Our First Few Days on Georgian Bay

Penetanguishene to Port Rawson Bay

On 27 July, there were a total of 22 boats that rafted off one another in Port Rawson Bay. All of us left Penetanguishene a little before 8:00 a.m., led by Bob and Karen Jantz, Canadians who volunteered to take us on a 10 day trip to areas that most boaters would not know about if you aren’t a local. Karen and Bob are also members of the America Great Loopers Cruisers’ Association, and completed the loop a couple of years ago.

On 28 July, Bob and Karen led us on a dinghy excursion from Port Rawson Bay anchorage to Moon River Falls. The trip was a lot of fun. Even on a dinghy we went through areas where the engines had to be lifted some in order to get through without hitting the rocks. All of us held our breath and went through very slowly until we were clear--another exciting and challenging adventure.

We tied the dinghies to rocks along the shore, and everyone found a rock and had a picnic lunch. Afterward, everyone walked to the falls, where some folks, to include Mike, swam while others observed. It was a fun afternoon.

We had a beautiful day for cruising. Once again, the scenery and the water along the route were breathtaking, with more narrow areas to get through. These areas require a security call to warn other boaters that boats are entering from the opposite side. For those boaters with radios, they probably panicked to hear that 22 boats were making their way through these areas.

We even saw the place where in 1615, Champlaine stopped during his exploration of this part of North America that is now Canada.

We only wish that our description and pictures could capture the beauty of this part of the country. Included are pictures that we took on our way to Port Rawson Bay, at the bay after we were all rafted together, and at Moon River Falls. We were at Port Rawson Bay anchorage for two nights and had a wonderful time before moving on to our next destination. Stay tuned…

Penetanguishine Ontario, and the AGLCA Rendezvous

We crossed part of Georgian Bay and headed out to sea, so to speak, at least for about two hours. With XPLORER leading the way, and SEAQUEL bringing up the rear, we had a wonderful, and smooth crossing of a significant body of water.

We arrived at Bay Moorings Marina in Penetanguishine, Ontario, on July 18, and plan to spend the next nine days here attending the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association Rendezvous. The AGLCA meets three times a year, in Charleston, SC, in April, Joe Wheeler State Park AL, in October, and here in July.

A total of 125 people attended on 52 boats and some by car. The purpose of these get togethers is to eat, drink, and share information about the next leg of the Great Loop. Knowledgeable speakers are brought in, but just as much information is shared between the “Loopers” as we get from the speakers. Since this is our fourth rendezvous, it will be our last, unless we “do the loop” again.

We arrived a few days early to get the boat clean, refueled (that’s painful in Canada where diesel fuel is $4.01 a gallon), and do any needed maintenance. We did all that in a couple of days, and then explored the town with Mike and Cathy from XPLORER on our bicycles.

The city of Penetanguishine is an old city, being established during the War of 1812 with a British Naval Base that was established to fight off the Americans down south. It is really interesting to hear the history of this area from the Canadian point of view, which pretty much makes the War of 1812 a war of southern aggression that was started by those pesky Americans. All is forgiven though (I think), and the Canadians welcome us with open arms today.

Penetang, as the city is called by its residents, is built on a hill overlooking the Bay. If you look real fast, it almost looks a little like San Francisco, CA, just on a smaller scale.

On 22 July the AGLCA Rendezvous began with a wine and cheese party. The next three days will be filled with lectures, information sharing, meals, and fellowship with likeminded boaters who are either on the Loop, or wannabe’s who intend to start the Loop in the next year or so.

The last night of the Rendezvous we all took a dinner cruise as the closing event of the AGLCA Rendezvous. It was a lovely four hour cruise on Penetang Bay, which is spectacular in its beauty.

All in all, we had a great time at the Rendezvous. Thursday we will get the boat ready to head out into Georgian Bay for what is being called a “Flotilla.” Some very nice local people are taking 20 boats on a 10 day convoy-like cruise up through the 30,000 islands of Georgian Bay. They will take us to places that they as locals know about, but we would miss if they didn’t lead us there. This will be a continuation of our Great Adventure. with the sun setting on Georgian Bay, Stay tuned…..

The End of the Trent-Severn Waterway

We enjoyed our stay in Orillia, Ontario. We stayed there for three days getting resupplied with food, beer, rum, and other important stuff. Oh yes, did we mention that everywhere we stop there are at least two or more ice cream shops within a minute’s walk from the lock? It seems that Canadians love their ice cream, and so do we. We also had an impromptu "Looper" get together at the marina's gazebo, and we all had a great time sharing food and drink.

Our next stop was Lock 44, the Big Chute Railway Lock. All of us were anxious about getting through this lock. Believe it or not, we drive the boat onto a railway car that then takes the boat out of the water on a railroad track, up over a hill, and then puts the boat back in the water. Amazing!!

More amazing is that it was ever built. Can you imagine the staff meeting where this idea was presented? In today’s world, the person who came up with this idea would end up in a rubber room for life.

So, there we are, waiting our turn to drive the boat onto this rail car, and we can’t believe we are actually going to do this.

As it turned out though, it was surprisingly simple.

From the time we moved the boat from the staging area, onto the rail car, were moved up over the hill, and then launched back into the water, was about seven minutes. Simply amazing.

This brings to an end our three weeks plus on the Trent-Severn Waterway, and we are sorry to leave this wonderful place. Our descriptions of the places we have seen and people we have met in the Trent-Severn have not done justice to the reality of this jewel of Canada. It has been 240 miles and 44 locks that allowed us to see the majesty of this Canadian treasure, and we now have memories and friends that will stay with us from here on.

We crossed the southern part of Georgian Bay, which was just as beautiful and majestic as the great Canal we are leaving. We are headed to Penetanguishine, Ontario, to the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association summer rendezvous at Bay Moorings Marina. Stay tuned….

Kirkfield to Orillia, Ontario

On Thursday, July 12, we left Lock 36 and headed to Sunset Cove Marina to meet Barry and Sheryl and begin our next leg of the trip. We said our hellos and chatted for a while before making our way through Locks 40 and 41 to begin our Lake Simcoe crossing.

The weather on Lake Simcoe was predicted to be 15 knots with waves at one meter (a little more than three feet). Following IRISH AYES was XPLORER, SEAQUEL, and SEA KNIGHT. The day was overcast and VERY windy. We had narrow and shallow water before entering and after crossing Lake Simcoe, which has been common throughout our trip in Canada.

The water here is so clear you can see the bottom most of the time. It is rather disconcerting to see huge rocks and plant growth beneath the boat as you move along, not really knowing how close to our keel they really are.

We came to the entrance of Lake Simcoe, and immediately saw white caps everywhere. We knew then the trip was going to be rough. For about an hour and a half, we bounced and rolled, with water spraying over the bow of the boat, all the way up to the fly bridge. Three foot waves my foot!!!

Fortunately, we had secured everything before we left the Lock wall, because we had heard that Lake Simcoe could become rough at any time, and with winds being so strong over the last few days, we felt that we would be in for somewhat of a rough ride--and how true this was. As we got closer to the north shore of the lake though, we were protected by the land mass, and the winds and seas finally calmed. We had a pleasant ride on in to Port of Orillia Marina. It was quite an adventure.

One interesting thing about this trip was a guy (a pretty dumb one if you ask us) in a small aluminum boat who got in between our boat and XPLORER on Lake Simcoe and traveled several miles, following closely behind us. This guy was obviously missing a few brain cells to be out on Lake Simcoe in these conditions in such a small boat. We never figured out why he was following us; however, at some point he turned around and headed back to who knows where. XPLORER made a Security Call to the Canadian Coast Guard to let them know that this guy was on the lake and could be in danger.

From Lake Simcoe, we entered what is appropriately known as “The Narrows.” Once again, we were watching charts, depth, and buoys very carefully. There were areas so narrow our boat appeared too wide to make it between the buoys, but we went very slow and made it through without problems.

We arrived at the Marina in Orillia, Ontario, where we will stay at the dock for a few days to explore the city, reprovision, pump out the holding tank, and take on some fresh water. Stay tuned….

Rosedale, Ontario to Kirkfield, Ontario

We (IRISH AYES and XPLORER) left Rosedale about 8:20 a.m. on July 10. SEAQUEL was waiting for us as we passed the Rosedale Marina where they stayed the night.

IRISH AYES led the way, with XPLORER and SEAQUEL following, as we crossed Balsam Lake this morning, which is the highest point of the Trent-Severn Waterway. At this point, we were more than 840 feet above sea level. The Lake was choppy, but we did not have far to travel, so it was not too uncomfortable. Once we made it to the entrance of the Trent Canal on the west side of Balsam Lake, the water was smooth as glass. However, once we entered the Trent Canal, things changed. The canal is VERY narrow and full of rocks on both sides. Paying attention to charts and watching where you are in the channel is very important.

Before entering the narrow canals, Mike would give a Security Call, informing boat traffic who might be entering the canal from the other end, that we, and two other boats, were entering the canal. The reason for this is that the canals are so narrow, if you meet another boat, or one of the cruise boats that frequently travel these canals, there is no where for either of you to go. You can’t turn around and you can’t move over. There are rocks everywhere.

We tied above the Lock wall at Kirkfield Lock 36 for the night, as did XPLORER and SEAQUEL. By 4:00 p.m. a rainstorm, with winds, thunder and lightening, began and lasted for several hours. According to the Lockmaster this morning, this area received 4 inches of rain from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Later, while having dinner at the restaurant located down the hill from the lock, the power went off just as we had received our food. We enjoyed our dinner by candle light, thanks to the owner. We walked back to the boat (it was still raining) and called it a night.

On Wednesday morning (July 11), we decided to leave from above the lock. We went through the Lift Lock with four other boats. This Lock looks to be more intimidating than the one in Peterborough, but it turned out to be okay. The difference in this Lock is that the structure is not enclosed, so you get a feeling of “hanging out there.” We were the first boat in, so we went to the very front of the pan, and it looked like we were about to go over the edge. This was a little scary for Pat who was controlling the lines on the bow of the boat. In this Lock, when locking down, you are five stories up and can see everything around you from high above.

The lockmaster helped get our lines so that we could secure the boat. Once all boats were secured to the pan, we were free to talk to other boaters or take pictures or do whatever as the lowering of the lock occurred. The fun actually begins when the lift begins to descend. The lowering of the lift is done rather quickly, and you get a feeling of being on an elevator on the water.

Upon leaving Lock 36, IRISH AYES and XPLORER went to the Lock wall and stayed one more night at Lock 36. SEAQUEL went on for about 7 miles to a marina for the night. We will meet up with them on Thursday.

Fenelon Galls to Rosedale, Ontario

We left Babcaygeon (Lock 32) on Sunday morning (8 July) at 10:25 a.m. It was windy and thunderstorms were predicted, but we had only a little rain as we crossed Sturgeon Lake. The scenery, once again, was beautiful, and the trip rather short compared to other days. We traveled only 18 miles today and arrived in Fenelon Falls, Lock 34, with XPLORER and SEAQUEL, around 12:30.

As we locked through to the top, there was a very large crowd watching. (This picture does not capture the crowd.) We thought we had an audience at Bobcaygeon, but this crowd was unbelievable. We locked through with four other boats. Fortunately, the winds were calm and we had a good lock through.

We tied to the lock wall, which is right in town, so we did not have far to go to find a grocery store, Tim Horton’s, (a cross between Starbucks and Krispy Kreme), a Laundromat, restaurants, hardware store, banks, library, and many other stores.

While in Fenelon Falls, we ate at the Dockside Grille and Captain’s Table at the recommendation of locals, and the food was good at both restaurants. We walked around town on Sunday afternoon, as we have done in all towns that we have visited, to see what it had to offer. Fenelon Falls was a busy town to include a lot of boat traffic on Sunday.

From Fenelon Falls we made our way all of four miles to Rosedale (Lock 35). The lock, and the lock wall in Rosedale, is a few miles from the town, so we were tied to the wall in a park-like setting that was absolutely beautiful. There was not much around but a well landscaped lock and adjoining park, and a few other boats, so, we once again took the opportunity to nap, eat, clean the boat a little, and just take it easy. We had dinner again on a picnic table next to our boat with Mike and Cathy, talked for a while, and then called it a night.

Tomorrow morning we will make our way to Kirkfield, Ontario, where the next lock is a Lift Lock, identical to the one in Peterborough. Another great adventure awaits us. Stay tuned….

Still on the Trent-Severn Waterway

As of 5 July, we are still on the Trent Severn at Lock 31. We have 12 more locks to go on the Trent Severn Canal! When completed, we will have traversed 44 locks on this canal.

The first two weeks of July are the traditional months of vacation in Canada. Boats of all kinds, to include dozens of rented houseboats, are very popular. Along the lock walls, boaters can put up tents, tables, and other camping paraphenalia and stay for the allotted number of days allowed on the lock wall. You can have the best of both worlds, camping and boating on your vacation.

This area has long been a vacation spot for Canadians, and families rent these houseboats for weekends and summer vacations, tying to lock walls and enjoying the small towns that surround the locks along the Trent-Severn waterway. There is a limit on the number of nights you can stay on a lock wall, usually two nights, so they move almost daily going to a different lock and town. We are doing the same thing as we continue on the Trent-Severn, so we have had the pleasure of locking through with these houseboats, which has made the experience even more interesting. Why? Well, most of these houseboats are single engine, low power boats, driven by inexperienced boaters, who often have no sense of where their boat is in relation to things around them, such as other boats. It’s similar to watching bumper cars with small house boats. Very entertaining unless they are near our boat.

We have found that the small towns that we have visited along the canals are very neat, clean, and friendly. The towns are well landscaped and have beautiful flowers everywhere.

One of the best parts of this trip has been seeing a new place every few days and meeting new people. While tied to lock wall located in the towns, the locals are fascinated by the larger boats in their part of the country and are curious to find out about our adventure. We have truly enjoyed the Canadian people and their hospitality.

We will most likely leave Lock 32 on Sunday (July 8) and head to Fenelon Falls. Stay tuned…