Do we stay or do we go? We woke up to rain and thunderstorms. The weather is pretty ugly right here. Do we risk it? Yes! After a lot of debate and a clear window we decided to move and were underway at 9:50 a.m.
Our greatest concern was that traffic ahead of us would not be moving (boats staying on the walls). I knew there were some friends ahead of us and at Fenelon Falls so I communicated with them, and they confirmed there was space available for a couple of boats with power. That’s good because we are traveling with Tom and Ruth (Groove Society).
By the time we arrived, the sky had cleared and the weather was beautiful.
Gord and Jen (Holy Cow) have caught up with us. They were actually ahead this morning but when we leap frogged them tied to a lock wall, they decided to leave and jumped out and leap frogged us. That happens a lot. We've travelled with Holy Cow for a long time now. It was actually in Waterford, NY., just before we began our Erie Canal venture. When we approached the wall to tie up, it was Gord and his two kids that caught our lines. They are an awesome family from Honey Harbour, ON.
Below the lock was some crazy current coming down from the waterfall that none of us even saw as we passed going into the lock. We were more focused and the swift current pushing Holy Cow and Groove Society around in front of us. One good thing about not leading is that you can read the currents by watching what happens to the vessel(s) in front of you. This approach was challenging but we all made our way through it.
This is a cute little town with options for shopping, dinning and provisioning. After tying up we took a walk and were amazed to see the water rushing down at the approach to the lock canal. I'm thankful I didn't see that first. Glen was so focused on maneuvering and navigating he didn't notice it either.
Lock 29 no longer exist.
Lovesick Lock 30 (4' lift) This lock is on an island, amid a dam and four spillways. It is very isolated
Buckhorn Lock 31 (11' lift) This was a wet morning.
Bobcaygeon Lock 32 (6' lift) This is the first lock built on the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW) and is one of the busiest due to it's location right in the center of town.
Lindsay Lock 33. This is a side trip lock that we did not take.
Fenelon Falls Lock 34 (24' lift) This lock was rebuilt in 1963, replacing the original flight locks to a single, deep chamber. The walls of this lock are built of huge limestone blocks.
The waterfall is just to the left and around the bend and the lock channel is just past it with a sharp turn to port to enter.
Here's a clip to give you some perspective of the challenge.
Here's a glimpse at our scenery for the day. My favorite was all the gorgeous landscaping that takes advantage of the natural stone.
