Taking a break in Peterborough

Well we arrived in Peterborough under cloudy skies, cool weather and windy conditions.  We are at the public T dock on Little Lake.  They have free music in the park every Wednesday night so we attended the concert by the Peterborough ensemble.  They sang 60s and 70s music. The cement T dock is a perfect location from which to take in the Canada day festivities and watch the fireworks.  It is a little messy because of the ducks and geese even if they do clean it every evening.
Today it is sunny and warm so we are exploring the city by bicycle and taking full advantage of the many trails that circle Little lake ( N44 17.699' and W078 14.014') and run throughout the city.  Captain Jerry tried fishing but to no avail.  Jerry is trying to send me back by air as you can see by the slingshot chair.  Not sure what Jerry is sitting on as that piece of art is untitled.
We hear there will be music and international food sold in the park on Canada day, more on that in my next posting.

Could be a buoy

I will be catapulted back to Belleville if I harass the Captain

The T dock on Little Lake with a view of the fountain

Meandering along to Hastings and Rice Lake

We set off at around 8:00 after a peaceful stay at our friend's mooring ball near Healey Falls. Captain Jerry caught his first fish of the trip, a one pound small mouth bass.  Keep them coming!  We left under cloudy skies but the sun soon came out and it was a hot, hazy, muggy day.
We spotted a deer on the shore of the river 10 miles from the Hastings Lock. The rest of the wildlife consisted of geese, loons, osprey and blue herons. There is less marsh and mostly cottages and trees on this stretch of the river.
We stopped at the top of Hastings Lock to have breakfast and to provision.  It is an ideal spot as everything is within walking distance.
The wind picked up as we were crossing Rice Lake but we were soon docked at the Small Craft Harbour in Campbelltown on the Otonabee River (N44 12.930' and W078 14.014'). We rode our bikes up a steep hill to a really nice country store that our friends Sue and Jane had discovered when they stayed here a few years ago.  They sell prepared frozen meat and fruit and vegetables.  We bought a Bar-B-Q chicken so no cooking tonight.  The ride up the long hill is worth it as the store is quite nice even if it is a little pricey.
We made it back before the brief rain storm and Captain Jerry continued his quest for the elusive fish.  Many locals came down to fish and chat with us throughout the evening.
Today we are off to Peterborough where we will stay for 3 days to enjoy the Canada day festivities.

Hastings Lock

Oceans and Fisheries free dock at Campbelltown

Waiting for a fisherman to toss him a fish

Relaxing at Healey Falls

We went a total of 4 miles today and transited through 4 locks.  Locks 13 and 15 are port side locks so there was some concern today as North Star does not do well on the port side.  All went well and after the flight locks 16 and 17 we stopped for breakfast and a refreshing swim in the falls.  I had a nice shower.  We were the only boat locking through again today.  This will change when the kids are out of school.

You tie up at the yellow railing and walk down the steps and the trail to swim at Healey Falls.

We are tied to Rick and Anna's mooring ball across from Healey falls and having a relaxing day.  We swan, fished, read and just plain relaxed.  Oh wait, we have been relaxing all along.  Oh well you can never have too much relaxing.  It is a perfect summer day, a slight breeze and sunny and hot.

Tomorrow is a travel day.  We are going to Campbellton on the Otonabee River which is approximately 36 miles.  This will be the longest day yet.

Healey Falls

Dam at Healey Falls

Ambling along the Trent

We left Frankford yesterday at 8:30 under cloudy skies and 22 degrees Celsius. Peggy brought us some delicious warm muffins when she came to bid us farewell. There was not much traffic as the forecast called for rain.  We were the only boat locking through so all locks were ready and waiting for us. There is not much to see along this stretch of the system, mostly cottages and marsh. It is still nice to be on the water and moving along with the swans, king fishers, geese and the blue herons.

We transited through 6 locks including a flight lock at Campbellford. We arrived just before the rain at 13:45. We are tied up at a wall near Tim Horton's (N44 18.201' and W077 48.185') away from the Marina and the lock wall because this spot is free.  Sound familiar? We have a cute little park near us with a bench.  There is a nice bicycle path along the river which we took full advantage of to get some exercise for our sea legs. Canadian Tire and a no frills is very close by.  There is a convenience store where you can get gas, diesel, propane, bait and ice directly across the street.  There was a flea market/yard sale across the street yesterday.  We know we can't buy anything because there is no more room on the boat but we are still drawn to them just the same. 

This town is very boater friendly. It is home to the World's Finest Chocolate Factory and the well renowned Dooher's bakery.  The artist who created the polar bear on the Canadian Tooney ($2.00) is from here.  

We are doing some boat chores and provisioning so we will travel tomorrow.  We rode our bikes up to the Rainy Falls lock which is the flight lock we went through yesterday.  There is a suspended bridge that runs across the gorge over to Ferris Provincial Park.  There are many trails in the park for walking or bike riding. We went swimming several times since the water is clean and warm.

We rescued a sea gull that was caught up in some string. It was relieved to be free I'm sure.

We are ambling along visiting friends and waiting for some to catch up to us in Balsam Lake.

Free wall in Campbellford

Rainy Falls

Bicycle trail in Ferris Provincial Park at Rainy Falls

Dare devils in Campbellford

Slowly heading up the Trent

We travelled through 6 locks yesterday to stop at the Frankford Lock.  This is one of the few locks that offers 30 amp power.  There were only two of us locking through so all the locks were ready and waiting for us every time. We usually wear gloves as the cables and lock walls are slimy. The zebra muscles that are attached to the walls often spit at you or maybe that liquid is coming out the other end, I can't tell. The lock master says the traffic is about the same as last year which is down from previous years when the economy was better.  The staff are friendly and helpful and can tell you where you can find what you are looking for in any of the small towns you will be travelling through.

We were able to top up our fresh water that was lost due to our leak issue.  The grounds at all the locks are well groomed and the restrooms are clean.  There are picnic tables and charcoal bar-b-ques.  There are a lot of geese and at this time of year the young are cute to watch.  Don't forget to watch where you are walking, lots of geese means lots of doodoo. 

We stayed at the lock for the afternoon and moved to our free spot by the dam as you exit the canal in Frankford for the night (N44 12.524' and W077 35.603'). It is secluded, a good fishing spot. There is a good Chinese food buffet on the main street in Frankford where we met with our friends Bob and Peggy and Peter and Kathy. We are still saying farewell to friends as we make way.

North Star at Franklford Lock

Watch where you are walking!!!

The happy Loopers

Today we will reach Campbellford which is 5 more locks. Our progress is slow and enjoyable.

Cast off

We finally released the dock lines and set off on our journey.  We travelled for an hour and a half  to Trenton, the gateway to the Trent Severn Waterway. It was cloudy but calm when we left Meyers Pier at 08:00 this morning but the sun soon came out and it is now hot with a pleasant breeze.  We encountered a large flock of white swans at the mouth of the Trent River.  The number of swans has really increased in this area over the last 5 years.

We are docked just beyond the Trenton bridge at a dock that once belonged to the Wahoo restaurant. The restaurant burned down several years ago but the dock is still in good shape. You will be hearing a lot about free docks and anchorages this trip.

Trenton is a very convenient place for boaters to stop.  There is a Price Chopper store for your grocery needs. The liquor store and beer store are a short walk from the dock and there are many good restaurants to choose from, all within walking or bike riding distance from the two marinas and the free dock.
We are staying for the night to allow me to have a final visit with my daughter Emma.  She is joining us for dinner.

We already had gremlins visit the boat.  We had a leak in our water system that was detected by the high water alarm which we purchased at Home Depot for less that $20.00. Captain Jerry soon had the situation under control before we lost too much water.  We will pull in to Fraser Park Marina in the morning to top up our water tank and all will be good as new.

We are off to Frankford tomorrow which is Lock 6. We will stay for a couple of days to visit with friends Peggy and Bob. You guessed it, there is a free wall to tie up to at the dam.

Dock at the old Wahoo Restaurant in Trenton

Meyers Pier Belleville

Meyer's Peer Marina

We are docked on the outside wall at Meyers Pier and continuing with boat repairs and other preparations. The list is really shrinking. It is raining but warm and the bay of Quinte is calm. We have been visiting with family and friends and getting reacquainted with North Star after a two year storage on the hard.
We are anxious to be off but still have some family commitments to attend to before we can continue our journey.

Big Bay from Baycrest Marina where we began the journey