It was Tuesday 7/26 and thankfully the Welland Canal was open and running well. The prior two days did not allow for any pleasure boat traffic to enter so we were worried all night that we would be laying over another day in Port Colbourne. We made the passage through with very little incident, with our only casualty being a fender we thought was tied to the stern rail that wasn't. We were traveling through with a 50' power boat and the 10-15 kt crosswinds gave him quite a bit of trouble throughout the day. The channel is rather narrow and has very little room to recover if you lose your steering, so the low speed between locks and the approach to the wall can be tricky for the higher profile boats. We managed to coast in and out of each lock pretty well. After the first few stops the maneuvering became pretty routine, and boring really. There are 8 locks between the Erie and Ontario Lakes. The first lock only adjust a few feet according to the current lake level, but the other 7 took us down 46 feet at a time. As the water is released from the lock, the boat just goes down with it. The canal workers provide each vessel with two lines attached to the shore. As you are lowered you have to hold that line through a cleat on the bow and stern and release them at about the same rate as the water level is going down. Too fast or too slow can make the boat move back and forth against the wall and will scuff your hull up. Just when we thought we had this day behind us, we arrived in the Weller Harbor at the north end of the canal. Lake Ontario was wild and windy, presenting 10+ ft waves and 20+ knot winds on the bow. We got pushed around a bit, and the engine had to work a little harder to get us out and around the rocky breakwall protecting the marina. It was a very long day and we were very relieved when we finally tied up in St Catherine's Marina that night. Not bad for a 12 hour day, eh?
We've since moved on from St Catherine's by way of Niagara-on-the-Lake, north to Colbourgh, past the Presq'ile Peninsula, Murray Channel into the Bay of Quinte, past Belleville, Deseronto, Picton, Bath, Collins Bay, North Channel waters and Kingston ON. We're now at the start of the St. Lawrence River and will begin navigating through the Thousand Islands tomorrow.
The coastline of northern Lake Ontario is beautiful. There are hundreds of miles of shoreline and small inlets everywhere you look. We've seen properties ranging from nothing more than a clearing with a tent, to acres with a mansion and private boat launch. It's really amazing how much more the Canadians have done on their shores than what we see in Lake Erie. If you're looking for a place to get away, this is one you should consider.
We've spent the last two nights just on the anchor, and tonight we're tied to a dock without power or water hook ups. Talk about roughing it....actually we're really enjoying it. With our fresh water tanks of 100 gallons, and the power plant(solar panels) Jim built on top of the bimini (lol), we don't need the support of a club or marina every day. We haven't established the threshold yet, but a few days at a time is great! I guess that if the diesel runs low, or the beer runs out, we'll go ashore :) We're already adjusting quickly to the change in our daily activity levels. We work very hard sometimes to physically get through the day, and not so much on other days. We are also feeling different about food. The frequency and quantities are very different. I'm sure we always ate 3 meals a day because that's what you're supposed to do. Now that we are away, we eat when we're ready. Ready has become a mid-morning brunch/snack and a modest dinner. This morning before we set off, we cooked a whole summer squash in the pressure cooker. This is an appliance I have no experience with but it was recommended that we have one since they are so efficient. It's 9p and the squash is still in there, depressurizing :) since the seal will keep it from spoiling until it's opened. I wonder if it's done? We aren't hungry as of yet so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.