We got started at 7:40 this morning and headed for Lock 42, about 10 miles down the way. In the lock we had a nice visit with one of the lock tenders who made it a point to tell us that he sensed something special between the two of us – a kind of “glow.” We, of course, feel our own “glow” but it is was very touching to meet someone for only a few minutes who was compelled to let us know that he felt it. He said, “A lot of people come through here and it is rare to see what you two have. Whatever it is, keep doing it!!”
In about an hour, we got a call from our friend Jeff, on Don’t Blink. He decided to go up to Big Chute at Lock 44 and was on his way back through the waterway system. He was wondering where we were and hoping to hook up for lunch. He mentioned that the big excursion boat that we’d seen in Peterborough, Kawartha Voyageur, was on its way back and to be ready to take some pictures when it came by. Sure enough, at about 11:30, we saw the big boat coming around the bend toward us and took a few pictures. We met Jeff at noon and anchored just off the channel near marker 185 where we rafted up and shared some burgers and snacks before we each took off in opposite directions at 1:30 pm.
Arriving at Lock 43, Swift Rapids, a lady watching the boats lock through came up and started a conversation with Maureen. She wondered where we were when we met the Kawartha Voyageur. She and her husband were tied up to the lock wall in their boat listening to the marine radio and had heard the Voyageur thank the catamaran for the consideration given by hanging back in the channel and letting the big boat pass. She told us they had been waiting for the catamaran to come through! We had not had our VHF radio on so we were unaware of the broadcast.
We arrived at Lock 44, Big Chute, around 4 pm and decided to tie up to the dock and check out the lock before we came through. We had been anticipating this ride for several days and looking forward to seeing how it worked. This is a unique “railway” lock which was built to lift boats over the rapids at Big Chute. The only other railway lock in the world is located in Poland. At Big Chute a conventional lock was not built due to the concern that parasites might migrate from the Severn River to the Trent River. Instead, a railway car was constructed which can accommodate many boats at the same time. The car is submerged under water on tracks and you pilot your vessel over the car. This car has sophisticated cables and rods to support each boat as it rises out of the water. The tracks are constructed in such a manner that the car remains nearly level on both sides of the incline. An engineering marvel, the largest boat that can be accommodated is 24 feet wide, 90 tons, and 100 feet long. It is truly something to be seen. In fact, after locking through we both agreed that watching from the ground is even more thrilling than actually taking the ride itself.
Just before 6:30 pm we approached the last lock of the Trent-Severn Waterway at Port Severn. Lock 45 is a small lock with only a 14 foot drop but coming out of this lock was one of the more treacherous spots we had to navigate due to a 3-4 knot current on the Severn River caused by the spring runoff. If that wasn’t enough, we proceeded into Tug Channel and found the narrowest passage yet. Fortunately, things widened out somewhat and we found ourselves heading into the next large section of our route, Georgian Bay.
At 7:30 pm we anchored in a quiet spot near Potato Island just before the Potato Island Channel. Since we’d had such a large lunch, we just enjoyed a few hors d’oeuvres and a couple of drinks before going to bed.
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