The Trent-Severn Waterway

Our route from Lake Huron to Lake Ontario - going north of Toronto, bypassing most of Lake Huron, Detroit, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie.

Toronto

Well, Mississauga actually.  We left the boat in the Mariposa Landing Marina in Orillia for several days, and are now in suburban Toronto.  Got a ride with our nephew Clayton and his S.O. Stephanie - from Orillia to down here.

We are staying with Ilona's sister Naomi - A house! A real bed! Use of a car! Shopping malls! Restaurants! High-speed Internet! Air-conditioning! It is a real adjustment after living on a 30-foot boat for six weeks.

And that's why and how I got the blog up-to-date.

Ihana with mast stowed for inland canals

Another view of our boat with the mast down and stowed. We lashed the boom and mainsail (in its cover) to the mast, so we have more room in the cabin and sail locker (i.e. v-berth).

Picture taken at Lock 44, the Big Chute Marine Railway.

Along the Trent-Severn Waterway

Ihana, waiting for the lock to open

Lock 43, Swift Rapids

another place to tie up - lunch, overnight, whatever

along the waterway

top of Lock 42, Couchiching
spent Saturday night here -
that's our navy-blue dodger in the foreground

Shabbat dinner aboard s/v-Ihana

Dinner on Friday night, with Ilona, candles, wine and challah (and food).

Trent/Severn Waterway, Lock 44 – The Big Chute Marine Railway

Infriggincredible. 

The "railroad car" on the Big Chute Marine Railway

This "lock" consisted of a cross between a dry-dock, a travellift, and a railroad car.  We motored in, and then they stabilized the boat in slings (think: travellift). Then the whole rig moved forward on train tracks (think: railroad; cable-car) up (think: dry-dock) and over (54 foot water level difference) the hill and across a highway (crossing gates shut for cars and people) and down into the next pool.  Never seen anything like it.  We had the ride of our life, in our boat watching the whole thing.

Boats motor into the "dry-dock".  Lockmasters move the boat over the slings.

The whole thing moves forward and up; the slings do not get raised;
the water drains away beneath them.

Then it moves up and over the hill between the two pools.
Over a highway (crossing-gates down).

Detail showing the wheels on the tracks.

View of the marine railway from below.
The blue line is where boats tie up while waiting their turn on the train.

View of the hill. Note the two sets of tracks.
The forward set of wheels on the train car ride on one track;
the other wheels ride on the other tracks (or vice versa).
The train rig stays (approximately) level because of the difference
 in height of the two tracks. 

Slings hold the boat as the car comes up out of the water.

Another view of the two sets of tracks.
The wheels that are more downhill ride on the upper track.
The other set of wheels ride on the other track.
It works to keep things on the level; hard to explain unless you see it.

After passing through (well, up and over) the "lock", we tied up at one of the docks and spent the night. And stayed all the next day and night.  

Finally got the temporary antenna rigged up so we have some VHF while the mast is down – not too important on the canal but critical for our crossings of Lakes Simcoe and, of course, Ontario.

Made arrangements to park our boat at a marina in Orilla Ontario next week – so we can spend several days with Naomi, Clayton & Stephanie in suburban Toronto. They will pick us up on Sunday afternoon.

Only 2 locks to go until that marina – plan to do them tomorrow AM before the crowds.  This is the big 3-day holiday weekend in Canada, so – of course- everyone is here and out on the water or in the anchorages or docks.

Trent/Severn Waterway, Lock 45

We finally made it off of Georgian Bay.  This bunch of rocks has the most confusing set of navigation charts.  The Richardson's Chartbook, the Canadian Small Craft Route Charts, and our Garmin Canadian charts chip all give different information – fun choosing which to follow.  And the Coast Guard adds and removes buoys – a good idea to have them current, but it obsoletes the charts. We've been following the buoys, when we could identify them. Impossible without getting lost occasionally.  But we are now in the Waterway and off of Lake Huron.

As has been usual lately: Ilona at the bow with binoculars, paper chart, compass and walkie-talkie headset.  Bob at the helm with chartplotter, depth-gauge, throttle, wheel and the other walkie-talkie. Conversation: where-are-we and where-is-it and watch-out-for-that-boat/rock/buoy/shoal/wake/gust.

Yesterday we got to the first lock, at Port Severn. We had to wait for about an hour and a half, in a rock-infested pool with wind, current, and about a dozen boats crammed into a small space (picture the turning basin of most marinas). Everyone was trying to keep his or her boat moving very slowly (steerage speed or less) and not hit anyone else.  It was pretty frightening and a good chance to practice motoring skills.  We finally got a spot on the wall to tie up and wait our turn at the lock.  We hear this is the worst lock on the whole waterway (we suspect most of them are).

Stopped for lunch in mid-afternoon, then on to the next lock.  Much nicer here – compared to the Georgian Bay Small Craft Route, there are less rocks in the channel and well-posted buoys.