It was an early morning for us today. Our goal was to cross Rice Lake and get into Peterborough. We had been warned that because the lake is shallow it can get pretty rough on a windy day. We had observed that each day began with very calm winds which built up strength in the afternoons, especially in the past two days with thunderstorms coming in the evening.
 |
| Hazy along the river, but we did see a loon with two young |
So off we went at 5:45 a.m., leaving Hastings and continuing
on the Trent River south to the lake. There
were fog warnings out, but it was just heavily overcast making it a dark
morning. It was not a particularly remarkable trip; the lake was fine with 1
ft. waves and an occasional whitecap. We passed Grasshopper Island, Sugar
Island and when we got to Spook Island we made a sharp turn to the right onto
the Otonabee River.
 |
| The turquoise paint with magenta trim made this boathouse stand out |
 |
| This boathouse is hard to beat, complete with moose antlers over the door |
The first lock we came to was #19 at Scotts Mills and as we were locking up, the lockmaster was chatting with us and suggested that we tie up for the night at the lower side of Lock 20 at Ashburnham, so here we are.
 |
| Tour boats come through this lock all the time on their way up to the lift lock. This was our view from our mooring spot as one locked down on it's way back. |
Not so fast! Short version of the story: John had been noticing a small leak from one of the engine seawater pumps so he called a mechanic who came to look at it. He needs to take it out and order some parts so we can't stay here because we don't know how long it will take. We realize that we need to be at a marina - so change of plan again and we made the short trip across Little Lake to the Peterborough Marina. Now we are set for a few days until the pump gets fixed and our son, Jake, arrives.
 |
| Just in case you need a map: we started the waterway on the right at Trenton and now we are about a third of the way through at Peterborough |
Captain’s
Log: June 25
Departed: Hastings, 6:50 a.m.Engine hours: 6 hrs.
Actual hours: 6 hrs.
Nautical miles covered: 33.17
Locked thru # 19 Scotts Mills
Arrived: Ashburnham at Peterborough 11:50 a.m. Then moved to Peterborough Marina at 5 p.m.
Wx: Overcast, NE winds 5-10, cool & breezy
June 26, 27 & 28 - 3 Day Stay in Peterborough
The Peterborough Marina is a great place to stay. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful, plus they have all the amenities. They are right in the city and next to a large park and amphitheater where they have live music every Saturday during the summer.
 |
| Fountain in Little Lake near the Peterborough marina at sunset |
 |
| Our bikes might look funny but they get us where we need to go |
This gave us plenty of time to take out bikes over to check out the Peterborough Hydraulic Lift Lock. It was only about a two mile ride and we timed it so we could see one of the tour boats go through.
 |
| Tour boat enters lock at the bottom using the left side lift - the other lift is up |
We walked the many steps to get up to the top for a better look. It is the highest hydraulic lift in the world at 65 feet. It is built of concrete, completed in 1904 and the weight in each chamber is 1,300 tons.
 |
| Here the two lifts are even. The water from one cylinder goes into the other, pushing it up. (This is actually the same boat coming down later on) |
 |
| At the top of the lock, the front gate is lowered so the boat can proceed |
We were so glad we got to see this because we plan to take our boat through on Sunday and now we know what to expect.
 |
| Statue of a fireman in a nearby park - tribute to all those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe |
 |
| Catamaran Phat Cat anchored near the marina |
We finally met the couple on the catamaran that we had been playing leapfrog with. They were anchored on Rice Lake when we passed by and they came into the marina to power up their boat and give it a good cleaning. We were invited aboard and Dave and Di gave us the grand tour - lots of room on that boat. They are from New Jersey and doing the loop. They are going to stick around for the Canada Day festivities on Tuesday but they anchored out last night and will come back in for the fireworks. They will probably catch up to us along the way.
 |
| We must be on the party dock - love this flashing palm tree! |
The water pump got fixed this morning and the engine is running smoothly. Our son Jake is flying into Toronto today and if all goes as scheduled he will arrive here this evening and will travel with us through July 4. We are looking forward to having him on board!
Total engine hours: 93.5 hrs.
Total statute miles covered: 523.75
Fuel consumption: 196 gallons
Miles per gallon: 2.67
Fuel burned: average 2.1 gallons per hour
No comments:
Post a Comment