Jack Tar Adventures

link to today’s route: https://share.nebo.global/voyage/04c6d730-5650-4214-a73e-a3625e49ff35

July 7:  We were delayed leaving this morning by a couple of hours because the lock needed maintenance.  Normally, the locks open at 9 AM, but this morning we couldn’t leave until 11 AM. Kirkfield is another lift lock (vs. a gate lock), like Peterborough, but not as high. So another lock where our boat is moved in a bathtub.  It was even more thrilling than Peterborough, though, because the lift structure is not enclosed and we were suspended five stories in the air.  It felt as if the boat was going right over the edge.  Unfortunately, the video didn’t start, so we’ll have to get the footage on the way back.

This lock marks where we start descending again. And the red and green channel markers flip.  When you are going from a larger body of water into a smaller one, keep the red channel markers on your right (red, right, return) and the green channel markers on your left.  Now that we are heading downstream on the Trent-Severn Waterway toward Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay, the green markers will be on our right. We have to keep reminding ourselves so we don’t hit the rocks of the Canadian Shield.

Peter navigated us through yet more extremely narrow channels that opened onto Canal Lake, with tons of weeds and a narrow passage beneath the Canal Lake High Arch Bridge. 

We had to wait for several swing bridges to open for us.  They were very accommodating and opened quickly.

Almost all the locks were back-to-back today, which got a bit tiresome.  But once it opened up to Lake Simcoe, we were able to pick up speed and cool down.

Today we reached 1,080 miles and 156 engine hours!!

July 8: We were already planning to stay here at least two nights to reprovision and do laundry, but we may be here a third night as the lock two ahead of us, which is not really a lock but a railway lift, is closed for mechanical problems and is not due to open until July 10. *SIGH*

July 9:  We took advantage of the extra time in Oriliia and did some shopping at the Mariposa Market. So glad we stopped in as it was a truly remarkable food hall with the most delectable treats of all kinds.

Fri July 10: We were thrilled to discover that the railroad lift has been repaired.  Apparently, some underwater welders were working all night. After we were underway, though, we discovered from a boat ahead of us (friends we made at Lakefield) that a railway swing bridge is closed for repairs. They managed to get their bimini down and just squeeze under without it needing to be opened.

We were not as brave. Even if we had been, we weren’t sure we could wrestle with the bimini and get our radar tower down without hitting the rocks on either side of us. So we turned around and came back to Orillia: https://share.nebo.global/voyage/e8c96ad9-a4a2-4271-8b05-a385c6f1a595

We had our friends a few slips over who we met in Lakefield up to the fly bridge this evening for a glass of wine.

While we were up there, Peter saw a Mainship that is the same year and model as ours pull onto the marina. They had taken their bimini and mast down in preparation for the bridge and agreed to let us know how they fared under the bridge.

July 11:

We heard that the bridge won’t be repaired before Monday afternoon at the earliest. So rather than risk being stuck here for several more days, we’re going to risk going under the bridge. We took everything down this evening and leaving early tomorrow morning.