Lauderdale Point Marina
Where is the sun
You enter Sparrow Lake's four-mile buoyed channel after you leave the marina for the last large body of water before you reach Port Seven.
Even without the sun this is a pretty part of the world
The Severn River runs west from Sparrow Lake through red and gray granite walls cut by glaciers that left gorges, cliffs and fjord-like coves.
At Mile 221.2 we go through McDonald Cut....another one of the narrow rock lined cuts that took so long to make so this portion of the waterway could be navigable. Imagine excavating this cut by hand. No machinery in 1905. The workers carved through the rock with drill scows and carried away the dirt and stone by horse-drawn wagons. The occasional use of dynamite provided a feast for local fishermen. The shock would stun the fish, which could then be picked out of the river by hand.
After six miles of this remote scenery, the Waterway opens into the headwaters of Swift Rapids power dam.
Lock 43 Swift Rapid Mile 224 with a 47 foot drop
Lock 43 is probably the most isolated of all the locks
The unpaved access road to the lock is 11 miles
It is operated hydraulically. It cannot be stopped once the system starts
It is important that you tend your lines and do not cleat them
The river continues west for six scenic miles and winds past the summer cottages, boats and water sports.
Down river has the right-a-way
They are all not perfect
Some kind of boat lift
Chad's Island
Lock 44 Big Chute Mile 232.5 with a 58 foot Breathtaking Drop
The Big Chute is an unique marine railway. It is not technically a lock but they still call it Lock 44. At the Big Chute, water rushes down a long granite chute between the Upper Severn River and Gloucester Pool. The Big Chute railway portages your vessel across land and down the chute on twin tracks.
The reason for the original little chute railway the lack of concrete to build locks. The railway was cheaper.
Original carriage
We docked at the City Docks and walked over to watch the process
If he can do it....so can we
When you are ready...tie your boat to the blue line. The open-air carriage operates like a huge, partially submerged travel hoist. As the Parks Canada staff loads boats, they will call for you over a loudspeaker. Drive slowly onto the carriage into the sling, and listen to the staff for instructions. Hydraulic-powered slings will lift and hold your boat as you slowly make your way across the street and then down the chute, one cog at a time.
This single event is a high point when making the Great Loop Cruise. It takes 7 minutes to make this trip......a memory of a lifetime.....
Blue line is over there
OK Mainship come on......Wayne and Barbara ahead of us
Slings
Headed across the road
Ready to go down
Blue line back there
These guys know what they are doing
Down we go
And...into the water
Picture from Wayne and Barbara
On down the river we go
Little Chute...the current can reach up to 5 knots
Give a security call before entering this narrow pass
Downstream traffic has the right-a-way
More cottages on our way to Port Severn
Wigwam had a fire going
This is one house
Some roof line
Port Severn ON
We are staying at Rawley Resort and Marina for two days....preparing for Georgian Bay....Watched the boat traffic and at the end of the day all of the fishermen loading their boats onto their trailers.....stopped counting at 27
They get in a line...one by one
Up they go and away they go...dinner time
We are glad to be here and other than Lock 45 when we enter Georgian Bay we have completed the Trent-Severn Waterway.......240.5 miles and 43 locks and the Big Chute.....
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