Jack Tar Adventures

link to today’s route: https://share.nebo.global/voyage/b2d5d2a6-ea90-4304-ab05-9e81dc8e9a71

We thanked the boating gods again since we completely lucked out once more by snagging a lock wall spot – and we even got one with power. Usually on the weekends, there isn’t room for many, if any, trawlers because of all the cottage traffic. Our friend Charlie said if we got a spot today, we should buy lottery tickets. We’ll be off to do that later this evening.

Bobcaygeon is a bustling little town, especially on summer weekends when everyone boats into town from their “cottages” to shop at several small department stores owned by Bigley, as well as the grocery store, hardware store, and a few restaurants.  It was quite a show all afternoon and into the early evening, with boats coming and going and locking through.

Way down around lock 7 or 8, Peter was talking to a Parks Canada staff member who said they label the boaters as “loopers” or “ice-creamers”. The locals are the ice-creamers who go up and down the river and lakes, through the locks, and stop in the towns for ice cream. The ice cream is indeed worth the boat trip. All the ice cream stores are supplied by Kawartha Dairy, a co-op in which dairy farmers across the Kawartha Lakes area provide the milk. They happen to be headquartered in Bobcaygeon, so Peter and I walked there after dinner.  The “baby” scoops were as big as your hand!  We bought a pint for the boat too.