Well we have reached the last lock of the Trent Severn Waterway and are waiting to transit the Port Severn Lock (N44 48.346 and W079 23.195'). Yesterday we travelled through the Canadian shield so a lot more rock and coniferous trees. It is a very enjoyable journey with beautiful scenery, warm clean water and good fishing. The various towns along the way provide all amenities required to meet every need. The staff at the locks are friendly and courteous. The lock walls are a little slimy so one should wear gloves to hold on to the cable that is used to wrap your line to keep your boat under control in the lock. Once you start going down the locks at Balsam Lake, the staff usually take your line and wrap it for you. Some locks are really close together and some are separated by long stretches of small and medium size lakes. The marine railway at Big Chute is especially interesting. A platform on rails goes under water to allow you to float onto it. The lock staff tell you exactly where they want you and how far to come in. They then raise straps that suspend your boat off the platform unless your boat is more secure resting on the platform itself. The platform comes out of the water crosses over a road and deposits you back in the water on the other side. Quite ingeneous really. The system itself is a well travelled route with lots of fellow boaters to socialize with.
We begin the next leg of our journey today by transiting the Port Severn lock and heading into Georgian Bay. We will be following the small craft route where we can tuck behind the 30,000 islands that dott the bay.
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| MacDonald cut carved into the Canadian shield to form the waterway |
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| Marine railway |
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| going over the road on the marine railway |
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| looking aft as North Star transits the Marine Railway |
That was quite an experience, Simone. What a way to travel. Crossing over a road on a boat.....only in Canada? Ingeneous to say the least!
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