Trent Severn Waterway - Finally

One of the narrow and shallow through ways on the Northern end of the Trent Severn Waterway. 

We had been anticipating the Trent Severn Waterway for years. This was on of the Looper legs that Mike researched the most. It’s well-known among Loopers and people in the area for its scenic, rural waterways and three unusual lifts. 

Here’s our route from June 30 - July 11. My Nebo app skipped a few legs, so you’ll have to imagine some squiggly lines connecting the whole route. It’s a winding route—that’s for sure. We wound through dredged canals and (mostly) narrow lakes.

LOWER TRENT SEVERN WATERWAY

Our start to the Trent Severn Waterway(1) was at Quinte West, Ontario, at the Trent Port Marina. We were a bit surprised that twenty-one other Looper boats were bootle-necked there as well. Almost all planned to stay there through the Canada Day long weekend.(2) In addition to an air show, there were many reasons to linger. The dock was well-kept, the washers and dryers were free, there was a bank of sparkling clean, private shower rooms, and the local Harbor Host(3) organized happy hours and encouraged camaraderie.  

We decided to forego the festivities and push on before the crowd of Loopers took off. We had a deadline: our wonderful neighbors at Decourcy Island, Kathy and Dave Yardley, were coming to visit a week away. (It turns out it was too cloudy for the planned air show, so ultimately, we didn't miss much.)

So, on Saturday morning, as we filled the fuel tank and had a pump out, our anticipation ran high. 

Here we approach the arched bridge sign announcing the scenic Trent Severn Waterway. The helpful Harbor Host emailed this to us.

Much like the Erie Canal, we didn't know where we'd end that night. We didn't know how long it would take to go through locks and how often we'd have to motor at no-wake speed.(4) Less than a mile up the waterway, there was a waste dump off to starboard! That's certainly not what we were expecting. We had faith it would get better. 

We found the Trent Severn locks in the Southernly portion to be more intimate than the Erie Canal locks. They held about two Looper boats each. We noticed many of the lockkeepers were college students who seemed to be paired with a more experienced lockkeeper. 

Here’s a pic I downloaded from the Internet. At nearly all the locks, the cheerful, uniform-wearing  lockkeepers manually opened and closed the lock doors by pushing these metal levers round and round. We did so little work compared to them.  

We rekindled the routine we set during the Erie and Oswego Canals. After I did my part and tied up the stern line followed by the bow line onto cables hanging on the wall, I would sit at the bow to watch my line, and the mind-numbing walls, as the lock filled with water, raising us to the next leg of the waterway. Mike did his part by shutting off the engines and descending from the flybridge to watch the stern line. 

In lock after lock, Mike's patience in answering the same questions over and over impressed me.(5) Like Mike, the locals and lockkeepers were warm and talkative. They were also helpful. They would notify their kindred ahead of our timing and tell us if lock walls(6) were full or available for the night. It seems like each lockkeeper encouraged us to visit ”my favorite ice cream store just up in the next town." 

The locks were cheery with brightly planted flower boxes and fresh-looking paint. Many were surrounded by green lawns and picnic benches. Some locks seemed like a central gathering place in the small communities. In fact, many locks split lively towns in two. When the lock gates were closed, pedestrians walked back and forth across these narrow, temporary bridges.  

This lower part of the Trent Severn Waterway reminded us of the Erie Canal. It was lush, green, and often rural. How it differed was at the points where the dredged canal became a wider river. Some spots could almost be confused with Florida's Intracoastal Waterway with marshes and low-lying land. 

As we moved predominately Northwest, we saw many modest homes and RV camps among the fir trees (white pines). In turn, after turn, we saw happy, family-friendly scenes. Children, standing in knee-deep water would turn as we passed and pump out the "honk your horn" sign. Their little fists rose in the air and pulled down an imaginary train whistle. We obliged, where it made sense, just to see them cheer and clap. All was good in the world. 

A consistent sight: bright red and orange Adirondack chairs populated most docks and porches in front of beautiful cottages like this one. Can you see the funny extra large Adirondack chair here on the right? I think they won the chair-on-the-deck contest.

This was a holiday week for Canadians. The hamlets and islets were full of lake boaters and revelers. We saw every possible way people enjoy calm, fresh lake water: slides, diving boards, rope swings, jumpy platforms, and floating platforms. We saw old-school water skiers, giggling kids being pulled by wake boats and slews of personal watercraft (e.g. Sea-dos). There was a general friendly, unpretentious vibe along this waterway. 

Another cottage with kayaks, Sea-Dos and play toys.

A huge water trampoline waited for jumping kids in front of this huge waterfront yard.

Our favorite innovation was a floating deck with a large hole in the center. A lowered table covered the hole. People sat across from one another with their feet dangling in the water! As I cut/pasted this I noticed that the guy on the left was waving to us. A belated “hi” backatcha!

I mentioned earlier that there were three unusual locks. Two of them were hydraulic lift locks like the one we approached in this picture. We realized as we arrived that the reason for this type of “elevator up!” lift was because it was a huge leap to the next waterway—fifty feet high. You can see ahead of us a canoe filled with elementary school kids at a day camp. We shared the lock ride with them. I think the thrill was lost by the kids—but the leaders seemed to enjoy it. 

Here was my view of the lock after we snuggled in. Very high, intimidating wall. It turned out to be one of the fastest lock raises we experienced. 

UPPER TRENT SEVERN WATERWAY

As we approached the top end of the Trent Severn Waterway, shallow waters, reminiscent of the ICW in North Carolina, increased our anxiety. We had heard and read of other Loopers just a day or two ahead of us hitting rocks or logs and needing new propellers. Mike was tired of yet another dangerously shallow area and so he devised a clever alternative: we would turn off the engines and push the boat with our dinghy. This way, if our boat hit bottom at the propellers, they would not be turning and minimize damage. So we did this for a few miles. It worked well and we did not hit bottom. I got to see the pretty shore at water level! 

Here’s one of the shallow waterways that followed a lock. Notice it was too narrow for two boats to pass! Before entering, boats announced they are transiting to prevent others from entering on the opposite end. 

Around the time we hit Lock 40 we heard that a swinging railroad bridge before Lock 44 broke. There was no dependable estimate of when the rail company would be able to fix it! The lockkeeper advised us to stay at Port of Orillia, the closest marina before the breakdown. Unfortunately, we had to inform our upcoming guests that we were behind schedule--and we didn't know when we'd be able to pass through the bridge. 

Day after day we Loopers shared rumors about what we learned about the progress of fixing the bridge. Luckily, there was a great grocery store just across the street, restaurants nearby, and the marina was yet another well-maintained facility with free laundry and spiffy showers. We also made new Looper friends and learned a new card game: Hand and Foot. 

Orillia was a good place to endure the remnants of Hurricane Beryl as well. The sky opened and a lot of rain fell while we were in Orillia. The biggest challenge this created was dashing to and from the free laundromat with clean, dry laundry! 

After five days, the Trent Severn Waterway Facebook page announced the bridge was fixed! We got up quite early the next morning to beat the dozen or so fellow Loopers at Port of Orillia. As we passed the workers at the swinging bridge, we Loopers did happy dance celebrations. We waved and yelled our thanks.

Later that day we arranged to meet Kathy and Dave at the second to last, and most famous, lock on the Trent Severn Waterway. Lock 44 "Big Chute," which was the railway lock. Even after reading directions and looking at YouTube videos, we weren't sure what to expect and what we needed to do. 

Like most confusing events in life, we showed up, and when our turn came, we went forward. On command, we turned over operations to a lockkeeper crew on the haulout-on-rails, stayed on the boat, and carefully watched the procedure. They placed us in a sling--just like the slings boat haulout operations use. Here, they even used an underwater camera that would ensure they would not pinch or hit our precious stabilizers. 

As the platform raised us out of the water, we felt that Sacagawea's weight was partially on her keel and saw her stern perched way off the platform. The senior lockkeeper assured us that it was all standard procedure. A Looper friend captured this moment for us here.

For a few tense minutes, we moved ever-so-slowly along the rails, over a two-lane road, and gently placed bow-first back into the water on the other side. Mike piloted us over to a concrete side to tie up. It seemed we survived without a scratch.

In short order, we were pleased to find Kathy and Dave at this meeting point and loaded their belongings on board. It was great to see familiar faces.

REFLECTION ON THE TRENT SEVERN WATERWAY

We knew Kathy and Dave would be great passengers because they were world-class sailors. Even though we had just one more lock on the Trent Severn, they grabbed lines without missing a beat.(7) 

Exiting the Trent Severn Waterway was like releasing a breath. Once again, we could navigate in any direction and not stick to a dredged channel!

I'd say the Trent Severn Waterway delivered as promised. It was a lovely and cheerful cruise. There were lots of cabins to admire. The narrow lakes we went through were cute with small islets, fresh-smelling pine trees, and green waters. The lockkeepers were professional and smoothed the way for us. The waterway was certainly a Canadian treasure. 

We also thought much of it reminded us of the best of the Erie Canal, as I mentioned above. Similarly, we appreciated the many free concrete walls to tie up each night and lots of Loopers to meet there. However, we were not prepared to endure nail-biting for many miles of treacherous skinny water. 

See video here of one of the narrow, “skinny” waterways. Note the depth sounder reads “2.5 feet.” That’s the space between our boat bottom and the canal bottom. We started to consider that a good depth! You can see Mike looking back and forth between the road ahead and a secondary depth reading on an instrument to his right.

PARRY SOUND AT GEORGIAN BAY

We stopped first to provision in a nice little town in the Southernmost part of the Georgian Bay, Midland. The next morning with the fridge full, and a refreshing pump out, we were off to anchorages to be discovered! 

It was a great crew and day to celebrate my birthday! They brought me chocolate cake, which was decadent and just what I needed. 

There are perhaps hundreds of anchorages along Georgian Bay. Locals call it the 30,000 Islands (a play, perhaps, on the 1,000 Islands area we recently putzed around in). We gunkholed with Kathy and Dave for a few days around Parry Sound, an afternoon’s cruise North from the Severn exit. 

One of my favorite sights was an American Beaver! This was a first for me. As it climbed briefly out of the water we noticed its glistening, black pelt and basketball-type roundness. It was much larger—like a large dog—than I expected. We soon were seeing beaver dens in every cove. But we didn’t see a beaver out of water like that since.  

Too soon (because we had a shorter time together than planned) we had to return Kathy and Dave back to their life on land. We couldn’t help ourselves; we four often compared this part of Georgian Bay to the Gulf Islands in British Columbia. It sounded like Kathy and Dave plan to return to do their own boating. 

We did a hike here through Killbear Provincial Park. I think this photo deserved an extra large size. It was not posed! Notice the famous (?) white pines next to Kathy that always sweep to the East.

Modern art? Or ancient rock that look like art? All the rocks were still pink and green in this region. I learned they are part of the Niagara Escarpment. 

FOOTNOTES FOR FUN FACT FANS

(1) This link has an its own link on the lower right side to a cool Google Earth tour of the Trent Severn Waterway. If you have used Google Earth before, you may want to try it. 

(2) Canada Day, according to Wikipedia: "celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the British North America Act, 1867, when the three separate colonies of the United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were united into a single dominion within the British Empire called Canada."

(3) We were impressed with the Harbor Host's PDF guide of the area. It was twenty-eight pages full of essential and nonessential information. We used it occasionally for the phone numbers for some of the locks. Mike asked the Host about their travels through the Waterway. It turns out they had never gone all the way through. We couldn't understand why.

(4) Sometimes there were official "No Wake" signs at beach parks, established docks, or under bridges. Other times there are simply private docks in front of homes with small boats in the water. In both cases, we pass by at about five MPH. 

(5) Questions: Did you come all the way from Seattle? Where do you live? Where did you start The Loop? Where are you going? How long is your boat? What kind of boat is it? How can you do this? 

Statements: I really want to do what you are doing someday. (Note: Gleam in eye.) 

(6) Most of the locks were ringed by concrete walls and sidewalks. They had bollards to tie to. Most did not offer power or fresh water. However, they were free. They were a great way to meet new Looper boat buddies; we exchanged stories and relaxed together in the evenings. 

(7) We went through 44 locks on the Trent Severn Waterway. The last lock is called "45," but one of the locks along the way was dismantled some time back. It took us twenty days to complete it. This includes four unplanned days in Orilla. It's 250 miles (386 kilometers) long. At Quinte West, the elevation was 241 feet. We go uphill via locks to reach 841 feet elevation, then travel downhill via locks to end up at 578 feet elevation. Most days we were on the boat from about mid-morning to late afternoon, often moving at no-wake speed or in a waiting game, at lock walls, or going up/down in the lock.