Day 36 and 37: Traveling the Trent

 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 Lock 19: Scotts Mills in the Kawartha Region. 

We soon entered Rice Lake located south of Peterborough. The lake is 17 miles long and 3 miles wide. It is 613 feet above sea level, having been raised by the Hastings dam which was built in the 19th century. Natives called it Pemadashdakota or "lake of burning plains". 

After quite a bit of travel we turned to starboard and entered the Otonabee River which in the Ojibwe language means "the river that beats like a heart". This refers to the bubbling rapids along the river's edge. With this turn the landscape soon looked like we were in a swamp. Beautiful and serene in its own way. We saw several Great Blue Heron and much like on the Erie many Kingfisher flitting back and forth.

I just loved some of the cottages along the way that looked like tiny houses with their sweet little docks. While we were passing by one area lined with cottages someone sitting on a dock greeted us with the blast of a horn and a friendly wave! In general folks who might be sitting along the edge are always quick to wave and sometimes video our trawler cruising by. I imagine life on a canal provides time for folks to relax and just watch the world go by. The day began to become more pleasant as the sun came out and we were able to shed our heavy sweatshirts.

It took us 5 hours and 15 minutes to travel 37.6 miles from Hastings to Scotts Mills. The lock had just allowed a down traveling boat to enter so we had to tie up at the blue paint to wait. The very friendly Lock-tender walked over to us to explain that this lock was the last remaining limestone lock. She also told us that this lock was a bit different from all the others we have been through in that the valves open from the front not the side; with this in mind she recommended a bow tie. No problem for us as I have been grabbing the midship and John the bow. 

We entered the lock as usual. Suddenly I heard John say, "that line is broken". Sure enough the cable I had my line tied around broke loose from the bottom of the chamber causing the boat to swing out at the stern. As luck would have it another cable just behind me was also broken. The Lock-tender threw the life ring down so she could pull us in close to the wall and we get the stern looped in. A disaster averted because the last thing we need is to end up sideways in a lock. 

As soon as we exited the lock, we headed to Ashburnham Lock 20, 1/4 mile away. This lock is surrounded by a lovely area filled with people walking dogs, riding bikes or just watching the lock. There were 3 Lock-tenders working here as one had to walk a bit up the path to open the swing bridge once the lock opened. 

Leaving Ashburnham we made our way to the Peterborough Lift Lock #21. Quite a monstrous looking thing looming over us as we approached. I felt like we were entering some kind of Disney ride.

The Peterborough Lift Lock is one of only two hydraulic lift locks on the waterway. It is the highest hydraulic lift in the world. Opened on July 9, 1904, it leaves a visible and lasting impact on Peterborough's landscape. The lock has two identical bathtub-like containers in which vessels can ascend and descend. Each container is enclosed at each end by pivoting gates. No external power is needed; the lift lock functions by gravity alone using counterweight principle (kind of like a giant scale). Once in motion, the process takes about 90 seconds. When we reached the top we had to wait while another foot of water was released into the chamber before the gate dropped and we were able to exit. What an amazing experience. That was enough for one day so we tied up at the wall at the top of the lock to enjoy the evening. 

Nebo log for the day. Four locks, seven hours, 46 miles.

Day 37: August 24: As usual John entered the engine room to check things out before we got UW. Maybe that isn't a good idea as it seems every time he goes down there he finds something amiss. Today was no exception as he emerged from the depths stating the part he fixed yesterday was "leaking like a sieve and there was oil everywhere". He immediately changed into his work clothes and went back down. I forced myself to remain calm and go about tidying up and preparing to leave. Soon he emerged once again and said it really was just a dribble, mumbling something about a rubber washer. All I know is we started the engines and got UW. Our goal today is to get through the following locks, ending in Buckhorn Lock 31.

Nassau Milles #22 (elevation 14'), Otonabee #23 (elevation 12'), Douro #24 (elevation12'), Sawyer Creek #25 (elevation 10'), Lakefield #26 (elevation 16'), Young's Point #27(elevation 7'), Burleigh Falls #28 (elevation 24'), Lovesick #30 (elevation 3.5') and ending at Buckhorn (elevation 11.5'). The 26 mile trip took us about 7 hours. We crossed several lakes including Buckhorn Lake, Lovesick Lake, Kawartha Lake and Stony Lake. Each time we entered a lake, the water opened up  far wider than when we were on the rivers. I also noticed that as we move further north we are seeing more and more evergreens. While traveling some areas you might imagine you are in Maine or New Hampshire sitting by a campfire at a log cabin site. 

Here are some pictures of sites as we left Peterborough. Upon leaving the lock we immediately came upon a swing bridge. We called the bridge keeper; despite no answer from him, the bridge opened. 

Here is a picture of a 1964 beauty (make was a Shepherd) that left Peterborough with us and locked through for 4 locks with us before pulling over to "take a break". I imagine they wanted to have lunch in a nice area before moving on. Each time we locked through with them John and the boat's captain "Eric" chatted. It's a lot of fun having a boat cruise alongside! 

It's no wonder why Lock 28 is called the Burleigh Falls lock. Here are a couple of shots of the small but beautiful falls situated on our port side as we passed through.

Several areas of the channel were so narrow that I can't imagine what you would do if another boat was coming your way. At least there is no current so steering isn't too bad. I am aware of a couple of places further up the waterway where you are supposed to call "Securite" on 16 to announce your passage! This will be another moment of anxiety for me 😉

We also passed through an incredibly stunning area known as Hell's Gate. Unlike New York City's Hell Gate, this one is not filled with boats flying all over the place or a rushing current. Rather it is a peaceful stretch of water that reminded us of the 1000 Islands. Small land mounds were everywhere, some with houses, docks or cottages or simply trees. Although the channel narrowed, it was well marked so we were pretty confident we were able to avoid the rocks and spits of land. It really was truly amazing.

How about having to cruise your boat to get to church? That's exactly what folks do on Stoney Lake Island Church. St. Peter's on-the Rock Church located on what locals call Church Island is only open during the summer months, with worshipers traveling to services in everything from kayaks to large motorboats. 

At the end of a long travel day and locking through 9 locks we were able to grab a spot on the wall at the upper end of Buckhorn Lock. With the help of neighboring boaters, we moved in nicely between other boats. We had a nice conversation with two Canadian men from a boat next to us. They provided us with many tips relative to traveling the rest of the Trent (some so so so narrow areas that you have to call securite to announce your passage) as well as beautiful spots to anchor once we hit Georgian Bay! Soon we all retired to our own boats. John and I decided to go across the lock to the Ice House Restaurant. We both had pickerel; each cooked differently. Both were delicious and I especially loved that they came with hand cut fries and fresh vegetables. Dinner was complete with a crisp glass of pinot grigio. 

Here is the NEBO log for the day indicating the number of locks we pushed through!