The Rideau Canal from Ottawa to Kingston, Ontario

June 27 - July 5, 2002 - The Rideau Canal from Ottawa to Kingston,Ontario

JOURNEY THROUGH THE RIDEAU CANAL WITH THE VOSSLERS

After our lovely stay in Ottawa, Bill and I were up early to start our trip along the Rideau Canal and Joanne and Bert Vossler were along as willing helpers. This will be a real experience as there are 47 locks to go through and it's great to have the company.

Just a bit about why the canal was built. It was built between the years of 1826 and 1832 under the direction of Lieutenant-Colonel John By and the Royal Engineers. It is North America's oldest continuously operating canal and it links Ottawa, Canada's national capital, with the historic city of Kingston on Lake Ontario and was named a National Historic Site in 1967. It was built to defend against an American invasion on the St. Lawrence River. Of course this invasion never happened, but the British wanted the security of an inland water route to Kingston to get supplies and gunboats from Montreal to Kingston. Commercial vessels used the canal for a few years for towing timber and goods, but soon the St Lawrence became more easily navigated and by 1875 railroads were carrying most of the commercial traffic. It was used for a time to ship coal but soon they discovered it was cheaper to ship by train. And so the Rideau has become a recreational boater and fishing haven. The lock stations haven't changed since the early times and they are still manually operated and are run by Parks Canada.

Now, for the journey. The first lock was right in Ottawa and consisted of 8 stair step locks right in a row. We were told to go over and wait on the Blue Line for the lock to open at 8:30. When we arrived there we could see that the Blue Line was under water. The locks had been very recently closed for nearly two weeks due to high water, but we were told that they were all open now. So I telephoned the lock and they advised us to tie up in the lock and wait there. Then I called the Pretoria Bridge to find out when they would be open as I heard that they have strange hours. They said they will open at 9:00 and close for lunch from 12:30 to 1:15. Hopefully that schedule will fit our needs, if we ever get started. When we got into the lock we tied our line on the stern and the bow to a rubber coated cable coming down from the side of the lock and we held on. Typically, I was on the bow getting the line around the cable while Joanne manned the boat hook to fend us off and Bert and Bill were at the stern, Bert hanging onto the line and Captain Bill starting and stopping the boat as required. It took us an hour and a half to get through the first set of locks, and we had been gone from our marina for 3 hours, when we looked back and could still the marina. Weird.

After we left the locks, we passed under the Pretoria Bridge and were on our way. It was a very unusual bridge, as it is a lift bridge that lifts straight up and there are only 2 in the country like it.

The canal is very interesting and beautiful. Actually they ice skate on it all winter. It is probably the world's longest ice rink. We traveled through 16 locks today and arrived at Manotick and the Hurst Marina about 3:00 and were just docking when the heavens opened up and it blew and poured. Several fellows came running to help, and we had a real Chinese fire drill getting docked and we were all soaked through, but the good news is that we were safe and sound.

Friday June 28th we left Hurst Marina for Merrickville after Bill found out that the mail he was expecting hadn't arrived. How frustrating. Merrickville was an old, historic charming town and we tied up at the Government Wharf for the night that had electric and water and was free with our park sticker. The last locks today were 3 in a row and there were 6 boats in the lock together. It was a little tricky to maneuver but they are used to packing them in and very helpful. This day took 5 hours to go only 27 miles, but it had 7 locks. Very slow but interesting. Joanne and I looked at the shops and found the Famous bakery, the Round the Corner Bakeshop. There were many interesting looking restaurants and we chose one near the boat and Joanne and Bert took us out for a very nice dinner.

Saturday, June 29th. was a beautiful, warm day and we traveled to Smith Falls after Bill went to the bakery to get breakfast goodies and ice. We left about 8:45. We only planned to go 15 miles and do 7 more locks today, but we knew it was the Canada Day

Holiday, so anticipated lots of traffic at the locks. Smith Falls is known for it's Hershey Chocolate Factory, but it was too far from town, so we didn't get there, which was probably good, as I love chocolate and I don't need it. There are lots of fishermen out enjoying the pretty day and the still waters on their holiday. Smith Falls is the halfway point of the canal. We passed the Rideau Canal Museum, which is in a 19th century stone mill building. Smith Falls has 4 golf coursed and 200 acres of parkland and beaches.

Today 5 boats were with us in the locks. At one point one engine overheated and Bill had to shut things down to see what is the matter. He found out that an intake was clogged with the weeds that have accumulated all over while the locks were closed down due to high water. They count on the boat propellers cutting them down. He was able to clean them out and we were in business again.

Of course, Joanne and I had to hurry up and walk up to the town as soon as we got to Victoria Park, as we had heard that Smith Falls is a must stop. Well, both of us were very disappointed in the shops and didn't stay very long. We went back to the boat to relax and walked back to town for a fish and chips dinner at a local pub. The people on the boat next to us who were in the lock with us and who helped us dock in a VERY heavy current were a young couple named Rob and Joselyn. They were very nice and gave us a lot of local information. They came over to have a visit after we got back from dinner. Fun.

Sunday, June 30th we left Smith Falls for Westport. The next lock was right nearby, so we were over waiting at the blue line bright and early to lock through. By 9:00 we were through the first bridge and lock and on our way to the Poonamalie Lock, number 32, two miles ahead of us. Then through the marsh and very narrow cuts 17 miles to the Narrows Lock and then 5 miles to Westport.

The day started out sunny but turned cloudy and it looks like rain. When we were in the Narrows Lock and man on shore asked us where we were going and we said Westport for the night. He called over to a friend of his on a boat, "Conquest", in the lock with us and asked him to go ahead of us and see if there was any place for us to dock for the night and told us to listen on channel 68 for him to call us. Conquest did call us and said the town docks were very full, but to stand by. We had just decided to go on to the next lock, when he called us and said he had managed to rearrange some boats and to come in. We couldn't believe how helpful these people were. They were on the dock to help and welcome us. One boat even sent down Canadian pins for us to wear. After we settled in we walked to town, which was very nice and had tons of great little shops to browse in. We found a grocery store and bought a basket of stuff. When we tried to check out, we found out that they don't take Visa, so we left the goods and went to the boat to get cash. When we returned we found that the store had just closed and that the manager was just going to pay for our groceries so that the gals could settle their cash registers. What nice people.

While we were docking a man on a smaller Chris Craft admired the Rendezvous and came running over to buy it. He brought his wife over for a tour to see if he could have it. Of course, he would have to wait until our trip is over. We even told him we might even consider delivering it to Canada next year. Wonder if we'll even hear from him. ??? I doubt it, somehow. Wouldn't that be hoot if a boat could be sold that way.??

Monday, July 1 we went up to the cute little town for breakfast and left about 11:00 for the Newboro Lock, number 36, about 6 miles away. This is the busiest lock on the Rideau and is the highest point on the canal. At this lock we start dropping , we dropped 9 feet. We also had to remember that the markers reverse when we leave Newboro (red on the left and green on the right). The trip was lovely and very picturesque with many tiny islands with homes, cottages, boats and rafts.

Then off to Chaffey Lock where we would lock through and stay on the other side at the Opinicon Resort, which was highly recommended. When I called to get directions into their resort, they said they wouldn't recommend that we come in there as there was a cruiser hard aground there and to beware of the shallow water if you got out of the marked channel. Well, we did very carefully get in and it was a very beautiful spot. The boat that was aground finally got pulled off and docked in back of us. I guess he had been given bad information from someone on land and that was why he got into trouble.

We went to the Lodge for dinner. It was very much like Barothy Lodge, except that Barothy doesn't serve delicious meals.

Tuesday, July 2nd we VERY CAREFULLY left the Opinicon Resort. I think we were all holding our breath until we were well into the channel again. But skipper Bill did another fine job and floated over the waters safely. At the Davis Lock the Lockmaster said he would serve us breakfast for $100.00 U.S. We took a pass and ate our cereal and toast in between locks. It was an extremely hot day with horrible humidity, so by the time we got to the Jones Falls, s series of 4 in a row, we were ready to die of the heat. We were trying to decide where to stay for the night when we spotted the swimming pool at the Kenney Hotel right below the locks. These locks dropped us 60 feet. It was then that Joanne and I decided that we would stay there and get right into the pool, which is exactly what we did. It was way too hot to cook aboard so we ate at the hotel and it was delicious. Good Choice.

Wednesday July 3rd, we left Jones Falls for our last day on the locks and our trip into Kingston. It was beastly hot again and we had 7 more locks to go through. The last ones at Kingston Mills are 4 in a row again and we locked down with a whole lock full of boats (7) all sizes and shapes. We stopped at the Rideau Marina to see about getting the props fixed but they couldn't do it, but recommended a diver in Kingston. Bill and Joanne walked to town as soon as we got tied up at the Confederation Basin Marina to try to find the diver. They found him and Steve came over to the boat to see what we needed, and they arranged to do it in the morning. Bill and Bert took the boat over to a dock nearby where the divers could stand on the bottom and change the props. Joanne and I went shopping and then met them when all was fixed. I think Bill is relieved to have that job completed, so that we can be safely on our way in a day or so to the Trent-Severn Waterway and another 45 or so locks. I can't believe it. After the Vosslers left for the Kingston airport, Bill and I took a trolley tour of Kingston. Thanks to Joanne and Bert for sharing their summer and cruising with us - Fun. Thanks also to Steve and his group who carefully and quickly got the props replaced for us, and even took us over to the Yacht Club for a drink and a visit afterward. We really liked Kingston, but plan to cruise to Alexandria Bay and the Boldt Castle tomorrow to see part of the Thousand Islands before we hit the Trent-Severn.