Overnight at Peterborough Marina – Slip B18
44°17’47.7060″N, 78°19’6.2256″W
What3Words: ///viewed.fines.devour

We got up early in the morning and had a leisurely breakfast. The sunrise was spectacular – although I expect that smoke from forest fires in the area had an effect on the deep red colour of the sky. Thankfully the fires are relatively small and under control – at least that’s what we were able to find out through searches on the internet.

A dramatic sunrise over Peterborough Lift Lock – red sky in morning…

The sailor’s old expression is something like “red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in morning, sailor take warning”. Should we be concerned about taking the ride down in the lift lock?

Parks Canada Lock staff came by our boat and asked us if we were ready to go down. We were told that the Kawartha Voyageur would be coming up first and then we could take the next ride down. We were the only boat on the upper level that was going down so that would make navigating into the tank a bit less stressful.

Kawartha Voyageur exits lift lock – our turn is next!

We moved slowly into the tank and tied up on our port side. Once we were inside the tank the view forward was pretty amazing – but still we were essentially staring into open space in front of us with a 65-foot drop to the water below. It was a bit unsettling to think about despite reassurances from the staff.

The descent down was very steady, quiet and smooth and only took a few minutes. Now, that wasn’t so bad after all. One of the Lock staff “Doug” rode down with us – he was standing on the steel structure beside the tank and within easy reach of us. He helped to calm us down by telling us that he had spent the winter before ploughing snow in Yoho National Park, so we chatted with him about his experiences. That was a pretty neat coincidence!

The spot where Doug metaphorically held Catherine’s hand on the way down. Thanks Doug, you’re a champ!

We exited the lift lock to a beautiful canal reminiscent of the tree lined canals we have travelled on in France. Near the end of the canal, we came to a swing bridge in front of Lock 20 – the last lock before Little Lake in front of Peterborough’s downtown area. Lock 20 is also beside Parks Canada’s area operations base and the Canadian Canoe Museum.

Lift lock canal on the way to Lock 20 – reminiscent of the tree lined canals in France

We had a reservation at the Peterborough Marina downtown for the night. On the way to the marina we encountered a local tourist boat that gives people the experience of going up and down the lift lock. Looks like a fun job to be driving that boat.

Peterborough Lift Lock Cruises – It has its ups and downs!

We arrived there at 10:30 and were tied up on our assigned dock space by 11:00 am. We had made plans to meet friends Sue and Peter who live in Peterborough late in the afternoon. They had just got married the week before, so we were looking forward to catching up with them and hearing all about the wedding.

We walked downtown to find the Home Hardware for a replacement pin for the railing passage gate which went plink plunk plonk into the water at the top of the lift lock. I found a suitable replacement that would keep the gate secure for the balance of the season. On the way back to the marina we stopped at a Mr. Sub for lunch and then at the downtown No Frills store to pick up some groceries.

Laundry was free with the marina stay so Catherine did four loads – however, only one washer and dryer! The marina bathroom key pass card required a $100 deposit. Catherine retained control over the pass card so there was no chance of me misplacing this one!

Sue and Peter arrived late afternoon for snacks and cocktails – we toasted their nuptials and have a really nice visit. By coincidence this was “Rib Fest” weekend in Peterborough at the park beside the marina. The whole marina smelled like BBQ ribs backed by various country music live bands that were featured on the entertainment stage. We took a pass on sampling the ribs and the music was plenty loud – even at our dock slip. The live entertainment continued long into the night – but it was country and western music night and we did not bring our Stetsons or plaid shirts, so we went to bed early.

Newlyweds Sue and Peter visit us aboard Belisama

Cheers!