Association Forum - Living on board full time & going South (PART 13)

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Living on board full time & going South (PART 13)

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zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1314 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/03/2007 : 21:35:06

Due to high winds we decide to stay in the basin behind the breakwaters of the Trent Canal where it meets Lake Simcoe. We arrived this morning, June 21st, '07 at about 10.00 am after motoring from lock 40 no more than ¾ hour from here. We'll continue the 18 mile Lake Simcoe crossing when the winds die down. Later the same day we are joined by a 42 ft motor yacht, “Odyssee”, who also decides to wait for calmer weather. The short term forecast talks about, small craft warning, thunder storms and continuing high winds. That evening we hunker down for the night and look for an opening tomorrow including an alternate plan to head for Lagoon City, about 5 miles North East of here, if the weather gets worse on the way to Orillia. So far we've been motoring through sheltered waters where winds or high waves were no problem. But... something else rather unpleasant held us up... Weeds growing in some places thick as soup are choking the shallow lakes and canals. Catching long strings by the bundle on the keel, rudder and winding around the propeller is no fun especially combined with strong head winds which greatly reduces progress and threatens to drift us off course... Our 8 hp outboard labors and steering becomes impossible. When reversing the wind gets a hold of the boat and blows us dangerously close to the rocks or shallows Getting rid of the weeds is a full time job. While Johanna tries to keep us on track I'm kept busy poking weeds off the rudder. Progress is slowed to crawling... and we still have a long way to go...

3818 BEHIND THE BREAKWATER OF LAKE SIMCOE

3704 HELPFUL NAVIGATIONAL AIDS FOR THE TRENT/SEVERN WATERWAY

The next morning when waking up the winds have died down, the VHF weather forecast mentions small craft warning for later in the day. We decide to go... NOW...!! without morning routine or even breakfast. To make sure, we walk over and advise the 42 foot yacht behind us of our plan and ask them to keep an eye open for us... We set out and monitor channel 16. Only a 1/2 mile out of harbor we run into trouble with a loose and banging boom suspended below the mast. Its swinging knocks out our center mast support. The stern mast tie down lines develop slack and make the mast sway from port to starboard. Heading into the waves reduces motion somewhat to allow lowering the boom and securely tying it to the deck. Lines are quickly retied and secured. We're anxious that our home made short wooden rudder may not be strong enough to withstand the force of wind and waves. Once past Torah Island the motion increases as the boat takes the full force of the wind on this shallow lake 30 km (19 mile) long and 24 km (16 miles) wide lake creating steep waves. The otherwise stabilizing force of the boat's mast, supported horizontally 3ft above deck now adds to the motion. Below everything not secured is thrown about. The boat rolls, heaves and pitches. We take water and spray until we alter course. The boat is able to take it and we head for Orillia, our destination for the day. On the way we meet 2 other large yachts going in the opposite direction. One alters course to take a look at us and continues on... As we come closer to the north end of the lake the waves diminish. Far off a yacht quickly is overtaking us. As it gets closer we talk via VHF with the 42ft Yacht called “Odyssee”. Later that day, after having safely docked and replenished our fuel, we clock wind gusts of up to 115 km per hour.

3686 MORNING BATH IN PIGION LAKE

3683 MORNING TOILET

Looking back... the route from Buckhorn to Bobcaygeon took us through some beautiful lakes. The weather is sunny and very warm. Stopping the boat in the middle of the lake we jump overboard and have a long overdue bath in comfortable 23 C (75 F) lake water. We must have drifted several miles before finally deciding that it is time to climb on board again and continue. Washing, grooming and shaving made us feel presentable again. While on this subject, all things considered, what we miss the most on the Canadian Government run Trent Severn waterway system are showers and electricity!! One alternative is to dock at commercial marinas along the way whenever possible... OR... build your own shower... That's just what we did... as part of the “outfitting”, before we left we bought and stored a so-called “sun shower”, a bag which can hold about 2 gallons of water which will heat up by placing it on deck with the black side up... It warms enough in about 3 hours to provide hot water for a luxurious shower. The cockpit of the C250 is ideal for showering with water draining from the open transom. The 2 gallon sun shower bag can be suspended from the horizontal mast. Privacy is provided by 2 “no-see-through” shower curtains suspended from two,(taped together) hoola hoops held in place between the mast and tarp. The now circular curtains provide a wonderful roomy space inside. It is a total delight to take a refreshing shower aboard the boat after a warm day...

3722 “SUSPENDED SUN SHOWER ENCLOSURE IN THE COCKPIT OF OUR C250

3692 VIEW FROM BRIDGE AT LOCK AT BOBCAYGEON

3732 DOWNSTOWN FENELON FALLS

The 400 km (260 mile) Trent/Severn waterway with its 44 locks is, in our opinion, a “best kept”, secret. I know we mentioned this previously but as we progress further we continue to be impressed with the system including the attitude of the lock masters and staff, the scenery and towns as well as the ease in navigating the system, the charts and a book called “Ports” cruising guide to the Trent/Severn System. The channel markers, day signs, and other navigational aids make it a pleasure to travel the waterway... Only a few times did we have to use binoculars to search for the markers and in all cases only when we crossed a larger body of water to enter a channel. By the way, we overheard an American couple saying that the Lock personnel are “wonderful ambassadors for Canada”, and we too are proud of them!!

3707 CHANNEL TAKES A 90 DEGREES TURN TO PORT

Who says the C250 can't accommodate a whole bunch of young enthusiastic would-be sailors...?? That's exactly what happened when the Hoddenbagh family visited us in Fenelon Falls... In fact we had even more people show up before and after they arrived. Andrew and Marilyn Jansen as well as Syd and Joanna Smythe visited us on the boat in Fenelon Falls... all old friends from the time we lived in Ontario. The Hoddenbagh kids could hardly wait till the following Monday afternoon when we would take all five, (ages ranging from 7 to 17), to sail with us to the next lock in Rosedale, about 7 km up the system. After a mandatory briefing on safety, boat-terms, rules and duties including a properly fitted life jacket for each of them, (we store 5 extra vests in the dinghy), we had the young people start and run the engine, hold the tiller, cast off and be the look-outs... while every so often the duties were changed. Having to cross a choppy lake only heightened their pleasure of being part of a crew on board a boat... The kids were like sponges and soaked in all there was to know in the short time we had them on board. The arrival at the next lock was far too soon and so we cruised the area while each person had a chance to handle and operate the boat. After that it was time to relax, have a wonderful picnic and give, “Someday Baby”, our wayward dinghy a work-out it will never forget. The kids untied it and before long all five youngsters tipped the boat and used it as a raft, for hours and hours climbing and using it as a diving/jumping platform. When their parents came that evening to pick them up, the kids discreetly inquired about the possibility of staying on board for the next 2 days. Had it not been for their schoolwork and our limited space on-board we would have gladly signed them on as crew.

3726 HODDENBAGH FAMILY VISITING AT FENELON FALLS

3758 SOMEDAY LADY'S TEMPORARY CREW

3768 SOMEDAY BABY'S CREW

The following day we cruised from Lock 35 in Rosedale, on to Lock 40 via the clear and open water of Balsam Lake into the Trent Canal to the Kirkfield Liflocks. The canal is very narrow with overhanging trees above and rock shelves below extending from the shore on both sides. You really don't want to stray to far from the center of the canal. At Kirkfield Lock 36 we reach the summit of the waterway and from here on it's down stream all the way to Georgian Bay. Given it's height and location motoring into the upper chamber of the lock can be a trifle disconcerting: ahead you see absolutely nothing creating the feeling that you're driving off the edge of the earth... This drop of 49 feet and the steel structure is nearly as impressive as Peterborough's lift lock.

3778 SCENIC CHANNEL FROM BALSAM LAKE TO LIFT LOCK 37 AT KIRKFIELD

3800 KIRKFIELD LIFT LOCK

3798 KIRKFIELD LIFTLOCK

3789 49 FT DROP AT KIRKFIELD LIFT LOCK 37

3787 GRAPH SHOWING TRENT/SEVERN WATERWAY ELEVATIONS

A ruling about our dinghy, wayward from the very time we left home, finally was made by the Sector Manager of the Trent/Severn waterway who has his office at this lock. When we entered the system, 4 weeks earlier, at Trenton, Lock 1, we apparently should have bought a separate vessel token for it since we were towing it behind the boat. Instead, we were given a “BEACH ONLY”decal... Since no one until Lock 34 Fenelon Falls questioned the decal we were unaware of a problem. Since we had already come ¾ of the way through the system, it seemed silly having to pay for the dinghy at this point. To eliminate problems we could have stowed the dinghy on deck but this would severely limit our visibility. Another solution would be to portage at each Lock which seemed absurd since we usually were the only boat at time of locking through. Making a long story short, the supervisor finally ruled to let us finish the system without additional cost for the small towed 7.5 ft vessel. Yes... we were greeted with a BIG grin at each of the following locks with... “Oh... you are the guys the boss told us about...!!”. Thank you Wayne K. Harpell, Sector Manager for your interpretation of Government rules & regulations and making them human. You can be sure people following us will pay if they tow anything at all. Minimum charge is based on a 12 ft vessel...

After Kirkfield Lift Lock #37 the route took us through Canal Lake which was created when the waterway was flooded. The lake is filled with drowned stumps, weeds and deadheads. Staying on the buoyed route is essential. On this section we encountered very strong headwinds with threatening skies while the weeds created a challenge. Dragging the weeds slowed us almost to a stop and wind trying to push us off course made us consider heading back. With Johanna on the tiller and myself poking weeds off the rudder while having to reverse frequently we finally succeeded in reaching the channel leading to 5 locks in quick succession. At lock 40, driven by wind, we scraped the bow against the hard, raw concrete wall and ended up with some battle scars... Oh well... we'll have to do some detailing when we get home and before the boat goes on display at the upcoming September Trade Show in Vancouver. The scenery in this last stretch before Lake Simcoe is like a pastoral scene from a painting by a Dutch master..

3805 FROM A PAINTING BY A DUTCH MASTER..

3816 MOTORING THROUGH RURAL BEAUTY

In the meantime... love you all
Henk for Johanna too...

Henk & Johanna
"Floating", a few off your "barnacles".
"Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016)
"Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018)
"Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023)
"Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)

Edited by - on

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
1314 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2007 : 14:22:48

Would love to stretch the C250 WB into 25 meters or even half of that