LAST LEG OF TRENT-SEVERN AND HELLS GATE

This was our last leg of the Trent-Severn Waterway. We had so many pictures and experienced so many things, we needed to share with you. With the help of "Illusions" Capt. Billy Clifford (and computer guru) I'm giving you a little different format of my blog. I have 14 pictures for you to see. So just keep on scrolling down. Canada is just beautiful. The folks are so nice and friendly. We were very welcomed in every town we passed through. In some of the small towns, the canal went right through the middle of all the action with locks. If you can picture this, all three BIG Texas boats would enter a lock and all the locals would run up and talk to us before the lock took us down. It was as if were were in a parade. We finished the Trent-Severn and are currently in Georgian Bay. We will enter Michigan Lake in about 3+ weeks and head to Chicago. It has been an incredible journey and certainly more to come. Here is a picture of one of the many beautiful homes on the waterway system. Hope you enjoy this format.



We are entering the Peterborough Lift Lock. This lock has two "pans". One goes up as the other one goes down. It's like a bathtub....you pull in, tie up on one side, then the lift takes you out of the canal, lifts you 65ft. up to the next canal. Unbelievable! It's like being on a Disney World ride only in your boat.



"Illusions" is in the "pan" with us and we have just reached the top (65ft. lift).



We have reached the top of the lock and I'm looking down at the other "pan" that has reached the bottom.



We are entering Hells Gate area and we all got a laugh out of seeing this neat little church on an island of 'rock'. Well, we shouldn't have laughed and should have lit a candle instead. See picture below!



Greetings from Hells Gate. This area is very rocky on land as well as under the water. You have to really watch your markers and stay in the channel. No fault of the Captain, but we did get out of the channel - cruising right into late afternoon sun and we both thought the marker was green. WRONG SIDE - and hit big rocks hard. A boater came over and pulled us off. Picture was taken by Capt. Billy Clifford "Illusions" (under water). We had the boat pulled and discovered three other big "chunks". So...ching ching ching from Hells Gate.



Just one of the many many beautiful homes on the canal system. One thing about the Canadians, they take such pride in their yards. Because winters are so harsh, they live outdoors in the summer. I have never seen so many beautiful flowers, yard art, manicured lawns, bright summer colors. All picture postcard!



All the standard type locks on the Trent-Severn Canal system were not that long or wide. The lockmasters would get all three big Texas Boats in plus a few smaller ones. Just some facts: "Whichaway" 48ft, 15ft beam..."Illusions" 44ft, 15ft beam..."My Cin" 48ft, 15ft beam. See how much room we had between us and we are each tied to a wall. I always had to run to the 'ladies room' before entering the locks.



We felt like we were going through Christmas Tree Lots only by boat! They were everywhere and looked so pretty in the yards.



This is what the Big Chute Marine Railcar looks like. "Whichaway" went first, then "Illusions" and we were the last one. We all took pictures of each others boat as they went up and coming off. Since we were the last one, we didn't have a picture of "My Cin" leaving the Trent-Severn waters.



This was a cool shot of the railcar taking us across this road to the other side. We had two smaller boats on the railcar with us. You can see one of them in front of us.



We are at the top of the hill getting ready to go down. I personally stood on the side of the boat with my eyes closed!



We are coming down the hill looking back from the stern. You can see the rail tracks.




This is where we are about to enter the waterway on the other side into Georgian Bay. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Until the next blog, Jess and Cindy.