Aisling goes Looping

We just had two days in the Ottawa which Lyn reported on yesterday. It was a wonderful contrast to our experience during the past 3 weeks. That experience was of full blown Spring in Canadas Cottage Country. There was a lake the name of which I don’t recall but clearly should have been named Swan Lake for the hundreds or possibly thousands of swans and their signets. In New England we often see two swans or two pair. I have never seen anything like this amount of swans in the same place at the same time.

The Canada geese are equally prolific. Quite literally everyday we would see groups of geese with their goslings. Lot’s of goslings!! I mean I don’t know what the first year survival rate for goslings is, but if most of those we saw survive and fly south, the golf courses of New England are in for a goose S*itfest it has never seen before.

The flora of spring are no less active. Every waterway we passed through was covered with a blanket of pollen. A Yellow/green mat of dust in water creating an ooze of potential never to be fulfilled. One wonders where all that biomass ends up. I guess that is the silt found at the bottom of lakes and rivers.

Speaking of which, as we traveled from the wall in Merrickville to the blue line ( which is the entrance to the lock) I had several depth readings of 3.9 ft. Parc Canada which manages the Rideau is responsible for providing 5 ft, and we draw ~ 4′. I say approximately because the boat is stated as having a 3’8″ draft. I assume that is without the weight of 160 gallons of water, 600 gallons of diesel and 60 gallons of that which will not be mentioned…. on the order of 6000 lbs and thus more draft… So it’s interesting/important to know if that reduction in depth is silt or (heaven forbid) rock or perhaps weed growth which does frequently cause false depth readings.

Photos and videos still being uploaded…..

Ottawa is a beautiful and vibrant city. Within the city limits, the four mile Rideau Canal is lined with a continuous park system which is well used by bicyclists, walkers, joggers, dogs and baby carriages. Dow’s Lake Marina where we have docked for the last few days sports a kayak, canoe and paddle boat rental business which adds to the sense that Ottawans are constantly moving. It is refreshing to see the diversity of cultures that populate the city and the restaurants and market stall offerings that reflect this richness.

The National Gallery is architecturally significant and houses Canada’s varied art collections. We enjoyed the special exhibit of Canadian Impressionists and also took in 2 miles worth of other collected works as well. Another highlight is the Canadian Museum of History and the Grand Hall in particular which houses the world’s largest collection of totem poles, spectacular cedar trees sculpted by the First Nations of the Northwest which illustrate ancestry, history or commemorate a special event. I believe I speak for both of us when I suggest that we have a much better understanding of Canadian history, and were surprised at how little we knew of it prior to this visit.

Always in search of good food, we strolled between the raindrops in the Byward Market finding cheese, salmon and freshly picked strawberries! At the suggestion of a boating family whom we met on multiple occassions on the canal system, we dined at Whalesbone restaurant. Wonderful PEI, New Bruswick and Newfoundland oysters, Thai coconut mussels, scallops with pork belly, and miso glazed sablefish. We are apparently craving fish!

Tomorrow is a foul weather day so we will move the boat, in the morning before the storms, to the “grey line” in the heart of Ottawa prior to descending the Flight of Eight locks to the Ottawa River on Friday. This move will eliminate the need for Ubers and provide us the opportunity to visit Parliament and have High Tea at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier!

That fact is so much more true in Canada than in the States both in terms of weather and activities. In the States, Memorial Day is the beginning of Summer and we assumed that perspective was shared everywhere. Wrong, very wrong. Our time on the Rideau, which has been roughly 3 weeks (can be done in 3-4 days, often done in 7 days) has been frequently cold, rainy and windy. One day last week, we were under a tornado watch for several hours. Where does one go when they are on a boat in the middle of Canada’s Cottage Country and tornado potential is high?

(interesting side note. That same t-storm system dump so much rain on the Trent Severn Waterway, where we originally planned to be at this time, that they closed the system ‘for at least a week’. Stuck in place for a week on a boat in very rural Canada can present challenges ;-))

Weather alone does not define summer. Activities do. Outdoor activities. Canada has those, but not until the Summer Solstice…. Before that, as referenced in many conversations and experiences we have had, it’s still spring. Stores are not yet open or just starting the stock up for the summer. Few, if any, farmers markets. Street festivals? Um, no.

It would be understandable, but unfortunate, if one were to take away from this description of the late Canadian Spring that we must be miserable. That could not be further from the truth. We have had great cruising days, stunning anchoring locations, interesting towns to explore and even today, as the rain lightly falls in Ottawa, we will take in the Canadian National Galley, the Byward Market and some fine dining (not to belittle in any way what we have been able to cook on board, but that will have to wait for another blog post) at Whalesbone.

Everyone we have met while on the Rideau Canal has lived up to the impression I had that Canadians would be humble, polite, sharing, helpful…. not a few of they actually do dress and look like Bob and Doug MacKenzie (SNL reference in case its not obvious, eh!) Canada also has these gems called ‘butter tarts’. To the uneducated eye (mine) these look like two bite pecan pies. But to the discerning palate, the first bite tells you something is different here. This is not Karo syrup, it is of course maple syrup. The crust (forgive my lack of baking skills and thus my inability to describe crust and its ingredients with any specificity) is just amazing. Our first purchase, and yes there have been many, bought at a super market was quite good until we stumbled upon the serious bakers. In Westport, ON we turned a corner and found ourselves face to face with a master baker making pies in the window of her shop. I have never seen hands transform flour into dough and then basket weave crust so effortless and beautifully. Above this display was a hand written scrawl on the window ” 290,000 butter tarts sold”. Yes, that is the correct number of zero’s! The handwriting on the…, well window in this case, we purchase and ate and looked at each other with that look that does not require words and none could suffice. Think of that first super ripe strawberry of the year, that amazing 20% fat ice cream cone, that, well you choose your own most amazing palate experience and that will get you close. Our journey has not ended and while visiting Merrickville, ON we became aware of ‘voted the best in Canada’ butter tarts. Well, maybe. I can’t judge. I’m sure it takes years to become a butter tart aficionado, and my efforts to lose weight will not support the kind of dedication. However, to those who have never heard of a butter tart and those unfortunates that have never tasted one, deny yourself no longer. They ship well;-)

On to Montreal for BeaverTails! Crap, there goes my diet again….

Last summer we explored the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, the Erie Canal and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Many of the sites along these waterways developed as military outposts, ship building settlements or supply depots. Familiar names names like Fort Ticonderoga and West Point, and many not so commonly known communities such as Fort Edward, Whitehall (considered the birthplace of the US Navy) Crown Point (possession back and forth between conquering armies) and Sackets Harbor (major US naval presence, including ship building, on eastern Lake Ontario). Most of these strategic places played multiple roles in early land disputes between the English and French, later during the French and Indian War, and again during the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

This summer we began our adventure on the Rideau Canal Waterway in Ontario, Canada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed between 1826 and 1832 to serve as a military supply and fortification route between Ottawa and Kingston. The 126 mile route, designed by British Colonel John By, was intended to thwart potential American attacks on British forces by circumventing the St. Lawrence River trade route that bordered the United States.

The Rideau Canal is a system of sixteen inland lakes, two rivers and a 60 foot high dam connected by a series of 45 locks. Most of the locks are still operated by the original hand crank mechanisms although the doug fir lock doors need to be replaced every 15 years.

Most of the locks are in park settings meticulously maintained by Parks Canada. Boaters are allowed to tie up to the lock walls for overnight stays which provide a restful nights sleep. We are enjoying the white noise of the adjacent waterfalls as well as the local flora and fauna. After 10 days on the system, we have at least that many more to go until we reach Ottawa ( a car drive that one could make in an hour or so!).

Photos to follow…

Given the limitations we have experienced with cell coverage and no wifi, this will be brief and without pic’s…..

Living without the internet just sucks! Sure it’s easy to say ‘let’s get off the grid for a break….’ blah, blah, blah. How about this; no banking, no weather, no navigation updates, no contact with Macks and Caty, NO WORDLE!!! Really? To say nothing of the never ending stream of questions that arise to which Google and WikiPedia have always provided for. So with deep appreciation for those explorers and surveyors that imagined and created this gorgeous waterway ( see Lyn’s blog about why they did that), I say, let’s upgrade the experience with some basic utilities essential for everyday life just as water, sanitation, fuel are available.

It goes without saying that it should be free and without cell towers 😉

Lots of activity on the dock at the Gananoque Municipal Marina (say that 3 times fast while hailing on the radio).

Fish Fight Drama lasted 5 squawking minutes. Even after the winner was declared, the squawking continued from both parties. Perhaps they both realized that there is more than one fish in the river and that it didn’t have to come down to this!

Day 1, May 31st and thus a day early, we left Thousand Island Club and headed for Kingston, ON (that’s right Canada!) The early departure was due to expected t-storms on Wednesday June 1st and the forecast did not disappoint as we observed Kingston largely from our boat sheltering from the continuous line of storms rolling through here all day. We took advantage to read all morning and snuck out for lunch and provisions during a brief respite in the rain. We will likely stay another day as getting to Kingston was never the point. Getting to see Kingston is and the weather looks to cooperate with that tomorrow.

Our crossing included a stop in Clayton, NY for fuel as it is well understood that fuel prices are even higher in Canada. Hard to believe given we paid $7.14/gallon!!! I was expecting something like that and so did not have a stroke, but it sure did give pause. The run to Kingston was chilly, the water 61 degrees and Lyn donned a blanket just about as we were crossing the border. But a more pleasant crossing one could not have. Little traffic, zero commercial shipping, minimal wind and flat seas.

So where do we go from here? We thought we knew and had a plan that would take us through the entire summer and most of Ontario. But as of this writing neither of us could tell you definitively where will be on Friday. That seems to be the way this summer is going to be. A wide variety of factors have produced this condition, but mostly we have found that we value spontaneity and a relaxed pace the most. All else will fall in line.

Aisling has a monitoring system onboard (Siren Marine) and last Thursday morning both of our phones blew up with alerts that she was moving!! Indeed our secondary system (Nebo) documented the move from warehouse to the dock at the TI Club where we will spend the month getting her ready for our voyage.

While in winter storage she had some necessary maintenance and upgrades performed. There was the issue of a slightly bent prop to be reconditioned. Probably happened in the Utica Flash Flood last summer. It was minor, as we never felt any vibrations under weigh, but needed to be fixed nonetheless. While the prop was off, the cutlass bearings were replaced. The forward bilge pump has been on my list for sometime and yet I could simply not fit into that space to do the work myself. A Borel exhaust overheating monitor was installed. Lastly the hull was compounded and ceramic coating applied. Notice the lack of Erie Canal brown ‘mustache’ on the bow!! I’m guessing it stays that way until we hit Chicago as the Canadian waters are clear enough to see the bottom.

Prepping a boat for a year long trip from 5 hours away is a challenge. Each trip is at least 3 days whereas I used to be able to spontaneously go to Warwick in an hour… So we will make as many trips as needed to make sure both the boat and our mindset is ready.

With luck and good weather we are down-bound to Montreal on June 1st!

It has been a very long time since we had to pause our Great Loop adventure. Though we have kept busy, Lyn remains in high demand professionally and I rediscovered woodworking as a means of getting out of the house and being productive, restarting our Loop has been foremost in our minds. ‘Boaters Weekend’ (4/2-3) provided a milestone to install, update, resize, remember and generally get back to a boaters frame of mind. With luck, normal water levels and the absence of ice, we expect Aisling to be in the St Lawrence River by mid-May. Of course that is when the really hard work begins; cleaning, polishing, stowing, provisioning in the hope that June 1st we depart for Montreal.

The St Lawrence Seaway opened on March 22nd as the ice subsided and the Coast Guard Breakers poised to keep things moving. Many of the cargo/freighter/oilers we saw last Summer have passed through the Locks to/from Montreal though life on land in northern NY is still very much in the throes of Winter. There is no snow on the ground in ABay, but we drove through snow showers as we headed home on Sunday. The bartender at the hotel said he hadn’t seen a customer since Thanksgiving (only slightly exaggerating…) and a boat owner we met lamented ‘he hoped Spring would be here soon’!! There were no buds on trees, no crocuses, no pussy willows… and it was not hard to find ice in the coves and marinas.

As has been said, ‘Hope springs eternal’ and thus we have purchased our Lock and Mooring passes for the Canadian Canals, and our DTOPS permit which allows us back into the USA and the Covid restrictions requiring a test within 72 hours of entry in Canada have been lifted!!