Saturday, July 19, 2014

Day 360 July 18 28 mi Trent Talbot Marina ON

Departure 8AM....51 degrees on the bridge this morning....Port engine worked well yesterday.....here is hoping for a good day as we have seven locks.


Fenelon Falls is a popular stop
 
 
Beautiful morning
 
 
Railroad Swing Bridge open
 
 
Cameron Lake is 2.5 miles where it re-enters a narrow canal at Lighthouse Point
 
 
Lock 35 Rosedale Mile 157.2 with a 4 foot lift
 
 
We have another boat in the lock
 
 
We are almost 160 miles from Trenton and this is the last lift lock.  Beyond this lock, Balsam Lake...the highest point in the system...is 598 feet in elevation above Trenton.
 
From here, it is a 260-foot elevation drop down to Georgian Bay.  This marks the highest point in the world that a boat can reach from the sea under its own power.
 
 
Rosedale
 
 
The waterway traverses Balsam Lake
 
 
Smooth as glass
 
 
It then enters another narrow Trent Canal at Laidlaw Point
 
The Trent Canal is a land cut through the Canadian Shield, a geological feature that covers half the country.  Depth 6 foot....Hold the center of the channel and do not exceed 5 MPH.....Slower is better
Do announce your entrance into the canal over VHF 16 if you are over 40 foot giving your beam.....We had a reply from a north bound boat telling no south bound boats were coming our way.....
 
 
Stay in the center Captain
 
 
I will watch the Starboard side Captain
 
 
Hope nothing comes our way
 
The narrow canal from Laidlaw Point runs for about 1.25 miles to Mitchell Lake.  The lake is manmade and has a narrow winding channel.  Honor the 10 MPH speed limit.
 
 
Shallow and weedy
 
 
End of the lake with a guard rail
 
 
More Trent Canal
 
 
Oh me....stay in the channel
 
 
Lock 36 Kirkfield Mile 169.4 with a 49 foot DROP
 
Lock 36 is the second highest lift lock in North America.  This is more thrilling than the trip up the Peterborough Lock.  The lift structure is not enclosed and you get more of a feeling of "hanging out there".  To make matters worse, if you are north bound and we are, you proceed out into a pan suspended nearly 5 stories in the air
 
 
We are in the very front
 
 
Here comes our buddy boat
 
 
Lock Tender
 
 
Gate up....we are ready to go
 
 
Coming down
 
 
Opposite pan going up
 
 
Past the lock, channel markers reverse for the downstream run
 
 
 
This is another manmade lake with shallow, extreme weed growth and many submerged dead heads in the canal
 
 
The picturesque, perfect half-circle arched bridge
Built in 1905 it is an historic engineering marvel
 
 
3 short blasts to open the swing bridge
 
 
They have been on the golf course...watch for the bombs
 
 
Nice golf course
 
 
Lovely homes in the area
 
 
One more swing bridge
 
 
Lock 37 Bolsover Mile 177 with a 22 foot drop
 
 
We are in rural Canada....no towns
 
 
Lock 38 Talbot Mile 178.1 with a 14 foot drop
 
 
Very isolated and without a public road to access the lock
 
 
Lock 39 Portage Mile 179.6 with a 13 foot drop
 
 
Lock 40 Thorah Mile 180.1 with a 14 foot drop
 
 
Lock 41 Gamebridge Mile 180.7 with a 10 foot drop
 
 
Our marina is at Mile 180.8...so we are close
 
 
Trent Talbot Marina....5 foot entrance
 
 
Oh me....on the bow watching the depth
 
7 hours and we are here.....great place if there was strong wind on Simcoe Lake
Stern-in for Saddi with a little mud action....lots of grass....small channel....
Very quiet and very friendly folks.....
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

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