Rick from Maine
New member
Three C-Dory’s (Hunky Dory, Widget and Almas Only) launched at Centennial Park Trent Ontario August 25, 2017 for a two-week cruise of the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW) and Georgian Bay. Rather than providing a cruise story, here are my impressions.
All the Ontario Canadians and TSW staff were very cordial and helpful, and never said “Eh?”
The TSW locks are much easier to use single-handing than the Erie Canal, as there are cables secured top and bottom every 15’ that are easy to catch and use to hold the boat against the wall.
There were a few mussels in only a few locks, so there was no mussel rain in the locks, like the Erie Canal.
Meeting fellow C-Brats, Discovery with Dixie and Brent, on the TSW was like homecoming.
Not many boats use the TSW in late August. We went 2 ½ days and 27 locks before we had any other boats in a lock with us.
The lift-locks and Big Chute are amazing engineering marvels that are a blast to use.
There are cottages along almost every inch of the TSW and Eastern Georgian Bay. They are cottages with a dock and boat, not overly ostentatious mansions.
The water is very clear and weeds grow high from depths. Wherever you haul anchor, you bring up a big clump of weeds.
It seems like there are more than the reputed 30,000 islands in Georgian Bay. Navigation is difficult except that there are thousands of buoys to help, and millions of rocks if ya miss the buoy.
There are no soft shores in Georgian Bay, only pink granite.
Western TSW and Georgian boats are often practical heavy aluminum with front ramps and diamond plate decks.
Jet skis are popular at the end of the TSW and beginning of Georgian Bay.
TSW locks are old, and were out of commission a few times on our trip.
All the Ontario Canadians and TSW staff were very cordial and helpful, and never said “Eh?”
The TSW locks are much easier to use single-handing than the Erie Canal, as there are cables secured top and bottom every 15’ that are easy to catch and use to hold the boat against the wall.
There were a few mussels in only a few locks, so there was no mussel rain in the locks, like the Erie Canal.
Meeting fellow C-Brats, Discovery with Dixie and Brent, on the TSW was like homecoming.
Not many boats use the TSW in late August. We went 2 ½ days and 27 locks before we had any other boats in a lock with us.
The lift-locks and Big Chute are amazing engineering marvels that are a blast to use.
There are cottages along almost every inch of the TSW and Eastern Georgian Bay. They are cottages with a dock and boat, not overly ostentatious mansions.
The water is very clear and weeds grow high from depths. Wherever you haul anchor, you bring up a big clump of weeds.
It seems like there are more than the reputed 30,000 islands in Georgian Bay. Navigation is difficult except that there are thousands of buoys to help, and millions of rocks if ya miss the buoy.
There are no soft shores in Georgian Bay, only pink granite.
Western TSW and Georgian boats are often practical heavy aluminum with front ramps and diamond plate decks.
Jet skis are popular at the end of the TSW and beginning of Georgian Bay.
TSW locks are old, and were out of commission a few times on our trip.
