picture shows bow of boat and front of “pan” as we’re being lowered.
Looking back.
After Kirkfield, passed through what is known as “The Hole in the Wall.”
More narrow waterway after Kirkfield. Meeting other boats provides an extra layer of excitement in the ditch. We were very blessed to have been able to hold our position in one area in which we met two power boats headed in our direction. Outside of Bolsolver Lock, the three boats locking through had to all maintain station outside of the lock in order to allow a tour boat to pass. There was more water in which to maneuver, but it was still quite shallow in spots.
After making Gamebridge, made the decision to cross Lake Simcoe as had decent weather window. By that time, it was very nice to have some “big” water. Below is Den at helm and entrance to lake.
The dogs’ spots.
Docked at Port of Orillia on July 1 just in time to watch the Canada Day fireworks that evening right from bow of boat!
Below are some random pictures, i.e., a swing bridge, how a line is attached to a lock wall, and a church on an island..
After waiting out the strong winds coming across the lake on Sunday, we left Trent Port Marina on Monday, June 24.
The first lock at Trent had an 18-foot vertical lift. One small boat joined us.
Den at stern at a lock with Nelson supervising.
On Monday, we made it through 8 locks (whew) and stayed on the wall of a remote one called called Percy Reach. We were the only boat above the lock. (One sailboat was below.) Very pleasant spot. Only downside was being unable to open many windows on boat at night in order to prevent unwanted visitors from the family of racoons we saw crossing the lock bridge! Pictures show how lock workers manually open doors of lock after water has filled. Not all locks are manual, but this one still is.
Ranney Falls Locks 11 and 12 are pretty impressive – a 48-foot vertical lift.
Picture below shows giant “Toonie,” the Canadian two-dollar coin, in park at Campbellford. Because we wanted to make it to Hastings before rain, we were unable to stop at at Campbellford to visit what is known as the “best bakery in Canada.” More on that later.
We docked on wall above Hastings Lock 18 that evening, Tuesday, June 25. We were walking the dogs on the sidewalk near the boat when a man and young girl came up to us saying, “Here is your donut delivery.” It was a lockmaster from one of the locks who I’d been chatting with about not being able to stop at Campbellford. He knew we were ending up in Hastings near where he lived and had made a run to the bakery for his family anyway after which he and his daughter brought us a couple of the famous donuts!
On Wednesday, June 26, we crossed Rice Lake and made our way to Peterborough Municipal Marina. Power, water, internet, groceries, and fuel! Below is picture of the fountain/geyser in bay by marina.
Our Great Loop journey began bright and early at 6:00 this morning! Many thanks to our friends at the marina that willingly got up so early to see us off the dock. We are especially grateful for the prayers. The picture shows two somewhat sleepy-faced people attaching an official “Looper” flag.
We wanted to get as far as Trenton, ON, today to be beyond the wind and weather predicted for Lake Ontario tomorrow which would impact portions of our trip if we waited or went part of the way. Made it to Trenton in the afternoon (78 nautical miles), in and out of rain most of the day. Dogs both get an A+ for being excellent travelers. Well, so far!
First map shows rough float plan/route from home marina (Clayton) – which is above Watertown on map – through Trent-Severn and Georgian Bay plus North Channel to Mackinac Island area, above Petoskey on map (Hospodar, 2015). We hope to complete this portion of the trip by the end of July.
Second map shows the float plan from the Mackinac Island area to Mobile Bay (Hospodar, 2015). We hope to complete this portion of the trip by the end of November.
Third map provides broad overview of entire Great Loop (with different possible routes) – a circumnavigation of the eastern U.S. and part of Canada (https://www.greatloop.org/great-loop-route.html). We will not cross Florida and begin the route up the east coast until April 2025.
