Day #367 – Parry Sound, ON

We decided to stay the extra day and catch up on chores before making our way through the rest of the Georgian Bay and the North Channel.

This morning we each got needed chores done.  Andy put the dinghy in and washed the hull all of the way around the boat.  That takes some time and he was glad to have it done.  Fortunately, the rain they had called for came through the middle of the night and today was sunny and clear.  The wind was fairly high so it was a good day to stay on shore and catch up.

I did several things that I had been putting off.  One was the dreaded chore of defrosting the freezer.  It had been a bit too long and the ice had really built up.  I was sitting cross legged on the floor when it decided to let go and came down like an avalanche in my lap.

Patti and I took the shuttle to the grocery store.  Little did we know that being a holiday the store would be packed.  I truly don’t think I have ever been in a grocery store that was that crowded.  We waited and waited and finally got checked out, missed the shuttle, waited for the next one and made it back to the marina.  Two and a half hours round trip and we were back on our boats to put things away.

For our family and friends who are ice hockey fans, we thought you might enjoy seeing who owns a restaurant in Parry Sound.

We still had the dinghies in the water from the fellas washing the boats.  Brad and Patti decided to take a ride.  They were back fairly quickly as the ride was windy, wavy, cool and wet.

Tomorrow will be an early start as we are hoping to make it all of the way across the bay to Tobermory, about 80 miles away.

Day #366 – Parry Sound, ON

Our farewell dinner at the Snider’s was a lovely evening.  After dinner we sat on Salvage Crew and watched the sunset.

Bright and early this morning Bob and Charlotte were on the dock with baked goods, a farewell and to throw off our dock lines.

So sorry to leave Delasco Island.  We told them it was lucky for them that the day was great for cruising or we might never have left.

I have been trying to get a picture of an inukshuk for several days.  Originally they were built by the Indians and used as markers to show the way through a channel.  Now, many are built as decorations on points of land, however still quite entertaining.

The scenery is breathtaking today as we travel the small craft channel through the area known as 30,000 Islands.

It is aptly named as the passages are narrow and twisting, and has a designated depth of six feet.  The channel runs from Port Severn to Killarney and is 168.5 miles long.

We had hoped to stop at the locally famous Henry’s Fish Restaurant for their claim to fame Great Lakes fish dinner.  It has been named one of Saveur magazine’s 100 favorite places, people and things in the world of food and drink.  Although it was only 9:30 as we approached, we called anyway for a dock.  They told us they didn’t open until 11:00 so we made a team decision to keep going.  Guess we’ll never know.

We had to time our arrival at the Parry Sound Swing Bridge accordingly as they only open for passage on the hour and we could not clear their 18 foot height when closed.  The Captain timed it perfectly.

Our final destination was Parry Sound which was 40 miles from Delasco Island.  I spent time as a child not far from here on Crane Lake.  We look forward to exploring the area.  It was a beautiful ride and an enjoyable day.

We walked uptown and decided that our restaurant of choice for tonight would be Bay Street Cafe.  Looks like a good menu and nice atmosphere.  More of Parry Sound tomorrow.

Day #365 – Honey Harbour, ON (Delasco Island)

Last night Charlotte and Bob hosted a wonderful evening. They invited their neighbors, Marg and Finn, over and we sat on the deck overlooking the water and had cocktails.

Dinner was outstanding, the evening superb…good friends, good times.  It was nice to be together again.

After dinner we were treated to a colorful evening sky.

Today we woke to another beautiful Georgian Bay morning.  The air was crisp and clean and the sun was shining.   We all had coffee in our respective boats/cottage and then went up the hill to Charlotte and Bob’s deck for a planning meeting.

Back to the boats we came and packed up a picnic lunch.  Off we went in their new boat for a spectacular ride.  The water was blue, the sun was shining and the temperature was 75 degrees.  Bob drove us back to a beautiful cove where we anchored and had lunch.  I volunteered Andy to be “anchor guy.”

We passed the church that Bob and Charlotte attend.  It is non-denominational and you can only access it by boat.  Instead of having ushers they take turns taking the chairs out of the building and placing them on the rocks for the congregation.

The Snider’s are the most gracious of hosts, accommodating and welcoming.  However, I have to question some other Canadians as the area we went was called Go Home Bay, Go Home Lake and Go Home River.  Thank goodness we were with locals or we might have been offended.

The channels were narrow in places

and this passage opened up to an area with waterfalls.

Dinner tonight will be provided by Good News and Salvage Crew as a small way to try and thank the Snider’s for one of the highlights of our last 365 days.  What an honor to celebrate with two of the couples that we have spent the most time with on our trip.  We are blessed!

Day #364 – Honey Harbour, ON (Delasco Island)

We left Penetanguishene (Penetang as the locals call it) at 9:00 this morning.  We had a wonderful time at the Looper event and the locals and the people at Bay Moorings Marina were the best hosts and hostesses.  They took time to help us navigate through this area and told us about “not to miss” highlights along the way.  We are all most appreciative and thanks them wholeheartedly.

It was a beautiful, clear Canadian morning and the sun was shining brightly.  This is the weather we have been waiting for in this area.  Not sure how long it will last, but are certainly enjoying it today.

We arrived at Delasco Island, the beautiful cottage of Charlotte and Bob Snider’s at 10:30.

Bob guided us through the nearby rocks and we pulled up to their massive dock and tied up.  Salvage Crew arrived a couple of minutes later and rafted off of us.  These are VERY nice accommodations.

They have owned their cottage (about 2.5 hours from Toronto) for seven years and it is fantastic.  They are truly the “King and Queen of Delasco Island” and their hats state just that.

They bought the cottage as a shell and have finished the entire place beautifully in the time they have owned it.  It is truly a little slice of heaven here on Delasco Island and we feel so fortunate to have been able to come and spend time with them here.

After lunch we got into their 24 foot boat and headed the Honey Harbour.  What a beautiful ride and we enjoyed every minute.  Andy had forgotten what fun it was to ride in someone else’s boat and that they could go fast.

This home belongs to a local gentleman that owns fast food restaurants and his “go fast” boat is named FAST FOOD.  This is his home…

his boathouse…

and his helicopter…very nice.

We went into the town of Honey Harbour as Bob has to meet someone who was buying his old boat.  What a great little town.

The girls did a little shopping and went to the library.  Charlotte told us about the young man who started this company.  He is a college student from the area who came up with the idea to start a company and hire other college students to do whatever odd jobs, deliveries, etc. were needed at the local cottages.  He has done very well and even offers to loan you these carts to use while you walk to the LCBO store.  Smart kid!

This darling little cottage sits on the back of Delasco Island.  Their daughter, Andrea, who is away at University decorated it and lives here when she visits.

I bet she’ll be anxious for these boats to leave as we are blocking her beautiful view.  Thank you Bob, Charlotte and Andrea!

Day #363 – Penetanguishene, ON

Last night Bay Moorings Marina threw a lovely wine and cheese reception for all of the Loopers who had shown up for the Rendezvous.  There were 11 boats here and we had a great time.

Bob and Charlotte joined us aboard Good News and we always have agreat time and a lot of laughs when we are together.  They are great boat guests.

Terry and Sue from Great Britain were here as well and we always enjoy their company.

Fun was had by all and we were appreciative for the hospitality they provided.  Some one decided to thank them in their own unique way.  Hope they still left a tip.

This morning they offered a planning meeting for getting around safely in the Georgian Bay.  The rocks here are not very forgiving.

After the meeting Andy and Bob had their own meeting as Bob has boated here all of his life and is a wealth of local knowledge.

Then they drove us for our necessary errands…West Marine, the grocery store, the hardware store and…

We came back, put it all away and headed out to lunch at a local spot on the water that Bob and Charlotte knew about.  It was called Dock Lunch and they said as many boats as were there this summer, equally as many snowmobiles are there in the winter.

Their specialty is poutine which is french fries with cheese curd and chicken gravy.   Very Canadian, eh?

Bob and Charlotte left and went back to their cottage.  They are expecting many guests, including us, this weekend on their island.  It is a holiday weekend and should be a little crazy on the water.

Tonight Bay Moorings is holding a “Canadian Barbque” for all of us.  Not sure what to expect, hope it isn’t Canada goose.

Day #362 – Penetanguishene, ON

This morning was all about The Big Chute, otherwise known as Lock #44 on the Trent-Severn waterway.

It is a marine railway that lifts you up and over the land and lets you out on the other side.  Sounds simple, made me nervous. Last night we moved over from our dock to be first on the “blue line” to lock through right as they opened at 8:30.  They called one boat before us as they were smaller and loaded them first.

When they called for us we motored in and it took some adjusting, but we were finally in and on our slings.  Our bow sprit was hanging over the top of the boat in front of us.

They started up and we were moving.  I will try and show the succession of how this monster works.

The lower the carriage into the water…

then they load the boats onto straps…

note on the larger boats how the stern hangs out over the platform…

up and over…

and before we knew it, we were floating out on the other side.

These lockmasters know what they are doing and do it well.  This one commented, “It never rains at the Big Chute.”  I beg to differ as it rained last night, but then he wasn’t on duty.

The morning was spent twisting and turning through narrow channels

with tons of current.

When we completed Lock #45 at Port Severn we exited and were through the Trent-Severn and into Georgian Bay at 10:30. The current was huge as we exited.  It was like a slalom course in places.

We completed the 240 miles and over 40 locks, two of which were lift locks and one being the railway lift.  It was an experience that we are glad to have had.  Lots of work switching fenders and navigating tight areas so, we are glad to be through and out onto more open water in the Georgian Bay.

We had a beautiful ride to Penetanguishene and the sun came out for us.  We arrived at Bay Moorings Marina and took on 200 liters of fuel.  Price today 99 cents per liter.  We are happily docked and looking forward to our mini Looper Reunion.   The other good news is that we beat the storm.

Day #361 – Port Severn, ON

We left Orillia and headed out this morning.  The sun appeared for a few minutes and then disappeared again.  That was disappointing as this is such a beautiful area to travel in and it would be so much prettier on a sunny day.

We traveled along quite well until we came across this railroad bridge.

It was closed and we could not pass under as it only had 15 feet of clearance.  We hailed on the horn and no one appeared.  We waited longer and after about 20 minutes a guy appeared and opened it up.  Not sure if we woke him, he was away on a coffee break or what.  None of the bridges or locks on the Trent-Severn carry radios, so there is no way to communicate.  You can see the guy walking up the stairs to let us through.

We weren’t sure what this sign was supposed to convey.  What is the difference between a sunken island and a large rock?

The area is getting much rockier with steeper hills.

People don’t miss an opportunity to build anywhere, even on these little islands.

They build on large rocks above the water.

We only conquered two locks today.  Lock #43 is called Swift Rapids.  The picture below shows what it looks like from the top of the lock.

We arrived at Lock #44, The Big Chute, at 1:30.  Bob and Charlotte had driven up from their cottage in Honey Harbour to take our picture while we traveled over this railway system to the other side.  Unfortunately, there were too many boats ahead of us and we would have gotten through really late.  Instead they caught our lines at a dock and we are tied up for the night.  We all watched as these boats are lifted out of the water and taken across.  More to follow tomorrow, but we are glad to be here and the sun has come out.  Yeah!

Day #360 – Orillia, ON

Last night we had a nice visit and dinner aboard Good News with Salvage Crew and Hank and Anne from Queen Anne’s Revenge.  We have heard their names and the name of their boat many times this year, but had never had the pleasure of meeting them.  We had a great time.

Today is catch up day.  We have been pushing pretty hard for the last week and needed a down day and time to do some laundry, cooking, etc.

Bright and early this morning Andy and I walked to the local laundromat.  You just never know who you are going to run into in these places.

We finished that up and went back to the boat and put it all away.  Then we walked up to the local grocery store for a few items.

Most of the Canadian grocery stores have extensive bakeries in them.  We had never seen this before…a self-serve bread slicer.  You could even select how thick or thin you wanted yours sliced.

We got the things we needed which included cases of water and pop.  Sooooo, we “borrowed” a grocery cart from the store and stopped by the LCBO while we had a chance.  After our purchases were made we walked back to the boat.

Don’t worry, we returned the cart.

Orillia is nice little waterfront town with bike paths, parks and beaches lining the shore.

This iron flag sits on the shore near the marina.  Another show of the Canadians pride in their country, even the sea gulls like it.

The afternoon was spent aboard as we were treated to a storm with wind, lightening, thunder and heavy rain.  The temperature dropped 16 degrees.  We keep wondering when summer starts in Canada?!?!

We wish we could stay tomorrow.  Not only was it a free night of dockage (buy 2-get 1 free), but another quiet day would have been appreciated.  However, if we want to make it to the Looper Rendezvous we need to head out in the morning and get closer to arrive on Tuesday.

Day #358 – Fenelon Falls, ON

We were back on the waterway at 7:30 this morning.  We planned a much easier day today and the weather was predicted to be a bit better although on and off rain.

We traveled across Pigeon Lake and Sturgeon Lake and through Bobcaygeon.  Today was the day that all of the rental houseboats are due back to the marinas so the locks are crowded and busy.

The home that line the shore are beautiful.  So many flowers, beautiful docks

and many have boat houses right down on the water.

We pulled into Fenelon Falls about noon after having done only one lock.  This is the most heavily traveled lock on the system and we felt lucky to get a spot.

We are docked on a finger pier right at the base of the falls before you enter the lock.

We made sure the boat was securely tied to the pier.

Fenelon Falls is a great little town

and the flowers are plentiful.

We walked all over town and to the hardware store, etc., the usual stops when you are on foot.  We passed this truck and wondered what Santa Fe, Redneck and Newfie fries are.

They must be good as people were standing in line to buy them.

We walked uptown for dinner last night and passed this mural painted on a building.

Patti and Brad just can’t understand why anyone would live where there is snow on the ground.

Day #357 – Buckhorn, ON

Last night these young people were setting up their tents on the roof of the rented houseboats.  It rained through the night.  Wonder how it was for them in there?

Today was all about locks.  These little peepers locked through with us on the first lock.

The first lock was just like all of the others we have been through on the Trent-Severn except that today three other boats locked through with us.  It was like packing sardines in a can, but glad to report none of us are any worse off than when we started.

The second lock, Lock #21 is called the Peterborough Lift Lock which was built in 1904.

Wikipedia explains it well. “The dual lifts are the highest hydraulic boat lifts in the world, rising 65 ft. However it is not the highest boat lift in the world – the lift at Strépy-Thieu in Belgium being greater in both capacity (1,350 tons) and height difference (73.15 m).No external power is needed, the lift lock functions by gravity alone using a counterweight system. When one side reaches the top position it stops about 2 inches below the adjoining canal’s water level. When the gates open water flows into the ship basin until the water level rebalances. The weight of the extra water is enough to power the hydraulic lift. As the top level lowers to the bottom position it pushes the other side up to the top position where the cycle starts over again. Many local residents of Peterborough skate on the canal below the lift lock in the winter.”

This was our view from the top

and as we leave.

Unfortunately as many locks as we went through today, it was raining in every one.

These following pictures show the beautiful areas and how tight the “course” is.  Most of them were taken in an area called Hells Gate.

Even this church sits on an island and is accessible only by boat.

One of the tight areas looks like this as you approach

and then it opens up a little.

Funny, Buckhorn is only a half hour drive from Peterborough and it took us almost 10 hours.  We traveled 33 miles through 11 locks. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the slips they had assigned us were too small for the boats.  They let us tie up to their fuel dock overnight.  We had no power and Yacht Harbour might be a loose term, but we were glad to be here.

It is still raining.