Trent Severn Waterway - Trenton to Peterborough, Ontario

Trenton, Ontario, is the entrance to, and the beginning of, the Trent-Severn Canal, reportedly one of the most interesting, and beautiful, parts of the Great Loop. This waterway connects the north shore of Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay in the northern part of Lake Huron. The Waterway is 245 miles long, and it consists of 45 locks that lift the boat several hundred feet at its highest point, and then back down again to lake level.

The locks are relatively small as compared with the many other locks we have been through. There is room for only three or four boats of our size, one behind the other, and with locks only 32 feet wide, putting boats side by side is difficult, but doable. This small size can be a real challenge in high wind, as we discovered on our first day of the Trent-Severn voyage.

We departed Trenton at 8am, and after traversing 13 locks, we finally arrived at Campbellford, Ontario, at about 5pm, a distance of only 32 miles. It was a hot, windy day, but we made it to our destination, which was to tie to the lock wall in Campbellford, that evening. By the time we arrived, a Captain Morgan’s was most definitely in order.

One of the advantages to boating on the Trent Severn Waterway is that we can tie our boat to the lock wall every day when we want to stop for the day. That means we don't have to pay for a marina or get our anchor dirty. There is a fee, called a Mooring Pass, that you can pay for by the day, or by the season. It's not very expensive relative to a marina, and it is worth the cost. Each lock wall, both below and above the lock, has space for boats to tie up. Facilities are sparce, consisting of a rest room in some places. In other places the lock wall is in the middle of town, as in Hastings. Each of the locks is landscaped by the lock master and his/her helpers, and they seem to compete in how well they care for their locks, which makes it very nice for us boaters who spend the night. We would also like to add the lockmasters and their crews are as helpful and courteous as you could ever wish for. All are very nice people.

After relaxing for a while, we were invited to share a broccoli quiche with Ginger and Laura from STARGAZER, who were already tied to the lock wall. Pat cooked up some corn on the cob, and we had a picnic dinner with table cloth, silverware, good food, good friends, and for a special treat, Ginger and Laura played a CD of beautiful music played by the orchestra of which they are members in Muskegon, Michigan. They say they are amateurs, but they play as well as any orchestra we have ever heard in our lives.

We departed Campbellford at 8am the next morning, heading to lock 14. By the time we docked, we traversed five locks, finally going through lock 18, before we arrived at Hastings, Ont. Once again we tied to the lock wall, this time right in the middle of town.

At this lock we met Mike and Cathy, of XPLORER, who are from Fairfax, VA, which is where they began their Great Loop Adventure. Their boat is a beautiful Sea Ray 450. After a gin and tonic aboard their boat, we headed for La Gondola, one of the few restaurants in Hastings. Food was good, the company was great. Tomorrow, we all head for Peterborough for a long weekend at a marina.

Going to Peterborough was an easy day. After departing Hastings, we made our way across Rice Lake, and up the Ontonabee River. It is hard to describe how beautiful this area is. The water is clear, the homes that are few and far between are beautifully landscaped, and everything seems clean and fresh. Our pictures don’t do justice to just how pretty this area is. After going through lock 20, we arrived at Peterborough. Ont.