July 30 – Ottawa Downtown
45.4231961,-75.6889863

Catherine (aka “The Admiral”) arrives today. She took the train from London to cut down on the driving.

I started the morning at Black Rapids locks so I had 3 sets of locks and a lift bridge to get through before I could reach downtown.

I had 30 minute delays at Black Rapids & at Hog’s Back locks and then about an hour’s delay at Hartwell locks so my cushion of time was evaporating. While I was waiting my turn at Hartwell a beautifully restored cruiser passed by me. Nice to see someone take so much care to preserve a classic.

After going through the locks I headed over to Dow’s Lake Pavilion to get my fresh water tanks filled & to pump out the waste holding tank. Catherine & I were trading text messages. Her train was arriving about 1 hour late so that delay actually worked in our favour.

After servicing the boat I headed towards downtown.

My goal was to secure a dock space on the canal close to the National Arts Center, Chateau Laurier Hotel & the Parliament Buildings.

I was in luck, there was one space left at the end of the row. I just got nicely tied up when Catherine called to tell me that she had arrived in Ottawa & just stepped off the train. Unfortunately I could barely hear her because of all the noise from the jackhammers & concrete cutting saws working on the government building directly across the street from where I was tied up. Now I understand why this space was not taken! Anyway, I was here & Catherine was arriving in a few minutes. Surely the construction workers would stop at 5:00pm. Not so! This racket continued until almost 10:00pm! Here’s a “taste” of the fun for you to enjoy! I took this “sound” video from Santosha’s deck.

https://youtu.be/USue2rvyWn0

What a romantic reunion Catherine & I had. We had to shout at each other to be heard – but at least they were words of love – I MISSED YOU TOO, HONEY 🙂

We decided to tough it out at this spot & move to a quieter place tomorrow. In the meantime we went for a walk through the downtown/Byward Market area in search of some peace & quiet & some earplugs!

Photo above: the 8 step locks leading from the Rideau Canal down to the Ottawa River – a total drop of 76 feet.

Cheers!

July 29 – Black Rapids
45°19′6″ N 75°42′20″ W

Today was a “chore” day for me. Catherine is arriving by train tomorrow afternoon (July 30) so I thought I would get some tasks done that are time consuming & a bit messy. It is also easier to do if I have shore power so I can vacuum, defrost the refrigerator, etc.

First on the list was to change the engine oil. This is a messy job that takes about 2 hours & involves lots of crawling in & out of the engine compartment. The engine also takes 4 jugs (almost 16 liters) of oil so at about $35.00 a jug, plus the oil filter, it’s costly too!

Next on the list was to defrost the refrigerator. After all the activity involved for the oil change, defrosting the refrigerator was a breeze.

With those jobs ticked off the list it was time for a big G&T & a nap. My friend David brought a bottle of “Top Shelf” gin with him last week. It is made nearby in Perth, Ontario & it’s pretty darn good! I think I will have to consume 2 or 3 more bottles of this stuff to confirm the distiller’s consistency.

By the time I finished my drink & had a good nap it was nearly supper hour so “tools down” & fix another G&T to enjoy while planning supper. The rest of the chores can wait for another day. (note to self, add limes & tonic water to the shopping list).

Cheers!