8/12 - 8/19/23
44 locks
240 miles
The Trent Severn Waterway connects Lake Ontario at Trenton to Georgian Bay, Lake Huron at Port Severn. Different from the Rideau Canal, the Trent Severn is a series of many canals connecting to larger lakes, there is remarkable nature at every turn. Additionally the Trent Severn makes use of engineering brilliance with their many hydraulic locks in contrast to the historic hand cranks of the Rideau. Coming from Lake Champlain we found it interesting to learn in 1615 Samuel de Champlain with members of the Huron tribe explored the exact route what is now known as the Trent Severn. It would take over 200 + years from that exploration for the completion of the Trent Severn. At first design the Trent Severn had military intentions, with the first lock being designed as a commercial lock the vision for the waterway quickly changed. Delays from wars then transportation changes with the advent of rail, the Trent Severn lost its commercial viability. Although the Trent Severn did not see significant commercial traffic, with its completion in the early 20th century just as pleasure motor boats were coming in use, it soon became a desirable destination. We we met boaters who preferred the Rideau or the Trent Severn, there are strong opinions on which waterway is "better". First time through, we were happy to experience both.
Trenton to Campbellford, ON - We traveled from Kingston to Trenton, Ontario to provision and do some laundry before taking on the Trent Severn Waterway. The first part of the passage from Kingston to Trenton is openly exposed to Lake Ontario, with a small chop and forecasted poor weather coming in we got an early start. We were happy to pull into port minutes before a massive thunderstorm hit, a few hours earlier than forecasted. Given the particularly unpredictable weather this summer we were glad we gave ourselves extra time. In Trenton we docked at Trent Port Marina, a town managed marina like no other marina we have experienced. Trent Port is a beautiful facility with impeccable grounds and amenities; boaters lounge, spa like washrooms, laundry perfection and multiple grill stations. A large grocery store across the street and multiple restaurants in town, Trent Port Marina is a perfect launching port for the Trent Severn. After one night at Trent Port we started the 44 locks of the Trent, locking up towards the village of Campbellford as our first port. This stretch of the Trent we saw a healthy competition from lock to lock with their lock station gardens, some with vegetables and others with flowers - all very impressive! The last lock of the day, Ranney Falls was representative of the many hydraulic locks we went through on the Trent. Because we were locking up it felt like we were entering a dungeon and with a loud thunder when the lock doors close it brang a menacing feeling. We didn't do much exploring in Campbellford, our port for the night was on the town wall. At the end of the day Milo was happy to run around the large park with the giant Toonie (Canadian $2 coin) statue.
Ideal Walking Marina
Floating ship store
A laundry this nice deserves a picture
The marina boat lounge.
A perfect night to grill.
Fresh herbs for the sharing!
Doggie cookies
Doggie cookies were abundant!
5 Different Pepper Varieties
Proud of their flowers!
Ranney Falls Lock
I got to drive, albeit on my tippy toes to see the water!
Giant Toonie!
Peterborough - Lock 21 is the famed Peterborough Lift lock, a historic site and historic engineering landmark. Lifting boats 65 ft, Peterborough was way ahead of its time when it was completed in 1904. The lock has two identical swimming pool-like lifts using gravity and counterweight to move one "pool" up as the other "pool" goes down. Think teeter tooter! The height alone is overwhelming, add in boats passing in mid air it is an extraordinary experience. We stayed the night in Peterborough, a much larger city than we expected! The Peterborough Marina is right in the center of town, walking distance to the city center. We didn't get any pictures of the city, regardless we enjoyed our brief visit in Peterborough.
It's high!!
At the top!
Off we go!
Buckhorn - The rural settings were more our vibe so we were excited to push on. The Trent continued to provide a beautiful backdrop for our ride. Originally we planned to port at Bobcaygen, while in the Buckhorn lock (with the lock attendants being as good as they are) advised us to stop in Buckhorn where we were guaranteed power. What fun Buckhorn turned out to be! The village is small; a quick 10 minute walk you can cover it all, but there is a lot to pack in those 10 minutes. Ice cream at Maryloo's is a classic summer scoop shop, cottage cute at the the Boathouse Boutique and with its sister coffee bar Bikini Beans the village is bustling! This part of the Trent is popular with a thriving houseboat rental community, they were everywhere. We shared the wall at the lock with a few of them. The highlight of the evening was a well attended Rotary Club sponsored concert with a full orchestra. The best part of the concert were the MCs, they were in their early 80s, best friends since childhood both in this community orchestra. Their gig was organizing a trivial concert, imagine every Disney song you know built into medleys! The crowd young and old were really into it, making for a lot of fun!
St. Peter's on the Rock Anglican Church
Lovesick Lock along the way on an island only accessible by boat
Buckhorn Town Wall
The houseboats
Cottage cute cute cute
Mariloo's had over 80 flavors, a small was giant!
Summer Concert at the Buckhorn Lock
Milo loved Buckhorn
Bobcaygeon - Known as the hub of the Kawartha Lakes, nestled between Pigeon and Sturgeon lakes, we saw endless shorelines and cottage-country towns. Bobycageon was particularly sweet with a traditional style downtown and the most amazing old school department store Bigleys with sister stores for home and beach. Bigleys is an institution, a must see if you are in the area, they claim to have over 40,000 shoes! As a result of the success of Bigleys, Bobcaygeon is a thriving resort town with many other retail treasures worth a visit.
Pigeon Lake
Bobcaygeon Lock Walk
Shopping Mascot
Shopping at Bigleys is like shopping with all your aunties there to help! And if you need a pick me up there is a coffee bar upstairs.
Fenelon Falls - Nicknamed the Jewel of the Kawarthas, Fenelon was one of our favorite stops. We were happy to be on the town wall, in the center of it all. Fenelon Falls has a cute downtown center, quaint well restored Victorian homes, community museum and beautiful town beach. Fenelon Falls was buzzing with activity when we arrived. It was a gorgeous Sunday early afternoon, the lock was full with every variety of small and personal watercraft, the town was in full summer swing. We felt transported back to the 1800s with the community museum holding one of their Victorian teas, older folks sipping tea while children playing with toys from from the era ran about. Against the strong historical influence was a modern downtown. Coffee, ice cream, specialty shops, restaurants and a brewery keep you busy when visiting this town. The Fenelon Dam and Falls are also a short walk, they were roaring the day we visited.
Fenelon Falls Town Wall
Victorian Neighbors and the Fenelon Falls Museum
Flowers line Fenelon Falls and Sip had excellent ice lattes!
We fell in love with this groovy record/vintage store.
We didn't catch the owners name - she lives the vibe of the shop for sure!
Walk about the Fenelon Falls and dam
Great brewery, took a few varieties back to the boat!
Day 17-Orillia - From Fenelon Falls we pushed on to Orillia one of the larger communities on the Trent, really a small city. Typical Trent waterway format, we went from very narrow passages to large open lakes. These passages were the first where we needed to call in a sécurité (pronounced say-cure-i-tay) before entering to announce our intention and size. Many of the passages on this stretch of the Trent only allow for one larger boat at a time, possibly a large boat and a smaller boat can cross each other, sécurité helps minimize any surprises in the narrow space. We had mostly overcast weather with no rain or wind UNTIL we got on Lake Simcoe with big wind and 4-5' waves. Very quickly you can go from a calm protected canal to a lake with some weather! Before reaching Orillia we passed through the Kirkfield lock, the highest point on the Trent and the second highest lock to Peterborough. Kirkfield is same technology as the Peterborough lock using counterweight theory. With unease we learned the Kirkfield lock was only working on one side?!? We still do not understand how this lock is working with one side under repair? We didn't have the opportunity to ask the lock attendants about this as it was a hustle to get in and out of the lock. With only one side of the lock working, they pack in as many boats as they can. This is not so unusual except there was big wind, with wind they typically run lighter loads - not today, they wanted to keep the boats moving. Needless to say it was a stressful lock, glad when it was over. The bright spot of the Kirkfield lock was meeting a group of 3 looping boats from the states also traveling to Orillia. The big wind continued as we pulled into the Port of Orillia Marina a beautiful, well managed and centrally located marina. The marina team was excellent, with the big wind the dock hands helped us in our slip, staying calm making for a smooth dockage. Karen in the office is part general, part grandmother - definitely keeps that marina managed under a tight ship. Orillia was a fun stop starting with an amazing dinner at The Common Stove, the food was tapas style with a grilled theme. We knew we were in for some pretty rainy weather the next day, some rain is an understatement. It poured all day! There were two short windows in the weather we made the most of. First up was a visit to the famous Wilkie's Bakery for a Chelsea Roll, a decedant cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven - how could we turn down Wilkie's, the beloved institution? Mariposa Market is a another favorite spot - really a giant fancy food general store! After a few more hours of rain with another break in the weather, Milo and I ventured out for a walk. We were very happy to stumble upon Florillia, the most adorable floral shop and they thought Milo was equally adorable! Tomorrow we take on The Big Chute!
Trent Canal
Hole in the Wall Bridge
Meandering down the Trent there's always a lock close by!
Kirkfield Lock - jet skis with us!
Dream team marina staff and a great park.
The Common Stove's Grilled Oysters and Halibut
Love the old school vibe at Wilkie's Bakery and the famous Chelsea Roll!
The rain would not hold us back, Mariposa Market has literally everything!
Waiting out the rain!
Pure happiness visiting Florillia.
Plants and pink pots!
Big Chute Marine Railway is the only one of its kind in North America and is one of the most popular locks on the Trent. The Big Chute, another engineering marvel physically lifted our boat out of the water and over a hill on a track system, before launching it back into the water where we continued on. Incredibly the Big Chute can accommodate boats up to 100 feet. With boats lined up on the blue wall, the lock master does a quick assessment of the proper combination of one big boat and little boats or other small water craft wanting to lock over. The instructions and order boats will enter is announced over a loud speaker. It is a wild experience and hard to capture in photos being lifted out of the water, traveling in a sling over a road to the next body of water. You can imagine this takes a bit of time, this lock can easily get backed up. We were lucky the day we locked through with only a short wait.
Waiting in the sling.
Wait - no water????
Coming down.......
Gently released into the water.
Port Severn - Lock 45, was our last lock of the Trent Severn and where we meet Georgian Bay, a large bay of Lake Huron. Lock 45 is a smaller lock, when we passed through we were the only boat in the lock. Locking through Lock 45 we now have completed 101 locks since we started.
Next up Georgian Bay!
All our best from the vessel COAST , Captain Walt and crew Aimee and Milo
