July 17 – Tuesday
We departed Beveridge lock about 08:45 in very nice conditions. There was virtually no other traffic on the way to Poonamalie lock, our first for the day. This lock is very remote and seems isolated but is in a very beautiful setting. The lock master actually lives in the restored house at the lock station. We were advised we would be waiting until a group of boats coming from the next lower lock arrives. While we were waiting, a PDQ (boat mfg. brand) catamaran trawler arrived and tied behind us – the owner, with 4 of his sailing buddies, had picked it up at the factory 3 days before and were bringing her home to Lake Champlain. When the lock was available to us, we allowed them to enter first because they wanted to make as many miles that day as possible. While we were waiting, we chatted with the PDQ guys and told them our route will take us through Champlain and at the next lock one of them gave us a card with some names and phone numbers and invited us to use their private moorings in Malletts Bay, north of Burlington, when we pass through Lake Champlain. One of those guys is an HVAC contractor and the other is Chairman of the state teachers’ retirement system. You meet quite an assortment of folks traveling on the water. While these guys were in a hurry, we passed them at the next lock because they had learned they could buy beer at a store close to the lock.
We were headed for Smiths Falls where there is a lock with a swing bridge just before the town marina and we just made the 11:00 AM bridge opening. If we hadn’t, we would have had to wait until 1:00 PM, because they don’t open the bridge during the mid day traffic period. As we exited the lock, about 8 smaller (22’ to 30’Sea Ray type) boats were all over the water waiting to lock-up. They moved over to let us pass – we later learned they are part of what Ontario canal folks call “the French Navy”. These boaters are from Quebec, where they have Construction Holiday – a government mandated shut down of ALL construction related activity and business for the last two weeks of July. We were told there are fines for anyone caught doing construction during this period. Apparently, many boaters head out in their (mostly) fast style boats going to Kingston via the Rideau and then back to Quebec down-stream on the St. Lawrence thru the Thousand Islands. Typically, these boats are crewed by one and sometimes two couples, each consisting of a young or oldish fellow with gold jewelry and bare chest accompanied by a female member of similar age, wearing a very minimal 2-piece swim suite. These 2-piece suits range from nicely well-filled to overflowing. The overflow starts at the top and continues right to the bottom of the bottom. The boats are “driven” and “parked” and use “ropes” to tie them. The boats are powered by gasoline engines that use $1.07 per LITER fuel.
The marina was on the RH side of the canal immediately after the lock and waiting to help us with our lines was Gayle Wix, she and John had arrived the afternoon before and they were fixing to move on, and did about an hour after we arrived. Also helping us get tied up was another boater who had arrived shortly before us. Ron Warby and his wife Marney are from Hamilton, ON at the west end of Lake O, and have been cruising on their 30 year old Mainship 34 trawler. They came aboard for drinks and snacks later and brought some wines that Ron had a hand in making, and they were excellent. They are about to become grandparents for the first time, so Polly and I (RCB) gave them a briefing on the care and feeding of grandkids. They were headed toward Kingston and were happy to learn that it is possible to visit Perth by dinghy – they were going to pass it by until they heard our story.
Meeting Ron and Marney was probably the best thing about Smiths Falls, for us. It was a convenient place to stop for a few supplies etc. but not a particularly pleasant or interesting place. They all can’t be diamonds.