Southern Belle: More Trent-Severn Waterway

Continued...

Tuesday, June 14

We all slept really well last night and woke up ready to head for Lake Simcoe, which is the biggest lake on the Trent-Severn Waterway. The lake is big and shallow so waves can be a problem but our weather looks good...Sunny and crisp, but calm winds.

The Belle left Kirkfield right after 7am. We cleared the 'Hole in the Wall Bridge', constructed in 1905, at 8:17. Sighted a big osprey nest on Canal Lake and who should we run into (not literally) but Oddysea...Bad pennies keep showing up! We convoyed with Ross and Nancy for most of the day, through Boundry Road Bridge, Locks 37, 38 39, 40 and 41 (Bolsover, Talbot, Portage, Thorah and Gamebridge ).

Lock chamber before they start to fill it up

Mary handling the aft line in the lock

Cecil handling the forward line

Oddysea in the lock

Oddysea leaving the lock

We let Oddysea pass us as we entered Lake Simcoe at 11:34am. Crossing the Lake was uneventful and took just over two hours. We were very happy with the crossing after some of the horror stories we had heard.

We docked at Bridgeport Marina in Orillia, on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, at 1:52.

BridgePort Marina

Warren stood guard while Mary and I tried on jackets

Sunning

Oddysea is also overnighting here.

We were invited over for drinks and snacks and we had a great time. Ross and Nancy are fun people.

This was another marina stop...nice showers and bathrooms...Mary & Cecil even did their laundry.

Wednesday, June 15

We took on diesel this morning, 45 gallons in each tank. Our fuel consumption since Winter Haven in Brewerton, NY figures out to be 2.2 gallons per hour or about 3 miles per gallon which isn't bad for 15 tons. Mary and I bought cute jackets while we were at the marine store, an aqua color and nice material that should wash easily. Matching jackets...too cool.

Oddysea left before we did so I was able to snap some shots of them. Ross did a nice job of getting out of a tight docking spot.

Bye bye, Nancy

Bye bye, Oddysea

We finally left Bridgeport Marina at 9:45am hoping to reach the Big Chute Marine Railroad by the end of the day.

Today we crossed two very pretty lakes named Sparrow and Couchiching, that had great scenery, summer cabins and tight little cuts to wiggle the boat through. Weather was wonderful and we used up quite a bit of sun block.

Approaching one of the tight channels (cuts) we negotiated. Cecil on bow watch

Safely through

We traveled 30miles today and at 3:05pm we arrived at Big Chute

and docked right next to, you guessed it... Oddysea.


Two nice boats waiting for a train ride in the morning

The lock masters wanted each boat to go down the railway separately in the morning. This worked out well for us. We traded cameras with Ross and Nancy so we could each get good pictures of our boats in the railway carriage.

All day everyone on board Southern Belle had been anticipating dinner at the local diner featuring the 'world famous' Big Chute Burger...we were devastated when Ross and Nancy said the place closed at 4pm...it was 4:10. I called over there and asked if they would cook some up for us and I would pick them up...alas, the grill was closed, ferme ...no burgers for us!

We went to bed with the moon full and the loons calling out. It was beautiful.

Thursday, June 16

The Big Chute is a railway carriage that lowers into the water to allow boats to float unto it. When they are correctly situated on slings the carriage rolls out of the water on rails, crosses a road and goes down a steep embankment to the river below. Again the carriage goes underwater enough to allow the boats to float off. Wacky... but really cool!!

Here is a series of pictures that walks you through the descent.

Approaching the carriage from on board the boat

Boat approaching the carriage taken from the land

Slings are underneath and the carriage is coming out of the water

The lock masters ride along with you on the carriage.

Crossing the road

Spectators

View from the bow of the boat overlooking the river

almost in the water

Floating again

And away she goes

This was one of the highlights of the trip...it is such an unusual procedure!

We cleared the Marine Railway at 9:48 and exchanged cameras with Ross and Nancy. They are going off to Midland and they will leave Oddysea there for several weeks until they return for more of their Loop. We are heading for Honey Harbour so it's time to say our goodbyes. Good traveling with you and we hope to see you again.

See you on the water somewhere, we hope!

We cleared the last Lock of the Trent-Severn Waterway, Port Severn Lock #45 at 11:26. No time for sentimentalism at the end of the Lock system, however...we were immediately thrown into a swirl of confusing buoys, skinny channels and strong currents! Very hairy navigation for a while.

We are now into Georgian Bay, an area of many islands, gorgeous scenery and navigation that requires your attention. No muddy, soft bottoms here...if you go aground you are on unforgiving rocks. We all take turns spotting buoys and keeping our fingers on our location on the chart.

By 2:35 we were happy to dock at South Bay Cove Marina in Honey Harbour. We needed some pampering and relaxation so we decided to stay two nights at this very well-appointed spot. Beautiful clean showers and bathrooms, free coffee and cookies in the morning, a newspaper delivered to your boat and even free ice. They also took Cecil and me to the grocery store in 'town' and waited for us while we picked up our supplies.