Overnight at Burleigh Falls Lock 28, Upper Level
44°33’32.3388″N, 78°12’31.0212″W
What3Words: ///unselfish.hothouse.person

Catherine writes:

We were surprised when we woke up to find there were six other boats moored at Lakefield Lock with us. When we arrived the other day we were the only ones on the mooring wall for several hours. Wally asked the lock staff if we could stay another night but the limit was two nights in this location so we would have to move on.

It was a lovely morning, not nearly as cold as it has been and we did not need the heater in the boat. We walked over the bridge into town to go to the Nutty Bean Café where they made a fabulous latte, scone and smoked salmon on a bagel. Wish we could find something like this at home!

The Nutty Bean Cafe in Lakefield – great atmosphere, coffee and eats – wish we had something like this in London

Osprey hunting near our mooring in Lakefield

I took Wally on the longer route home by some historic houses tucked away on small streets near the lock that I thought he would enjoy seeing.

Beautiful heritage house in Lakefield near our mooring

We left the lock at 11:00 am headed for Young’s Point, where we arrived at 12:30 noon. There wasn’t much area to tie up in, and since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to carry on to Burleigh Falls.

Gulls hanging out en route to Young’s Point

From Young’s Point, a sharp turn to starboard brought us into Clear Lake where the landscape opened up. Wally could run the engines at a higher speed for several kilometers with the shoreline on each side well away from us so the wake we were generating was not a problem. I noted that the charts indicated that this area is also still called the Otonabee River!

Parks Canada staff maintaining navigation markers – thank you!

The landscape changed back to Canadian Shield again through stunning rocky outcrops and small islands, many with cottages on them. Passing into Stoney Lake was challenging for its narrow openings and convoluted channels around the islands and rocks. The channel is very well marked, and we made it through the ominous sounding “Hell’s Gate” passage with no problem.

We arrived at Burleigh Falls Lock 28 around 1:00 pm and decided to lock through. This was a huge lock, with a lift of 24 feet. Originally it was a double lock 28 and 29 but was turned into a single in 1968 so there is no more Lock 29.

View from Burleigh Falls lock lower level mooring wall

Waiting our turn to enter the lock at Burleigh Falls

We were able to find a prime mooring spot on the upper lock wall beside the beautiful granite shoreline. Wally watched the boats come through the lock – one houseboat had a hot tub on top of it!

Hot-tub houseboat – I wonder if I could get a hot tub on Belisama 🙂

Later in the afternoon the Kawartha Voyageur came through the lock again, heading west like us.

Kawartha Voyageur preparing to exit Burleigh Falls lock – bow nose stays up until the lock gates are fully opened!

We also saw another water snake with its head poking up above the water surface in the lock channel. Any thoughts I had of swimming here were abandoned even though I know he/she would likely skedaddle once it saw me.

Water snake casually swims past Belisama

I worked on making templates for the front window coverings using an old sheet. With Wally’s help and a lot of painter’s tape, I’ve got these finished so I can use them to make the real things in the winter.

Wally ran the generator for about an hour so we could cook some pasta for supper. We talked about whether to stay here or go to Lovesick Lock tomorrow. Plans were made to meet with our friends Joanne and Randy for lunch so looking forward to seeing them again.

Sue and Peter have very generously offered to drive us to Orillia to get the car on Monday. The plan originally was to get a ride to Peterborough to rent a car, but their kind offer will make our lives so much easier. We want to get to Buckhorn Yacht Harbour on Sunday to get a start of unloading the boat in preparation for going home.

Bye for now!

A Second Overnight at Lakefield Lock 26
44°25’11.2080″N, 78°16’14.1852″W
What3Words: ///conga.caring.secretly

We decided to spend another night at Lakefield. This is a very quiet and pretty spot plus the ability to connect to shore power for a very reasonable cost ($10/day) is another incentive.

I spent some more time working on the blog and then shifted over to doing some research on navigation software for the laptop that can utilize Navionics brand charts. When I first started travelling aboard our Nauticat motorsailer “Ananda” I discovered a marine navigation software program from Norway called “TIKI Navigator”. It was relatively inexpensive and used Navionics charts. It was also very simple to understand and to make the most of what it had to offer.

TIKI Navionics Gold – Marine Navigation Software

I used TIKI from 2010 until 2022 when we sold Santosha. Their website is still active so I purchased new Navionics charts and then tried to buy a licensed version of TIKI Navigator – but there is something wrong with their website and also with the person/people who operate it. I can download a trial copy of the software and the website accepts payment for a license, but then they don’t follow up on the purchase and send a license/activation code. I tried several times to reach them but have had no success. Fortunately PayPal has refunded our money so now we will have to find an alternative software.

Catherine went for a walk into the village of Lakefield to check things out and then she spent some more time working on the Sunbrella window coverings. The front windows of the boat are oddly shaped and it’s tricky trying to set up a pattern to work from. This is also something that is difficult to work on unless you are at the boat. It’s fine to take all kinds of measurements and then work on the coverings at home – but because of all the odd shapes and the fact that the window frames protrude almost an inch from the window glass – that makes measuring and cutting that much more complicated. Oh well, I am confident that she will get it done nicely. When she is sewing I try to stay out of the way and be supportive. When I am working on the engines the roles are reversed! Pink and blue jobs!

Belisama’s front window coverings – angles and protrusions everywhere!

Catherine told me that she found a very nice café in the village that is within easy walking distance from the boat – even for me! We will go there tomorrow morning for coffee and a light breakfast before casting off.

Catherine also found several beautiful heritage homes and lovely gardens in the village – including the home of Canadian author Margaret Laurence. She lived in Lakefield from the early 1970’s until her death in 1987. If you look closely at the photo you will see to the right of front porch a stone angel in the garden, as homage to her iconic work “The Stone Angel.”

Margaret Laurence’s House in Lakefield – click anywhere in the image to enlarge it

Tomorrow we head for Young’s Point or Burleigh Falls – final decision not made quite yet. Our summer cruise is coming to an end. That makes us a bit sad but we are also looking forward to getting back home, sleeping in our own bed, having a shower in a bathroom that hasn’t been used by dozens before us and to not have to worry about fuel tanks and toilet tank pump outs.

Cheers!

Overnight at Lakefield Lock 26
44°25’11.2080″N, 78°16’14.1852″W
What3Words: ///conga.caring.secretly

Catherine writes:

We were up at 7:30 for a quick tea/coffee and to head across Little Lake to the Peterborough Marina to get the holding tank pumped out. The marina website and their phone message said that they opened at 8:00. We arrived at 8:45 but were informed that they didn’t open until 10:00, in keeping with the changes in the lock opening times.

I sent a quick text message to Sue to update them we would have to meet them later. We took advantage of the wait time and walked over to the No Frills to get a few more supplies. When we got back shortly after 9:00 the office was open and the staff person was able to complete the pump out, all part of the glamour of boating.

We went back across Little Lake to dock at Lock 20, tied up to the mooring wall and walked to the Canoe Museum. Sue and Peter were already there and enjoyed a latte and a muffin with them. When we got back to the boat I went to the lockmaster’s office to let them know we were ready to lock through whenever convenient for them. The staff were very apologetic but said it would probably have to wait about an hour because the water level through the lift lock was low, possibly from weeds restricting the flow of water. They had to clean the screens before allowing boat traffic through.

We sat at a picnic table swapping travel stories (“gamming”) and enjoying the beautiful September sunshine while waiting for the locks to begin operations.

Cath, Sue and Peter gamming while Wally did the dishes

The gates to Lock 20 began to open and we followed a cabin cruiser into the lock.

Sue and Peter aboard Belisama ready for the lift lock

From there we went down a short canal to the lift lock and entered the tank with the other boat. I found it much less scary going up than going down. I just looked straight ahead at the wall.

Sue and Peter stayed up on the flybridge and enjoyed the view as well as the experience. Once the lift was completed, we were able to tie up briefly on the wall and waved goodbye to them as they walked back down to the Canoe Museum to pick up their car.

We made it to the top of the lift lock 🙂

It was a spectacular fall day, with warm sunshine and brilliant blue sky, calm water all the way through Locks 22 – 26 – Lakefield. One unique thing we saw were remote controlled model sailboats having a race around some small buoys that were set up to create a race course. It reminded us of the model sailboats we saw in the parks in Paris.

Remote controlled sailboat regatta – looks like fun!

Swing bridge en route to Trent University

Approaching Trent University Campus – very beautiful location with lots of waterside spots for students to hang out and relax on a nice day

Canoeing peacefully along the Trent River – no fuel tank issues for them!

We got through Lock 26 at Lakefield just before closing time and moored for the night. They had shore power spots available which was a bonus. Finally, it was not windy, and Wally was able to barbecue peppers and shrimp skewers for supper. We had a long chat with Emily in Paris, went for a walk and then worked on the blog.

We are trying to figure out the logistics of getting to Peterborough and then to Orillia to get the car. Our summer adventure is coming to an end which makes us feel a bit sad especially when the weather has been so glorious. Rain is predicted for the entire weekend so that may accelerate our plans to return home.

Tomorrow we head for Burleigh Falls.

Bye for now!

Overnight at Lower Level Lock 20 Peterborough
44°17’55.6620″N, 78°18’16.7220″W
What3Words: ///subway.sped.changeable

Catherine writes:

We woke to dense fog and a very chilly boat.

Fisherman returning to Harris Boat Works in early morning fog

Once the fog cleared we could see the full moon descending as the sun was rising at the same time.

Sunrise and moonset panorama – click anywhere on the image to enlarge

We were up with the birds who have a lot of housing choices here.

Purple Martin high rise development at Harris Boat Works – thoughtful touch by the owners

Tea and crumpets for breakfast helped to warm us up.

It’s my (Catherine’s) turn to choose the breakfast menu

It was very calm and looked like a great start for our trip to Peterborough which we planned to begin after the fog lifted.

With fingers (and toes ) crossed, Skipper Wally started the engines. The port side started fine. The starboard started alright but only ran for 30 seconds and quit. The result was very blue air inside the boat as Skipper vented his frustration. We contemplated ending our journey and having the boat hauled out at Harris Boat Works as well as putting the original For Sale sign back on it.

He went to find Graham who was busy with another customer and said he would come as soon as he could. Wally tried to prime the starboard engine and miracle of miracles it started and stayed running!

We sat on the dock with both engines running for 20 minutes, then decided to head out around noon. First, we went back and forth in front of the marina for another 20 minutes to make sure or be as sure as we could that we were on the correct fuel tank and were going to be okay.

We did a few laps in sight of the marina – within easy towing distance 🙂

With everything humming along, we set the navigation app for the mouth of the Otonabee River which would take us to Peterborough.

Approaching the mouth of the Otonabee River

It was a much better day going up the river than it had been when we came down, sunny and pleasant without much wind. There were a lot of fishing boats, a few canoes and kayaks as well. Cottages and homes were interspersed with wetlands, so we kept the speed at 10 km to not create any wake.

Turtles hanging out at the mouth of the Otonabee River

Seagulls at the mouth of the Otonabee River waiting for fishermen to clean their catch

We arrived at Lock 19 – Scott’s Mills at 3:00 p.m. and called to make sure we could lock through. We were also concerned that both sides of the channel leading to the lock were lined with fairly large boats. The lock staff asked what the beam of the boat was, and Wally told them it was about 13’ so we were told to go slowly, and we should fit. If we were concerned, lock staff said they would relocate the boats.

It was a tight squeeze – two large Le Boat Houseboats and a brand new tug boat style cruiser on port side with another trawler and Le Boat Houseboat to starboard. Skipper Wally took us right up the middle with about 2 feet to spare on each side. We were too on edge to take any pictures, but we hadn’t seen this many boats together in one place for about two weeks!

When we got into the lock, a couple standing alongside the lock asked, “didn’t we see you in Bay Port earlier this summer?” Neither of us could remember where Bay Port was until it finally twigged that they were referring to the marina in Midland! They had a trawler style boat as well. Gosh, wasn’t that a couple of years ago? Their clue was Wally’s masterfully built barbeque box on the back deck!

We got through the lock with no problem and scooted across Little Lake to Lock 20 – Ashburnham where we had stayed before. We had been trying to barbecue for about 5 days, but it has always been too windy and that night was no exception. No power at this lock so it was egg salad wraps for dinner, very easy and tasty.

Locals fishing near Lock 20 – look close – are there two herons or only one? – click anywhere on the image to enlarge

Arrangements were made with friends Sue and Peter to meet at the Canoe Museum Café for coffee in the morning and have them come up in the lift lock with us so that should be fun!

Fishermen at dusk on Little Lake in Peterborough – click anywhere on the image to enlarge it

Bye for now

Overnight at Harris Boat Works, Rice Lake
44°7’20.0532″N, 78°14’28.3092″W
What3Words: ///chefs.jumbo.catapulted

We were up early and I cooked bacon for breakfast! This is the first time we have cooked breakfast aboard Belisama. Up until now we have been eating cereal and toast and toasted crumpets. What a great start to the day! It’s hard to beat the combination of “le essence d’diesel”  characteristic of a fine boat like Belisama blended with the aroma of freshly fried bacon. Someone (perhaps me) should figure out a way to turn that fragrant combination into an aftershave or underarm deodorant – I think it would be a big seller and the ladies would love it! Hey Copilot, how do I make …

Bacon for breakfast – I’m a happy camper / boater

We cleaned up the galley after a sumptuous breakfast and then I settled our account with the marina. It was a bright sunny morning and the lake was calm – a big change from the day before. I thought we might be getting low on fuel in the tank that we were using – especially after our “high speed” run down the lake yesterday, so I switched the valves to feed the engines from another tank. I warmed up the diesel engines for an extended period before we cast off just to be sure that the tank switch did not cause any difficulty for the fuel feed system. The engines were running noticeably better after their big workout yesterday. Poking along for hours at a time at low speed is hard on diesel engines.

We cast off just before 9:00 am and headed towards the entrance to the Otonabee River, just a few kilometers away. While we were travelling Catherine asked me to remind her  how our anchoring system worked – just in case we ever needed it. We were only off the dock for about 10 minutes when the portside engine stopped and the trouble alarm sounded. I shut down the starboard engine and told Catherine that now was the time to put our anchoring knowledge into practice.

Thankfully the weather was sunny and warm, the lake was calm and we were in about 20 feet of water so no danger of drifting aground and pretty easy anchoring space. Once we were securely anchored I switched the fuel tank back to the previous setting and tried to start the engines. No luck with either one! Not this again!

To make a long story short, I called Harris Boat Works – which we could see only a couple of kilometers away. They sent out a tow boat and Graham, the mechanic brought us back to their marina – to be tied up on what I called “the wall of shame” to a small audience of onlookers. Thankfully everyone on the dock was very polite and supportive. It can happen to anyone, right?

Our brief trip on September 8

Well, for me, I have been boating for over 30 years and until this summer I never once ran out of fuel. Now, it has happened to me twice in less than four weeks! That “bonkers” fuel tank selector system has been moved to the top of the list to be torn out and replaced once the boat is hauled out for winter storage. Good riddance, I say, good riddance! Actually I used several more “choice” words to describe my feelings about that stupid fuel system but this is a “Family” oriented blog site so I will remain civil in my choice of words.

Being towed back to Harris Boat Works

Once we were settled on the dock Graham came back with his tools and after a bit of effort he got both engines running again. He figured out the fuel tank selector setup and we switched the valves in the correct position to feed off the tank that had the most fuel in it – plenty to get us to Buckhorn. In my defense, Graham noted that one of the valves had been mislabeled. It was labeled to be the feed line for a specific fuel tank when it actually was a shut off valve. And that valve is “behind” a three-way valve that has no markings and must be in a specific position otherwise no fuel will get through to the engines – “BONKERS, I say, BONKERS”!

Catherine decided to take a walk while Graham and I were working on the engines. She took about a 20 minute walk from the marina to Gores Landing, the neighbouring village. She came across a beautiful little stone church that looked like it had been parachuted here from a small town in England. What a treasure to find. We will have to come back another time and explore the area some more – so much interesting history here.

St. George’s Chapel – original church built in 1847, current church built in 1908 with stones from the area collected by men from the congregation

By the time all of the engine/fuel system work was finished it was getting close to 4:00 so we decided to stay put for another night.

I mixed myself an extra strong Margarita and went up to the flybridge to relax, feel sorry for myself and reflect upon the day. It only took me a minute to remember that I have a great deal more to be grateful for than I do to feel sorry for myself.

While I was up top I was treated to an informal race of high speed boats on the water. Graham the mechanic was telling me that there are several high speed boating enthusiasts on Rice Lake and they often get together for some high speed runs – with some boats capable of going over 100 miles per hour! Wow, what a rush that must be! I bet they don’t have any trouble with fuel tank selector systems.

Tomorrow we will try once again to make it to Peterborough. Fingers crossed!

I hope to sleep well tonight.

Beautiful sunset over Rice Lake – a good omen, I hope

Cheers!