Rideau Canal First Impressions

I have to admit, for many many years of longing to travel the Rideau canal system, I really was not prepared for it. We’ve done canals before, in the Trent, and in the US, but the Rideau is completely different. I think it is the only place we have ever been that reminded me of the old canals in Europe, and the only place we’ve ever been that made Vita seem like too much boat!

It is tiny; and shallow. The locks are small, the lifts are small, the cuts and creeks and rivers, are really really small. There were several places where we would not have been able to be side by side with another Bayfield 29. And we have seen in channel depths as low as 5’, smack dab in the middle of where we are supposed to be. But gorgeous, wow, there is no way that I can put into words the profound feeling you get when being surrounded by nature, much of it pristine. Its kind of like the feeling I get when I go for strolls in the woods, just me and nature, and ahhhhhh.

The weather unfortunately hasn’t been the greatest, with a cold front moving down from the north, and the winds driving the chill right into our bones, it hasn’t felt too much like a summer vacation. I only drove for 5 hours yesterday, but I was done, I had nothing left to give. And today we are staying put, tied up against the lock in Smith’s Falls, hiding below waiting for a chance to escape and tour this cute little city, afraid that we might get blown of the concrete pier should we stick out heads out.

Don’t get me wrong, we have had a some great times in the last few days, and the worst day on the water is still better than the best day behind a desk. I’ve included a couple photos with narrative below, and until the sun comes out.

Vita back to one six.

Looks like hard work eh? 

Ahh, the great white fisherman. I set him free, a little too small to fillet. Ironically this is the only perch we have caught so far, I don't know where they are all hiding, but I wouldn't mind a good feed of perch. Just maybe a little bigger than this one.

Serena has found her new adoptive family. I don't think they know it yet, but she is planning to knock on their door at the earliest possibility and let them in on the secret. Lets face it, who doesn't want this water slide in their back yard?

Our friend Jim from the yacht club was super duper kind to us, letting us borrow his two 8' kayaks for the trip. We love them, and have added them to our purchase list for future money that we hope to find under a rock, or pick from a tree at some point. True to form though, fumble fingers (me) dropped half of one of the paddles into the water beside the dock and watched as it went straight to the bottom with no desire to come back up. Why it wanted to escape so bad, I have no idea, I would have treated it well, only gentle strokes. So, long story short, we bought Jim a new paddle, before we even left the dock to start our trip. We are planning on getting a lot more use out of these in the next few weeks.

Yeah, this part wasn't fun, 

The 401 bridge from the Rideau Canal, we've seen this a thousand times from the other direction, always dreaming of being down below. It may seem funny, but from this point of view, there was no desire to be on the Hwy. Which vantage point would you prefer?

Our first lock of the season, or set of locks. These Rideau locks are beautiful, old school, carved rock walls. And easy to traverse. The lock masters let the water out gently, a little bit at a time, so the ride up is like a warm bath with bubbles, relaxing and enjoyable.

I am not sure this picture does it justice, but you can just make out two green markers down the middle, and a red marker on either side. The red marker on the left had abandoned its post and went to visit some of his friends further down the channel. At times like this, common sense is the only thing that keeps the boat from going aground. Its hard to get upset though, the heavy traffic season is going to start soon, so this little red fellow was just trying to get a short vacation in before the big work started. Can't really blame him for that.

Dinner on the boat. We spent some time fishing in the afternoon, right from the lockstation, and manage to wrangle some tasty crappie out from under the dock. The water here is crystal clear, so there is no worry of contamination at this point in the year. We're hoping to find a few more of these in the weeks to come.

Really. Of all the things to see on route. I can't figure out if this is a retired sailor who just couldn't give it up, or a powerboater trying to get one more of those damn sailboats off the water. It is possible that this sailboat has received the coveted Jeep Trail Rated sticker, and is just proving a point, but either way it was good for a chuckle.