Monday, July 9, 2012

On Friday, with our guests still on board, we went through several locks, including the Peterborough Lift Lock.  That was especially fun since none of us had ever been in a Lift Lock before.  The ride up was smooth, unlike other locks we have experienced where the water is very turbulent.  The Peterborough Lock is fast as well.  It took us up to the water level on the other side.

After we arrived at Burleigh Falls and tied up to the wall, we drank a toast.  We all got cooled off in the water and then they took their belongings and left, Ed and Kyle to go back to the lake and Mike and Linda to go home.  It was sad to see them go.  We thoroughly enjoyed spending the last 6 days with them.

The next morning it was raining, and so we opted to stay at Burleigh Falls another night.  John went up to pay late in the afternoon, and found out that this wall has a one night only policy.  Since it wasn't terribly crowded, he let us stay another night. 

We were warned not to cruise on the weekends and not to enter a lock with a rental houseboat.  Both of those tidbits were good advice.  On Sunday, we cruised along because we had to leave the wall at Burleigh Falls.  When we got to Buckhorn, it was a zoo.  The walls were full, including the blue line where you wait for the lock.  There were about a half dozen or so boats floating around trying to stay out of the way until the lock was ready.  The big "Kawartha Spirit" came out of the lock and there was very little space to get out of his way.  He was honking at the boats like us that were waiting to either move to the blue line or get in the lock.  It all worked out, but it made both of us uncomfortable.  We stopped for the night at Rosedale.  We had made a reservation at the Rosedale Marina the day before.  We called them when we were in the lock to let them know we were close.  It was around 3:30 in the afternoon.  The man who answered the phone said we couldn't come in until after 6:30, because he couldn't have his fuel dock blocked.  The man on the phone when we made the reservation said to arrive before 7:00 because they close at 7:00 and we needed the keys to the facilities.  This did not make us happy campers.  We managed to squeeze in on the lock wall for the night.  The "Kawartha Voyageur" locked through just before closing time for the lock and tied up to the blue line for the night.  A few people walked over and we visited for awhile.  They said the boat has 39 staterooms and 38 of them were booked.  I thought that was pretty good. 

This morning, we did the second Lift Lock at Kirkfield.  This is the first lock in the Trent-Severn that we rode from high to low.  It looked kind of scary like you were hanging out over a big drop off.  John is not crazy about heights, so he stayed in the middle of the lock instead of going all the way to the front.  We were in the lock by ourselves. So, the rest of the Trent-Severn locks will be from high to low water and from Kirkfield on. the red and green buoys are on the opposite sides from when we started the canal system.

This is the Peterborough Lift Lock. 

This is the wall in front of us as we entered the lock. 

Lots of granite and islands to scoot around. 

 Church built on a rock.

 The crew (minus the picture taker).

Two of the crew (Mike and Kyle)

 It cracks me up that so many of the lock operations are manual.

 "Kawartha Voyageur" with her bow folded up so she can fit in the lock.

Kawartha Logger Pub and Restaurant.  We tried to go there for dinner, but it is out of business.   We were told the reason is that  the owner hired someone to kill his wife and is in jail.  

 "Kawartha Voyageur" again.  

The Trent Canal is so skinny that the guidebook tells you to get on the radio and anounce your name, size, position, and direction because it would not be pretty to try to pass another boat of any size in the canal.

 Not only is the Trent Canal skinny, but it is shallow as well.

Another skinny picture.  The water is so still.

 Kirkfield Lift Lock.  This is when we were almost all the way down, but you can see how wierd it is to look out from the "pan".

This bridge is on the Trent Canal.  The big "Kawartha Voyageur" fits through this opening.  I can't even imagine that.  It must only have an inch on each side and I can't see the top of the boat going through that skinny arch.