Campbellford to Hastings

Campbellfort to Hastings

We stayed at the Campbellford Municipal  docks. We found the staff friendly and helpful and we saw no signs of the vandals that threw a garbage can on another looper's boat the weekend before. There were many young kids swimming off the eastern side of the canal wall and even-though they were noisy and shouting profanities , they disappeared after it got dark and we never heard another sound from them.

I highly recommend a stop over in Campbellford. A visit to the Dooher's Bakkery is a MUST! Ask the dock staff or anyone around for directions, it is worth the walk for the creme filled donuts (trust me)

After saying good bye to Mya in Campbellford we headed up the waterway towards Lock 13 ……just to find that all the fenders and lines were on the wrong side for locking….When we came up the river a lock master told us that you always lock on the starboard side going up stream…well, apparently not !!  Now to those of you who are non- boaters this might seem like nothing, but it is a lot of work running around changing lines and fenders to the opposite side while entering a lock. Thankfully the Looper boat that was travelling ahead of us was kind and patient and waited for us, Thanks to MV Shirley Ruth (New Jersey) (http://mvshirleyruth.blogspot.ca/

As we left lock 13 heading to 14 we realised we lost a fender, so in the middle of a narrow channel we had to turn around and I was able to pick it up with the boat hook….again we made Shirley Ruth wait for us and we were so glad they did. The wind was being uncooperative and locks 15, 16 and 17 we rocky- rolley and hot, sweaty, tough work.

While locking through, we found out that the couple on Shirley Ruth we actually crewing for the owner of the boat. They met up with him in Kingston and were going to go as far as Port Severn. This seems like a great way for people to see the world and do little parts of trips without actually owning a boat. I don’t know much more than that but I thought I would share the website for those who might be interested. The couple who crewed we ex-military; she was a meteorologist and he was a diesel mechanic …..the perfect crew if you ask me.  Find a Crew http://www.findacrew.net/ 

We anchored in the bay just past Healey Falls and a stone’s throw away for Gary’s cousin’s cottage. Bernadette made us a lovely meal for dinner and we spend most of the evening visiting. When we got back to the boat Gary and I started on the curtains for the front windows. We have protective screens on the outside of the windows but we found that even though it blocked uv rays and some light we still had a lot of heat coming in. I had gone to Giant Tiger in Campbellford and bought some heat blocking curtains. We measured and cut the fabric to fit our forward windows and I started sewing (by hand). At midnight we called it a day and went to bed.

On Sunday it rained buckets again but the boat stayed nice and dry! We woke early Monday morning to a very strange sound …it seems the marker buoy for the anchor got wrapped around the anchor chain and was making a nasty noise against the hull. Of course it turned out to be a simple fix but no one likes to walk around the boat at 1 am, in the dark, fixing anchor chains. After that I slept poorly as I kept fearing that we would drag…Gary slept like a baby cause he knew we wouldn’t...

We started off to Hastings at about 10 am and arrived at lock 18 after a calm scenic cruise. We plan to stay here a few nights. Picked up free wi-fi from a marina and got to skype with the grandchildren.

 I really like Hastings. It is a quaint little town with lots of great places to eat and shop. Even the garbage cans are painted with town pride. Consider staying here a night or two. We saw this young man was catching carp with a compound bow and reel, he feeds the carp to bears , that he also hunts.

Trenton to Campbellford

Well, the moment we have planned for and dreamed about has arrived. After years we are finally setting off on the trip of a life time. Some people still don't know what the Great Loop is, I urge you to google AGLCA and read about it ...

 http://www.greatloop.org

Our last weekend home was filled with family commitments; our granddaughter, Avery, had her first dance recital and we were sure to be there for that big occasion

On Sunday 10th of June Gary and Nick got to race Formula 101 cars in Barrie. Gary won the race ....beating Nick by .006 seconds

We left CFB Trenton Yacht club at around 9am on June 11, 2012, good friends were there to see us off, Lois and Eric Irwin and Pat and Jack McDonald.

After a quick stop in Trenton we set off North on the Trent – Severn. We only travelled as far as lock 4 and tied up there for a couple of nights. What a great spot for quiet togetherness.... then we were visited by friends; Anna Wheatley, Denise Franklin, Bob and Monique Car. We had dinner (Pizza from Frankford) and homemade cheesecake compliments of Anna. Later in the evening we were visited by Lois and Eric.  There were other people who came to visit after 4:00 pm but the gates were locked and they didn’t walk down to the boat. 

It was a short run from 4 to 5 but that was part of the plan of slowing down. We were joined by Bruce and Ann at Lock #5 Wednesday evening.  We went back into Trenton with them, to one of our favorite restaurants, Tomassos. Afterwards we went to their boat in Fraser Park Marina for a night cap where we met Roger and C-J on MV Sea Jay. They motored up to #5 lock on Thursday morning. We enjoyed a good afternoon and evening with them, having a couple refreshments and dinner together. We were then joined by our good friend Deb Langstaff to finish the evening on a fun and memory filled note.

 At Frankfort we met several other Loopers. We had a great get together at sundown and we look forward to crossing paths again with all of them as we travel further on The Loop.

We were waiting for Mya,our grand daughter, to join us for part of the trip. It was a foggy morning but lovely and warm,

Lucky for us that we are still close enough to home to get a surprise visit from Nick and Freddie.

Sundown with Josie the cat - Blue Hole Anchorage 

 Grampie handed over the helm to Mya for part of the trip from Lock 7 to our over-night anchorage in Blue Hole ... We spent the evening swimming and fishing at Blue Hole Anchorageafter a warm day of travelling Perfect cell phone reception after having zero in Frankfort. In the afternoon we had a HUGE storm with lightning and thunder and rain like we haven't seen in ages. Afterwards it was lovely and cool and the nasty deer flies were gone. Grampie and Mya went for a ride in the Zodiac. Mya caught a couple of BlueGills and Gary and I each caught a Pike, nasty ugly fish , we threw them all back.

The next day was very hot, temperatures were in the +40s and I  must have got a little sunstroke cause I was feeling yukky all day. We had carried on to Lock 10, past #9 where we were going to stay originally but there was no shade. We turned the genny on and had the air conditioner going for a few hours.

Today we are in Campbellford. I am catching up on the blogging and Gary is running the water-maker. The air is on full blast because it is yet again another boiling hot day. Mya is fast asleep , napping in the middle of the day...because boating is hard work :)

to be continued....