Segment #9:Oswego, NY to Blind Bay, Ont.

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Hastings Public Marina
Hastings, Ontario, Canada
July 16, 2009

The Koenigs, my new crew and I had a nice lunch at the Patz restaurant just a few steps from our slip. It is always lively when three Duenhoelters are together and these three especially have a good time when they meet. Last fall we had cruised the canals of Berlin in Germany together. After lunch the Koenigs departed for Montreal and Wilfried and Manfred (see images above) began to make themselves comfortable on the boat.

Before turning in at night we reviewed the marine weather report for Lake Ontario for the following morning, which predicted 10-15 knot winds and seas of 1 -2 feet. We were the first to leave the Marina at 7 AM and the reality of the open lake was different than the prediction. The seas came from the beam (side) and I estimated them to be at least of 4 feet height, some were higher. Manfred loves to take the helm under those conditions and both Wilfried and I had no objections. The ride was rough, even so rough that it threw me on the floor off my nice Captain’s chair. Besides a couple of bruises there was no damage. We had no thoughts of breakfast. After changing the course slightly to be under the protection from the wind under land and after about four hours of rough seas we reached smoother waters.

Before we left the open sea Manfred decided to go for a swim. Since we had no swim ladder and the swim step was too high we rigged up some lines as a rope ladder from where he could get back on the boat. We had thought that the sixty-mile journey across Lake Ontario would be the biggest challenge but more was to come.

We had chosen to enter the Bay of Quinte through the Murray Canal. From the charts we knew that it was going to be a tortuous course and additionally a Canadian Skipper had told us that we better not miss any marker otherwise we would run aground. So we followed the complicated course indicated by the markers and made it to the Murray Canal. The bridge tender held out a can into which we dropped our $5 canal passing fee.

At the end of the canal we had two choices according to the chart on my computer. One went northerly around an island and was marked as a small boat channel; the other was marked only partially and seemed to end in shallow water. This has something to do with the stitching if of the charts. While the first course had many markers there were only few on the second one. We chose the small boat channel and made it although we had less than a foot under our keel and were extremely nervous. Fortunately we were not aware that we had taken the wrong route as the manager of the marina later told us.

With the masts of our marina in sight I called the dock master who assigned us a stern in tie. The Marilsnick entered the marina with Manfred at the helm, passed a sign warning boats with more than 3 1/2 feet draft not to enter and we promptly got stuck in a bundle of seaweed. In the middle of this predicament our dock master called us to let us know that we had entered the wrong marina. With Manfred at the helm on the bridge and me on the bow thruster we fortunately got ungrounded. We then discovered the marina on the other side of the Trent River and Manfred docked without difficulty. It was not a good decision because Manfred was not any longer familiar enough with the controls of the Marilsnick but he did a great job.

It was still early in the day and time enough to run some errands in the town center that was just around the corner. Trenton was just as depressing as the towns in New York State had been and we almost gave up finding a decent restaurant. However our dock master, or better mistress, sent us to Tomasso”s assuring us that we were not going to be disappointed. We were not. My boys had a great salmon meal. My dose of spaghetti and meatballs and mushrooms and onions, and, and, and overwhelmed me. When a waiter places these giant dishes in front of me I feel full already.

The next morning we began the Trent-Severn Waterway as the sign on the bridge next to our marina announced to us. Since our dock master had recommended to travel to Campbellford we followed this recommendation knowing that it would be a short distance and that most of our time would be spent in the twelve locks needed to ascend the course of the Trent River. After a few locks we had it all figured out: the boat gently approached the lock walls, the fenders were at the correct height and my boys were ready to put the lines around the steel cables that had been strung vertically from the top of the lock wall to the bottom so that the boat could not pushed away from the lock walls. It all worked flawlessly.

We reached the city of Campbellford and stopped at the seawall near the center of town. Other boats had docked already and several people were ready to assist us with our docking. Campbellford was a friendly town. The office of the Chamber of Commerce took our registration. The same building housed the “washrooms” as toilets are called in Canada her and the showers. Manfred went to town to find wire mesh for the windows to prevent mosquitoes from coming in and pestering him. Wilfried went to town to get some beer and returned exhausted and empty handed. While discussing what to do a lady who admired our boat overheard our conversation and offered Manfred to take him to the beer store. By the time they got there it had closed but Manfred had found a girlfriend.

Manfred is an aficionado of good food and that is helpful because most of the time such people cook and not only cook but cook well. This is certainly true for my cousin. He prepared pork chops and carrots that could not have been better. For dessert we had ice cream with fresh strawberries. What a delight!

In the morning a lady came by with whom I had talked the night before. They had completed the Great Loop in a GB 36 called Grand Baby. I had told her about our accident and the loss of the AGLCA burgee. She brought me her white burgee since completing their Loop they were entitled to fly the Golden Burgee. We appreciated the kindness.

The next morning we departed leisurely and decided to make it through four more locks to Hastings. The ride was wonderful. We have seen cottages in all forms. Every Canadian must have one and most cottages have a dock with a boat also. The scenery was again peaceful and paradisic. It is easy to understand why people from the city escape to this area.

Hastings was little town with friendly people. Just one example: because the boys had bought too many groceries to carry they had borrowed a cart from the store, which Wilfried was going to take back. Our dock attendant stopped him offering him that someone from the dock would return it.

The lock attendants again were courteous, patient and provided us with a lot of information about the area. In all locks today a college student assisted the lock master. Many of the locks doors are still manually opened. On one side a lock master on the other side an assistant turn a large turn style like handle with the whole force of his body and opens the giant lock door. We even have passed two double locks where we floated from one dock right into the next. When the boat came up to the level of the dock wall the students handed out a card with a picture of an animal or plant that lives in the region of his lock. We already had a nice collection and we passed only the first 18 of 44 locks.

For dinner Manfred and Wilfried prepared Salmon and broccoli, another culinary highlight.

Bobcaygeon, Ontario
Lock wall east of Lock # 30
July

We left Hastings early in the morning because we wanted to make it to Peterborough. This was a town of 75,000 people that supposedly had good shopping and great restaurants.

As we left the last lock we turned into “Little Lake” where a large water fountain greeted us. There was a strong current and an even stronger wind the docking which facilitated our docking.

Amber, the girl at the dock office, offered to take Wilfried and Manfred in her car to a grocery store that was several miles away. They returned with wine, beer and groceries to last us some time. The dock was a lively place. We found several Loopers because now we keep an eye out for the Looper Burgee. The family next to us came from Edisto Island, which I had visited with Pilot Ken in the middle of May. They had taken the Rideau Canal route rather than the Erie Canal. Their Grand Banks 36 runs only at 5-6 knots.

The dinner at a great continental restaurant found approval by all of us. The service was friendly, the wine was good and the food tasty and not overpowering in volume.

On Sunday morning Wilfried and I took a cab to the closest Lutheran Church. The cab fare was $ 15 one way and the service consisted of a presentation by the Summer Bible School classes about their experiences. Only a couple of hymns indicated that we had been in church.

We lounged around in Sunday afternoon enjoying a respite from the daily navigation, watching out for markers and making the match to the markers on the charts. This continues to be most important. It is amazing how often we get a reading of a depth under five feet. Unfortunately there is much wild grass or seaweed floating around giving us a false reading. Navigation becomes a real chore if you do it day in and out but Manfred and Wilfried are able assistants. As a rule we do not proceed after passing a marker unless we found the next marker.

The next morning we passed the biggest boat lifting lock in the country. We floated into a big basin, which then was lifted up while at the same time the parallel basin came down. Since the basins with their water regardless of the contents of boats weigh basically the same only little energy has to be expended to lift a boat up. What a great idea? The scenery initially did not change: many cottages on each bank and even though the weekend had passed there were surprisingly many vacationers. The most common boat type was the houseboat. Apparently most had been rented but the captains appeared disciplined and experienced.

After passing a larger lake named Clear Lake the scenery began to change. Until then most houses had been built along the shore on soil. Now we passed though many rock outcroppings of various sizes: some just barely showing up above the surface of the water others big enough for a house or even a church. The doors of the building were wide open and the sun shone into the sanctuary. The now appearing more variable scenery made our journey even more interesting. We also realized that when we scraped bottom we would damage our propeller.

For our evening stay we had made reservations at the Reach Marina, a small marina in the middle of nowhere. We found out that if we wanted to be taken by cab to a restaurant that the cab had to come from Peterborough, that we had left in the morning, about an hour away. We decided to scrape the bottom of our refrigerator, freezer and cooler and had a nice meal on the boat.

A lady who had helped us dock showed me her houseboat also stored at the marina. She was a divorced schoolteacher and had a son serving in the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan. She gave us the advice to stay in Bobcaygeon and she was correct. After only twenty-six miles through beautiful albeit rocky country we found an empty spot at the dock where we stayed overnight.

The next morning we made it through several more locks to Bobcaygeon. We docked just behind the blue line where we could stay overnight. Manfred and Wilfried found a great grocery store in walking distance while I enjoyed an ice cream cone and paid for the dockage at the lock. This town was very popular. Hundreds of boats passed by. People watched from the benches, which had been set up on both sides of the canal and above and below the lock. The Canadians were most communicative. They looked at our boat and admired it although the wooden parts were suffering and are waiting for our return to Dog River Marina and Boat Yard where they hopefully will be treated with TLC.

Two couples, all in their mid-fifties from Toronto had some more detailed questions regarding our boat and our journey and all agreed that we lived their dream by undertaking our journey.

We went back for dinner to the restaurant where we had had an excellent lunch and again were not disappointed: it was indeed excellent. We heard that the chef had trained in Germany. He was so busy in the kitchen that he could not come out to talk to us.

Lauderdale Marina
Bolsover
July 22, 2010

We were the first boat the next morning to pass through the lock in Bobcaygeion and made good progress. The boat always amazes me. When we turn off the engines in the lock they always start again without difficulty. The toilets, another weak point boating have not given us grief. The weather continued to be beautiful and we have not missed our windshield wipers, which do not work well. The three of us have now accustomed to go to a lock and can switch fenders from port to starboard quickly. What wonder after having had the opportunity to practice in over forty locks.

Last night we stopped in a place called Bolsover. In the lock before reaching our destination the horseflies had gotten the best of us and in our little port the regular flying were more than a nuisance and mosquitoes were a real pest. Manfred and Wilfried slept poorly. When one told the other that he observed the other sleeping well it really meant he was awakened through loud snoring. Both of them have made similar remarks. Such is the life of a crew in small quarters.

We got along well. Sometimes Wilfried felt a little left out of the conversation when our grandparents and cousins were the topic of discussion. But he remained a good sport. Both he and Manfred were good cooks and I enjoyed the meals regardless of who prepared them. We always had something to laugh and kidded around a lot. I wished that some of the other Duenhoelter cousins could enjoy such a journey with us.

After leaving the Bolsover Marina in time to make the 8:30 AM lock opening we had to stop in front of a bridge that did not open until 8:30 either. Fortunately the friendly lock operators waited for us after the bridge opened and for the next five locks the two boats already assembled in the lock and the Marilsnick stayed together. We made good time although we could travel only 6,5 knots per hour between locks. Our reward after this work was 8.2 knot travel through Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching

Around Lake Simcoe the scenery changed. We saw farmhouses, barns and grain silos. After passing the town of Orilla cottages again lined the canal. We heard that in Muskoka area, which is completely separate from the Trent-Severn system some cottages cost in the millions.

We met a nice couple from Toronto who had a 12-foot mahogany Dutch built boat, which we admired, who told us that they owned a time-share cottage on Sparrow Lake.

We reached our Lauderdale Marina in Sparrow Lake around 3 PM having traveled more than 35 nautical miles. About an hour before reaching our destination a railroad bridge with 14 feet clearance became an obstruction for the Marilsnick requiring 16 feet clearance. On the charts the obstruction was listed as “closed bridge”. We wondered what to do and if we would be able to lower our bimini. A long freight train passed over the bridge that looked as if the turning mechanism was not operational any longer. While we deliberated a man appeared, crossed the bridge and rose over a long, steep ladder to the top of the bridge at least fifty feet above the water where he disappeared into a little room. Our hope rose that he might be able to open the bridge after all. After waiting a considerable time when nothing happened suddenly a diesel engine on the bridge began to crank and another eternity later the bridge began to turn so that the Marilsnick could pass.

Port Severn
Driftwood Marina
July 23, 2010

The excitement of the day was our transfer over the Big Chute. Before reaching it we had to negotiate several narrow passages, some of which were so narrow that it would not have allowed us to meet another boat. With two of us at the helm station we carefully watched for each numbered marker and did not get into trouble.

As we approached the area on the chart where we suspected the Big Chute to be we saw only two widely spaced railroad tracks rise from the water. We were unable to look to the bottom of the hill where the track most likely ended. The blue line on a nearby dock assured us that we had reached the area of departure. Then suddenly a wide structure appeared from the opposite side, rose over a hill and over a road. Two fair sized boats were hung in wide slings over the center of the contraption that can only be described as something between a railroad car (running on tracks) and a lock, because part of its center could be lowered into the water although the boats were hanging in the slings out of the water.

After the boats on the chute had been lowered into the water and left on their own steam the lockmaster motioned towards us to sail into the chute. I gingerly directed the Marilsnick into the center of the chute, the Chute Master inquired if we had one or two engines and then lifted up the broad belts that appeared under the Marilsnick and lifted her up. The Marilsnick was hanging freely in the air above the bottom of the “contraption”. The alternative would have been to lower the keel of the Marilsnick onto the bottom.

Unfortunately we could not leave the boat to take pictures of the Marilsnick and the propeller as it was suspended. We asked the Chute Master to take a picture. I had been worried about the propeller after my groundings but the Chute Master assured us that it had no blemishes (yet?) and documented it by taking a couple of images with my camera.

Then our Chute began moving uphill and over the rails and then downhill finally reaching another lake where several boats were already waiting for their ride upstream. When the big belts were dropped under the Marilsnick we floated again free.

After about eight miles we reached the Driftwood Marina just above the final Lock (#45). We planned to descend first thing the next morning to continue into the beautiful Georgian Bay. Our goal was the home of my cousin Marianne Koenig who is Manfred’s sister, and her husband, who own a cottage in Parry Sound about sixty miles north of Port Severn.

We found a great restaurant near the Driftwood Marina recommended by Marianne, where we had an excellent dinner. The owner apparently was German and the restaurant had typical wooden German décor. We had window seats and enjoyed the view of the bay as much as the short ribs we ate.

Blind Bay at the Koenig’s cottage
Nobel, Ont.
July 26, 2010

We departed from Driftwood Marina in time to catch the first lock opening at 8:30 AM. As we approached the lock another bigger boat had entered and no other boat appeared to follow. We assumed it was our turn and approached the lock only to learn that several other boats were in line for lockage. No one got upset and we docked on the lock wall with the help of the people who were in front of us. The next hour gave us an opportunity to watch the lockage process not as a participant but as an observer.

This lock was the smallest on the whole Trent Servern Waterway. Instead of providing room for four 36-foot size boats it had barely room for two. The whole lock was run by lock mistresses, all pretty well endowed with muscles, which they either had before working on the lock or - most likely - developed while working there. The whole lock was mechanically operated.

First he lock door had to be closed, then the water had to be let into the lock chamber by gradually opening the lock gates mounted invisibly under the lock door. The dock mistress is responsible for giving the boats a smooth ride. They can somehow influence it by slowly opening the gates allowing the inflow and outflow of water or by placing the boats strategically that the current from the opening gates meets them in a favorite angle, preferably not from the side.

After the water has equilibrated within the chamber the lock hands observe the current carefully. Only after it has fully calmed down are the lock doors opened again mechanically. In the instance of the this lock (#45) the doors were so hard to open that two women manned the turn style, which leads to a slow opening of the door.

The Marilsnick floated into dock #45 after the third opening so that we lost a significant ninety minutes. As we entered Georgian Bay the marked waterway became very shallow and it required all of our concentration to stay in deep water. The series of red buoys being on the left ended, they were again at our starboard side and it would again switch later. This can easily lead to confusion. While I focused on the electronic chart on my computer Manfred focused on the paper charts, which had become very handy, almost essential during the first hour in Georgian Bay. Fortunately then the waterway widened and the water under our keel became deeper. The run through Georgian Bay to Parry Sound was about 60 miles long. On this run we realized that we had to stop for a pump-out before reaching our anchorage. Marianne and Herbert directed us to a Marina that was somewhat out of our way but we needed relief and found it at the Killbear Marina. Shortly after our arrival there Herbert and Marianne surprised us in their small fast boat, which had made the 10-mile trip in no time. It was wonderful to see them again after having seen them at the very beginning of the segment in Oswego. Manfred, Wilfried and I celebrated the end of our journey together by inviting Marianne and Herbert for a Campari on the Marilsnick.

While we were drinking I had to reminisce: more than a year ago I had studied Blind Bay on Parry Sound on Google Earth and had seen a possible anchorage right in front of the Koenig’s cottage. Now the Marilsnick was anchored there, stable, beautiful albeit with scars from the mishap in St. Augustin. The wooden reling and the transom asked for attention, the gelcoate did not shine any longer as it had when we placed her on the truck in Seattle but she had performed and carried 14 crew members and me during four months and nine segments 2700 nautical miles from Mobile, AL to Nobel, Ontario. There were times that I had serious doubts if I would make it this far.Now more than half of the Great Loop had been completed. I felt almost at home since Marianne cooked like her mother and since we are surrounded by caring, familiar people with whom it is a joy to spend a week. This week will be a respite where I do not have to man the wheel, plan the course and worry about docking with another new crew. The meals are cooked in a big kitchen, the cook even knows my favorite meals, and we are a big harmonic family. Aren’t we lucky?

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