Bye Bye Rideau Canal

I am afraid I am behind my time yet again. We have been home for a week, and its been at least two since the last blog entry. Busy busy.....

So we left Smith's Falls, looking for a place to get away from the hustle and bustle, in an anchorage where we would be protected from the heavy southwest winds that were expected for a couple of days. We tied up on a Parks Canada mooring ball in front of Colonel By Island in the middle of Big Rideau Lake. We would have liked to tie up to the last mooring ball around the south corner, as it had the best protection, but there was a pile of people at the island, and almost every space was taken. Sure as the sun comes up though, all the boaters cleared out around supper time, and we got our opportunity to move to the choice spot. In fact we would have the island virtually to ourselves for the next 4 days.

Colonel By Island has to be the jewel of the Rideau system. For as much fun as it was to take our boat thru the Nations Capital, it was twice the fun to have an Island to ourselves for a few days.

On Monday the winds blew in strong. And although we had the best mooring ball of the bunch, Vita was bucking like a wild steer, so we spent the day on shore, reading, sun tanning, and playing tennis in the tennis court left over from a previous tenant. Someone had left racquets and a tennis ball for everyone to use, so we played away the afternoon joking about being Serena Williams and John McRnroe, if only because they are the only two famous tennis names we could think of.

It is a great spot. Over the 4 days we went swimming in the beautiful clear waters more times than I can count, we kayaked through the archipelago of islands, and lost lake; we went for dinghy rides, read books, relaxed, enjoyed sundowners, and just really enjoyed each others company in a lovely place, void of the intrusion of world. The only other people we spoke to were a couple of guys on their first kayak trip, who stayed the night at the island. It was eden, and it made up for any of the bad crap we had to put up with the rest of the trip.

However, all good things must come to an end. And between our planned scheduling, weather, and some other interesting places we want to check out, we figured we had better get a move on. Besides, lets face it, the weekend crowd would have ruined our opinion of the place, and in that ruined the memory of a truly great time.

So we headed out on Thursday morning looking to check out Jones Falls. The lock station has four locks, a turning basin, and one of the most impressive damns I have ever seen. They also have a rather short, but rugged walking trail that was a lot of fun. And, as always seems to happen with cruisers, the world gets smaller and smaller with every person you meet. Well, we met a lovely french couple on a Monk 36 who just happen to be the parents of a young man who with his wife and two children had made the trip down the eastern seaboard to Florida 3 years. ago. The same year we did. And wouldn't you know it, they were on a Bayfield 40 that we locked through the dismal swamp with. I had pictures of their boat on my computer, and their son had remembered our little Bayfield 29. No matter how many times its proven to me, I am still amazed at the little things that make this world shrink to human size.

Jones Falls, however, is where the trip went to hell. We got stuck waiting over 3 hours to get through the lock. We had intended to go a little anchorage just below the falls in a quiet little spot to do some kayaking and swimming for the day, but we were so disenchanted that we decided to move further down the system and anchor in Cranberry Lake. That way we would be able to get out of the system the following day, and we might still get a swim in.

Another plan shot to hell, as we got to Cranberry Lake and discovered it was choked tight with weeds. What was a beautiful lake on the way up two weeks previously, was now a big swamp. Oh to hell with it, lets get out of here! We managed to make the last flight of locks at Kingston Mills right at the end of the day, and tied up to their dock at the bottom of the locks at 7:00 pm. The bottom end of the Rideau was like one big weed bed. The warm sunny weather, combined with the unusually clean water had choked the system right up. Vita was having a hard time getting through because of the weeds wrapped around her prop. At one point we were down to 2 knots, and I kept stopping to put her in reverse to try and dislodge the hitchhikers. I would not have wanted to try to do this trip in late July. In fact, I don't think we could have made it.

We woke early on Saturday. We were headed out through Kingston and back to one of our favorite anchorages behind Ram Island in Hay Bay. It was a picturesque morning. The temperature was perfect, the sun was bright, the wind was calm, and we were all by ourselves. We saw very little in the way of traffic. In fact I spent most of the morning in a clothing optional state, it was perfect.

Down behind Ram Island, we were planning to wait out a storm that never emerged. We swam, kayaked, relaxed, and even got Lifeline, our Walker Bay dinghy out for a sail around the Island. A nice end to the trip.

After a couple of days we decided to head home, originally expecting to take two days, we changed those plans and made the 6 1/2 hour run for the Yacht Club. Well, 8 hours later, and a very uncomfortable ride, we made it home. The wind had clocked around from the southwest to the west during the trip, almost seeming to fight us every time we made a direction change. And it was a very strong wind. I had heard people talk about Big Bay being rough in a good blow, and I can remember chuckling to myself, cause lets face it, its a tiny body of water, at least in comparison to some of the places we've been. Well, I take it back, and to the person that I quietly laughed at, I am very sorry. Don't get me wrong, it was dangerous, but it was cantankerous, short steep waves, right on the nose. It was slow going, and then every few minutes a set of waves would come along, slamming into Vita's hull and stopping her cold. Not a place I would have preferred to be.

Overall we are glad we did the trip. Going through Ottawa was cool. Seeing the old manually operated locks and bridges, double cool. Just living aboard Vita again was incredible, and felt like where we were supposed to be. However, I don't think we will do the system again in a sailboat. A houseboat would be neat, or even a small trawler. But I think the real glory of the Rideau would be to do it in a canoe or kayak. So right now we are tentatively planning to make the trip from Kingston to Ottawa in the kayaks in two years. Vita will be in Florida on the hard for hurricane season, and we will be back in Ontario for a few months, so it is the perfect time.

Please enjoy the following pics with narrative.

Vita back to one six.

I love these pics. Which one of these is upright. The top one or the bottom one. It was a very calm, very clear morning.

Colonel By Island was hit by a tornado in 1985, and some of the trees that got knocked down still survived. Although they don't really look like normal trees. It was odd, but neat at the same time. Nature really will find a way.

Lost lake, no fishing allowed, and surrounded by islands. I was shocked at how deep the water was. I though it would be a swamp, but when we kayaked through, it dropped off pretty good.

Colonel By had a nice hiking trail. And all the green you see on the ground are thousands of tiny maple trees. 

Serena Williams

John McEnroe

The water got really thin in some spots, but Vita never went aground. Not so for Lifeline. It looked like there was enough water to get between the islands, there however was not, and Serena wanted to make sure she documented the Captains decision to try it.

The trail at Jones Falls, although short, was the best walk of the trip. Rugged and steep at times. Wish it was 10 miles longer.

The damn at Jones Falls. crazy big. All made with hand hewn stone blocks.

This lock was tight. When we tied up ready to go down, Serena could touch the bridge from her position on the bow.

Tell me this isn't heaven. Ray (the autopilot) was driving, the weather was perfect, and I sat on a lawn chair on the bow watching the world go by at 5 knots.

Lifeline is a blast to sail. It took us a bit to get past the island, tacking back and forth with the wind on the nose, but then on a broad reach, she just flew. Now if only I could learn to sail..........

Smith's Falls to Ottawa and Back

A few days ago I was hell bent on doing a blog entry ranting about those power boaters who don't take responsibility for their destructive wake. But I've calmed down a little, and come to accept that it is part of human nature to destroy the things around us in pursuit of our own wants, whether out of ignorance, or just lack of caring. Serena on the other hand is still pretty pissed, that's why I kept her away from the keyboard. One of the episodes found her down below cutting up cabbage for a coleslaw when we got trashed by one of those destructive humans. Luckily, she still has all of her fingers, and most of the coleslaw was still edible. BTW, to all those power boaters who do watch and control your wake, I commend you, and you have my utmost respect and admiration.

As I mentioned in the last entry, the weather had not been cooperating with us, so we decided to book it to Ottawa, get that part of the trip over with so that we could relax a little on the way back through. I mean really, the entire waterway from Smith's Falls to Ottawa looks like the following picture, and other than looking at the odd cottage, there is nothing to do, or to see.

Ottawa on the other hand is really neat from the boat. We've been there several times by car of course, in fact we lived there for 5 years, but taking our own boat through the waterways of the nations capital city was pretty cool. Docking right down town in the heart of the city. Right directly in front of National Defense Headquarters. The same building that 6 years and 10 days ago I walked into first thing in the morning, handed the security guard my military identification card, giving up a life of servitude for a life of freedom. And not once in those 2200 days since have I regretted that decision. In fact I doubt I ever will.

So what does one do in the nations capital. One does tourist things.

We had lunch down on Sparks street, in an open air cafe.

Two days in a row of course.

We visited and took pictures of the now famous sink hole. By the time we got there they had already dump some 300 truck loads of concrete into it, so it was a little less impressive.

One takes naps in the cockpit, but that happens everywhere.

One plays the guitar in the cockpit. I thought about doing it on the street to make a little change, but the guys that were out doing that didn't look like they were making enough to buy coffee. So I did it for me instead of everybody else.

We walked around the Parliment buildings, and looked at the last 8 locks that we were not going to go thru. It takes 2-4 hours to go down, another 2-4 hours to come up, and the poor lock masters have to do all the cranking by hand. It would be nice to say we did the whole system, but that is just way to cruel to the guys out there in the heat cranking those doors and gates open and closed. So we'll live with the shortcoming. 

And the parliment lawn selfie, no tourist trip to Ottawa would be complete without it. I didn't run into Justin while I was there, apparently he was getting his hair done and wasn't available for coffee.

This little fellow a.almost turned us from cat lovers to dog owners. He was a rescue from the Dominican Republic, and very comfortable on the boat. I was walking back from getting some wifi, and I stopped to pet these three dogs that were running around. Then they followed me back to the boat. I wasn't sure at first if they even had an owner, but after awhile some guy on a cell phone followed along behind. I knock on the hull of the boat and asked Serena if my new three friends could come visit, they followed me home.

Apparently this doesn't happen very often where two boats pass in a flight of locks, us going down, them going up. 

On day two of being downtown we kayaked down the Rideau canal then took this little side creek into a residential area. It was preety cool kayaking downtown, under the bridges; we just had a blast.

We just fit under the Pretoria bridge, I mean just......

Coming into the downtown. So neat bringing our boat into Ottawa.

Let's face it though, we are not really tourists, and being around thousands of people all the time, everyday, is not our cup of tea. I had a hard time watching all the people going to and fro, especially the ones in suits. Thoreau said it best when he said that people are living and dieing in a prison of there own making. It is exactly the type of lifestyle that Serena and I have been trying to avoid, and the city is the poster child for it.

So off we went, back down the system, (see the first picture), to Smith's Falls to load up on provisions and go anchor somewhere quiet.

Showering on the boat. PG rated.

Spending time with other boaters in the locks. You meet some nice ones, and some not so nice ones. We try to be one of the nice ones, but some people make it so hard.

Vita back to one six.

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.

And So The Vacation Begins

I’ve been noticing lately that a lot of the things that we do seem to make others around us uneasy. Some are afraid of water, some are afraid of boats, or bad weather, or being trapped in a small concrete, rock and steal room while thousands of gallons of water come rushing in, (a waterway lock). And a whole host of other things, that to us, seem pretty normal, but to others can be truly terrifying.

I was beginning to think I was immune to these phobia’s and fears, but I’m not, I just don’t wear them on my sleeve, and a few days ago we left our yacht club for a summer of cruising Ontario’s canals, and I was sick to my stomach with anxiety and irrational fear. I couldn’t even pinpoint what was really bothering me, but my stomach was tied in knots anyway. Maybe that’s the point, for some reason my brain does not allow me to notice those fears until I am already knee deep in them. As long, of course, that there is no sharply pitched roofs on the waterway, those I know I have issues with. Brrrr, gives me the willies just thinking about it….

Well I needn’t have worried, Vita preformed flawlessly, the weather was beautiful, and Serena and I were in 7^th heaven once again. Anchored in a little bay with just each other for company. Good food, good beer, and good companionship.

The second day was more of the same, only we got the anchor down early in behind Ram Island, in Hay Bay, and had time to try all kinds of stuff. Serena was on the coach roof in a lawn chair, beer in one hand, and a fishing pole in the other before the engine was idled down.

We spent the day kayaking, fishing, swimming, and just chillaxin. It was the reason we wanted to go cruising in the first place.

Day three had us move to Collins Bay Marina in Kingston, to take advantage of the free overnight dockage that our reciprocal agreement with the yacht club allowed. We picked up some marine hardware, some groceries, and went to our favourite restaurant for pasta, the Pasta Shelf. A long hard day that saw us in bed early.

That’s where the blue skies ended. The fourth day saw a bad weather forecast continuing for the next three days; move now, or get stuck. I knew we shouldn’t have stopped in Kingston, but the lure of pasta had my brain not thinking right. The forecast was for 40 km/h winds with gusts to 50. Bullshit, I’ve been in lots of 50 km\h winds (25 knots), and had a great time sailing, this was more like 70 km/h, at least. It was brutal. We got the living crap beat out of us. The few boats that were out were large sailboats with barely scraps of sail up, and they were healed right over. Unfortunately Vita does not currently have a mast, because we are doing the canals this year, and they have a height restriction that does not allow it. So we did not have the wonderful stabilizing effect of the sails to calm the ride. A swell coming off of Lake Ontario, and wind driven waves from another direction made for a terribly confused sea and a very rough ride. There were times we would role and I would swear that the keel was trying to come out of the water, and times when I could watch the bowsprit sink beneath the waves. Only a sailor would take a power boat out in that crap, and Vita is effectively a power boat right now. Add to this rain coming down in sheets so thick it was like a pea soup fog had rolled in. One of these rain squalls hit us as we were trying to enter Kingston Harbour. We had a following sea at that point, thank god, but the Wolf Island ferry was leaving, and two sailboats under sail were headed straight at us. Rules of the road be damned, I knew the ferry wasn’t going to get out of my way, and there was no way those two sailboats were going to be able to avoid me in that mess, so we swung Vita around and back out towards the lake in order to make enough room for everyone. Once all the potential collisions were over with, we headed back into the harbour unmolested, and aimed for the little bridge opening in heavy winds and a following sea. Parts of me didn’t un-pucker until we were shot through the hole under the highway into the relative calm of the waters behind. And so we started the Rideau Canal system, its starting to feel like a vacation now.

Vita back to one six.

640 Day Blog Update

Day 1, It has been a day since I wrote my last blog entry, and I will probably save them up for a bit before I upload them to the blog. I'll keep a simple daily diary, and then update them all at once somewhere down the road.

Day 2. Are you freakin' nuts, its been almost 2 years. just the idea of writing it bores the crap out of me.

Wow, I cannot believe it has been so long since my last entry. Life just eats up time, and rolls along whether you want it to or not. I'll try to give a quick update. We've been out of the loop for a long time, but I need to keep it short, or you'll end up falling asleep on me.

As of the last blog entry we were knee deep in a pile of dirt and building materials, trying to end up with a house. The event took us the better part of a year, with Serena's parents moving into the main house in May of 2015, and us moving into the granny suite in the back of the garage. By that time though, my father was living in our 13' travel trailer in our driveway, after separating from my stepmother, and he needed a place to live. That meant another summer lost to building another house. However, my body was starting to break down, and during the process I managed to blow out my right knee, and spend 5 months suffering the pain of a bad case of tennis elbow. Not to mention that Serena and I being so busy, we had neglected our heath, and in November my Doctor informed me that my blood sugar had moved me into the pre-diabetic range, heading toward all the bad stuff that that usually brings on a person. But I have a boat, and I want to cruise, and being a slave to doctors and medication is not an option for me. So although late in the game, it was time for some real change. Serena and I started to educate ourselves in health and diet, spending the winter of 2015/2016 looking after ourselves, walking, and trying to figure out what a healthy lifestyle looked like to us. As of this week we have moved aboard Vita for the summer, I am officially no longer a pre-diabetic, and we have lost a total of 100 lbs between the two of us. We feel great, and are looking forward to a lot of years of cruising, hiking, travelling, and living life to its absolute fullest. Come with us for the ride.

The Plan:

Going way back our original plan was to sail to the Bahamas and back in a year. And, if we liked it, we were going to take off for an indefinite period of time. We did that, and we loved the life, complete with its ups and downs, but we also realized that we wanted a house here at home. So instead of cruising as an end all, be all, cruising would be a part time life for us. Maybe 6 months out of the year, or longer, or whatever takes our fancy. So we are headed back down to the Caribbean next summer, and we don't know when Vita will be back in Canada. But, she needs a little work before she goes and we need a breather before we are ready. This year will see us travelling the local canals, the Rideau and the Trent Severn, as well as Georgian Bay and the North Channel. And for those who know those areas, access for a sailboat is limited, so Vita will be a power boat this year. It works out well, because the bowsprit is completely rotted out, and needs rebuilding before it will be safe to put up the mast again. I had cut some white oak last year and milled it on the saw mill just for that purpose, but its a winter project; next winters! There are also a list of upgrades and changes that we would like to make, from lessons we learned on the first trip. But for now, we just want to take the summer off, enjoy life on the water, and get to know Vita again.

Vita back to one six.

Where o' Where is Vita

Well. unfortunately she is sitting neglected in her slip at the Yacht Club. She is dirty, the rig isn't tensioned, the sails aren't on her, and if she has feelings, I am positive that she thinks we have left her. Its sad really, but it is hard to build a house and take care of a boat at the same time. Especially when you do all the building yourself.

The good news is that we are going cruising again. We came home to design and build a small house, to give ourselves somewhere to hang our hats when we are at home, and ended giving it to Serena's parents to live in until they no longer wish to. That way owning the house costs us a little less, we have somewhere to call home, and someone looks after our house while we are gone. Because we are going sailing! Reading the blogs of our other friends in Grenada has refueled our desire to make that trip, and we can hardly wait to get back out there. But we also realize that it is important to have a home base, at least for us. We weren't home 6 weeks and Serena had already had surgery to remove her gallbladder. So we realize how important it is to have someplace to recover. BTW, she recovered in a 13' travel trailer, with no running water, no TV, and no electricity. I think she is going to insist on something a little more comfortable next time, but she's a tough ol' broad, I give her that.

But first we have to get this house built, and maybe two, but that's a longer story that will have to wait for another time. Its hard work, and most of the time it is just us two broke back rednecks to get the job done. Right now we are down to one, because Serena threw her back out a couple of days ago. Luckily we have great friends and neighbors that lend us a hand when we need it. Ironically, the couple that bought our last house have been the most helpful. Pierre, at 69, is still full of life and energy, he can be hard to keep up with, and Ginette, his wife is a wonderful lady. She actually made us a couple of delicious meals while we were working late, and is just so friendly, you would almost think we were paying her to be that way. My son comes up and helps on some weekends with the heavy work. And my buddy Ron, my Dad, and anyone else who feels inclined is always willing to give advice, pick up a piece of debris, or try and figure out what the hell we are doing.

I am working on the crawlspace/foundation today. It goes together like big styrofoam lego blocks, and then we fill them with concrete. It is a more expensive system then some, but it is do-it-yourself, provides and incredible insulation value, and goes together really fast. Then next week is floors, waterproofing, backfill, etc...... It stops eventually, but I can't see the end. Below are a couple of photos we've taken while we are here, it has its ups and downs, just like cruising, but its still a lot of fun. Now I got to get back to work.

My new barber. He's not quite as good as his Grandma, but what he gives up in skill, he gives back in enthusiasm. Duke turned 4 yesterday.

This is Megan. She is the cutest little red fox that hung out with us for a few weeks. She would curl up in the driveway and watch us work. She eventually disappeared, as it was time for her to abandon her young to the world. Now we have two of her babies dropping by in the evenings. They aren't as friendly, but being a little scared will probably keep them alive longer. She is just so damn cute.

This is what a hole in the ground, in the woods looks like before you plop a house on it.

Buying the tractor was a god-send. It has saved our backs so much, an keeps the site looking clean. Ok, cleaner....

Here is home. It doesn't look like much, but we have a shower that would rival any cockpit shower, a head, a little trailer, internet (via our extender, and a gracious neighbor), a screened deck to avoid the mosquitoes, barbecue. Well, like I said, kind of like a boat, with more dirt.

One of the things I wanted to do when I bought the tractor, was to take the empty beer cases back to the beer store in redneck style. After saving up 18 cases of empties, which took several days, I took the trip. My friends thought it was hilarious, the girl at the Beerstore never even twitched, she's seen this more times than she cared to admit. But I was just funnin'.

And really, when is comes down to it, does this look any less relaxing than the view from a cockpit in the Bahamas.

Vita back to one six.