Goodbye TSW, Hello Georgian Bay

We departed lock 45 at Port Severn, our last lock on the Trent Severn waterway when it opened on Saturday, June 21st.  It was a narrow swift moving section leaving the lock and entering Georgian Bay that proved to be a little more exitement than we wanted that early in the morining but we made it through without hitting anything.  

We decide to take the small craft route through the 30,000 islands.  Wow, what a lot of granite and it kept getting bigger!

Indian Harbour - Saturday, June 21.  As we expected, there was quite a bit of boat traffic on the weekend, particularly around Honey Harbour.  We skipped the park at Beausoliel Island thinking it would be crowded and headed for an anchorage at Indian Harbour. From all the chatter on the radio it was a good decision.  We found a decent spot at Indian Harbour with a few other boats. Went kayaking and explored the area enjoying a beautiful day. Several cottages in the area so no going ashore.  Folks stack rocks to mark various locations, this was figure that was a little more "artsy" than others we saw around Indian Harbour.

Echo Bay -  Sunday, June 22. We left Indian Harbour around 7:30 am and cruised to Echo Bay.  A fantastic well protected anchorage that is surrounded by public land.  Just the kind of spot we like.  We met some very nice folks enjoying the end of their weekend that passed on some local knowledge and helped us get a stern line on one of the steel pins embedded in the rock around the small bay.  Went swimming and visited with the neighbors before they left. We considered staying another day but thought we should put some more miles on.

Anchored in Echo Bay

Regatta Bay - Monday, June 23.   We left Echo Bay and stopped to pickup a few groceries and grab lunch at Killbear Marina on our way to Regatta Bay.  It was a quiet Monday and early in the season so the store and resturant weren't open.  While we were mulling around, the lady that runs the store had a delivery come in so she opened up so we could stock up on a few necessities, like hot dogs and ice cream.  It was a short jaunt over to Regatta Bay off Franklin Island where we anchored with a couple of other boats.  We found a pin to tie the stern to and kayaked around and explored the park a little.  Rain is in the forecast and this should be a good place to stay and get wet.  Today's route went through the Canoe Channel, a very narrow section not recommended for vessels over 45 ft.  We heeded the advice and bypassed around it.  There are plenty of opportunities to run into rock in the wide sections that we don't need to push our luck.

Regatta Bay

Hopewell Bay - Tuesday,  June 24.  The weather forecast was right, it rained.  No severe weather, just a good rain.  It tapered off by mid morning and the wind wasn't blowing much so we thought we'd move on and get a little further along the route.  Traveled in the drizzle and stopped at Hopewell Bay.  Not our ideal with several cottages and a trawler already in the spot we were hoping to get.  We went to another cove and made it work with the wind that came up that evening.

Henvey Inlet - Wednesday, June 25. Off the beaten path we found a wonderful anchorage in a nice cove.  We didn't see another boat or cottage.  It was very pretty going in the inlet with taller granite cliffs than we'd seen so far. Jim had a little more success with fishing at this spot but so far the fishing has been disappointing.  We hate leaving spots like Henvey Inlet when we know the anchorage is good and it's so quiet and peaceful.  We never know if the next spot will be as good but we'll never get home if we don't keep going.

Channel at Henvey Inlet

Hey I wanted to go!

Bad River - Thursday, June 26 through Friday, June 27.  Our concerns with the next anchorage not being as nice as Henvey were unfounded.  The entry into the Bad River anchorage was a little more difficult but there was more water than the chart indicated so we didn't have any trouble.  There was a lot of water going over Devil Door Rapids and there were many places to explore with the kayaks.  Not a sole in sight.  We intially anchored and tied the stern to a rock but the wind kept switching.  We thought we had it in a pretty good position and took off kayaking.  Jim caught a Nothern but didn't get it landed.  When we came back around an island and looked back, the stern line had come undone and the boat was swinging on the hook.  Nothing was damaged but don't trust Jennifer when she says the line is secure around the rock.  Just as we were pulling up the anchor to reset a sailboat came into the bay.  We decided to go a little further down a finger cove and found a tall granite wall that we could get right up to.  While tieing off to a tree, Jennifer spotted  a pin and we ended up tieing off nicely to the granite wall enabling the dogs to get to shore easily. The forecast was for the wind to pick up so we felt very secure with our new site.  Stayed two days, treated the bimini top with waterproofing, cleaned the boat a little and kayaked and fished - no fish were harmed at this location.  

Shooting the rapids (With a camera not a kayak.  It looked more menacing in real life)

Tied to the granite at Bad River

Sunset at Bad River

Mill Lake - Saturday, June 28.  The wind didn't come up as predicted and we had a few miles of open water in our next section so we decided to push onto Mill Lake. Left a little after 6 am.  It was an easy short trip with good weather.  Then the plague of flies arrived. Where do they come from out in the middle of open water with no land around?  We spent the next hour swatting and hosing off flies.    Finally when we changed headings the breeze helped blow them away.  The carnage in the wheelhouse looked like a fly spray testing center.  Found a good spot in Mill Lake and spent a pleasant day.

  Collins Inlet leading to Mill Lake.

Kirkfield Lift Lock in the Rain!

There seems to be a recurring theme when it comes to lif locks and rain.  The travels today, from Fenelon Falls to the lift lock at kirkfield.

First a float plane picture.  I couldn't tell for sure, but I think this was a 150.

The canal got very narrow.

Sign asks vessels longer than 40' to make a security call stating your position and direction as you enter the canal.  You would NOT want to meet anyone thru this section.

This is the view looking aft as we get situated in the "bathtub lock" at the top.  We are at the top of the entire Trent waterway at this point and the current will be behind us from here to Georgian Bay.

Looking forward, we are just starting down at this point.  "Look, here we are in the only other lift lock in North America and it is RAINING AGAIN!"

That is a 35' trawler at the bottom tied to the wall where we will end up in a few seconds.

Still at the top, just about to start down.

"Ah, ya, I'm getting wet!"

Fenelon Falls

We left Bobcaygeon and crossed sturgeon lake to Fenelon Falls.  It was about a 3 hour trip at our normally slow speed of about 7mph.  We saw two houseboats heading the other way and this deer crossing the lake to the island on the right.  It must have been tired when it got there, it.  Was at least 2 miles across!

 

Fenelon Falls is another nice little town with all the typical stuff we have found everywhere else along the TSW.  

Here we are at a local pub again, the Sow and Cow!  The sandwiches are very good, fries excellent, and the beer as always, well, you know.

And this is what happens when you drink beer at a local pub, you get stopped by the local RCMP officer!

This morning we are doing laundry and we will move on through the lock at Rosedale and then on to the lift lock at Kirksfield.  We were thinking about staying here another night, and we have converted our single night mooring passes into a season pass.  So, to the end of the waterway, the mooring is covered by the new season pass.  But, we are adjusting the timing to try and be somewhere in Georgian Bay on Canada Day and hopefully avoid the crazy crowd of power boaters we expect to see here on the waterway.  Our hope is to find a nice anchorage where we can sit tight until the storm of speed boats pass.

I think that is a chief on floats.

This is the upper wall at Fenelon Falls.  It has been recently updated, is quite long and includes 30amp power and water.  There is an additional fee for the power that is collected by the lock master.  This is the second lock wall with these extra services.  About a block behind us is an ice cream and pizza place.

Buckhorn Lock

Apparently we didn't get any pictures at buckhorn.  It was the stop BEFORE Bobcaygeon.  There was a home hardware, where we purchased a second kayak paddle.  Always good to have the correct paddle.  When we bought the TWO kayaks in Campbellford at the Canadian Tire, they had only ONE paddle that I liked.  So, I had to paddle around the island at lovesick lock using the two oars zip tied together.  It worked, but not quite the look I was going for.

Buckhorn also had a nice bakery, grocery store, and several restaurants very close by.

As usual, the lock was a park like setting, with plenty of geese around to keep you stepping carefully.

So, jumping around, out of order, we will leave Bobcaygeon this morning and hope to find a spot on the wall at Fenelon Falls.

Token picture of something ... How bout another chart?

Another day at Bobcaygeon

Bobcaygeon is a popular little resort town with lots of restaurants and shops catering to the cottage crowd.  Here's one of the "little" cottages we passed coming into town.

We got conflicting information on how log you are allowed to moor at the lock in Bobcaygeon.  The signs on the new wall on the north side say 1 night.  The sign on the upper north wall says 1 night.  The lock attendants understood we might stay two nights and seems they have no issue with that.  And, the guide book indicated 2 nights was the limit.  We will see if they say anything different in the morning when we pay them as we leave in the morning.

The boat traffic has been non stop since we got here!  Here is picture of the lock, full of boats about to star out the bottom end.

A cruise ship, the Kawartha Voyageur came through and docked on the upper wall and let folks off to do some shopping for an hour.

The Bigley Shoe and Clothing is a popular shopping spot and right next to the lock.  It has been doing business here since 1911.

There is a restored lock master lookout house at the lock.  

 

On to another lock tomorrow.

More Charts!

I have had a few comments and questions that makes me feel like I should post more charts.  And since I like charts, here are a few pictures from the Trent Severn Waterway leaflet that can be picked up at almost every lock on the system.

Well, they didn't reproduce as good as I had hoped, but the overview inset (the first one) shows the entire canal pretty well.

Bobcaygeon - Ontario's Party Town

We left the lock wall at Buckhorn just after 7am and made it up to Bobcaygeon in time for all the season opening festivities.  These folks throw a street party!  Soap box derby races, sort of.  The cars are pushed by the parents or friends or whoever they can find.  Shops are all open.  People and dogs are everywhere!  We were lucky that one of the lock staff came down below the swing bridge as we were just about to tie up to the last small space on the concrete wall below the bridge.  He indicated we could use the wood dock just downstream and helped up get tied up.  There were not too many places at either side of the lock to tie up.  We will likely spend two nights here so we can get some supplies and try a few more of the eateries that they have nearby.

That is Gordon's marina behind and across the river from us and the Waters Edge restaurant just a stones throw behind us.

 

Saw this little road grader made from wood in one of the shops, and since I built a wooden crane last summer I naturally had to get a picture.

I think things might thin out a bit as we get closer to 5pm but the wall at the bottom is still pretty much full.  Once the lock closes I suspect boats will occupy the blue line as we'll.

Did I mention, I think this is number two in the world for houseboat population behind Kentucky Lake?