Tuesday August 18: Trenton - 90 miles, 19 locks, 2 days

We're not sure where the heat is coming from but enough!! It's been in the 80's and 90's for the past several days. I thought August was supposed to be more moderate in temperature - guess I was wrong.

After fueling up at the Peterborough marina yesterday (along with breakfast at Jack's :-)), off we went. The goal was to make it to Campbellford - 60 miles and 7 locks away. Slow start: the lock personnel were occupied managing the dam at the first lock at Scotts Mills just south of Peterborough. Which of course is really their primary job. The lock is secondary.

So it was 11:00 until we we were able to actually get going and we quickly did the math and decided if there was any hope of making it to Campbellford, it was time for some cruising. I have to say that traveling at 20 mph instead of our usual 8 mph is rather nice!

The really only eventful happening of the day was the almost heart attack I had when the water behind us started overflowing the lock gates - as in Niagara Falls!

I should have done a video....

So I'm trying to figure my escape route (I always have one - especially when we go up or down in the liftlock) and decided there wasn't one. Stay with the boat because it floats, right?

The lock personnel acted like this happens all the time - perhaps it does. Scary nonetheless!


We made it to through the seventh lock at Campbellford with 20 minutes to spare - not bad but what a long 6 hours.

First order of business: a shower and getting cleaned up - then dinner.

Then a short evening. Back at it this morning with a leave time of 8 am. The plan was to move the mile down the canal to the blue line - eat breakfast and catch every one of the next 12 locks with no wait time. Right.

There was again no wind at this time of the day and the ride to the lock is a very nice waterway with a Rotary Trail on either side.

We've ridden bikes here many times (to the Raney Falls suspension bridge.

All went according to plan. Surprising we were the only boat that went down in the first lock of the day. Which was weird given that the docks at Campbellford were as full as we've ever seen them.

Good for us though. Locking through alone is way easier(and faster) than locking through with a group of boats.

This first lock is a double flight lock - somehow I can never resist taking pictures of these locks - the engineering is just amazing!

Once out of the lock and looking back, it's easier to have an appreciation for how huge this lock is.

As the day progressed, the temperatures went even higher - especially in the sun.

Steve had his own solution for that ...

and it worked great :-)

I was lucky to be the aft line person - a nice canvas over my head all day. Thanks to Steve for being willing to be the front line person through these 12 locks :-)

The locks are most impressive from the lower end - dam on one side and lock on the other.

At the end of the day, we sailed through EVERY lock! Each one was either open and waiting for us or there was a boat coming up and the lock opened without any need to tie up and wait.

We were SO HAPPY to see Lock 1!

Fast trip but now we're in and settled at the new marina in Trenton. Very impressive for sure.

Tomorrow: pick up a rental car and drive to Parry Sound to visit Jim and Linda (Symmetry II) and Peter and Cheryl on Deja Vu. Only way we'll see them this summer .... should be a great 2 days :-)