LOCK #11, TRENT-SEVERN WATERWAY

Busy day today! Started out by wiping down the boat after a night of heavy rain. The skies were still cloudy, but if the forecast is correct, we shouldn’t see more rain today. I had one project that needed a trip to the hardware store (which opened at 9 AM, according to the sign), so I stopped by the espresso shop across the street, but finally gave up at 9:30 when it still wasn’t open. Went back to the marina and got the boat ready to go, but ran the block down to the hardware store at 9:45, and it was open, kind of. At least I got what I needed, and we took off from Trenton toward lock #1 of the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW).

Part of the "Red Chair" project

We still had not purchased our lock permit and moorage permit, but they waved us on into the lock anyway, and said we could buy it after we locked through. As we were in the lock, they came by with the paperwork and the wireless credit card machine, so we got the permits without even getting off of the boat!

Lockmaster cottage

We went through ten locks today and ended up at the bottom of lock #11 for the night. We had thought about getting as far as #12 in Campbellford, but ran out of time - you have to be in front of the lock by 5:30 PM as they close at 6 PM. It actually was fortuitous, getting a great (free) tie-up on the wall, facing the suspension bridge over Ranney Falls. I walked up to the lock before they closed and the lock master showed me where they hide the key for the washrooms and said he’d see me in the morning for the first lock-through.

Looking downstream over Ranney Falls (IMPROV in center)

Near where we tied up were two red Adirondack chairs, part of the “Red Chair” project by the Province of Ontario. They put two chairs in select scenic locations throughout the Province and invite people to sit down, relax and enjoy the view. Unfortunately, the beer is not included, but the view included IMPROV.

We tried to take a walk into town, but the directions we received (over the bridge, through the woods,past the soccer field, etc, etc) didn’t exactly mesh with the roadways and we ended up back at the lock after a 3 mile loop. Oh well, dinner and a little wine and all’s well…

Ranney Falls

Our dock at Lock #11