 |
| $2 Coin Statue Old Mill Park, Campbellford, ON |
July 17, 2015 - July 19, 2015
We leave the wall and head for a challenging day of locking. There are five locks in quick succession for the next five miles, starting with lock #13, Campbellford. In this lock, all vessels must tie up on the port side due to water valves being on the starboard side. Crowe Bay, lock #14 is only about a mile away and vessels must tie up in the lock on the starboard side since the water fill valves are on the port side. At the next lock, Healey Falls, #15, once again you must switch to the port side for locking through. This keeps both Dave and I busy as we must switch some of the fenders from side to side. Remember, we popped one of our best fenders in the Ottawa staircase. At Healey Falls Flight Lock, #16, 17, we can choose which side to lock through on and of course, we choose starboard, our favorite. We lock through Hastings #18, and pull up to the wall just after the lock for the night. It is a quick walk across the grass to an LCBO store, a convenience store, and an ice cream stand. We purchase a few items and head back to the boat just as the rain begins.
 |
Snapping Turtle in the Healey Falls Flight Lock
Very Ugly |
July 18, 2015
We leave Hastings around 7:00. Our next lock is almost 20 miles away. We must first cross a section of Rice Lake which is dotted with islands, secluded coves and resort marinas. In Indian times the lake was a giant granary and was named for the wild rice that grows around its shores. After crossing the lake, we proceed up the Ontonabee River where we saw several beautiful houses in idyllic settings. Our destination today is Lakefield, lock #26. But before we get there, we are going to experience the Peterborough Lift Lock, #21. Today is a Saturday and by the time we reach lock #19, we no longer have the luxury of locking through alone. We are joined by several other boats as we advance to the lift lock.
"The Peterborough Lift Lock, #21, is the world's highest hydraulic lift lock. The boats "float" up the 65-foot vertical lift. When the lock opened in 1904, the lock was an engineering marvel. Even today, more than 110 years later, it is still a remarkable operation to watch, and even more remarkable to be lifted in it! Boats are tied on to the horizontal black rails on the side of the locking pan. The hydraulic lift lock works like a simple balance beam scale. At the green light, your boat enters a large, rectangular chamber shaped like a giant sheet-cake pan. Parallel to that chamber, but up a huge piston, is another chamber---a twin to the pan you are in. There are 330,00 gallons of water that weigh 1,500 tons in each pan. When the upper chamber is filled with an extra foot of water--1 foot equals 130 tons--the increased weight in the upper tank forces it to go down, while the lower tank rises on its piston, boats and all. It does not matter how many or what size boats are in each pan. The boats displace their own weight. The trip is very fast. It only takes about 2 minutes to complete the actual transfer."
When we reach the lock, there are two boats ahead of us. Once they are tied up, one on the port side, the other on the starboard, Dave pilots the boat to the starboard side of the lock, where I use the boat hook to grab the rail, secure a line around the rail and then cleat it off on the boat. Two smaller boats tie up across from us on the port side. The lift begins and it is exciting to watch the scenery change as you are lifted higher and higher. As the description in our Waterway Guide indicated, the lift is over way too soon, but it has been an enjoyable experience. The locks men empty the lower pan first and then we are allowed to exit the lock.
 |
Peterborough Lift Lock
(2 pans) |
 |
| Lift Lock |
 |
| Upstream Pan |
 |
| Watching from the top of the lock |
 |
| Boats on our port side in the lock |
 |
| Looking out over the railing from the side |
 |
| Looking downstream |
After leaving the lock, we continue through Nassau Mills, #22, Otonabee, #23, Douro, #24, Sawer Creek, #25, and Lakefield #26, where we pull up to the wall for the night. There are several boats at the wall already. It has been a hot, sweaty day and so Dave and I take a swim in the clear, fresh water to cool off. At the suggestion of the locks man at the Lakefield Lock, we walk into town for dinner at an English Pub. Today we rose a total of 149 vertical feet.
July 19, 2015
We decide to leave the wall early. We have about a 5 mile ride to the next lock, #27, Youngs Point and we would like to catch the first lock opening at 9:00 am. We continue on the Otonabee River through a narrow section of a marked channel into Lake Katchewanooka, which is the first of the Kawartha Lakes, until we reach the Youngs Point Lock, #27. We are early, but there is a large houseboat waiting on the port side wall. This is a rental boat from Happy Day Houseboats, a rental company popular with the Canadians. By 8:30, several more boats have arrived as well. Just before 9:00, the lock master lets us know that the houseboat will enter first on the port side and then the rest of us will load. The operation goes off without a hitch. When we leave the lock, we also leave Lake Kachewanooka and enter Clear Lake which is 5 miles long and .5-mile wide. It is in this area that we pass through Hells Gate. If you are familiar with the Hell Gate on New York City's East River, rest assured, this Hells Gate is nothing like that. The one in NYC has strong tides and currents which are often intensified by the wind and make passage challenging. The Hell Gate after lock #27, is so named due to its very narrow, twisting channel. We stay in the well-marked channel and are treated to some of the most spectacular scenery of our trip. Unfortunately, the day is a bit overcast and my photos do not do the area justice.
 |
| Locking with houseboats and others |
 |
| Traveling in Hells Gate |
 |
| Beautiful Scenery |
 |
| Water, Trees, Rocks |
 |
| Island Church in Hells Gate |
 |
| The Beauty Continues |
 |
| Jet Skiers in Hells Gate |
After about 8-miles, we reach the Burleigh Falls Lock #28 and continue through it for another mile or so until we reach Lovesick, lock #30. (There is no lock #29). Lovesick Lake is named for an Indian boy spurred by a redheaded Irish girl. This lock is unique in that it is an island amid a dam and four spillways and is only accessible by boat. It is situated between two islands with access to the 200-acre Wolf Island Provincial Park walking trails and it is a popular overnight mooring place.
 |
Lovesick Lock #30
Situated on an island |
We do not stay at this lock, but continue to lock #31, Buckhorn. We have arranged to have our mail sent to the Buckhorn Yacht Habour Marina and are going to take a slip for the night. We will have AC and electricity. A welcome change since the heat and humidity have been fairly brutal the last few days. Today we only rose 46 vertical feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment