Saturday August 24: Severn Falls - Saved by Peter and Cheryl!

This is not a picture I ever wanted to take or see on the blog. As much as I don't necessarily like the spotlight on the anchor platform, it did have its uses.

Lesson learned: when you have an engine that might die coming into the dock, let the folks on the dock know it so they can catch the boat when the engine does indeed quit running - at just the worst time.

As it was, I rammed the boat in front of us (funny how without a running engine a boat has no brakes), bent the light back and did a small chip to the fiberglass of the boat in front. They were not on their boat .... and were so nice when they returned. No problem, they said, as he used an epoxy to glue the small chip down. It was an older boat similar in age to ours so no big deal they said.

And it had started out as such a nice day. Traveling along the Severn River with its banks of trees and granite was a pleasure. For the first time in 2 months we really didn't care WHAT the wind was going to do as the waterways are so narrow and protected.





We passed the biggest slide at one of the large homes on the shoreline - it can't be called a cottage. Guess the size of the slide should match the side of the home, right?

The engine started acting up about 4 miles out of Port Severn - one fourth of the way to our intended destination of Swift Rapids. One of the two locks on the system with no road access - lockmasters come to work by boat.

Seemed like water in the gas. No problem. Added enough dry gas to the fuel - should solve the problem.

But didn't. So we continued on to Big Chute - which is always fun. And for the first time we were in the front of the car for the ride up and over the hill. You can see the two sets of tracks (inner and outer for the front and rear wheels) that keep the car level as it moves up the hill).

It's fun when you finally reach the top and see the other side.

As we left the railway car it was difficult to get the engine running again so the decision to stop here was an easy one.

Then the docking fiasco occurred - enough about that.

Steve checked the spark plugs, cleaning most of them up and tightening one that was quite loose.

Dare we continue on?

The only way to check the engine was to actually go out and try it, so off we went.

Seemed to be much better .... or was it really?

Nope - not really. So we stopped 4 miles farther at Severn Falls. Good place to spend the night and continue checking for the real problem.

We weren't really worried yet - we carry spare parts, right? So after we determined it was the distributor cap that was the issue it took about 15 minutes to swap it out with our spare (which was used but still in ok condition - or so we thought). Start the engine - strange noise. A rhythmic clicking. Like the rotor inside the distributor hitting something. Mmmmm ..... it didn't make sense. We need a new distributor cap.

Call the marina at Big Chute - bike ride away at 4 miles. Sorry, they had just used the last one they had but could have one Tuesday. Three days. Time to call Peter and Cheryl - can they get a cap and drive it to us??

Can and will do but not until tomorrow as the part needed to be ordered. Sounded very good to us :-)

The entertainment for the evening at Severn Falls was watching the loading (or rather repeated attempt at loading) a large barbecue onto a flat barge. After numerous attempts, success was had!

And at 9 am the next day, a tap on our window. Peter and Cheryl with our distributor cap!

Sadly my picture of Cheryl holding the sign on the left didn't come out but Steve did give her a tip: you should get friends that aren't so needy!

Seriously, though, how generous of them. Severn Falls was more than an hour drive to speak nothing of the time to pick up the part itself.

And they hung around to make sure it would work. Somehow I have a feeling we're going to hear about this for a long time......

Shortly after we were on our way. Severn Falls was always an ice cream stop when we traveled through here when the kids were small.

I don't think it has changed at all!

Destination: Orillia.