Kingston to Peterborough, ON, July 6 - 12, 2016

July 6 - 12, 2016

Harbored at Treasure Island Marina, Kingston, ON following Caroline’s departure, I’m sure our neighbors thought we’d become permanent residents; at least we were the helpful, congenial sort one would wish as neighbors. Our desire to leave Wednesday became Thursday became Friday before we would actually be on the waterway again. I spent my ‘down’ time accomplishing household chores I’d sorely neglected. I defrosted the freezer, reorganizing and updating my inventory list in the process. Clay managed to accumulate a load of dirty rags which I cycled at the Driftwood shower/laundry complex while he continued fix-it projects and researched our upcoming route. I know he spends a lot of time on the computer reading AGLCA and Mainship blogs and emails; much of the info from these sources is informational while much simply satisfies his curiosity.

Clay finally snagged a ride to Marine Outfitters, the boater supply shop on the OTHER side of Kingston from our marina Thursday morning. As I’ve previously noted, being without wheels (especially in a remote area as we are now) is extremely inconvenient, and in our case, created a two-day delay. And, many of our fix-it projects were still in limbo as we cast off Friday shortly after 9:00 a.m. with a 70-80 mile travel day ahead on Lake Ontario to Trenton. Clay was anxious to begin the Trent-Severn Waterway. We turned right out of Treasure Island Marina, “followed our breadcrumbs” aka retraced our course to Kingston Harbor, then continued on what became Lake Ontario. We saw from the water much of the Kingston we’d seen from land. Our skies were overcast with an invasion of little black bugs which were an extreme nuisance, but at least they didn’t bite. As skies cleared and temps warmed, we reached Trent Port Marina just after 5:00 p.m. A longggg travel day for captain and crew.

Trent Port was Trenton’s municipal marina, merely one year old and abundant in services, amenities, and friendliness—and crawling with Loopers! This is the beginning of the Trent-Severn Canal System and, whether you arrived as we did having completed the Little/Mini/Triangle Loop or thru the Murray Canal from the west or via the Erie and Oswego Canals through the southeastern waters of Lake Ontario, a boater begins the 45-locks on the Trent-Severn here at Trenton. Ahead lies 240.6 miles of locks of all sorts (hand-crank, hydraulic, lift, chute/sling), bridges of all sorts (fixed, swing, foot), channels to various other ports and lakes, and adventure galore. Note: I’m guessing that, just because we start with Lock #1, Trenton, and end at Lock #45, Port Severn, we don’t do exactly 45 locks; over the years, I’m guessing locks have been reconfigured and combined. I guess we’ll see.

We did some additional reprovisioning Saturday morning to stock up a bit, not knowing what lay ahead in that arena. Too, I’d been far too long without a haircut, but Sally’s Hair Design Company, offering a 25% discount in our marina coupon book, had no openings until Tuesday. C’est la vie. I knew, with a name like Sally’s, it had to be a good bet! But not to be; so on down the road I’ll go with hair continuing to grow. Thinking now I’ll try a new style, partly because I have an idea of a new one and partly because I’m not willing to meet the challenge of going short with an unknown hairdresser!

Clay and I relocated SaSea Sally just before noon to the pump out location, then cast lines at 12:15 p.m. bound for Lock #1 on the Trent-Severn Waterway; this leg of our journey had begun. I was caught unaware as we approached Lock #1 with all lines and fenders prepped for port (left side tie) when a loudspeaker voice commanded me to prep starboard (right side tie). Really? Hustle up, little lady, and try not to stress out. It seems the current in Locks #1-6 throws boats starboard, so might as well start at starboard side and not fight it per the lock master! Mission accomplished with a sigh of relief and enough fenders to prevent hull damage we began this first upward ascent of 17.6’, massaging fender-and-line positioning as we climbed to accommodate any shift caused by the approaching wall top. (Guess you gotta have some experience to understand what I mean.) This would be our modus operandi until we reached the summit, or highest point on the Waterway at the entrance to Balsam Lake just before Kirkfield Lift Lock #36 at which point we would begin to descend.

We find the Parcs Canada staff as well as bystanders at each of these locks to be extremely friendly and quite interested in our cruising experience. The Looper flag seems to be widely recognized, and often we hear staff say they love our stories told as we lock through. With many of these folks, we are quick to bond, to find common interests often beyond boating/water, and to exchange tidbits of information. I’ve acquired suggestions on keeping squirrels out of yards/gardens (cayenne pepper), bugs off of tomato plants (a spritz combo of dish soap and water), aches out of muscles (A535 muscle cream sold over-the-counter), therapy treatment called ultrasound laser, and the like. Or, we can pass through without saying a word; sometimes a reflective or melancholy mood strikes me, and conversation just doesn’t happen—and that’s ok, too.

In a matter of 5.5 miles, we had traversed Locks #1-6 as close as 0.6 miles apart. This close proximity of lock to lock gave no time for lunch prep; we knew lunch would be delayed. We reached the top of Lock #6 to find a full complement of boats docked at the dock wall and ‘no room at the inn.’ So on we cruised to the base of Lock #7, planning to overnight here. That 6.5 mile travel gave time for prepping and eating lunch at a fashionably late 3:45 p.m. We finally called it a day, docking at the base of Lock #7 about 5:30 p.m. With a sigh of relief, we were ready to stretch our legs, so off we went to explore the scenery in this rather remote area. We found Richard and Donna’s General Store, entered, and struck up a conversation with Richard. Everyone wants to know where we are from; there’s quite an interest among Canadians to locate us boaters in the lower 48. You can imagine the confusion when we say we are from Louisiana, MO.

Up Sunday morning for our usual and customary walk, we found a route which crossed a bridge crowded with fisherpeople and a neighborhood of sorts beyond. An ‘aha’ moment when we realized the population to which the general store catered. (We later found that the general store promoted an all-you-can-eat ice cream cone for $2; hmmm, and all we’d purchased was an expensive bag of chips). Our plan this day post-walk was to accomplish Locks #7-12 in 18.4 miles to reach Campbellford, ON en route to Peterborough. We had a deadline to meet friend Joe Weston in Peterborough Tuesday afternoon, so our locks and mileage were blocked off in doable segments to reach Joe on time (not that we’d be able to stick to the specific plan, but it was a good guide).

A huge debate as we arrived at the town of Campbellford – do we dock along the wall on the port side of the channel or starboard side? Each had its benefits and drawbacks, but we finally reached a decision to go where the crowd was. Good decision! The crowd grew until we had a sizeable group of boats, many of them Loopers, docked with us. Party time upcoming, no Looper is gonna miss out on a docktails event. But in the meantime – to deal with the inevitable glitch in traveling when your credit card charge is blocked. Argh (to borrow the term from friend Linda (Tumbleweed))! Glitch laid to rest until Monday (can’t do much with Bank of Louisiana on Sunday which was about step eight in the process of unblocking), Clay and I joined a six-some of Ohio boaters for docktails then enjoyed Capers Restaurant (outdoor dining) for dinner. At some point, you’d think we’d tire of being outdoors! (In this case, Capers interior was so COLD with air conditioning chill that outdoors was THE only choice).

Monday was chunked off at 18.9 miles and 6 locks to arrive at Hastings, mm 51.1 on the Trent-Severn. Before leaving Campbellford, we crossed the bridge to the starboard side of the channel to explore town proper and to purchase fresh-baked goods from highly-touted Dooher’s Bakery. I do little-to-no baking onboard (maybe a Pillsbury boxed brownie mix on rare occasion), so Clay’s mouth-watering for this word-of-mouth passed among the Loopers to hit Dooher’s Bakery is warranted! Note: His eyes-are-bigger-than-his-stomach purchase did amazingly little wallet damage. Verdict: wallet – happy; tummy – ecstatic!

Murphy’s Law in action Monday afternoon, Clay received his Bank Board conference call just as we were locking through the Hastings Lock #18. No worries, we handled it well (well, there was a worry when Amber suggested muting the call at Clay’s end; I guess my shouts of ‘stern clear’ and ‘bow clear’ might be more than a bit disruptive!) Who says Clay can’t multi-task? As we emerged from the lock, once again we found ‘no room at the inn,’ but many of our Looper friends (Lazy W, Avocet, Glorius Dei) already docked in this location insisted on massaging the space availability to accommodate our 43’. Thanks to the multitudes for wanting SaSea Sally included in this evening’s shenanigans. BTW, what were this eve’s shenanigans? Oh yes, Sally’s Beauty Shop was open for business as Captain Clay insisted on a fresh haircut before Joe’s arrival (Clay was beginning to look a bit like Ernest Hemmingway). Grilled burgers and a walk to the nearby quick shop for a Nestles ice cream cone (we were really looking for Kawartha ice cream, but those shops were long closed for the evening) finalized the evening’s agenda.

We awakened Tuesday morning to the first Looper boat’s engine rev at ‘o dark thirty.’ Naaa, not our style. As the Looper boats peeled off one by one, SaSea Sally was last to depart Hastings at 8:40 a.m. (even that is early for us, and it probably would not have been such a departure time had we not been docked on the blue line which is designated for boats intent on locking, the process to begin at 9:00 a.m.) One lock and approximately 39 miles later we arrived in Peterborough with an hour to spare before greeting and welcoming aboard friend Joe. Enough time to check in, greet fellow Loopers docked here, and have a brief face-to-face with the port captain (harbor host) Freya who has been so instrumental in assisting Clay with the residue (maintenance issues) carried over from Treasure Island Marina, Kingston.

So, as we welcome Joe Weston aboard this Tuesday afternoon, July 12th, I will again sign, seal and deliver this email to you knowing this week with two menfolk aboard will be a busy one for me.

Kingston, Ontario, June 29 - July 5, 2016,

June 29 - July 5, 2016

We are currently snugged in port at Treasure Island Marina on the outskirts of Kingston, Ontario. We’re definitely ‘outskirts,’ but we do have a marina restaurant called Driftwood and a nearby homegrown strawberry stand. More importantly, we have a ‘home base’ for a few days while Caroline Gower visits. Our ‘home base’ has some of the amenities of home: a driveway/parking lot where Caroline can park her rental car for the duration of her visit; electricity (we actually have a 50-amp plug here whereas normal for Canada seems to be two 30-amp plugs for which we use our splitter); water on the dock (lake, not potable, which means Clay can rinse the boat to his heart’s content, but we can’t connect for use on our boat); a lone washer and dryer at the restaurant complex as well as restrooms and shower. The resident boaters here are extremely warm and welcoming…probably some of the friendliest we’ve encountered.

In prep for Caroline, I hoped to cycle a few laundry loads and to make a grocery run, both of which happened within the first 24 hours. Score! I snagged the washer and dryer upon arrival here; both were available which was a huge bonus. And making acquaintance with stern-to-stern dock mates Dave and Marilyn, I soon accepted the invitation to accompany them to Loblaw Grocery Store. Betwixt and between, I managed a few paperwork tasks. I’m sure Clay was as task-oriented as I, but I tried to keep track of neither his whereabouts nor his activity (I’m sure he was washing/rinsing the boat at least part of the time). Busy as Clay and I were, I welcomed dinner at Driftwood Restaurant which featured smoked meats from the huge smoker nested adjacent to the building. Smelled so good!

Friday morning Clay and I walked nearby residential and very scenic Treasure Island Road which immediately became our daily route. The homes in this neighborhood had beautiful, picturesque views of the St. Lawrence River which were enhanced by intriguing natural rock formations which were incorporated into gorgeous landscaping. We saw a chipmunk, a black squirrel and even what we thought to be a fox (we were later told a family of six foxes live in that area). Following breakfast, we motored to the gas dock to fill our water tank. We had to wait our turn as today, Canada Day, had many if not most of the boats in the marina in travel mode. SaSea Sally is one of the bigger boats here with a commanding presence, so we crowded the gas dock with our occupation of 43’ of its length. A few runabouts had courage to jockey their way around us to take on fuel while we took on water.

Caroline arrived early afternoon after landing late morn in Syracuse, renting a car, driving 2.5 hours to Kingston with a midpoint’ish stop to check in at Canadian Customs. What a gal! Once settled into her stateroom accommodations aboard SaSea Sally, Caroline taxied us to downtown Kingston with the intent of a trolley tour of Kingston. The harbor was alive with activity in celebration of Canada Day. Live bands, clowns, and red-clothed people of all ages crowded the landscape around Federation Basin which harbored a maximum crowd of boats. We had even donned red shirts (Clay’s was a Cardinals tee shirt) in celebration at our marina dock mates’ insistence when they assured us they’d be dressed in red/white/blue on our July Fourth.

We nabbed a red open-air trolley and endured a tour of Kingston. I use the word ‘endured’ because it was cold (despite our windbreakers breaking the wind) and the loudspeaker system was inadequate at best (we heard very little of the canned descriptions and a bit more than very little of the driver’s commentary). Nothing wrong with our eyesight though, and coupled with the tour brochure, we saw much of what Kingston had to offer in the way of architecture and history. Our tour began and ended at City Hall with such points of interest along the route as: the Royal Military College of Canada; Fort Henry; Springer Market Square; the Marine and Pump House Steam Museums; Bellevue House, the restored home of Canada’s First Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald; Canada’s Penitentiary Museum (Kingston is ‘famous’ for all of the penitentiaries which have been located here—some still active); and Queen’s University. I had gotten an earlier personal tour from dock mates Dave and Marilyn on the way to the grocery store, so I was able to add a few verbal tidbits as we passed by many of these sights (Dave had graduated from  the Royal Military College and Marilyn had graduated from Queen’s University, so their knowledge of Kingston which they shared with me was vast).

We were in relax mode as we headed back to the marina for wine aboard SaSea Sally then dinner at the Driftwood Restaurant onsite. We knew there was to be a fabulous fireworks display at dark, shot from Fort Henry, but the prime viewing spot was Federation Basin not our location. We opted out, knowing we’d be maneuvering massive crowds should we decide to go. Instead, we tucked in for the night, having had a full day with more to come tomorrow.

Caroline got a good dose of boat maneuvering Saturday morning as we departed Treasure Island Marina with the stiff winds in our favor, but working against us when we docked first at RJ Marine for refueling and pump out, then again at Clayton Village Marina. This latter docking was a disaster, but ‘no one was hurt’ as we boaters adeptly evaluate so it was a good docking after all. Because we were now in the United States (Clayton, NY), we had to report to Customs to receive our arrival number. Our ‘reporting’ was done via phone at a nearby customs check-in location at which time we gave boat documentation number, names and passport numbers of those aboard, and voila, done deal. We then meandered through the town, our destination being the Antique Boat Museum where we arrived one-half hour before closing. Half price admission got us all the viewing we really needed. Heck, I remember learning to ‘surfboard’ behind the Crums’ beautiful wooden Chris Craft, and now they’re considered antiques. (Please don’t think, ‘that makes her an antique as well!!!!’) Even Clay deemed our half-hour of boat museum adequate.

Showers, then wine and dinner at Bella’s (Clay’s choice since it was his birthday) made the day complete. I was able to secretly arrange a sparkler-lit cupcake for Clay’s birthday celebration; can’t blow that one out Birthday Boy.

Captain called an early departure Sunday morning so as to secure a dock spot at Heart Island to tour Boldt Castle. That fella had done his research. I’d heard nothing about Bolt Castle but learned upon arrival that Boldt Castle was built by self-made millionaire George Boldt. “Boldt Castle was to be the testimony of the unsurpassed love of a man for his wife. The magnificence of the structure was to be equaled only by George Boldt’s adoration of Louise, who was the love of his life and reason for the construction of such an elaborate summer home.”

“George C. Boldt came to America in 1864 from Prussia, the son of poor parents. A man of tremendous organizational skill, daring and imagination, he became the most successful hotel magnate in America managing and profit sharing the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, as well as the Bellevue-Stratford in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the president of several companies, a trustee of Cornell University, and the director of the Hotel Association of New York. Boldt Castle stands as an eternal monument to the memory of the man whose dreams were no more far-reaching than his capabilities.” You can go to www.BoldtCastle.com to learn more about the tragic loss at an early age of his wife Louise at which time the construction and completion of Boldt Castle was halted and the project abandoned.

What a fabulous creation and architectural feat Boldt Castle was to behold. Located on Heart Island, Boldt Castle is reachable only by boat. And, we were not the only boaters to desire a look-see this holiday-weekend Sunday. So glad Clay was proactive in securing a dock spot early on. Many boats came and went during our time spent there; we toured much of the day, taking it all in, including the Power House, the Italian Garden and the Yacht House (pontoon shuttle ride required). The heart theme was woven throughout the landscape and architecture, and it was obvious George Boldt spared no expense in his quest. The completion and restoration of Boldt Castle is now an undertaking of the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority who owns both the castle and the yacht house.

We cast our lines at 3:20 p.m., having gotten a full dose of Boldt Castle; I think we saw most all of the nooks and crannies, finished and unfinished, restored and unrestored. The weather was picture-perfect, and Clay had picked a great way to spend this Sunday. Upon departure, we motored the American channel again although Clay’s original plan was to follow the Canadian channel to Gananoque, ON for the overnight. An older woman tour guide at the Boldt Castle Yacht House had warned us of wind, current, and narrow channels and passageways en route to Gananoque along the Canadian channel. Her alert coupled with the unfamiliarity of these Thousand Islands waterways guided us back to Clayton for Sunday night. Our bonus in Clayton was the July 3^rd firework display planned directly across from the marina.

When I called the dock master to ask if he could accommodate us, I’m sure he had extremely apprehensive thoughts of allowing our return based on Clay’s first docking performance! But he gave consent, and we docked safely and securely with a brilliant performance by Captain Clay. He redeemed himself! Following snugging in, we grilled salmon, romaine and yellow saffron rice and delighted in the fireworks display nearby. As much if not more enjoyable was watching and listening around us in this New York boating community prior to the fireworks feature. One boat played patriotic music through a loudspeaker as the skies darkened, broadcasting such songs as “I’m Proud to be an American,” which had all of us boaters singing along as we sat atop the boat bows and in the fly bridges. This moment in time was almost as awesome and memorable as the fireworks themselves.

Still intent on visiting Gananoqua, Clay awakened Monday morning to study the maps and charts for the best possible route through the Thousand Islands to Gan. He felt confident we’d have no problem, so off we went to arrive uneventfully at the Gananoque municipal dock. It was a really pretty cruise, making us all glad Clay insisted on the trip; we’re convinced our Boldt Castle Yacht House guide was a non-boater, fearful of Mother Nature. Our first mission upon arrival was Canadian customs check-in followed by a late lunch at the English Pub and a bit of souvenir shopping; our day was complete as we slipped neatly into our ‘home port’ of Treasure Island Marina in time for wine and beer on the fly bridge and an Italian pasta dinner aboard.

We awakened Tuesday morning with a reprovisioning grocery run on the agenda prior to Caroline’s departure. I suggested Loblaws because I was somewhat familiar with the store’s layout, having been there previously. And, I thought Caroline would enjoy poking through the clothing offerings while I filled my cart with groceries. It was a win-win for us both! She nabbed a few items for an upcoming trip to Africa while I was able to replenish our frig and pantry. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to browse the clothing department nor the housewares department, both unusually large and appealing for a predominantly grocery venue!

We bid Caroline goodbye with encouragement for safe travels about noon, then I went about the task of regrouping (laundry, catch-up with computer communication and bill paying, etc) while Clay tended to maintenance issues. One maintenance issue led to another and pretty soon SaSea Sally’s interior looked like disaster had struck! I’m fearful our one-day planned layover here may be extended by a day or two more. Despite the stock of spare parts, acquiring other parts looks to be the biggest challenge thus far; doesn’t it always happen that way? I’ll keep you posted.

Narrows Lock to Kingston, Ontario, June 27 -29 , 2016

June 27 -29 , 2016

We awakened to rain this Monday morning at the Narrows Lock so we busied ourselves with some housekeeping chores in anticipation of the rain letting up so we could travel. We’d heard tales of an end-all-and-be-all old general store in Newboro called Kilborn’s on the Rideau advertised in our cruising guide as ‘a labyrinth of shops selling fine apparel and country crafts.’ Thus, we’d decided that to be a stop along our route today. Newboro was one of the original settlements along the Rideau, so there was a number of historic buildings dating from the 1830’s we hoped to see. Per our guide, should we need groceries, we had the option of a small store with frozen gourmet dinners. ‘Newboro is the busiest lock on the Rideau Canal system, with cottagers, fishermen, and day-trippers adding to the lock’s volume of cruiser traffic. Back in the days when the Ontario Department of Transport ran the canal, Newboro was one of three locations where the locks were converted to hydraulic/electric operation. No further conversions were attempted when it turned out the new locks, although expensive, operated no faster than the original manual ones.’

Skies cleared mid-morn allowing us to lock through the Narrows Lock to then arrive and lock through the Newboro Lock. This latter lock is the summit of the Rideau Canal System at which point we will be traveling downstream, and the buoys have switched sides on the channel. Snugged to shore at Newboro, we walked a short distance to Kilborn’s where I quickly realized Kilborn’s IS Newboro. There was a congregation of cars parked along the highway here, and I believe all car occupants were shopping in Kilborn’s. I do believe our guide to be outdates (yep, 2007) because Kilborn’s was more than ‘fine apparel and country crafts.’ Children’s clothing and western wear; shoes galore; men’s and women’s clothing; lotions and potions; kitchenware and household goods; gourmet mustards, coffees and teas; fudge and candies; and even a small soda fountain at the entrance…the store seemed to bleed from one room into another, upstairs and down. Clay, who had detoured to a homecut French fry stand, would never find me here. Fun to look, but what did I need on a boat? Note: Our only purchase in town was Clay’s fries, but it sure was fun lookin’.

We had no destination in mind for today’s travel; we’d go until we decided to stop. The waterway guided us from Newboro Lock to Chaffeys Lock then on to Davis Lock, distances of 5.3 miles and 2.1 miles respectively. As we prepared to enter Davis Lock, I stared in ‘shock’ at the port bow clamp and rope which should—but didn’t—secure to the boat our big, red A-4 ball fender (my friend which gives me confidence in handling locks without fear of mashing our bow). Now our big, red A-4 ball fender was MIA. Sure that it was floating in the Chaffeys Lock chamber, Clay called the Chaffey lock master with a negative response. Clay decided at that point to retrace our 2.1 mile path in search of the big red ball; shouldn’t be too hard to spot (but harder to retrieve in the current stiff winds). So retrace we did—without success. Darn. That sucker wasn’t cheap!

Another 180, we returned to Davis Lock #38 to lock through and continue our journey. We arrived at Jones Falls Lock #39 where we opted to tie for the night without power; no worries as no rain in the forecast. It was, by now, 4:50 p.m. and we were ready to quit our day’s travel. We tied to the blue line with the approval of the Parcs Canada staff, then plopped on the bench seats of the fly bridge to wind down. Tied on the gray line across the waterway from us approximately 100’was a rental houseboat with a family aboard. It was fun listening to their laughter and splashing as they hand-paddled a big inflatable which was making more circular progress than linear. They were carefree and having a blast. As we later walked past their ‘camp site,’ I noticed the wide variety of ages and the ‘luxury’ of a generator providing the power they needed. It dawned on me there’s a huge difference between playing on a boat and living on one!

At the foot of the lower locks was ‘another Rideau Canal institution, the Hotel Kenney, operated since it was built in 1877 by the Kenney family. Though updated over the decades with a heated pool, gas pump at the main dock and more cabins, the traditions of serving vacationers in their fishing ventures or simply relaxing in this charming setting continues.’ With its promotion of a full dining room, Clay decided we needed to dine at Hotel Kenney. But not to be when he could find no menu online nor hit on Trip Advisor…and I thought that fella was adventuresome! As I emerged showered and dressed, Clay’s comment was, “ummm, you might wanna look.” I guess that meant Sally’s galley would be open this eve.

I awakened on high alert not one but two times overnight with the pitter-patter of raindrops falling softly on SaSea Sally. I was accused by Captain Clay of being an alarmist as I bolted from bed to close windows, doors and various port holes. Hey, rather to be proactive than reactive; I didn’t wanna be drying out mattresses and what nots the next morn, that’s for sure. Proof positive that Canadian weather forecasters are as often wrong as they are right; seems to be common ‘knowledge’ up here.

Our Tuesday morning walk took us via highway (two-lane asphalt county road) downhill to Hotel Kenney, a considerable distance. We snapped a few pix, crossed a one-lane rickety old bridge and noted the presence of numerous Canadian geese. Regal creatures, they acted as though they owned the place. From the hotel, we walked alongside the Jones Falls three flight locks and single lock to our boat, a short two-minute hoof-it back. We swatted a few horseflies as we noted the presence of poison ivy alert signs along our path. Coupled with the moths I encountered at the bath house early morn, no one needs to convince me we’re camping. I know it!

Because we are docked at the blue line, our blue-line wall soon populated with other boats wanting to lock through Jones Falls with us. A wait of one-plus hours coupled with a series of four locks gives plenty of time to get to know your lock companions. I chatted amiably with the gal aboard Moo-shu while Clay conversed at the stern with her captain. Nice time to glean local knowledge because most of these folks are Canadians and not fellow Loopers. The series of four locks here, as well as series elsewhere, also gives us a chance to get acquainted with the Parcs Canada staff, many of whom are college students with this their summer job.  It is readily apparent to us that many of the students are novice when it comes to boats, boating, locking, handling lines and fenders, etc. But they are so cute, so friendly, and so willing to help. And, they are learning; they’ll be pros by summer’s end!

Note: We are doing right now what is known as a side trip, more specifically this side trip is called the “Little Loop” or the “Mini Loop” or the “Triangle Loop” from Brewerton to Waterford, NY, up the Champlain Canal and Lake Champlain and then following the path we have taken through Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston. (To complete the Little/Mini/Triangle Loop, we would travel the leg from Kingston back to Brewerton; instead, we will travel from Kingston to Trenton where we will begin the Trent-Severn Waterway.)

Tuesday’s travels took us through seven locks and three bridges, navigating only 12.6 miles to dock on the gray line at Lower Brewers (Washburn) Lock #45. We’d queried our lock companions as to the best overnight location, and they unanimously agreed we needed to stop prior to the Kingston Mills Locks where we’d find all-night train and highway noise. Our spot, a pretty little park area, was occupied along the gray line by one lone boat, her cheery captain and his adorable dog. I snapped a delightful shot of Clay with man and dog as they got acquainted; it’s one of my favorite photos thus far!

Wednesday morning’s departure was delayed by an unexpected three-hour rain shower, but mid-morning saw us underway. We handled the Kingston Mills Locks #46 and #47-49 (flight) with a Carver and Three Cheers, the latter with whom we’d traveled and docked prior. Early on, I had asked Peggy aboard Three Cheers if she had a cheer for her boat with a name like that; she was short and succinct with “Hip Hip Hooray.” Thus, each time I greeted her after that initial meeting, I always greeted her with “Hip Hip Hooray.” Got smiles all the way around!

Clay had earlier informed me that we had a deadline to meet today; the Kingston LaSalle Causeway bridge opened only on the hour excluding rush hours of 8 a.m., noon, 4 and 5 p.m. Thus, if we didn’t make the 3 p.m. bridge opening, we’d have to wait until 6 p.m. Three Cheers had no worries with a short cut for shorter boats and thus avoiding the bridge altogether; but both the Carver and SaSea Sally needed to make the opening. Carver Captain assured me we would have no problem, so we kept pace with him and actually had to maintain position idling for about 25 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. opening. And Clay had worries of making 3 p.m.?

Once through the bridge, we entered a vast waterway at Kingston Harbor which was the St. Lawrence River to our left (port) and Lake Ontario to our right (starboard). Our marina reservation was on the St. Lawrence River so we turned port and navigated through a sudden downpour to Treasure Island Marina where we planned to regroup and prep for our first guest aboard Caroline Gower.

As we snug into Treasure Island Marina, I will once again bid you farewell and hope your summer is going well as ours is.