Adventures on Slàinte Mhath

Note: We have had little to no Internet while traveling through Canada so it’s next to impossible to maintain and post our blog! I plan on inserting pictures and backtracking to log our trip through the Big Chute once I have a good Wi-Fi connection, In the meantime I’m logging what I can while it’s fresh in my mind!  Day 42: August 29: It was a beautiful morning. The water was flat calm and there was no wind. The conditions were awesome as the wall would be a bit difficult to get off of if the wind was blowing like it was when we tied up last night. We made preparations and pulled out, ready to travel through Port Severn Lock #45 and say goodbye to the Trent Severn Waterway.  Lock #45 is the smallest lock on the Waterway relative to its length of 84 feet, limiting the number of boats that can be in the chamber at the same time. As it turned out we were the only boat locking through at the 9 a.m. opening. We were a bit anxious about this one as we had been told to watch out fo...

 Day 38: August 25: We were getting ready to leave Buckhorn when a lady walked by and told us there was going to be an escorted motorcycle ride with about 100 bikes at around 10:15. The event was sponsored by the Canadian 911 Foundation to recognize fallen first responders; specifically 5 officers who have been killed in the line of duty since 2022. So, not being in a hurry, we decided to stick around to watch it go by! We chose a vantage point a little way from the lock where a mom and son were sitting. We had a nice chat with them while we waited for the procession. We got UW and headed onto Buckhorn Lake, admiring the expansiveness of this large body of water. One thing we noticed as we passed by the homes is the number of brightly colored Adirondack chairs everywhere. It's really fun to see how beautifully landscaped most places are. There are lots of flowers on docks and water side gardens along with fire-pits and sitting areas. It's certainly a great place for anyone who...

  Day 36: August 23: John was out of bed early enough to catch a stunning sunrise here at Healey Falls.  After this great feat he quickly went on to accomplish the cleaning of the oil pressure sensor bar. Armed with great skill and knowledge, a can of air for cleaning off keyboards (been on the boat for 10 years) and a plastic straw, he achieved success. He turned the engine on and the alarm remained off. So the problem seems to have been some type of blockage that wasn't allowing a proper oil flow.  We got UW about 8:20 draped in heavy sweatshirts under cloudy skies. Going against the wind even at only 6 to 8kn when the temps are in the low 70's and the sky is overcast creates quite a chill. We got to Hastings Lock 18 about 10:30, tied up at the blue paint and waited for the lock to open. This is the last lock in the Trent region; it lifted us 9 feet. After chatting with the Lock-tenders we waited for the swing bridge to open before continuing along the Trent River to Lo...