Oh, Canada
After a peaceful night on anchor straddling the American and Canadian waters…
we amble our way along the St. Lawrence Seaway where a boat known to us approaches. Way back in Kent Island, MD, we visited with the crew of Putnik, a 27 ft. Ranger Tug. They mentioned their plans to trailer their boat to the 1,000 Islands and spend two weeks exploring. And here they are. We wave excitedly back and forth and sound our horns with happy recognition. So amazing.
A few minutes later we receive a text with a photo of our boat on anchor. A friend had seen it on the Great Loop Facebook page and recognized us. The man, who is considering the Great Loop in the near future, was out cruising in the area and snapped the photo. Of course, the captain has since communicated with him answering any questions he has. Also amazing.
After having an uneventful visit with customs on the phone, we set foot on Canadian soil in Kingston and , spend a couple of days exploring this eclectic town; home of the Tragically Hip band. We would hear this well loved band mentioned many times throughout our time in Canada.
We load our bags with fresh produce from the farmer’s market, walk about the Princes Street Fair and eat our way through an amazing food tour filled with tasty food and historical info as well. Did you know Kingston was the first capital of Canada?
One of our courses was served in the bank safe at The Frontenac Club. Historical in many ways but memorable for us when we see a couple we had visited with the night before at dinner, who happen to be staying at this hotel. We also meet Art Milnes, who shares stories of his encounters with President Jimmy Carter. Art has written many books, but one of them is titled “98 Reasons to Thank Jimmy Carter”. We could visit with him the rest of the day, but the tour must go on. Gelato is next.
While eating our Mio Gelato and visiting with the young couple on the tour with us, we discover the young lady had attended the same school as our children while living in Mexico City. Honestly, what are the odds?
Okay, I have a challenge for you. Please make a list of the words that are the same as their reflection. Here is DOCK to get you started as seen here in Picton.
These tiny goslings remind me of Louis from E.B. Whites The Trumpet of the Swan who may have been near this peaceful and quiet area of Canada. I do hope they all have voices for future honking.
Meanwhile, we cruise to Trenton and wait for the perfect time to enter the Trent Severn Waterway and its 43 locks. Yikes.
We are discovering Mondays to be quiet in most stops. However, we did catch an open mike at The Cardinal where it must have been cat night because a few singers had written songs about cats.
Side note, the marina in Trenton, Trent Port Marina is one of the best so far on the loop. Five stars.
Thank you to the AGLCA harbor host docked at the marina for the awesome photo of us entering the waterway.
After six locks, we find a spot on the wall in Frankford where a concert is taking place in a nearby camping area. Great music and the captain finds ice cream. So all good.
Side note: that harmonica player (someone from the crowd) is amazing!
The next day we have six more locks. One of them being a flight of two.
Thankfully, we have a spot reserved on the wall because a few boaters have remained an extra day and docking between boats is quite challenging. Campbellford provides an opportunity to meet new boaters and an up close view of the Toonie sculpture, designed by a local artist.
We enjoy an amazing Trinidadian meal at D’s Caribbean with the crew of Annie Marie punctuated by getting to meet D herself and her husband. Their story is quite refreshing.
She tells of moving from Trinidad to Toronto and waits at a bus stop to be picked up. After that ride, the next day she waits at the same bus stop and watches one bus pass by without stopping only to find another bus pull up with the same driver from the day before. He had called the other bus driver and asked him not to stop because he wanted to see D again. Well, the rest is history and here they are.
Another bonus here is the infamous Dooher’s Bakery where we score a phenomenal loaf of sourdough bread and other goodies. Probably the reason loopers stayed an extra day. Just sayin’.
Six more locks and we arrive to the sweet town of Hastings where another serving of the captain’s current favorite brand of the local Kawartha ice cream awaits. Look out Bluebell.
Miles of winding countryside on the Trent River and a crossing of Rice Lake takes us to our one lock the following day filled with houseboats and jet skis. While in the lock the captain visits with a young man who has already completed the loop on his 21 foot sailboat and continues to cruise around the area.
We arrive in Peterborough in time for dinner downtown and back to the boat to grab chairs to join hundreds on the lawn of Del Crary Park for a Legends of Motown concert. Live music is always a happy coincidence.
As we walk around the next day, homeless people line the riverside and large needle drop boxes are scattered about. Our first visit to a larger town that is clearly struggling.
Now that we are in the midst of loopers, there are 16 boats waiting at the marina to move through the huge Peterborough Lift lock. See the Captain’s Log for a video of how this lock is different from other locks.
After church at St. Johns Anglican church we walk over to get a look at the lift lock and check out The Canadian Canoe Museum with the crew of Belle.
We wait until Monday to leave the marina in order to avoid the hoards of vacation boater/jet skiers but this does not help us time a seamless entry into the Peterborough lock because the fifteen other boats are all strategizing their arrival at the lock as well. Once again, our size gets us called ahead of other boats to join a 70 foot motor yacht in the lock. This is uncomfortable as we move past waiting boats and it is also uncomfortable locking through with this huge boat. However, excitement takes over as our side of the lift starts to rise.
Parks Canada has a Lock and Paddle Event where hundreds of canoe and kayak paddlers enter both sides of this lock for a ride in the world’s tallest hydraulic boat lift.
photo credit: Cottagelife.com
When we arrive lovely Lakefield, we really wish we had pushed ahead to be here on the weekend. Once again, Mondays are slow but we enjoy meeting two brothers who live nearby and work at the marina and the ice cream store. Having moved from England, it is interesting to get their take on life in Canada.
Our cruise the next morning is another stunning day of reflections.
We have enjoyed meeting so many lovely lock tenders sporting their witty uniforms…
with a beaver logo and smiles for miles.
We dock in Buckhorn under our first covered slip, requiring us to lower our mast and antennas for the night. Luckily the marina is out of town or we would have missed the Adam and Eve Rock.
Glacial rocks from the last ice age, apparently legend has it when two lovers join hands and touch one of the two rocks their lives will be blessed. It is pretty cool how God had them spaced perfectly for two people.
Further down the road we find the captain his ice cream!
Tragically Hip has a song about Bobcaygen so we had been warned about the busyness of this lock…
and boats are lined up along the wall as we continue through the lock where the lock tenders beg us not to play the song. Ha! Seems it’s a thing.
On the other side of the Rosedale lock 35 we find a spot on the wall across from two boats from Maryland, who of course, the captain walks over to meet.
Inspired by the Canadian woman in the boat docked next to us, we ease in for a swim in the clear, refreshing water.
The next morning we leave under cloudy skies to find dense fog as we approach Burnt River to Grass Creek. As we inch along, I am assured by the captain that once we enter the narrow canals the visibility will improve.
Of course, he is correct and we enjoy the nice clear canal right up until we hear a securite radio call from an approaching boat. Turning around is out of the question so the captain finds an ever so small widening of the rock lined canal…
for us to pull over and wait for this boat to pass. I close my eyes and wave.
We vow to securite BEFORE entering the next two canals and finally approach the Kirkfield lock where we begin to be lowered to the next body of water.
Canal Lake awaits and…
we are lowered through five more locks to Lake Simcoe.
Around 12 other loop boats are docked at the Port of Orillia where we enjoy our largest docktail get together since Delaware City. It is great to meet some new boaters and watch the captain panic as our boat card supply dwindles! Thankfully, we will leave Odysea II to hunker down while we fly out of Toronto to travel home for grand baby hugs, my mom’s birthday and replenish the boat card supply.
But first, a pancake breakfast at the Royal Canadian Legion filled with fellow boaters.
Three weeks later we fly back to Toronto and rent a car to provision at Farm Boy (my favorite grocery store in Canada) for our final leg of the loop.
The next morning we are back on the water headed to finish the Trent Severn Waterway (TSW) and all of its locks!
First stop, our most expensive pump out yet! $35.00 Canadian dollars!!!
A few miles down the road we approach a RR Bridge with a digital sign letting us know the bridge would be open at 10:45. Perfect timing. Ha! 10:45 comes and goes, no opening.
The captain calls on the radio to no response. He calls the next lift lock to be told they do not have a radio at the RR bridge. We wait 30 minutes more with no communication and finally take down our mast and bimini top in order to pass under the bridge…
only to have a train come barreling over our heads. I am sure the Canadian National Railroad operator got a chuckle out of that.
The lock we have been waiting for, the Big Chute, is a completely different type of lock where we are actually carried over land in a sling. Check out the Captains Log for his post “Over 100 Locks and Counting” for a video of this amazing lock.
While waiting, we stand by and watch in awe.
After our exciting ‘ride’ we dock at Star Port Marina in Port Severn, and while the captain is getting fuel the next morning, I scamper over to the Cabin Camper Cafe for some hot coffee and pastries, and frozen pot pies for upcoming cold days. What a gem!
Finally, we approach lock 45 and I regret not having confetti and champagne to celebrate our last lock on the TSW but the lock tenders do a great job of cheering while the captain takes a turn helping out while other boats are getting settled in the lock.
Exiting lock 45, we enter the breathtaking Georgian Bay in Lake Huron, our second Great Lake. Almost immediately we begin to steer between red and green navigation markers of the Small Craft Channel in order to stay clear of the ubiquitous rocks.
Cottages are scattered on the huge rock islands jutting out of this bay. As the channel narrows, the leaning pines overtake my senses with the smell hanging in the air. Intoxicating. I do wish I could offer you a scratch and sniff.
We dock at Henry’s where we have a great meal as diners arrive by sea plane or boat.
Back at our boat we have what I call a swat and chat. We swat mosquitos and chat with the boaters docked next to us, Jaqueline and Tim, who spend their summers across the lake near Midland.
We wait out rain the next morning before heading to anchor out in Snug Harbour with our new friends in time for them to pick us up in their dinghy for a lovely dinner at Gilly’s.
The anchor alarm goes off while at dinner but we are relieved to see the boat is right where we left it.
Another beautiful morning and we head out with plans to travel outside the channel but promptly turned around when we encounter more rocks and 5 feet of water.
We enjoy our cruise to Byng Inlet to Wright’s Marina where we meet the crew of Passport and share cocktails in the cockpit for hours of sharing each other’s tales.
Iffy weather greets us the next morning but we press on and make it to the small boat channel for calmer cruising where peaceful pine trees waft in the breeze.
Our lovely spot for the night is in the Bustard Islands and the captain gets the anchor situated just before the clouds empty themselves for the next few hours. Feet up, books out!
Killarney Mountain Lodge and Sportsman marinas are a great spot to hang out while enjoying this nature lovers paradise.
Our travels at this point are the end of the season. College employees have returned to school and places like Big Willies Bait Shop are almost done for the season. The captain is lucky to enjoy their last night with fresh oysters from Prince Edward Island and we visit with the two sisters from Toronto who spend their summers in Killarney and run this simple spot. Oysters and jambalaya along with cocktails and beer complete their menu. And it must work because they just finished their 12th year.
Round and lined with comfy sofas surrounding a central fireplace, the Carousel Bar provides live music and we are in for a treat. Celtic musician Duncan Cameron plays multiple string instruments and is why Heather and Cam are here. They have finished their loop, but are lucky enough to have the Georgian Bay in their backyard, so they came for the weekend. They happen to be harbor hosts and are full of information.
We watch two young girls jump up to dance as he plays “Love Story” only to be joined by their dad as the lyrics “And my daddy said, ‘stay away from Juliet” are sung.
But the night is complete when he begins to sing “Bobcaygeon” and the room erupts, the non-existent dance floor swells and voices sing in unison the Tragically Hip song. We finally get to see a live performance of this beloved band while in Canada.
On our way to hike to the lighthouse, we stop by to meet Gillian in her artist studio located in the town’s historic jailhouse. One of her painted paddles is going home to Texas with us. A perfect memory of the beautiful leaning pines.
Heather and Cam invite us to their boat for cocktails along with Donna and John off Paradise Bound. After sharing stories and hearing wise counsel from the Gold Loopers amongst us, we move the camaraderie for dinner in The Ranch House. A perfect ending to our time in Killarney.
On anchor in the cove of Croker Island, we decide to set our alarms to wake up in the middle of the night to take a chance on seeing the Northern Lights.
With sleepy but hopeful eyes I enter the cockpit to be overwhelmed with the clear sky filled with stars that seem to be within reach. No Northern Lights but it does not matter.
The Big Dipper is dangling right next to our boat and is big enough to hold the entire cove we sit upon. Of course, a photograph is out of the question…for me. Nothing will perfectly portray this spectacle.
The perfect answer to the young lady who asked us a few weeks ago for the most epic experience we have encountered.
We are listening to John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed as we cruise and are at the chapter about Auld Lang Syne and he sings his change of words to the tune of this well known song. “We’re here because we’re here because we’re here because we’re here…” and we can relate.
Our next night is spent in Blind River Marine Park, where Dockmaster Darrell welcomes us and not only drives the captain to the hardware store for propane refills, he picks us up on our way back from the grocery store loaded with bags.
love the laundry room...
There is a large French community in Blind River and one of the French schools is the location of the community Maple Cinema. They offer current films a few nights a week and we luck out with twofer Tuesday, sitting amongst locals switching back and forth between French and English.
Our last night in Canada is spent in Thessalon where we borrow bikes at the marina to visit another lighthouse only to find a plaque professing “only memories remain”. At least the house that now sits where the lighthouse once proudly stood has a cupola.
We toast our lovely time in Canada with Canadian wine eh!
Thanks for following along!
~ The First Mate