Day 296, June 5th, 2010
We left Bobcadgeon at 7:00 and did 15 miles to Fenelon Falls where we arrived shortly after 9:30. It was a good run with no problems! Then into Rosedale Lock #35 and across Balsam Lake. There's so much to see, so many pretty cottages, each with its own character. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining.
From Balsam, we went across Mitchell Lake - everything was fine. Then, as we approached Kirkfield Lock #36 (2nd largest lift lock in the world after Peterborough) we met a sailboat coming the other way, tied up on the wall. We called out to warn him of the weeds. His reply was "Its worse coming here!" "Oh! It can't be!" I stupidly replied. "We've had to dive on the boat to free up the prop 4 or 5 times already!" "That's just about what I'm going to do now!"
Into the lock we went and were joined by a 36ft motor cruiser - the guy had just picked it up in Albany, NY and was bringing it home to Midland. He reckoned he hadn't had any trouble with the weeds.
Coming out of Kirkfield, the motor cruiser took off fast and was in the distance very rapidly. Meanwhile, the rpm dropped while we were still in the channel and all of a sudden we were going nowhere. The channel was thick with weeds. There was quite a wind blowing too from the starboard bow and before John could drop the anchor we were blown out of the channel towards a rocky outcropping with a Trent Severn sign. The anxiety didn't end when we realised the anchor wasn't holding - it too, was clogged with weeds immediately. I scrambled out of my clothes, donned my skin, no time for the wet suit, and jumped overboard. The grass was so thick around me and I could stand on the weed bed with my flippers. I thought for sure the boat must have gone aground, but John assured me it was still rocking! Several dives later the prop and shaft were clear and we tried to move up, back into the channel, but it was hopeless, we just got choked up again immediately before John could get the anchor up. We tried tying the dinghy to the port side of the boat and using the 15hp outboard along with the main engine, but then brown smoke started pouring from the exhaust. I thought we'd lost the engine!
A fishing boat came by with 2 guys. They had a 50hp motor and offered to help. We threw them a tow line and they pulled while John struggled to raise the anchor. They did manage to get us back into the channel but it was pretty obvious they didn't have enough power. We dropped the anchor again. Then we saw a motor cruiser come out of Kirkfield lock and was approaching up the channel. I called them on Channel 16 and asked if they would consider giving us a tow. The Prescott Coast Guard must monitor Ch.16 very carefully, because they came back to me and offered their assistance. I explained that the motor cruiser was going to try to take a tow line and Prescott stood by on Ch. 65 while John tried to throw them a line.
Several tries later though, the motor cruiser gave up. They just didn't have the confidence to do it. Quite understandable. But a jet boat had happened by too, a man and his two young sons, and they offered to tow us into Bolsover. We kept the Coast Guard up to date and they made contact with the captain on his cell phone. It was decided they would take us to Sunset Cove Marina in Bolsover. The jet boat was about 18ft and at first we really didn't think they would have the power, but we made a good steady 2-3 knots across the dreaded Canal Lake, about 5 miles, to Sunset Cove. Luckily there was an empty slip where we were able to tie up. John wanted to pay the guy for his fuel and time but he wouldn't hear of it. "Just pass the favour on when you get the opportunity - that's what boating is all about!" That's the boating community for you!!! Bless his heart!! We called Prescott Coast Guard too, of course, and let them know we were safely tied up on the dock, and thanked them for their support. They wished us well with our engine problem. John then dove on the boat again. He pulled great rafts of weeds from the rudder. He couldn't even see the prop and shaft at first - it was just a huge ball of weed! Once that was cleared off, John tried the engine but there was no water coming from the exhaust. He took the water intake hose off the engine and blew down the line. It cleared and when we tried again we had lots of water coming from the exhaust. He felt we could continue! I was so stressed out. I'd thought we'd lost the engine for sure and had had visions of trucking her home and having to get a new engine. My goodness, my imagination is alarming!! I've always considered myself as a pretty fearless person, but this was all getting to me. At one point I announced to John "my cruising days are done!" The proprietor of Sunset Cove was also very kind and wished us well on our journey without taking anything for the use of his dock. Thanks Sunset! He and a couple of fellas on the dock told us that that would be the end of the weeds. They were wrong!!!
Our next lock was #37, got through that one and then into the narrow man made channel. Lots of weeds again. We backed up several times but knew the prop was wrapped again. We got into Lock #39 and saw rafts of weeds actually in the lock. When the west side doors were opened and we attempted to leave the lock, we couldn't go anywhere! The lockmaster eventually threw us a line down and he pulled us out of the lock until we could tie up on the wall.
My turn this time. Down I went, had to struggle to get a huge raft off the rudder - couldn't even see the prop, except for this huge mass of weeds. It seemed to take ages to chop away but gradually the prop and shaft were clear. Meanwhile the lockmaster had given John a garden rake to clear the rafts of floating weeds from the boat. There was a bit of a current there going down from Lock #39 to Lock #40 so we realised that if we didn't set off then, the rafts of weeds would all be ahead of us and we'd be stuck again, so while the prop was clear we set off again and made it the .8 mile to Lock #40. By this time it was almost dark. We had a look into Lock #40 - more weeds. All a bit depressing! We thought we'd feel better after something to eat so sat down to barbecued pork chops at 8:30 at night!!
We left Bobcadgeon at 7:00 and did 15 miles to Fenelon Falls where we arrived shortly after 9:30. It was a good run with no problems! Then into Rosedale Lock #35 and across Balsam Lake. There's so much to see, so many pretty cottages, each with its own character. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining.
From Balsam, we went across Mitchell Lake - everything was fine. Then, as we approached Kirkfield Lock #36 (2nd largest lift lock in the world after Peterborough) we met a sailboat coming the other way, tied up on the wall. We called out to warn him of the weeds. His reply was "Its worse coming here!" "Oh! It can't be!" I stupidly replied. "We've had to dive on the boat to free up the prop 4 or 5 times already!" "That's just about what I'm going to do now!"
Into the lock we went and were joined by a 36ft motor cruiser - the guy had just picked it up in Albany, NY and was bringing it home to Midland. He reckoned he hadn't had any trouble with the weeds.
Coming out of Kirkfield, the motor cruiser took off fast and was in the distance very rapidly. Meanwhile, the rpm dropped while we were still in the channel and all of a sudden we were going nowhere. The channel was thick with weeds. There was quite a wind blowing too from the starboard bow and before John could drop the anchor we were blown out of the channel towards a rocky outcropping with a Trent Severn sign. The anxiety didn't end when we realised the anchor wasn't holding - it too, was clogged with weeds immediately. I scrambled out of my clothes, donned my skin, no time for the wet suit, and jumped overboard. The grass was so thick around me and I could stand on the weed bed with my flippers. I thought for sure the boat must have gone aground, but John assured me it was still rocking! Several dives later the prop and shaft were clear and we tried to move up, back into the channel, but it was hopeless, we just got choked up again immediately before John could get the anchor up. We tried tying the dinghy to the port side of the boat and using the 15hp outboard along with the main engine, but then brown smoke started pouring from the exhaust. I thought we'd lost the engine!
A fishing boat came by with 2 guys. They had a 50hp motor and offered to help. We threw them a tow line and they pulled while John struggled to raise the anchor. They did manage to get us back into the channel but it was pretty obvious they didn't have enough power. We dropped the anchor again. Then we saw a motor cruiser come out of Kirkfield lock and was approaching up the channel. I called them on Channel 16 and asked if they would consider giving us a tow. The Prescott Coast Guard must monitor Ch.16 very carefully, because they came back to me and offered their assistance. I explained that the motor cruiser was going to try to take a tow line and Prescott stood by on Ch. 65 while John tried to throw them a line.
Several tries later though, the motor cruiser gave up. They just didn't have the confidence to do it. Quite understandable. But a jet boat had happened by too, a man and his two young sons, and they offered to tow us into Bolsover. We kept the Coast Guard up to date and they made contact with the captain on his cell phone. It was decided they would take us to Sunset Cove Marina in Bolsover. The jet boat was about 18ft and at first we really didn't think they would have the power, but we made a good steady 2-3 knots across the dreaded Canal Lake, about 5 miles, to Sunset Cove. Luckily there was an empty slip where we were able to tie up. John wanted to pay the guy for his fuel and time but he wouldn't hear of it. "Just pass the favour on when you get the opportunity - that's what boating is all about!" That's the boating community for you!!! Bless his heart!! We called Prescott Coast Guard too, of course, and let them know we were safely tied up on the dock, and thanked them for their support. They wished us well with our engine problem. John then dove on the boat again. He pulled great rafts of weeds from the rudder. He couldn't even see the prop and shaft at first - it was just a huge ball of weed! Once that was cleared off, John tried the engine but there was no water coming from the exhaust. He took the water intake hose off the engine and blew down the line. It cleared and when we tried again we had lots of water coming from the exhaust. He felt we could continue! I was so stressed out. I'd thought we'd lost the engine for sure and had had visions of trucking her home and having to get a new engine. My goodness, my imagination is alarming!! I've always considered myself as a pretty fearless person, but this was all getting to me. At one point I announced to John "my cruising days are done!" The proprietor of Sunset Cove was also very kind and wished us well on our journey without taking anything for the use of his dock. Thanks Sunset! He and a couple of fellas on the dock told us that that would be the end of the weeds. They were wrong!!!
Our next lock was #37, got through that one and then into the narrow man made channel. Lots of weeds again. We backed up several times but knew the prop was wrapped again. We got into Lock #39 and saw rafts of weeds actually in the lock. When the west side doors were opened and we attempted to leave the lock, we couldn't go anywhere! The lockmaster eventually threw us a line down and he pulled us out of the lock until we could tie up on the wall.
My turn this time. Down I went, had to struggle to get a huge raft off the rudder - couldn't even see the prop, except for this huge mass of weeds. It seemed to take ages to chop away but gradually the prop and shaft were clear. Meanwhile the lockmaster had given John a garden rake to clear the rafts of floating weeds from the boat. There was a bit of a current there going down from Lock #39 to Lock #40 so we realised that if we didn't set off then, the rafts of weeds would all be ahead of us and we'd be stuck again, so while the prop was clear we set off again and made it the .8 mile to Lock #40. By this time it was almost dark. We had a look into Lock #40 - more weeds. All a bit depressing! We thought we'd feel better after something to eat so sat down to barbecued pork chops at 8:30 at night!!
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