Peterbourgh "Lift Lock" through the Kirkfield "Lift Lock"

July 15 - 18, 2002 - Peterbourgh "Lift Lock" through the Kirkfield "Lift Lock"

After our stay in Peterbourgh, we left early for the Viamede Resort on Stony Lake, which many people had recommended. Several boats were already waiting on the Blue Line to go through the lock, so we had to circle around and wait. We have 8 locks today before we get to the Viamede Resort. Seven of the locks are in just 91/2 miles. When we got to the Peterbourgh Lock we found out that the Lift Lock Activity Center and Museum is just beyond and that we had gone to the wrong museum on Saturday. What a bummer as we wasted all that time. We didn't know there were 2 museums. At least the mystery was solved. So we visited the museum and watched a movie about the Trent-Severn and got to the Lift Lock about 10:30. This hydraulic lock is the highest lift lock in the world and is very different from the other locks. The lock raises and lowers boats in two water-filled steel chambers. Each of the chambers is 140 feet long and holds about 228,000 imperial gallons weighing 1,700 tons. The two 71/2 foot chamber rams, each with a lifting reach of 65 feet, are connected in a closed water hydraulic system. Any movement of one chamber must force an equal and opposite movement of the other. To transfer the boats, the upper chamber is overbalanced by taking on an extra foot of water. When the valve connecting the hydraulic rams is opened, the heavier upper chamber travels downward, forcing the opposite chamber an equal distance upward. Quite amazing, for sure. I'm not sure if I quite understand it?????

We had a very tiring day, with all those locks and so many weeds causing us worries that when we arrived at the Viamede Resort, we were really ready to try to relax a bit. We were just getting settled in when John and Leslie, who we had met in Peterbourgh and who have a smaller Chris Craft, arrived and we invited them over to have cocktails and go up to the lodge for a nice dinner. As usual our cocktail HOUR ran over and by the time we were ready to have dinner, the restaurant had closed. So, what to do.??? We pooled our resources, Bill pulled some chicken breasts out of the freezer and defrosted them to grill and we had a LATE dinner on the Rendezvous. Turned out to be a fun evening. The resort is lovely and a great spot for a family vacation. Lots to do for the kids, while the adults relax

Tuesday, July 16th we slept in and went up to the Lodge for breakfast because we hadn't been up to see the facility the night before, and it is lovely. We said good-bye to John and Leslie and took off for Bobcaygeon at 10:30. It was another beautiful, sunny day. Almost too good to be true. The countryside sported rocks and granite and beautiful islands, big and small. Around the Buckhorn Lock, number 31, there was lots of activity with kids swimming off small docks on their islands. It will be 17 miles to Bobcaygeon and we are hoping to tie up at the wall above or below the lock for the night. We hear it's a very cute, but busy town, so we must explore. Well, when we arrived at the lock, it was as advertised - VERY BUSY. It was in a very narrow channel and there wasn't any room for us on the wall to stay overnight, so we tied up briefly to the Blue Line to see what might evolve next. Boats kept coming in behind us and we didn't know if they were going to lock through or stay, so if we had had to back out of there it would have been rather tricky. I had called a nearby marina to see if we could stay there, but they never called me back, so we didn't want to give them the satisfaction of calling them again. People have been so nice. Some boats that were tied to the overnight wall were just in town to shop or to get ice cream cones, came back and left, so we were able to move over there for the night. Finally, about 4:00 we were tied up, but while we were waiting, a women on shore was talking to me, and I asked if she lived there and she said yes. I asked her if there was a knit shop in town and she insisted on taking me up to meet her friend at the craft store, which she did. I just had a question about a blanket I am trying to knit. Problem solved. So very nice of her. We enjoyed the town very much, very cute, with lots of neat shops. When we got back from town, it was so nice on the deck, that Bill rode his bike back to town and brought back a pizza for dinner. We were running our generator, but didn't really feel like cooking as it was VERY HOT.

Wednesday, July 17 we left Bobcaygeon for the Kirkfield Lift Lock, where we thought we might stay for the night. It was 37 miles and 4 locks. We cruised through lakes and locks and then onto the Trent Canal, which was so narrow and shallow and weedy, that we almost held our breaths until we were out of there. We even touched bottom a couple of times, but we were going so slowly, it was o.k. I guess. Our depth sounder kept screaming at us. At the Fenelon Lock we were really packed in with a large tour boat, a houseboat, a big sailboat and a couple of run- abouts. Too many for our liking, but they motioned for us to proceed in. We have to trust that these lock tenders know what they are doing, but we would have preferred to wait for the next lock through. Fenelon looked like a cute town too and many people were watching the action at the locks and milling around.

After the Fenelon Lock the canal was shallow again and when we arrived at the Kirkfield Lift Lock the wind was blowing like crazy. We finally got tied up at the Blue Line and Bill jumped off the boat to talk to the lock people and find out what to do, as this is a different sort of lock also. It is similar to the Peterbourgh Lift Lock, but it's even more thrilling. The lift structure is not enclosed and you get the feeling of "hanging out there". We dropped about 49 feet and it was pretty scary and weird. The lock is the 2nd highest in North America and is where we begin our desent into Georgian Bay. The next part of the trip is down a canal to Lake Simcoe and the Trent drops more than 120 feet in just 12 miles. We will be doing all that tomorrow. Well maybe. Bill discovered something not working quite right when we got to the Kirkfield Lock, so when we got safely out of there we decided to go to the Sunset Cove Marina about 8 miles away for the night. He noticed that when he had to turn the engine on and off at each lock the key was stuck and it began causing problems with other things electrically and we smelled something. It was a good thing that we had decided to go to a marina nearby, as we got a mechanic to help him and sent the alternator to be replaced or fixed. So So So, long story short, we are staying here tomorrow to get it all sorted out. Frustrating, but we've been very lucky and the boat has worked fine, so a little delay won't matter much in the long run. Except that I'm getting a little anxious to get home, just like we all are when our vacation is almost over. We will see you all soon, I hope.