On Monday we had a new lock experience. We transited 2 sets of "flight locks" which are 2 locks joined together to handle large changes in water levels. They consist of 2 lock chambers and 3 sets of gates each. Their lift height was 54 ft and 48 ft respectively. At the first set we were with one other boat in the same chamber. We entered from the top and went down half way. Then they opened the middle gate and we moved ahead 50 feet to the next chamber to ride down the rest of the way. At the 2nd set, we met a boat coming up in the middle section and we both switched chambers simultaneously in the middle. We carried on down and they went up - just like being at the Red River Ex! We motored through an area of marshland and saw a flock of white swans! We started at lock 17, logged 23 miles and finished at lock 6 at Frankford, ON. Dinner was BBQ Salmon, veggie skewers and fresh peacan butter tarts. Creating, preparing and eating these wonderful meals is a really splendid part of this adventure!
Tuesday with 6 locks to go and sunny skies, we passed a paper mill, went under a train line and the 401. That completed the Trent-Severn waterway and in our case the Severn-Trent waterway. What a great experience and engineering marvel of its time. Hats off to the hundreds of Italian immigrants that left their families behind in Montreal while they lived in stick huts and built the waterway at the turn of the century. The Parks Canada staff have been absolutely wonderful and have provided a wealth of information on the waterway.
We arrived at the CFB Trenton Yacht Club by early afternoon. This allowed us ample time to step our mast and rig Summer Wine for the balance of the adventure. While rigging the boat, it was nice having three set of eyes and hands to ensure all lines were proper and equipment triple checked. Winds were 10 to 15kn out of the west so we had some challenges, to say the least, in making her a sailboat again. Once all was completed, we took a cab into town and enjoyed the local pizza. We are now ready for the next part of the adventure.....
Stowaway update: Peanut butter eaten, trap intact!
Doug, Joann & Andrew
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