Kirkfield Lift Lock – The Voyages of Nine Lives

July 16 to 31, 2019 – Peterborough to Wani Bay

Our return to the Trent Severn and initial travel up the Peterborough Lift Lock was uneventful. This year it was executed in bright sunshine, good for pictures and a thus a more enjoyable experience than last year.

This picture of our approach to the lift lock is also a good visual for the “blue line” that I have mentioned occasionally. In Canada, lock keepers do not use radios. Instead, when you are ready to go through the lock, you move and tie up to the blue line that is painted on one or both sides of the lock wall. The lock attendants see you and will then prepare the lock for you to transit.

Trent University spans both sides of the canal

Our first stop was Lakefield, home of Cassis Bistro and The Chocolate Rabbit. No problem finding a suitable tie up along the lock wall, and we headed into town, looking forward to buying what we consider the best chocolate we have ever eaten. All offerings are made daily in house, using the best Lindt chocolate from Switzerland. Their beautiful and delicious liqueur chocolates are the best, colourfully decorated and filled with a creamy (and alcoholic) filling that is such an improvement over the more traditional hard coating over a liquid centre. We made the owner (who remembered us from our two visits last year) laugh as we failed to agree on how many of the amazing treats we were going to need to carry us forward on our summer voyage. Two boxes later, and a brief stop for more mundane groceries, we were able to return to the boat with our loot. A double-check confirmed our fears for dinner plans. The Bistro, which seems to be exactly our kind of place, has now been closed for all 3 of our 3 visits to the town.

Just as important as fuel and fresh water, pump outs are part of our weekly routine and need to be planned, as not all marinas offer the service. Peterborough’s machine seems to be permanently broken, and the town fathers in their wisdom have decided they will neither repair nor replace the system. Instead a large truck appears at the dock by appointment. The dockmaster strongly recommended finding another solution, as the oversize hose and high suction on the truck has been known to collapse holding tanks on pleasure boats. I don’t even want to think about the consequences of that! Our next opportunity was to be Lakefield Marina. Dick phoned the night before, and was assured that their pump out was working and there would be space kept free on the fuel dock for us to come in the next morning. On arriving and making a radio call we were told, sorry, the dock is full, we can’t help you. We could see a number of large boats along the dock, but they were placed with large spaces between and could easily have been better positioned to leave the fuel and pump out facility free. Onward to Young’s Point, and a completely different experience. As soon as the dockhand saw that we were going to have trouble fitting into the gap, he asked the trawler beside the space if they would mind moving along to let us fit in. Not only did the captain move his boat, he also helped catch our lines. Happens it was a Looper, who we had met before, but I believe any boater would have obliged.

Hells Gate 2 — The narrow channel known as Hell’s Gate in the Kawarthas

A narrow channel on the aptly named Stoney Lake

Our next stop was the lock wall above Burleigh Falls. It is a pretty spot, very popular with picnickers and boaters, but quiet as evening falls. Dick went walkabout and visited the falls that give the location its name. From Burleigh Falls to Bobcaygeon was a short run, but the spaces on the lower wall that have power were already filled, so we transited the lock and tied up on the upper wall and used the generator. Bobcaygeon is a bustling small town in the heart of Toronto’s cottage country. It is the location of the first lock to be built on the Trent Severn Waterway, in 1833, and yet the village was not incorporated until 1876. The history goes back quite a bit more, the site being visited by Samuel de Champlain in 1615. It was not until the early 1800’s that the area began to attract settlers. The lock, a sawmill, and a gristmill, followed by lumbering business, ensured further development of the village through the 19^th century. The railway arrived with passenger service in 1904. Today the village serves as a hub for tourism and a location for services unavailable in the smaller communities around the Kawartha Lakes area.

One more overnight was required before Lake Simcoe. Last year we stopped at the bottom of the second lift lock on the system, Kirkfield. It was a fascinating stop, and we had thought to stay there again this year. A look at the wind forecast for Lake Simcoe suggested travelling on further that day, so that the next morning we would be able to get off the shallow lake before the wind came up in the afternoon. Consulting our various sources suggested Lock 40 as the ideal stop, but on arrival at Lock 37 we were told Lock 40 was already full, both top and bottom. Instead we tied up above Lock 38, in a residential area that turned out to be just delightful. Cottages line the waterfront, with some natural area along the calm water of the small bay. One home with beautifully landscaped grounds features a distinctive red British telephone box. Close examination through binoculars reveals a life-size blow-up doll in a bikini making a phone call inside. A very British sense of humour!

Kirkfield Lift Lock 2 — In the chamber at Kirkfield Lift Lock

Looking waaay down before the Kirkfield Lift Lock chamber descends

Hole in the Wall 3 — We approach Hole in the Wall

Hole in the Wall from Aisling Gheal — A fellow Looper and Endeavourcat owner took this picture of Nine Lives just past Hole in the Wall

After setting off the next morning we could see that our various books and information were out of date, and there were further options to tie up closer to the lake and avoid having to transit 4 locks in the morning. However, none of the options were nearly as pretty as our stop, and all the alternates seemed to be home to more than a fair share of horseflies. Arriving in a timely manner at Lake Simcoe, but not liking the look of the dark cloud all around, we ran fast to Orillia and arrived just after noon.

Orillia has a very pleasant town marina, nearly as good as the one in Trenton, just lacking in a fuel and pump out facility. The marina is in the centre of town, so very convenient for shops and restaurants, including an excellent grocery store and the all-important liquor store. It is a popular stop for Loopers, especially those who have learned the lesson about weekends. What is that lesson you ask? STAY PUT. Weekends bring what seems like vast numbers of boaters who lack even the smallest sense of courtesy or consequences of their wakes. In fact, we can only conclude that all too many think it is “fun” to come as close as possible. If one is thinking the best, one assumes they are merely curious (as well as ignorant of the discomfort caused by their wakes), if one is not assuming innocence it does seem as though many of these boaters think bouncing and swaying of a wake is both fun and a desirable aspect of being on a boat.

There were at least 15 Looper boats in the marina in Orillia that weekend. Friday evening, 30 of us gathered for docktails in the welcome air conditioning of the marina building. This was the largest gathering of Loopers we have been part of since Norfolk last spring. Interesting snacks were produced and many boat cards exchanged along with stories and plans.

Orillia bicycles collage — Some of the art installations on Orillia’s streets on a theme of bicycles.

Orillia mural — A colourful mural showing the history of Orillia.

Saturday morning after a quick vacuum and clean-up we were ready to entertain visitors. Erika and Holger arrived first. We had corresponded with them on several occasions. They are also Endeavour 44 owners, and we were interested to hear that in fact they saw our Nine Lives some time before we did, when she was briefly for sale with a broker on Florida’s east coast. Holger told us that timing was not right for them to buy (lucky for us!) but from then on, all boats they saw were compared to our Nine Lives, unfavourably as it happened! (If you are wondering, we do not mention the previous boat name, having gone through the important de-naming and renaming ceremony one should not remind the gods of wind and waves that there was ever a different name). As Erika and Holger left, Martin and Louise arrived. They have been friends for many years. Dick worked with Martin even before we all moved to Calgary back in the dim and distant past of their careers. It was lovely to see them and have a chance to catch up. We will hope for more chances to get together now that Louise has also retired.

That evening, at cocktail hour, Dick decided to pour himself a Caesar (a refreshing long drink made from vodka and clamato juice, not dissimilar to a Bloody Mary). Several lip-smacking sips later, he chanced to examine the can of clamato juice, only to discover that it is actually a pre-mixed Caesar in a can, with the vodka already in it. Nobody would ever accuse Dick of preparing a weak adult beverage, so his libation had double or perhaps quadruple the normal ratio of alcohol to juice. No wonder it was so delicious! Later we walked (one of us with a bit of a roll in his step) to the nearby Thai restaurant with our new friends from Visions and Second Princess. Sadly, this was possibly our last get-together with them, as we are now past Second Princess’s final destination, and I have heard from Visions that they are many miles ahead of us on the voyage.

After a relaxing weekend in Orillia we left with a slight detour back to the boatyard at the south end of Lake Couchiching for a pump out. This is the boatyard where we came to grief last year due to a combination of strong current, winds, and too many small boats ignoring all the rules of the road. We slammed into the corner of their dock and punched a hole in one pontoon, fortunately well above the waterline (and beautifully and invisibly repaired this winter). The dockhands remembered us, and the incident! I was interested to observe (and why would I be surprised?) that girls do the best pump outs. There was great care taken at all stages, and zero spillage. Somehow it just isn’t in boy DNA to take such care!

After transiting Lake Couchiching we arrived at a railroad bridge that is just 6” too low for us to pass under when closed. It is known for being very busy, with long waits for boaters to pass through because of the amount of freight carried by that line. On arrival we were advised that the bridge was not working, and the attendant was waiting for someone to come out and look at it. He took my phone number and promised to call. That part of the river has a current and nowhere for us to tie up, so we backtracked into the lake and anchored along with 4 other Looper boats. The nice young man did call me, so I spread the word and we started to haul the anchor. It seemed as though half the weeds on Lake Couchiching had attached themselves to our chain and anchor, so we were well behind the other boats as we returned to the canal. I got another call from the attendant to ask how far out we were, and he was very sorry to tell me that he had trains coming and would be unlikely to be able to hold the bridge for us. When we got there, he had held it after all, which was very kind. The delay cost us more than two hours on what was going to be quite a long day, so we realized we would not get to our destination, Big Chute, that afternoon.

We stopped above the lock at Swift Rapids. There were quite a few other boats, so it was not exactly a peaceful stop, but the scenery was lovely and being on a lock wall meant that Dick was able to grill some of the steaks he had bought at the meat shop in Peterborough. He also took the opportunity to install the part for the generator that had been delivered to us in Orillia. More than a few sighs and occasional muttering later, the replacement hose was installed, and so far, the generator is running perfectly with no more leaking of coolant.

Swift Rapids dinner — Dick took the chance to grill at Swift Rapids. Most marinas will not allow you to grill at their docks.

fixing the generator — Dick repairs the generator

Swift Rapids is the highest of the conventional locks on the system, 47 feet. On arrival at the bottom we were glad we had stopped above where it was much prettier and with a cool breeze to keep away insects. From there it was a short drive to Big Chute. There were originally intended to be a flight of 3 locks to take boats from the Trent River down the escarpment into the Severn River, but a problem with sea lampreys in the Great Lakes required an alternative solution that would keep them from getting into the Trent River. A marine railway, or canal inclined plane, was proposed and built in 1919. It operated successfully until 1978, when a new, larger railway replaced the original.

This was our second transit of Big Chute, so we didn’t need to tie up and watch, and we knew we would not need the slings. There was nobody ahead of us, so we headed straight in after a very brief stop on the blue line. Big Chute is the only marine railway still operational in North America. It is basically an open railway carriage, 80 feet long by 26 feet wide, that drops into the water so that boats drive on, then the railway comes up out of the water and down the steep hill (a 60 foot drop) to the Severn River at the bottom. The carriage travels on a dual track, with the front and back of the car on different tracks that allow it to remain level. At the bottom, the carriage drives into the water until the boat is floating again, and the boat then simply drives away. Most larger boats require slings similar to the sort that are used to take them out of the water at a boatyard, but fortunately Nine Lives has fully protected props and rudder, allowing us to rest nicely on the bottom with no requirement to swing precariously in the slings. It is still something of a knuckle biting ride, as the carriage shakes and rattles and you try not to look to hard at the rust on the supports. Interesting thought it may be, we are glad to drive off at the bottom after a safe transit!

Big Chute 1 — Big Chute Marine Railway. The carriage rises out of the water and crosses the road. Nine Lives is sitting on the floor of the carriage. You can see fellow Loopers in the observation platform, watching to see the operation before they trust their own boats to the contraption.

Big Chute 3 — We are across the road and approaching the top of the slope.

Big Chute 5 — Nearly down, looking back up the slope.

A short ride and transit through two more locks and several extremely narrow channels brought us into Georgian Bay, with a quick trip across in very calm seas to Victoria Harbour. Here we enjoyed docktails on Nine Lives, followed by dinner at the nearby restaurant with Loopers on another catamaran. B-Side is a PDQ, a Canadian builder, unfortunately no longer in business. Their cats are both narrower and taller than ours, having a fly bridge. It is always interesting to look at other boats on the loop, and we have all enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences between the boats. Victoria Harbour also offers an excellent briefing for travel in Georgian Bay. Dick attended and took his charts along to allow for annotations. He said it was interesting, although with mostly the same information that had been presented at the session in Norfolk last year. Not surprising, the Canadian Shield, being rock, tends not to change the way the sands of the ICW move around to catch unwary boaters!

The next day took us to Penetanguishene. Last year we visited Midland, so we thought we would investigate the next bay over this time. Although quite a lot has been spent on new sidewalks, parks, cycle paths, and an array of hanging baskets, the village itself has little to offer visitors, with few restaurants and all the stores being more repair depots than actual shops. Dick rode his bike to the grocery store. Brenda and Bruce on B-Side had a much more positive experience of the area. They got tickets and went to the local live theatre production of Beauty and the Beast. They tell us it was a very professional production, with excellent singers, actors and sets. The town seems to attract a great many visitors, if the numbers of people walking around on the docks is anything to go by. On our way in we passed many beautiful homes on the waterfront, so it was a surprise that the village looked so run down in spite of the money spent on the town marina and infrastructure. So different from what we saw when we were in Quebec towns last year.

Penetanguishene main street — Penetanguishene Main Street. Expensive new sidewalks and pretty hanging baskets, but no real shops or interesting restaurants for visitors.

We enjoyed looking at H.M.S. Badger, a replica gunboat from the “golden age of sail”, the time of Nelson’s navy. Capable of being moved by both sail and oars, these gunboats would carry at least one and up to three cannon on board. Being small and manoeuvrable, they could operate in shallow or restricted areas, and could be used in stealth attacks on shoreline defences or larger ships. They were quick to build, and were often used in swarm tactics in a naval battle. H.M.S. Badger was lovingly built from a Great Lakes lifeboat over two years of research and now sails regularly in the Penetanguishene area. Badger went out one evening during our visit, but sadly I didn’t catch sight of them away from the dock.

Badger and B Side — Gunboat H.M.S. Badger at the dock, and that’s B-Side behind.

Dick spent the afternoon taking another run at diagnosing what might be wrong with the fridge. It is a mysterious problem, with the freezer section working perfectly while the fridge section just seems to get less and less cooling. The new part that Dick installed in Trenton (and removing some of the wooden slatting to allow more air circulation) made no difference. Dick again pulled the fridge out from its slot (no trivial task) and by means of alligator clips he was able to determine that the problem is not with the thermostat. A pity, because that would have been an easy fix, so we are almost certainly looking at replacing the fridge this coming winter. Strangely, the messing about does seem to have had some effect, because while the fridge is still not working acceptably, it is definitely about 10 degrees F cooler than it was, so once again useable for many items.

Penetanguishene bay — A seaplane takes off in Penetanguishene Bay

In a bit of scenic one-upmanship, this part of Georgian Bay is called the 30,000 islands (as compared to the 1000 islands of the St Lawrence). This is the largest freshwater archipelago in the world, stretching across the eastern part of Georgian Bay north to Parry Sound. The area boasts 8 Provincial Parks and a National Park, and is a mecca for boaters, campers, hikers, and cottagers. The area was much loved by the artists from the Group of Seven, and the distinctive windswept pines on rocky outcroppings are part of the stunning scenery. Legend tells of a god called Kitchikewana, known for his great temper. Disappointed when he was turned down by the woman he wished to marry, he grabbed a handful of soil and flung it into the Great Lakes, creating the 30,000 islands. The finger marks he left behind became the five bays. He then lay down to sleep, and is still there to this day as Giant’s Tomb Island. Probably just as well.

Penetanguishine park — A pretty town park in Penetanguishene with a statue of Kitchikewana.

Georgian Bay scenery 2 — Some of the 30,000 islands in Georgian Bay

Georgian Bay scenery — More of Georgian Bay’s beautiful scenery. It is important to stay in the channel here, that rock is Canadian Shield, and you do not want to be bumping into it below the waterline!

Our first destination was Honey Harbour, a long inlet with several quite narrow and shallow channels, made more challenging by speeding local boaters. We were amused to hear over the radio, “to the cruiser who just crossed my bow, are you new to boating?” We chuckled, and sympathized. South Cove Marina is almost exclusively large boats, and has a restaurant on site. It is very much a full service marina, with both tie up and cast off help from dock hands, hourly trash pickup from dockside, and even collection at your car and transport to the boat for your provisions and suitcases! It is also a very dog friendly marina, with lots and lots of tail-waggers to watch going to and from the boats. We were especially charmed by an 8 week old golden retriever pup on the boat behind us, reminding us very much of our long gone Sam. We enjoyed docktails with Brenda and Bruce on B-Side before heading to the restaurant for supper. They left Sunday morning, braving the weekenders, but we are looking forward to meeting them again, probably in Parry Sound.

Honey Harbour 2 — Scenery in Honey Harbour

Honey Harbour 4 — Evening light near South Bay Marina in Honey Harbour

Honey Harbour 5 — Still water in early morning

Honey Harbour 3 — One way to get to and from your cottage from the city… no question, the rich are different!

July 29 found us at anchor in Longuissa Bay, a long narrow inlet off Musquash Channel. Dick barely had time for a swim before his uncle Hans and aunt Cathy came chugging into the anchorage on their houseboat. We rafted up for the night, and enjoyed a convivial afternoon of swimming and naps for the old fogies (that would be everyone but me), followed by docktails and dinner on board Nine Lives. Major squall warnings were being broadcast almost continuously over the radio for part of the afternoon and during dinner. Even in our sheltered anchorage, Nine Lives swung continuously around the anchor and the trees on shore swayed and bent wildly in the winds. We were very pleased that the anchor held fast, even with the added weight and windage of the houseboat. 180 feet of chain certainly offers a lot of strength, even though there is some suggestion that a mix of chain and rope is the preferable rode.

rafted up 2 — Hans and Cathy rafted up in Longuissa Bay

rafted up — Cathy swam out with her camera to get a water level view!

The next day we continued our slow meander north, stopping for the night in Indian Harbour. It was very pretty, especially at sunset, but surprisingly windy. Other boats had trouble setting their anchors, and I never entirely trusted that we were not dragging. I woke up many times in the night to check the anchor app on my phone to make sure we were still where we were supposed to be.

It was a short step to Wani Bay, off Twelve Mile Bay. The suggested anchorage near O’Donnell Point seemed both unprotected from the wind and full of a lot of rocks in overly deep water. We were joined in Wani Bay by 2 other Looper boats including Bella Gatto, an Endeavour 36. We all enjoyed docktails on the big foredeck on Nine Lives.

In the next couple of weeks, we will continue making our way north through Georgian Bay and the North Channel towards Sault Ste Marie.

August 7 to 20, 2018: Peterborough to Port Elgin

August 7 to 20

Our second day in Peterborough was wet, so we didn’t get the promised Indian meal at a restaurant. The next morning we set off for the first big adventure in this segment of the Loop, the Peterborough Lift Lock.

The Lift Lock was opened in 1904, and until recently was the highest hydraulic boat lift in the world, raising and lowering boats 65 feet in just about 60 seconds. The lift consists of two large chambers that are filled with water. Boats drive over a dropped gate into the chamber, the gate closes, an extra foot of water is let into the top chamber, and the weight of the water in the upper chamber counterbalances the lower, so one drops while the other ascends. It was quite exciting, although a very smooth and easy operation. It was a dull day, but I did take quite a few photos, plus Dick took pictures the day before when he walked up to the lock to see the operation.

We stopped for the night at Lakefield on the wall just above the lock. Lakefield is a pretty town with a tidy main street with restored buildings, interesting shops, and an excellent restaurant. A highlight was a wonderful chocolate shop in a lovely old house at the edge of downtown. We made several selections and enjoyed them with tea for the next few afternoons. They were so good we wished we had bought a larger box! The next day was forecast to be rainy, so we wimped out and stayed another night on the lock wall. I had fun that evening cooking an Indian meal, papadums with dal, chick pea curry, chicken curry, naan bread, and basmati rice.

Kawartha Lakes is an area of lakes and small communities north and west of Peterborough. Since it is only 90 minutes from Toronto, the lakes and connecting rivers are dotted with cottages and there are lots of boaters out for the day travelling through the various locks of the Trent Severn Waterway. The village of Buckhorn was our next stop. The lock keepers manage the tie-ups above the lock, and we were shoehorned in between several houseboats. Houseboat rentals are apparently a thriving business in the Kawarthas, and we passed a lot of them as we travelled through the area. Four of the houseboats at Buckhorn were occupied by a large group of young teenage girls with older girls as leaders. They were not girl scouts, although most of them wore burgundy kerchiefs around their necks, and I heard the leaders speaking in what I recognized as a Slavic language. I found out the next day that these were Ukrainian girls, on a special outing. I think the leaders were in Canada for work experience, while the younger girls were from Canadian families of Ukrainian heritage. They were all well behaved, and very quiet. We were glad it was group of girls, suspecting that a similar gathering of boys would not have been such good neighbours! There are several restaurants in Buckhorn, including a Chinese restaurant that we were told too late was excellent. Instead we decided to go for pizza. A poor choice, as it turned out.

The next day we went on to Fenelon Falls. We arrived just in time to snag the last spot on the town wall above the lock. This meant I had a front row seat while a great many boats of various sizes locked up and down throughout the afternoon. Nine Lives gathered a great deal of interest. There are very few catamarans of any size in this part of the country, and now that we are behind the main group of Loopers, people are surprised to see a boat that has come all the way from South Carolina. Tourists and dog walkers stop to chat and ask questions, and I can hear people talking about the boat even when they don’t pause for conversation.

Kirkfield is the second lift lock on the Trent Severn. The lift was completed in 1907, and extensively modernized in the late 1960’s. The concrete piers were removed, so the lock construction is more easily seen. We stopped for the night just below the lock, so it was interesting to watch boats going up and down for the rest of the afternoon. A friendly boater stopped by to chat, and eventually told us that his two sons would love to be able to see inside the boat. We are always happy to show off Nine Lives, so the fellow and his sons came aboard. It was quite clear that the boys had zero interest, while the father asked many questions and enjoyed the visit! Beyond Kirkfield the Waterway became much quieter, with fewer boats out and about.

After a quick succession of 5 locks we were out into the open water of Lake Simcoe. Although not considered one of the Great Lakes, it is 19 miles long and 16 miles wide. It can become quite rough and is known for pop-up thunderstorms on hot summer afternoons. We gave Nine Lives a nice run and skipped across most of it after we noticed some building thunderheads. Lake Simcoe is connected to Lake Couchiching by a narrow channel with a fierce current. We needed to stop at a marina at the end of the channel to get a pump-out, and the current slammed the boat into a corner of the fuel dock, creating a nasty gouge in the side of the boat, fortunately above the waterline. The dockhands offered some waterproof tape to prevent any splashed water getting in, and later we were able to get more tape and complete the temporary repair. The tech at a local boatyard told us that as long as we keep the tape intact we will be fine with the temporary repair until the boat is hauled out of the water for winter storage. The tape is the same colour as the hull so it doesn’t show. Nobody wants other boaters to see the results of an “oops!”

The site of the town of Orillia has been occupied for at least 4 thousand years. Evidence has been found of fishing weirs constructed in the narrows between Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching, and there were also trading, fishing, and hunting camps in the area. Samuel de Champlain visited in 1615, but the settlement of Orillia was not laid out until 1840. There is some manufacturing in the area as well as farming and of course tourism, but the largest local employer is a casino run on the nearby Ojibway Reserve. A beautiful marina has been built in the harbour, and there are bicycle paths running for several miles in each direction along the waterfront. Dick disappeared on a beer run that somehow incorporated all 5 miles of the bike path! There were several Looper boats in the marina, and we enjoyed docktails followed by Chinese food at a local restaurant with the couple on the boat next to us. They are also doing the Loop in small pieces like us, instead of the more common all at once over a single year, so it was nice to compare notes.

North of Orillia we travelled through some “interestingly” shallow and narrow stretches of the waterway. I say interesting, there were at least 2 cuts that were too narrow to allow large boats to pass each other, and one long stretch where we had to stop in place to allow big boats to inch past us. The channels are rock sides and bottom, and the sides slope, rather than being cut straight down. Unlike in some of the notoriously shallow areas of Georgia and New Jersey on the ICW, when you touch bottom here it is not soft sand but unyielding rock! We managed to traverse the whole section without incident, just those few nail-biting moments as we passed other boats. Our stop for the night was at the top of Big Chute Railway.

Big Chute was the second grand adventure on the Trent Severn. There were supposed to be 3 locks built to carry boats between Georgian Bay and the Severn River at Swift Rapids. One small temporary lock (still in use) was built at Port Severn, and two marine railways were built between that and Swift Rapids. The Swift Rapids railway was eventually replaced by a lock, but Big Chute Marine Railway is still in use. The current carriage was opened in 1978, and can carry boats up to 100 feet long and 24 feet wide. The carriage rolls down into the water, and the boat drives in and is held at the side of the carriage while large slings are raised underneath to keep propellers and rudders off the bottom of the carriage and to steady the boat through the transit. The carriage then rolls out of the water and down (or up) the rails to the other end. It is cleverly designed to keep horizontal during the transit, even though the railway is very steep. This marvellous piece of engineering is getting rather long in the tooth, and breakdowns are not uncommon. In fact, a local boater had described it as “a white elephant that keeps breaking down”, not what we wanted to hear before our transit! Our keels completely enclose our props and rudders, so we were simply resting on the bottom of the carriage, not lifted in the slings. The carriage shakes and rattles alarmingly, and it was not exactly confidence building to listen to the operators chatting about all the reasons why the government is “going to have to work on this all winter!” Nine Lives survived the adventure without incident.

After the small lock at Port Severn we were into Georgian Bay. Our first stop was Midland, founded as a railway town in 1871. Of particular interest are a number of murals found around the town, painted by a local artist at the close of the 20^th century. The largest covers what would otherwise be very unsightly grain elevators overlooking the harbour. The day after we were there was the start of a tugboat meet. They were expecting at least 20 tugboats to gather for tours and races over the weekend. The day we arrived there were already 5 at the docks. Just as there are people who enthusiastically restore old steam trains, there are those who buy and restore old tugboats. The ones we saw ranged from a very large 70 footer, to a small one painted bright red and named Maggie. We were sorry we couldn’t take the time to stay and watch the meet.

Skipping quickly across the southern end of Georgian Bay in advance of threatened thunderstorms, we arrived the next day at Meaford. We have now truly lost the last of our fellow Loopers, nearly all of whom are heading north to the North Channel and Lake Michigan. Meaford is known for its apple orchards and an annual scarecrow festival. It also has an arts and cultural centre and some lovely old houses and civic buildings. As with most small towns, many of the downtown shop spaces are taken up by banks and various social services organizations and government offices. The nearest supermarket is 5 miles away, and while there are a few restaurants, there seems to be little to attract tourists to the town. The harbour is nice, and protected by a huge breakwater. We noticed that most of the slips are taken up by sailboats, and there is an active sailing school for children operating out of the harbour. We stayed three nights due to a poor weather forecast, and were very glad of the decision when we moved the boat the first morning to take on fuel. The waves in the short hop around the breakwater blew up while we refuelled, and the return trip to the harbour was very lumpy, knocking things over in the cabin. Now that we are back into “big water” we are experiencing the weather delays that have been mostly absent this summer.

Our next stop was Tobermory, a bustling town at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula. As we made our way north along the shoreline of the Peninsula I spent some time refreshing my memory of the geological feature known as the Niagara Escarpment. Dick and I both learned in school that the Niagara Escarpment is a high bluff that runs from the tip of the Bruce Peninsula south through Hamilton and Niagara Falls. Looking it up, I was surprised to learn that in fact, the formation rises from Waterton New York, through Ontario, Illinois, and Wisconsin, ending northwest of Chicago near the Wisconsin border. What a pompous and parochial attitude of a school system that suggests that the importance and magnitude of a geographical formation is limited to the piece that falls within political borders.

Tobermory is a popular tourist destination. Nearby is Fathom Five National Marine Park, which we saw from the water as we made our way around the point. Part of the National Park is Flowerpot Island, with a distinctive rock formation just offshore that attracts thousands of visitors on the many boat trips that ply the waters between Tobermory and the island. The area is also a magnet for diving, with many dive boats going out to explore the shipwrecks in the treacherous waters of north Georgian Bay. We arrived in town in early afternoon, and I enjoyed watching the harbour activity. In addition to at least 10 tourist cruise and diving boats every hour, there is a car ferry that goes to Manitoulin Island, and lots of large and small pleasure boats. All this activity is complicated by kayakers weaving around the harbour, seemingly unaware of the “law of gross tonnage” that suggests that even though kayakers have the right of way, the bigger the vessel the less easy it is to stop or turn and give way! I would have liked to spend another day or two in the busy little town with its interesting shops and lots of people watching, but the weather is getting chancy and we had to leave the next morning.

Turning south into Lake Huron we were surprised to find ourselves in much rougher water than the forecasts had suggested. Nine Lives doesn’t really cut through the water the way a sailboat or ocean-going trawler does, instead she dances on top of the waves. Our extra speed is helpful in smoothing things out so we are not wallowing or corkscrewing, but the ride is uncomfortable to say the least. The hulls and the centre section pound on the waves, and gradually the furniture in the salon begins to make its way aft, as each hitting wave smacks the floor and makes everything bounce. At one point, Dick had to go below and rescue the small seat that happens to be our liquor cabinet, before it reached the stairs with potential disastrous results! Fortunately, the pounding only lasted about an hour before the promised smoother water showed up and we made our way into Port Elgin.

We were delighted to be able to entertain a friend from our university days on board for dinner that evening. Jan Singbeil was in the same residence with us at Queen’s ..ahem.. some few years ago. We all agreed that none of us has changed a bit, even though we have not seen each other for a very long time. We spend an enjoyable evening catching up and exchanging stories. We would have liked to stay a little longer in Port Elgin, but once again with an eye on the weather we had to take advantage of a short window to make our way south. If we did not leave in the short hour between squalls that afternoon we would have been stuck there for at least 4 or 5 days.

I took lots of pictures this time, especially on the two lift locks and the marine railway.