We traveled with our buddy boats from Alexandria Bay, Thousand Islands to our port of entry into Canada in Kingston. After some anxiety about customs and stories that we had heard about Kingston, in particular, we had no trouble at all. Check-in is by telephone but then you are subject to boarding more frequently when there is a customs office at that port. We were 6 Looper boats by then and none of us was boarded, even with a weather delay of one day. We had more wine and meat on board than was allowed. Others had wine, liquor and cigarettes in excess.
Kingston was an interesting city and quite pretty. We took a trolley car tour to get the overview. We were working our way to the Trent-Severn Waterway system at Trenton, Ontario. There are 44 locks, 2 special lift locks and a railway system called "The Big Chute" that make up the 240 mile system and ending at the Georgian Bay.
Having finished the Trent-Severn yesterday, we can tell you that it has been a highlight in our adventure. Canada is very beautiful. There are parks with picnic tables and often barbeques at each lock that we went through. Boaters can overnight at the locks. Often there are camping facilities and hiking trails.
Each lock is in competition with the others for landscaping, with a winner chosen annually. Consequently, the flowers and plants are everywhere. The lockmasters are especially friendly and helpful, giving directions or tips on our next stop.
About half the of 44 locks were "locking up" and then we began "locking down."
There were two pan locks, one at Peterborough (65 feet high, locking up) and one at Kirkfield (49 feet high, locking down). The pan locks have two large metal pans side by side, with one raised and one lowered. Each pan weighs 1300 tons, including the water. As one pan is made heavier by adding more water, it descends, pushing the other pan up via hydraulics. When traversing either of these locks, we were literally lifted in the air inside a large metal pan filled with water.
The other unique lock was the Big Chute, a railway lock that was built to lift boats over rapids on the river. Depending of the size of the boats, several boats go through at a time. The car or cradle holding the boats is submerged to allow the boats to be driven on the cradle. This cradle then literally raises the boats out of the water on sophisticated cables and rods to support each boat, over the road and river back down on the other side.
All three were "E-Ticket Rides" for sure! They were great experiences and certainly an unusual adventure.
One of our many stops along the canals and rivers was Bobcaygeon. There are three houseboat rental companies there. Our cruising guides warned us to be on guard when seeing these. Many are inexperienced boaters and probably not familiar with their vessel. We asked several of the lockmasters about this. We heard a couple of funny stories. The lockmasters are professionals who really only want your boating experience to be fun, but safe. One told us that they get houseboats in, any way they can get them tied up. One houseboat got turned around in the lock, was finally secured going backwards in the lock and then exited the same way! Another one was tied off dead center in the lock with a line off the stern on one side and a line off the bow on the opposite side! We never had any challenge with the houseboats.
We had a "system" of three boats, 37', 43' and 44' locking through together, filling up the lock most of the time. One day a small runabout came in between one of us, throwing off our "system" because now we were quickly switching fenders from one side to the other to be prepared. All ended well.
Locking requires BIG fenders (bumpers) and more are better than less, in number. You always wear gloves due to the lines and fenders getting slimy on the lock walls. I handle the lines on the bow and Rich works the stern. You soon get your routine down.
We're done with locks now until we get to Chicago. We've completed 63 locks so far.
More later on Georgian Bay and the 30,000 Islands area.............
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