Trenton To Campbellford

The photos really say it all. To see the photos properly double click on them to get a full sized photo. The beginning of the Trent-Severn Waterway was slow & hot - we took almost 3 hours to do the first 6 locks. We travelled for over 9 hours and only covered 32 statute miles. But the lock masters were friendly, the weather calm, the locks easy and we saw 4 turtles on a log, the usual Canadian geese and 2 beaver dams (except they were built in a bank - beaver banks?). We met up with fellow loopers Ted & Sue (My Dream) & Genie & John (Drs Orders) for docktails & a plan for tomorrow.

Trent Canal, to Campbellford

The Beginning

Lock 1 A bit tight

This is tough to take

 

Lock worker, easy on the eyes

No sleeping at the Helm

Backwoods, could almost hear the Banjos

Good taste, more on the road

Great locale

Intimidating !!, almost 48ft lift

Main entry Campbellford

Have a coke after 12 locks

Ted the intrepid cameraman

To Trenton - Canada

We crossed Lake Ontario in reasonably calm conditions for the first 2 hours and then at 11am. when the locals said that it usually flattens right out, we got a blustery westerly on the beam for the last hour or so & things that have always sat still before went flying as we rolled up & down in the swells. It finally abated as we arrived in Picton harbour where we were told initially that we could tie up on a slip & Ted & Sue (our new boat buddies) could take a mooring - but no we were too big we could take a mooring as well. That's OK - done that before. However the first one I couldn't lift because the warp was all wrapped around the mooring chain, the second one was so short I struggled to get it on board but finally did after fearing I would go over with the boat hook. (I was lying flat on the deck to hold on). Colin had a look at the  bit of rope/string and decided it wouldn't hold us. Meanwhile Ted & Sue had hooked up & suggested we raft next to them but as we started to do so we had a call from the docks to say no the mooring wouldn't hold us both. A club member came out to help us tie up with our own rope to the large eye in the mooring ball as the next best solution but we had another call to say no the mooring ring wouldn't hold us. So we gave up & decided to anchor. Ted & Sue had also been told that the owner didn't want them on the mooring either so they joined us in a lovely quiet anchorage away from the town which we never got to visit. As we headed away we received a call on the VHF that they had found some other free moorings that we could use - but Ted told them no (not in quite those words). Also the club member who had tried to help us motored out in his dinghy to apologise for the debacle & to check if we were OK - he said he would have a few words to the Yacht clubs management about the moorings.
We both made the necessary calls via phone from the boat over docktails and cleared Canadian customs.
We had a drenching storm hit us about midday the next day as we travelled to Trenton. We anchored in a calm bay and waited until we could see, the rain lifted & we headed for Trenton. There was a speed boat racing event (around the bays type affair) so they were either roaring towards us or up behind us & as we turned left into the marina some even raced across in front of us.
The Port Trent Marina is an amalgamation of 3 old marinas & is now run by the municipal body. The up grade is very up market & all the young summer holiday students are running it efficiently - clean & sparkly. There are new docks, 10 ensuite bathrooms, free laundry, TV room & a large room for meetings,
We biked to a car show at the local community park & saw classics & rods. We also tried to get another hot spot device to give us more convenient use of the internet while in Canada but we need a 2 year plan or an iPhone. So we will just use the free wifi as we find it. So we may be out of touch for a few days but will keep the blog up to date.

Into Canada

 

Concrete for new Breakwater at
Owego,comliments Hurricane Sandy

New Buddy Boat, My Dream
Kady Krogan 42

Canadian Welcome

Nice homes though

Docktails with American friends

New Marina at Trenton Ontario

Guest area

Toilet Suites

Pretty Flash Eh

Mural in town, painted photos

Marina from car show

Nice Chevy Van

Chev Bread Van

Rent a BBQ

Hows that

Boaters lounge at marina, rates from $1.45 per ft per night, 
5 Star Marina at 3 Star Prices  PRICELESS !!

NASCAR Cooker

Oswego -Harborfest

Today is the first day of the annual Harborfest in Oswego. They have free music entertainment in local parks, farmers & craft markets, children's entertainment & a giant fireworks. 14 of us loopers all went to breakfast together this morning. Later in the afternoon we walked into town to the large farmers market with a large array of produce in a closed off street and carried on to the park for the music and fairground food. We said goodbye tonight to our dear friends Bill & Joyce whom we have travelled with for 3 weeks. We will miss their daily companionship & "Trains". Tomorrow we cross Lake Ontario with some new boat buddies Sue & Ted. We will be in Canada within 2 or 3 days and may be out of contact off & on. We will keep the blog updated as best we can.

Oswego, Fun City

Dockmasters Car, Makes for a
good start to the City

Grand Master Colin out strategized
Bill Dawn & Joyce at Trains

Some history here,1st Press Photo in
United States

Mural outside Palladium Times

Tug served at Normandy 1944
shot down FW 190, see Funnel

Main Harbour Oswego,we head over
Horizon tomorrow, Lake Ontario

Great bunch of friends at Harbourfest

110 yr old Tug,on Historic Register,
still travels to shows

Brewerton to Oswego

We left the lovely marina of Winter Harbour in Brewerton and had another calm and smooth trip on the canal towards Oswego. There were a few less wayward logs to dodge but we saw a couple of little creatures swimming across in front of us that Bill (our companion boater) said would probably be minks.
This weekend in Oswego is Harbourfest, a 4 day celebration with fireworks and all manner of boats on the water. We arrived early in the week to get a good tie up on the municipal free dock with no electricity or water - but we use our generator instead. There were only us 2 boats here on Monday but now (Wednesday) there are 15. We have walked & ridden into town a couple of times and are now waiting for the weather to improve and the wind to drop to lower the waves on the lake - the prediction is that it may improve by Friday. We have been sharing meals, drinks and canal town side visits with Bill and Joyce  and they have taught us to play a board game "Trains". ( Bill was beaten a couple of nights ago by Joyce & I'm noting this for people who have played before & for Joyce).
Also we have found that the information given to us by the American consulate in Sydney was incorrect re our visa for entering & exiting Canada/USA. We cannot have it simply restamped. We contacted the Customs/immigration people and after many hours hunting up phone numbers, filling in application forms & getting the correct mailing address we have applied for an extension to allow us time to complete our trip.
We have enough people here for a good dockside party.

Brewerton (Winter Harbour)to Oswego

Dawn and Joyce selecting herbs
to cook with not smoke

Pot plants on dock
an immaculately kept Marina



Café on Dock manned by local children
known as Bridge House Brats

Tricky,Lock and lift bridge together.

Water roars in thru leaks in Gates

Schmick little riverside Batch

Had lunch with Jocko, good to.

Some of the fleet arrives

Local YMCA

Bad weather,and the fleet grows

We are here

Rome to Brewerton

We completed the section of the Erie canal that ends with Lake Oneida. We had the canal to ourselves & it was very calm & almost perfect with glassy water giving Colin lots of opportunities for 'arty' reflective shots. But then we reached Sylvan Beach where we had intended to tie up. It was the weekend & we realised there'd be no room to tie up because of the pirate themed party that was about to happen with boats rafted 3 abreast, pirate flags, decorated boats & people.
We decided to cross Lake Oneida which was calm as well and tied up at Winter Harbour Marina in Brewerton. This was one of the most attractive marinas with potted flowers lining the docks and neatly kept gardens and grounds. We used the courtesy car to go to a very good restaurant for dinner 'The Copper Top Tavern' & the next day to stock up on provisions. We saw a few classic cars around the streets & later (2 hours before closing) read in the local paper that there was a classic car show on - the Syracuse Nationals - expecting a crowd of 80,000 & exhibits of classic & hot rods numbering 8,000. Tomorrow we will continue on the Erie canal towards Oswego.

Rome to Brewerton/Syracuse

Weir at night

Misty start to day

Just Perfection

Reflections

Still Life

Framed

Onto the Lake (Oneida)

Cute

Pontiac Firebird

37 Chev I Think

Where we are at, near Oswego

Yes Please 46ft Grand Banks