Reflections on our Canadian experience

And that’s a wrap! 48 days in Canada – from exploring the Canadian 1000 Islands to going through 43 locks on the Trent-Severn Waterway – 3 of which absolutely took our breath away; to trading locks for rocks on the Georgian Bay (and fortunately not hitting any rocks); to exploring the beauty of the islands and the wilderness of the North Channel (saw 2 bears and 2 eagles and fortunately no rattlesnakes); and meeting so many friendly and amazing Canadians and Americans along the way…we will miss Canada. We already do.

 

For some unknown reason, Roger took his camera on the AM dinghy ride with Millie and was greeted by this Bald Eagle.

We look at these past 48 days as “chapters” in our summer experience…. each “chapter” felt very different from one another. The Canadian 1000 Islands offered a very friendly National Park system which included 18 islands where you could tie up to the park dock and stay for several nights – go for a hike on the island, use their facilities, enjoy the company of fellow cruisers, Canadians and Americans. Or you could anchor off those islands and dinghy to shore if you could not find dock space for the mothership. Either way, Millie had a chance to explore the islands and we got a chance to stretch our legs. We could not visit them all so we tended to choose those islands that allowed a generator to be run so we could have cooked meals. And wherever we went, it was so refreshing to swim and paddleboard in the freshwater.

 

After treating ourselves to the “city life” of Kingston, Ontario, we headed for Trenton, Ontario, and began the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW), a 241 - mile journey, traversing 43 locks. The TSW rises gradually from the level of Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe at more than 800 feet above sea level and then descends via locks to the level of Georgian Bay. Cruising the TSW is similar to cruising a canal in Europe; it is an intricate system of rivers, lakes, and canals connecting Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay. Quaint picturesque villages dot the countryside and there are dozens of cute little towns to stop and explore. And most evenings we could tie up to a lock wall and spend the night at no cost. At times we felt we were cruising in the front yards of many cottagers as their homes were right on the waterway. It was beautiful but at times quite shallow and skinny, so we both had to be on our “A game” and pilot together. The TSW lockmasters and their staff were so pleasant and fun to chat with as we ascended and then descended in the locks.

Let's go - I'm ready for a dinghy ride!

Millie - making new friends

The Georgian Bay (GB) is an introduction to the “Canadian wilderness”…. It is a large, fairly shallow bay with a rocky bottom off the north end of Lake Huron, 100 miles long by 50 miles wide. It is largely rural, remote, and desolate, with summer cottagers randomly scattered amongst the islands. The northern edge is called “30,000 Islands”, appropriately named; but there are 100,000 rocks just below the surface waiting for the unsuspecting and unlucky boater. Cautious navigation is necessary at all times, whether you travel on an open water passage or on the inside small-craft route - another reason for us both to be on our “A game” whenever we cruised. We stayed on the small-craft route the entire 2 weeks and fortunately had no issues, but we know of several cruisers who had prop casualties. We spent 11 nights on anchor, enjoying the pink granite coastline surrounded by pine trees.

 

Lighthouse at Snug Harbor, Georgian Bay

The North Channel was probably our favorite. It is even more rugged in appearance than the Georgian Bay, and there are fewer cottages. Passages are wider than on the small craft route through the GB, the islands are generally larger and there is more open water to cover. And there is no “small craft route” as in the 30,000 Islands so again, you need to be on your “A game.” It is a cruising ground that you will never tire of where eagles soar the skies and bears can be seen at the water’s edge. We found ourselves enjoying a multitude of anchorages and only went to a marina when we needed to provision.

Sad moment - taking down the Canadian courtesy flag 

So, farewell to Canada - It is now time to explore Lake Michigan and all the quaint towns along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.