Tuesday 6-21-11

Moved from the public dock down to the marina where our car is waiting for us. Got everything loaded and headed out for Richmond around 12:30. About a 10 hour drive ahead of us. First picture is of a house we saw along the canal. icture two is of Admiral Frizz on her bird watching spot and picture three....sunset at Cape Vincent. This closed another great leg of our loop. We will be back in a few weeks to head up the Trent Severn Waterway.

Monday 6-20-11

Rode our bikes around Kingston. Took a tour of the MacDonald mansion. He was a local lawyer who built this beautiful home for his ill wife. After she and their baby girl passed away, he moved out. He lived in it for less than a year. Picture three is a pic of the bath tub they used. Wow! Jeff toured another boat museum. I have has my fill of boat museums so I went back to the boat and started getting things ready to head back to Cape Vincent. Left Kingston around 3:00 and made our way around Wolff Island (pic 4). They must have two hundred windmills on this island. By 4:20 we were at the public dock in Cape
Vincent New York,,,USA. We had to pull into the public dock and walk down to the customs office where we answered a few questions and were done. Never did customs (US or Canada board our boat). We stayed the night on the public dock...free! We will be heading out tomorrow for a few weeks. Remember Boldt Castle? Well pic
one is that Play Tower that I mentioned with the bowling alley. It stands separate from the main house. Pic two is just a sight we saw along the way. Not sure if it a small house or what.

Sunday 6-19-11

Left around 7:00 heading for our last four locks : ) By 9:45 we were through lock 49 (pic #3) and heading for Kingston Ontario. I can't get over their black squirrels (pic #1). They are so cute and kind of scary at the same time. Picture # 2 shows you the lines that we had to tie off to and walk our line up or down that line. One off the bow and one off the stern. Had to get a pump out before we went into the city marina. Saw this black swan there. Paid only $18.00 for this pump out : ( By 10:30 we were tied up in Kingston marina for a few days. This is the first marina we have been in since we left Montreal and the first big city we have seen in some time. Didn't miss Wal-mart! Marina is located in Confederate Basin . Old town with lots of history. Rode our bikes over to Fort Henry (about 8 miles and one monster hill from marina). They did reenactments dressed in period clothes. Really an awesome place to see. Even got to meet their mascot, David the 13th . A goat! Had a great meal before we went back to the boat for the evening

Saturday 6-18-11

Headed out around 8:00 and arrived at lock 38 and had to wait until they got there.Got through 8 locks today and 1 swing bridge. Stopped at Jones Falls and got the bikes off (lock 39). Rode to the Village of Jones Falls where there is a hotel, blacksmith, old lock master house and a history building about the town. Headed out and stayed night on lock wall at #45 around 4:30. Pic one is a sample of the sights we see along the way. Pic two is the canal into a lock. Most of this last part of the Rideau is like this. The locks are up a small canal way. Pic three is a stone that was/could have been used in building the locks/ Lock four and five....this is how they open the locks on the
Rideau. All are hand cranked open and closed. Looks like a lot of work but all the lock people we talked to really
enjoy their job and don't seem to mind the work. Most are students. The Rideau is 126 miles long, 49 locks, 14 locks raise you 165 feet above sea level (Kingston to Upper Rideau Lake), 32 locks lower you 274 feet from the Upper Rideau Lake to the Ottawa River. Most locks are a 8-12 ft rise. Any more than that , they use step locks. Construction began in 1827 and was complete in 1832. All the locks are the original locks with only upkeep maintenance down on them. All stones were hand cut and laid.

Friday 6-17-11

Stayed in Smith Falls for the morning. Went to the museum and walked around town awhile. First pic shows lock gate #29. As you can see, it is made of wood. Even thought this is one of the newer gates, they made it of wood to look like original ones. Scan down to pic 4. This is the old lock wall we stayed on last night. Most of them have park like settings. Pic three is what is behind our boat. The old step lock. Pic two shows the steps. A step lock is one that you enter and rise(or lower) like any other lock except when the gate opens, you enter the next lock right away. They closed the old lock because they needed a larger one for the bigger boats. Left Smith Falls and stayed on the lock wall at #19 for the night.

Thursday 6-16-11

Today...12 locks, 3 swing bridges & 7 hours later, we arrive in Smith Falls Ontario. Very warm day. We walked around the town and decided to eat at Norm's Pizza. Do not eat there! Spaghetti with brown sauce and lasagna noodles with the same brown sauce (no meat). When we asked what was in the sauce the waitress said that Norm makes it when no one is around. Should have been a clue not to eat it. Staying on the lock wall tonight. First pic is of the furry things that grow in the water around here. When the water is released from the lock, they get thin. When no current, they blow up like this. You need to watch you don't suck them up in anything. Pic two is a turtle that locked through with us at one of the locks and pic three, if you look really close, you can see Annie Lee 111 in the back ground. This was taken from a tower in town.

Wednesday 6-15-11

Another beautiful day. Couldn't resist showing this pic. It is part of a group of ladies that look like they are having a tea party. They are celebrating equal rights for women. The second picture is of the canal as we are leaving and the last is a little further away down the canal. We left Montreal with another small boat. After he ran into our boat in one of the locks, we decided to allow him to enter first. We locked through locks 9-16. Eight locks in one day is about six to many. We tied up at down side of lock 17 with a few other boats. Had supper at Lock 17 Restaurant, did laundry ($2.00 a load for wash and dry).
Neat arrangement. No town here. Just the restaurant/bar, laundry, ice cream shop and small store. All in one building. Electric $10.00 for the night