September 8, 2011

The Open Water of Georgian Bay - Clear and Blue
Georgian Bay - No Locks Just Rocks
This is Where Potest Fieri Will Winter This Year
Port Severn, Ontario to Midland, Ontario - It was a nice clear, sunny but cool morning as we went into our last lock of the season. We do have one more for next year to get us back onto Lake Superior. We docked at Bayport Marina in Midland where the boat will winter for the season. Danny started on some of the maintenance before he left for the airport to get back to Plymouth, Massachusetts to pick up our truck. We will be packing up to head to Thunder Bay within the next few days and then on to Kelowna, British Columbia where we now live. This season has been great, the weather has been great except for the beginning of the season, the company has been great, and the new people we have met along the way have been exceptional and memorable. We will especially miss our travel companions but look forward to seeing them next season as they are going to try to keep to our schedule. Roger and Karen it has been fun.

September 7, 2011

Statistics on the Marine Railway - This Is a Unique Experience - This is the Only One of Its Kind
Coming to the Slings
Giving a Little Direction
We are On the Slings
The Boat is Resting on Its Keel - Held Upright with the Slings - Now Gerald, Danny and I Can Relax and Enjoy the Ride Down
The Prop and Rudder are Over the End of the Cradle
Coming Out of the Water
We are On the Way Down
This is the View from the Boat Going Down - It Goes Real Slow
The Captain Checking Out His Running Gear
The Boat is Going Into the Water
The Cradle is Going Deeper Into the Water
We are Floating and Off We Go
Warning as You Enter Little Chute
Little Chute - Narrow with a Fast Current
Karen Anne Going Through Little Chute
Potest Fieri and Karen Anne at Port Severn - One More Lock to Go
Big Chute, Ontario to Port Severn, Ontario - It was a cool, overcast day with light winds. Gerald Sanders joined so for the ride. He is one of the groomers from Big White Ski Resort where we winter. We lucked out and were able to go down the railway separately because of the boats weight and beam, and we had a photographer for our decent. It was a slow day on the canal but we did luck out and meet another large boat in a narrow spot. Little Chute is still an interesting ride through with its narrow canal and large current. We stayed at Lock 45 Port Severn for the night as we were not due to get into Bayport Marina in Midland until tomorrow.

September 6, 2011

The Water is Low in Lake Couchiching
Our Charts Show No Water but There Is
This Boat House is Decorated with Water Skis
Tied Up Waiting for the Train
Karen Its Not That Cold - I Should Send Her to Thunder Bay in January
Lots of Small Marine Railways in the Area
The Lock at Swift Rapids - A 47 Foot Drop
A Welcome Sign Depicting the Marine Railway
We Wanted to See a Few Boats Go Over the Marine Railway - A Canoe - What a Waste of Time and Tax Payers Money - Our Turn Tomorrow

Orillia, Ontario to Big Chute, Ontario - It was a cool and overcast day with light winds, it did warm up in the afternoon. We had to wait for the railway bridge to swing as there was train traffic coming. All the guide books say that this bridge is to be open unless there is a train coming but in fact it is closed unless a boat arrives. We stayed above the marine railway so Karen and Roger could see what to expect. It was fun to watch the few boats go through the railway.

September 2 - 5, 2011

Sail Boats that are Available for Purchase
Another of the Sail Boats that Decorate the Main Street and Marina Park Area
One of the Many Gardens at the Marina Park
An Apple Tree at One of the Marinas We Were Checking Out for a Place to Leave the Boats
Port of Orillia - Weeds in the Harbour - They Cut These Weeds Down in July
Thorah Lock (Lock 40) to Orillia, Ontario - We thought we would get off the canal system for the Labour Day Weekend for fear there would be a few crazy boaters out there. The weekend did not shape up so well as the weather was horrible, rain, high winds, and thunder storms. We stayed in the Port of Orillia Marina right down town, the docks are in bad shape and the harbour is full of thick weeds. They are apparently putting new docks in for next season, but the location is great, right down town. We went to visit the gang at Crates Lake Country as we bought our last boat from them, they were having there annual Labour Day Open House. Also visited with Diedre and Al, she managed the slips at Hot Knots Marina when we were there. We rented a car for the weekend and did some touring, went to Casino Rama for dinner, no gambling. This is a good stop as there is lots of things to do and everything is walking distance.

September 1, 2011

On This Canal They Guarantee 6 Feet of Water - We Are Still Floating and We Need 5 Feet - A Little Unnerving but I Guess We are Reading Those Weeds
I Can't Imagine Any Parent Letting Their Children Slide into These Weeds
Are We Going to Fit?
Looks Like A Lot of Room Now
Politically Polite Way to Say Keep Your Speed Down
Part of This Marina's Advertising is a Boat Through the Wall
We Are in Cattle Country
Kirkfield, Ontario to Thorah Lock (Lock 40) - It was overcast and cool, with some rain during the day. We are still travelling in a weed filled ditch. We went for a walk down to Gambridge Lock (Lock 41) for something to do. We had a peaceful evening. Played Left, Right and Centre a dice game with Karen and Roger, we lost and they now have enough quarters to go to the laundry mat.

August 31, 2011

A Warning to Make a Radio Call
This is Why - Canal is Very Narrow and You Don't Want to Meet Another Boat
This Part of the Canal has Been Cut Out from Shale - You Can See the Layers in the Rock
Canal Lake is a Man Made Lake and it is Full of Stumps - Stay in the Chanel
This is Canal Lake - How Did that Boat Get to the Dock with all Those Stumps
Some People Took the Time to Build a Inukshuk in the Shallow Water - The Seagull Thought it was a Perch for Him
Going into the Lock at Kirkfield, Danny Check Our Reverse
Looking Down - We are 45 Feet Up - It is More Dramatic Going Down as the Other Bath Tub Lock We Went Up
Gate is Dropping So We Can Leave
Watching the Other Traffic Go Up and Down in the Lock
Fenlon Falls, Ontario to Kirkfield, Ontario - It was a slightly overcast day but still warm. We left the nice scenic area and went into a long narrow ditch. Thank goodness there was no oncoming traffic in the long narrow canal. We walked around the lock and watched the boats go up and down, very interesting. The town of Kirkfield is a 1 1/2 miles away and no one wanted to walk with that high humidity. A grumpy older couple on a sailboat made it known that he did not like the three power boaters with their generators running at 8.00 p.m. and it was against the rules in the lock, as it was pointed out to him we were not in the lock and it was perfectly acceptable to run them until 10.00 p.m. We were nice and only ran it for 30 minutes.