The Next Chapter

Peapod spent the longest and coldest Canadian winter in recent memory up on the hard in Rideau Ferry Harbour Marina, an hour’s drive from Ottawa. Meanwhile David and I were dreaming of warmer climes and spending many hours getting ready for the next leg of our journey. Yes, we had the right boat for the job. However, she and we needed some serious preparation to be up to the challenge.

David and I went “back to school” with the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron through the fall and winter months. We enrolled in Seamanship and VHF Marine Radio courses, augmenting our Boating Essentials course from the previous year. All of these courses provided useful and relevant information for our journey. Most importantly we gained a new appreciation of how knowledge can enhance safety.

Peapod also needed some upgrading for comfort and safety. Last year’s maiden cruise made us aware of some issues we needed to address before setting off again. The most important challenge we faced in navigating through 100+ locks was maneuvering in tight spaces. Peapod is tall and wide (compared to a sailboat for example) and is easily caught by the wind. With only a single screw (propeller), our stern was difficult to control. I spent a lot of time and energy with a boat hook pushing us away from lock walls, docks and other boats. My most common refrain to David at the helm in tight situations was “watch your arse!!” While this activity strengthened my arms and shoulders, it added a good deal of stress to our first trip and we decided to invest in a stern thruster to give us more control. This was installed in the boatyard this spring and made a huge difference. Locking through became downright relaxing and we could do 180 degree turns on a dime!!

Last year we also had a scary experience when hit by a sudden squall just as we were approaching the “blue line” where we tie up to wait for a lock to open. This is a cement wall – very unforgiving in a collision. Torrential rain hit David in the face, blinding him during the final moments of our approach. Our bow hit the wall. Needless to say, this was quite traumatic, although there was only a small blue scrape near the bow. As we considered what we might face in the coming years of the Peapod adventure, we decided to improve the coverage of the flybridge for navigation in bad weather. Barry Braithwaite, of Braithwaite Upholstery in Kingston, did a wonderful job of giving us a new “room” on top with canvas, plastic and screening. Not only does it make us safer, it also offers a bug-free environment for “sundowners” in the evening....J

The next upgrades were electrical, as the boat was set up primarily for plugging into shore power. We are planning to spend as much time as possible at anchor (on the hook), which is cheaper, cleaner and quieter. Gene Stein, owner of Marine Electric Technologies of Orillia, transformed nearly 30 years of jumbled wiring, renewed our battery bank and installed an inverter that will allow for heat, air conditioning and other important functions whether we are plugged in or not. He is a true professional wizard with wires and found a number of safety issues, which he promptly corrected, giving us more confidence to head out into the unknown.

All of this work illustrated the old boaters' saying “B-O-A-T” stands for break out another thousand! However, the prospect of running into trouble in “foreign” territory is the primary motivator for getting this old gal into the best possible shape before we leave Canadian waters.

We also spent a lot of elbow grease getting her teak and hull cleaned and polished!

David's shiny hull at Rideau Ferry Marina

Nancy sanding and painting Cetol on the teak

We began our 2014 odyssey on June 18^th with a grand send-off by our dear neighbours Ian and Barbara, who will kindly (as always) look after our house while we are away. David's sister, Janice generously offered us a ride to Rideau Ferry. The car was packed to the gunwales. Thankfully, Rachel and Zvi, my daughter and son-in-law in Toronto, are caring for Lucy so we didn’t need to squeeze her in. Rachel insisted on taking her to protect her from the trauma of flying home from Florida where we will leave the boat for the fall and early winter. In January we plan to drive down with Lucy and head for the Bahamas.

Ready to go!

Loaded

On our way

The next morning we left Rideau Ferry headed for Upper Newboro Lock to rendezvous with Barry for our canvas work. I spotted by first Scarlet Tanager flitting across the canal, one of many highlights on a gorgeous first day. However, our peace was interrupted when a faulty water hose under the galley sink exploded and filled the cabinet with scalding hot water. Luckily we were tied up at the lock and I was standing right there preparing lunch. David shut off the pump to stop the flow. I mopped up and he replaced the hose. Then we had our lunch….whew! A peaceful evening dockside after a pretty easy one-lock day.

On June 20th Barry arrived. He had done all the measurements and templates in the boatyard, so in less than a day we were beautifully decked out in a new top! While he was working we walked into the town of Newboro graced by beautiful homes and an amazing  shop called Kilborns on the Rideau. They carried an astonishing array of high quality goods, from home-made frozen dinners to designer shoes, furniture and kitchenware. We vowed to return by car in the fall to do our Christmas shopping! The only “downer” of the day was the demise of our water pump, causing another flood, this time in the engine room. David, ever the creative Mr. Fix-it, managed to plug the dike until we could get a permanent repair. Thankfully we had lots of bottled water on board - enough to get us to Kingston. The joys of an old (1986) boat!!

Newboro home

Peapod's new top

Canada Goose families at Lower Newboro Lock 36

On Day 3 we passed through 6 locks and met some friendly boaters from Portland Ontario on their trawler “Companion”. As it was hot and sunny, we decided to follow them into a gorgeous little “secret” anchorage (i.e. not named on our chart) in Morton Bay just south of Jones Falls at L 44° 31.3’, Lo 76° 13.5”. High walls of forest and granite surrounded us. The water was clear and refreshing. We enjoyed our first swims of the season and spent a quiet night at anchor, confident that our new 20kg self-righting Rocna anchor would hold. It did and we didn’t move an inch! We had breakfast to the sounds of loons, whippoorwills and a nearby waterfall – divine.

Stream beside Chaffey's Lock 37

Leaving Davis Lock 38 with "Companion" 

Jones Falls Lock 42

The happy captain

Beautiful Canadian shield

Peaceful morning in Morton Bay

The next day we followed “Companion” through peaceful lakes, channels and rivers dotted with fishing boats and passed through another 7 locks without incident. We arrived at Kingston’s Confederation Basin Marina early enough for David to cycle way up the hill to West Marine in search of a new water pump. Despite being exhausted from our long day in the hot sun, David installed the pump and we were back in business with hot and cold running water.

  

Hard-working lock staff at Upper Brewers Lock 44 

Manual bridge at Lower Brewers Lock 45

"Companion" passing under the 401

Wolf Island ferry leaving Kingston Harbour

The following afternoon (Monday June 23^rd) our electrician arrived. The boat has been turned upside down ever since with all hatches for the engine and electrical systems open for access. In the meantime, we have taken advantage of the time to do laundry, shopping and sightseeing in Kingston. The mega-yacht below is in exactly the same spot as we saw her last year and never seems to move. 

The "Irish Colleen"

Martello Tower at Confederation Basin 

I also like to record memorable boat names just for fun!

This little mallard found a nice place to rest!

To our great joy, we hosted my son and daughter-in-law, Adam and Isabel, and our precious grandson, 15-month-old Oscar (and their dog Uma) on Peapod for lunch. They were driving back to Toronto from Montreal and stopped for a brief visit to say farewell. We know that he and our Ottawa grandbabies will be growing and changing during our 2+ months absence. This is the only down side of cruising – missing major milestones and special moments in the lives of our families. Thankfully we have great technology allowing for real-time long distance contact.

Captain Oscar

Tomorrow the new batteries go in and we will test all systems before Gene leaves for Orillia. If all goes as planned (a bit of a joke on a boat), we will leave Kingston on Friday or Saturday, depending on our sea trials, and head for the Erie Canal across Lake Ontario. This U.S, waterway will be a first for both of us so we feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Hopefully, all systems will be working well and we will have an uneventful journey to the Hudson River and New York City!

Home at last!!

On our last day in Kingston, we hiked in blistering heat with Lucy up the long hill from the harbour to visit West Marine, a special treat for Ottawa folks who don't get there often. It was nice to arrive and realize they were dog-friendly and had fresh water for Lucy. David and I were like kids in a candy store and picked up much-needed replacement life jackets, rubber boots, a new hat for David (his was torn off by the incessant wind of Lake Ontario) and other fun items.

As we limped back to the dock loaded down with groceries and our West Marine goodies we came upon the immediate aftermath of a "bumper boat" calamity. A huge white cruiser lost control entering the marina and swiped several other boats before coming to a stop against the stone wall. Rumour has it that the captain said he "lost his steering". It would certainly explain the apparently random movements of this gigantic yacht. One of the women on the cruiser was injured slightly, and many others on the dock and other affected boats were traumatized.

A large Coast Guard vessel soon appeared and discharged a dinghy full of officers who conducted an investigation. Quite an exciting evening at the Confederation Basin Marina.

While in the harbour we also managed the sale of my parents' house with the help of marina staff who scanned documents for us. Thank goodness we were in civilization with access to technology!!

August 22nd dawned cloudy and windy (the wind never stops in Kingston!). We were obliged to leave as the Marina was fully booked with boaters coming for the blues festival on the weekend. In any case, we were anxious to get back underway after a welcome respite from our travels. The bridge out of the basin only opens on the hour so we were up "early" and ready for the 10AM opening.



Soon we were in sight of the 401 at a place we always dreamed of cruising under! Traffic was slow due to construction, which made us feel even more fortunate.

401 moving slowly as we enter the waterway! Everything is better on a boat.

Travelled through 4 locks uneventfully, although we were a tad rusty at going uphill! At 13:00 we were about to tie up on the blue line at Lock 45, Lower Brewer's when a violent electrical storm hit. Immediately in front of us was a brilliant bolt of lightening almost coinciding with the crash of thunder. I ran down to the deck to prepare the lines for landing when the sheets of horizontal rain hit us. David was at the helm and was temporarily blinded. I was crouching on the gangway step too terrified to jump the gap when we hit the dock.

David came bounding down from the flybridge and jumped ashore like Spiderman and secured the boat. Nobody from the 3 other boats nearby came to help us despite our being in a crisis situation. Very disappointing given boaters' reputations for being helpful to one another. I guess it depends on the weather.

We were so shaky after this adventure that we decided to stop for the day even though it was only 1PM. When the rain cleared, David worked away to remove the blue stripe from the hull, as we didn't want to complete our journey advertising that we had hit the blue line! A small scratch remains as a reminder and joins the many others on the hull contributed by the previous owners. That night there was a gorgeous sunset.

The next morning, we dried ourselves out. Of course all the hatches, doors and windows had been open during the downpour...good lesson learned in paying close attention to the sky while underway!!

Friday August 23rd was OSCAR day!! Adam and Isabelle were travelling to Montreal and took a small detour to meet us at Upper Brewer's Lock. What a treat! The salon table was perfect for changing then we sat in the park for a picnic.

On the picnic blanket he performed for Grandma...showing off his verbal and toe-sucking skills.

That afternoon we passed through beautiful Jones Lock....

....on our way to an amazing spot at Davis Lock where there was power AND wonderful swimming! Several doodles added to the entertainment for us and for Lucy. She had a ball and was much admired by the boater crowd. Gorgeous spot! After 8 locks we were ready for a relaxing evening.

The next day took us through spectacular cottage country to Smith's Falls where we tied up at a municipal dock with power, washrooms, showers and a wonderful free concert in the park under the water tower! Magical evening.

The park where we were tied up had a WWII Harvard on display. This was the type of plane David's dad flew when he trained young pilots to go to war.

The next morning we were preparing to lock through and spotted another Monk 36, only the second one we had seen on the trip.  This one was doing the "big Loop" from Florida. Funny how excited we all get when we see another of our "kind"...:-).

Because it was Saturday, the locks at Smith's Falls were lined with spectators. We felt like we were at the Oscars with camera flashes going non -top and lots of ooohs and ahhhs over our boat and especially Lucy who mugged for the crowds. 

Then the big push was on to get to Burritt's Rapids, one day away from Ottawa! It was a long one with 12 locks but thanks to navigational assistance from Lucy we made it just in time to get the last spot on the lower dock.  There we had power, nice neighbours, fun boat dogs but no Telus service. 

Our new friend Steve told us about a company in Ottawa that makes thrusters for boats and given our challenges in handling Peapod in wind and current we were excited to hear this.

One of the prettiest locks along the way was was Old Sys, where the original stone lockmaster's house sits nearly hidden by gigantic trees.

Many of the locks have been fitted with hydraulic equipment operated from console. Here at Old Sys, the staff still operate the locks manually and it is hard work!

Merrickville is another pretty tourist town where we waited for the lock in a lovely park. Peapod is tied up on the blue line in the background.

Just below Merrickville we passed a marina specializing in wooden boats....gorgeous! 

We know we are almost home when we pass under Ottawa's famous bridge to nowhere, an infrastructure project plagued by delays and controversy.

Finally we are in familiar territory - the locks at Carleton University (Rachel's alma mater and part of our cycling circuit). Lucy is getting weary after a long day and did her "downward dog" yoga pose for an energy boost.

 We glide past Patterson's Creek, along a favourite walk to Bank St. where we do our shopping. Now we we are getting very excited as "our" Pretoria Bridge approaches!

T

As we round the turn approaching the bridge we see the telltale flash of our friend and neighbour Ian, who is on the shore documenting our arrival. While he waits, he captures the wildlife who are keeping him company.



Lucy sees him right away.



We hover at the end of our street wait for the bridge to rise. Living where we do, we hear the "ding-ding-ding" of the bridge going up all summer. Who knew we would be the ones making it happen?



Ding ding ding....



Our photographer jumps on his bike and we see him next on the Corkstown Bridge as we round the turn and see the Chateau for the first time.

Ian's perspective shooting south from the bridge.





Ian's shot to the north just before we lose our light. This one's my favourite!

Exhausted, we tie up downtown at dusk and have a celebratory dinner of leftovers and wine. The next day, we hosted David's son Ryan, along with grandson Wesley and Melanie for a tour of the boat. Once he can see over the wheel, he can take turns at the helm.

We walked home with a huge cart of laundry. What a treat to walk into our beautiful house after three months away! Had a wonderful lunch at the "portable" restaurant, which serves local food and beverages. See the link for a great description. 8 Lock's Flat

We entertained some old friends (Carla, Suzanne and Charlene, Ian and Barbara) and met some new ones in our few days alongside.

Our last downtown sunset.


On Friday morning we took on 2 crew members, Peter and Carla and set out to return the boat to her fall and winter home in Rideau Ferry. One small detour was required. The evening before both of our heads filled to the brim and refused to flush. Oooops! The alarm that tell us that the poo tank is full turns out to be on the same circuit where there is a loose or broken wire affecting the forward cabin lights. We were planning to have some electrical work done anyway so the lights were no big deal. Who knew there was such a critical function associated with the lights? Oh well, we got pumped out and we could safely depart. The joys of marine heads!

On our way to Dow's Lake for the pump-out we saw a canoe pulled over to avoid us. When I greeted them from the bow, we realized that is was an old friend and colleague, Natalie, who was out with her nieces for a holiday weekend paddle. What a crazy coincidence!

Carla loved being on the bow and working the lines. She stayed with us as far as the Mooney's Bay locks where we had a lovely picnic lunch and Baskin Robbins ice cream....a very rare treat!!!

Peter was game to take the hem and work the lines in the locks. What a help it is to have extra hands for that job!

Along the way we saw many osprey nests, mostly empty this late in the year except this one.

We made it back to Burritt's Rapids on Friday evening where we were treated to a polo practice. Now that's a first for us! By the time we got the camera it was all over but the cooling down. What a beautiful sight!




Our last lock for 2013...102 in total!!!

Our last treat of the voyage was seeing my old friend Geoff steaming toward us. He has a wonderful boat called Drummer that he also keeps at Rideau Ferry and was out for an end-of-summer cruise with Pat and a lively group of friends.

Lucy is very glad to be home and so are we!

This winter we are signed up for a seamanship course to get us ready for "the big show". Back next spring with the journey to Florida and the Bahamas!