Wednesday June 27: Lakefield

We left the Peterborough marina Sunday morning amid cool air and overcast skies - with the promise of sun later in the day.

It was a long trip of 1 mile :-) Having spent a week at the marina (mostly for the trip back to Ohio) it was time to leave.

A weekly rate at a marina is typically quite a bit less than the daily rate so we made the most of being in town for 7 days. The preferred place for us though is on the lock wall below Lock 20. Nice bright sunshine for most of the afternoon kept our solar panels producing at max output.

After we tied up, the lock personnel told us they couldn't lock us through for another hour or so (which we didn't want to do anyway!) because there was an "event" at the liftlock.

How many canoes can fit into the liftlock at one time? Seemed like something we should check out and it was just a short bike ride above the lock to the liftlock.

No disappointment there!! Lots of canoes and kayaks but apparently last year was the real record breaker. Check out the pictures from last year by clicking here.



The really fun part was when the group started turning around to go back into the liftlock - mass chaos!

There was a drone around as well (we're thinking it was for a news feed or something). Fun to see though. Maybe it would be fun to have one of these!

Finally on Monday the sun was back with still cool air.

There are 5 more locks to go until we reach Lakefield so we decided to stop at the 4th lock. Not a long day but this gave us time to enjoy the day.

Steve of course tried his luck at fishing - no catching :-) Plus a bike ride on a very nice bike path that runs along the canal.

Dinner and breakfast ashore is always enjoyable :-) This really cool boat went by - wood for sure. The captain told us it was custom built in 1937. Notice the guy driving has his head sticking out of a hatch in the roof!!

On to Lakefield on Tuesday. This time at the lock. Since we have a mooring pass, it's at no cost (at least it seems like it except the pass for the season was a cost of about $250 but the  more we use it the less cost per use :-) )

Rain was due in Wed so we were up early and moved on to the Lakefield Marina. Just a not very nice day and definitely a good day to have power :-)

I hunkered down in the boat but Steve braved the chance of rain (making it back just in time!) and rode around the bike path. It leads around the campground across from the marina and past the marsh area that provides a wonderful area for the wildlife in the area.


Strangest and most interesting thing today? A travel trailer with a loft!!! Want a tour? Click here.

Other interesting history of the area were the steamboats that used to leave from Lakefield and the gentleman that made canoes and paddles here in Lakefield. Note that he built his last canoe when he was 99 years old!

Wednesday June 20: To Ohio and Back

Uncle Leo on Yesterday's Dream - fishing in Lake Erie

My uncle on my Mom's side had not been doing very well for the past month and we knew it was just a matter of time.

We had been able to stop and see him about a month ago - knowing that we would not see him again.

Uncle Leo was a great guy. He told us his father, my grandfather, always said "Nothing beats fun!" And therefore Leo was always about having fun. He joined us a number of years ago on Yesterday's Dream to do some perch fishing on Lake Erie.

So after receiving a call from my brother Tom, last Thursday, we made arrangements to drive back to Ohio for his funeral. One good thing about funerals is that it's about the only time our rather large extended family is in one place.

My grandparents had 5 kids (actually 7 - 6 girls and 1 boy but two of the girls died as young children). These 5 kids produced 24 grandchildren and I have no idea of how many great-grandchildren! The point is that I had a lot of cousins :-) Very different than today. (Our children have only 8 cousins.)

I saw cousins that I hadn't seen for 4 years - 2014 - the summer my mom and her sister both died. The memories shared at these gatherings are precious. It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the wonderful accomplishments and lives of those who have passed on. At this gathering we learned something we never heard before. Uncle Leo told his kids, "Never say Good Bye. It is too permanent. Always say "See you soon." Or "Until we see you again." So to Uncle Leo we say, "See you again, save a nice place for us."

Friday June 15: On to Peterborough!

After spending one night at Young's Point and then a night at the Lakefield Marina, it was time to continue south.

Lakefield is always a nice stop and it was great to have a 'regular' shower. Which means all the hot water you want and no clean-up afterwards!

Don't get me wrong - the shower on Guppy is fine and great but it's just not like a land shower :-)

So after breakfast we headed out for the 8 lock trip to Peterborough. On the way out of Lakefield we saw what looked like a 1950's (?) Ford truck permanently attached to a couple of pontoons! Not at all sure what that was about :-) This is maybe something my brother Pat should think about doing with his old truck!

We really don't look forward to the trip today. Fortunately it wasn't terribly hot as traveling through the locks on a hot day is just miserable.

Turned out to be a great trip though with most locks open and waiting for us. The lockmasters communicate with each other to help keep the boat traffic moving through the system.

Of the 8 locks we'll go through today, one is the liftlock at Peterborough. Always fun. One is at Lakefield - which is electric. The rest of the 6 locks are hand operated (historic reasons) and are of course much slower than the electrically operated locks.

The view from the top of the liftlock is impressive as always. This is the highest lift on the system - 65 feet.

For more info on this lock, click here.

One more lock to go and we are set for the night! We'll spend a couple of nights at the bottom of the next lock. It's an easy bike ride into town (well, except for one awful hill) and since our dockage is covered with our seasonal mooring pass, it seemed to make sense.

The guy fishing near us was quite interesting. He and his wife were from Barrie (about an hour or so away) and they love fishing for carp here.

Steve now knows how to catch carp (assuming he'd want to do this!) with a single kernel of corn. I can't remember how much this one weighted - maybe 15 lbs?? Anyway, he just enjoys the catch - and then tosses the fish back in after weighing it.

He said it was the perfect way to spend the day: just he and his wife - no kids, no grandkids - fishing for carp :-)

As we were getting ready to leave Sunday and move to the Peterborough Marina for a week, the Kawartha Voyager approached - with the nose of the boat folded up so it would fit into the lock.




It's really quite impressive to see this cruise ship move through the Trent Canal system.

Finally - time to head out to the Peterborough with it's wonderful fountain in Little Lake!

Talk about ducks in a row - guess it could also be said of the geese!

And turtles as well!

Wednesday June 13: Young's Point and the Storm

Steve fished on the way across Pigeon Lake - with very little success.

So if he couldn't fish, then he might as well kayak and LOOK for fish!

That didn't work either so we pulled anchor and continued into Buckhorn Lake (connected by Gannon Narrows and it's new bridge).


Just a few miles after the narrows we pulled up to an island that actually belongs to the First Nations (click here for info on the First Nations) so no cottages or anything else on it.


The fishing was GREAT! Steve caught half dozen perch - 3 of then the largest he's caught up here in years.

Very nice pancake breaded deep fried fish :-)

Loons were around - both during the evening and at night. They are always fun to hear calling.


A nice sunset and a wind that calmed through the night. Perfect :-)

We pulled into Buckhorn about 2 pm Sunday afternoon and managed to land a spot with power. Lunchtime is always busy here and with the coming and going of runabouts, it's sometimes can be hard to find a length of dock to fit even Guppy - a relatively small cruiser of 28'.

Looks like a place to be for a couple of days!
In other words, time for another project with a hardware store relatively close by.

Also close by is of course another favorite: the Cody Inn - great Chinese restaurant.

And the place where we spent one night on our honeymoon back in 1971 - the year it opened as an Inn (which it no longer is). Quite an interesting night as the bathrooms were in the hallway - men's and women's. But it was so nice considering we were traveling on a ski barge - with no cabin :-) What can I say? Just out of college and no money :-)

Loved the ad for the local grocery store. Up a long hill. Steve does a great job riding where-ever to keep the boat stocked up. Maybe Wimpy could  eat this .... and if you don't know who Wimpy is, think Popeye or click here.

So the project was to add a shelf to the cupboard where Steve keeps pots, pans, crackers, misc - all just kind of thrown in. Sadly I didn't take a totally before picture - just one of the mess mid-project.

We both had our jobs. Steve's was to get the wood we needed.

Mine was to sit on the board while he cut it to the appropriate length :-)

It was great having a picnic table on which to work almost as good as a workbench!

The end result was a much better organized space with room with way easier access to the cooking equipment.

Definitely a win-win for all concerned :-)


Tuesday morning was another great day as we went through the lock and on to Lovesick Lock (all of 6 miles!)


Staying at the bottom was nice because the wind had really picked up. Steve set up the solar panels to take advantage of the clear sky.

The panels have worked well for us. They provide enough power to keep the 110 fridge running all of the time. Traveling recharges the batteries - or we run the generator if need be (especially if we travel short distances and are without power for a couple of days.)

There was fishing at the dam but not catching of anything keepable. Bass season doesn't open for a couple of weeks yet.

Dinner was on the Coleman which is always enjoyable.

Quiet night. Off the next morning to Burleigh Falls for another breakfast favorite.



It was a bike ride away and a bit chilly but no rain. And the ride is nice as we pass over the actual falls that runs under the highway.

With no improvement in the weather we cruised the remaining 12 miles and pulled in Young's Point lock - staying on the bottom side as to be out of the worst of the wind.

The storms started rolling through a couple of hours after we were settled. Lots of rain, lightening, thunder and hail! We were glad to be where we were .......

Steve was out seeking out the wildlife in the area and came across more squirrels.

And more baby geese of course!

Saturday June 9: Pigeon Lake

Since arriving in Ontario late May, we've traveled 132 miles on the Trent Canal System. With the exception of Lake Simcoe - which can be quite nasty - is pleasant travel even in the windiest of weather. Except of course when it's raining!

The ice cream store overlooking the lock is still here - along with the much loved tiger-tail ice cream (orange with licorice stripes). Very busy place on a hot day.

Stokes on Trent jewelry store is still here but is now converted to a quilt store. The signs on the building are still there but the business officially closed in fall of 2017 after 66 years of being in business in Fenelon. Word has it that my Grandma Drouhard purchased several cups and saucers there in the 1950's for her collection. Time moves on ......

The wall above the locks at Fenelon Falls has both power and water and is thus a sought after dock space - especially with poor weather in the forecast.

We passed by the falls on the way out of town - half of the water of the falls being diverted to the power plant.

The winding natural river heads east and south to the opening to Sturgeon Lake which will take us to Bobcaygeon.

It ended up being a really nice day even though it was still a bit cool. This small town is the location of the very first lock built on the canal in 18??. It continues to be one of our favorites.

On a Sunday afternoon it can be a wonderful day of boat and people watching - especially if it's a windy day and the houseboats are out and about! Fortunately we were off again on Saturday and headed out onto Pigeon and Buckhorn Lakes.

But first it was time to hook up the new anchor light so Steve first tackled the wiring for the light behind the instrument panel (which is in the bathroom) as the newly installed light did not turn on!




Problem solved fairly quickly and the new Canadian flag went up as well. Because Guppy is registered in Ontario, the Canadian flag is to be flown at the most prominent position on the boat - in our case, on the flybridge radar arch.

One quick job I did was to renew the instrument panel on the flybridge. The sun really dries up the plastic and bleaches it out. So the trick we learned from Cheryl (on Surona) was to use WD-40 on it!



What an amazing difference! Now if I can just remember to put another coat or two on it :-)


This little guy was on the rock next to the boat. Seems it liked the blossoms falling  from the trees.

I know they are rodents but chipmunks are SO cute :-)

We were calmly traveling along Pigeon Lake on a beautiful Saturday afternoon when we were buzzed by 20 or so jet skiers out for a cruise!

Not sure where they were headed but we didn't see them come back. Mostly guys - maybe just out for a weekend run! Definitely had a great day for  it.

Most interesting thing for the day? The boat that was - not sure what! Traveling in disguise perhaps?

Maybe hauling back a bunch of broken off reeds for who knows what?

Very strange - but sure made me wonder!

Nice day with low winds - perhaps we'll just stop and anchor behind an island ......