#13 Half Way Around

July 12, 2012  Ottawa

We are about half way around the 1,100 mile 90 day loop, completing the Rideau Canal in downtown Ottawa;

 and this really is ... DOWNTOWN.

 The finale is a flight of eight locks on the side of Parliament Hill, emptying us into the Ottawa River. This is the missing piece of the puzzle which confirms this waterway as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's interesting to imagine how the expansion of Ottawa over the past 180 years has considered the canal an integral part of this beautiful city. 

 Because Ottawa is Canada's capital, the canal is just one of the special elements.

The past week can be divided into two parts, according to the weather. The first three days were hot and humid, followed by four days of cool(er) and dry.

SNIVELING DEPARTMENT: THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK

We haven't been able to confirm if high temperatures and high humidity are normal for July in this part of Canada. And we don't know what is normal behavior for boaters in these conditions, since this is our first experience boating when it's this hot. 

 But in these waters, when it gets hot, everyone puts in just enough forward progress each day (at least 5-6 miles) and then runs for cover. It's become a game to find a dock (called “mooring” in Canada) with power (called “hydro” in ditto) in order to plug in and run the air conditioning at night! This scenario reminds us of musical chairs.

 If you are not lucky or clever enough to do this, then you must keep all windows open until that critical point at dusk when the mosquitoes prefer your quarters. Miss the “window” of putting on screens and you are slapping yourself silly at bedtime.

On this day, we arrived at Beveridge Lock at 2 PM, the fourth boat to tie up. By 2:30 the wall was full; 8 boats with no plans to budge for the rest of the day. Lawn chairs, tall drinks, snack platters, dogs, and sweltering boaters made for the shade. We had a great afternoon chatting with the owners of Loon A Sea, Minnie Rose, Old Dog New Trix, Gulfed-e-Nuff, La Grosse Vie S... and Norlyn.

 This couple came here for the weekend! Whoa! Let's see. They have a house on a lake near Gananoque, drive 1-1/2 hours to their boat on Big Rideau Lake, and spend the weekend tied up to this lock wall. We are learning that there are many iterations of boating.

Okay. So, some days are better than others. Likewise for some portions of the route.

   One must keep constant vigilance for signs saying “Sound Horn”; and for good reason.

 Approaching boaters need to plan ahead in narrow stretches.

 This spot was so narrow that the boat's displacement actually sucked the water from the shore.

And bridge tenders needed time to stop traffic and turn the bridge – by hand, of course.

The challenges kept the captain busy.

                                                         Justa keepa go!

The cooler weather reached us just in time for the second part of the week when we were joined by Allan's nephew Bob Potter and his daughter Catherine. They drove 7-1/2 hours from New Hampshire to Smith's Falls.

They settled in and quickly learned the ropes of locking procedures …

… and that it's best not to have a daily plan. 

That allows for tying up when there's a trail to hike, town to explore and interesting people to talk to.

Before you know it, it's dinner time ...

 ... food is grilling ...

   ... and the memory bank is filling.

 What will the next day bring? 

There's never a lull in interesting sights. 

 We spied this scow as we approached a lock. The crew was scurrying to get back aboard, carrying coffee mugs. When we asked if coffee break was over, they replied, “Oh no. This is work-related liquid.” The scow works on placing buoys for navigation – using GPS, of course.

Farming activities along the Rideau River have enabled considerable weed growth ...

... in the canal, including locks.

We nicknamed this device “the weed-whacker.” Once harvested, the nutrient-rich weeds are trucked to nearby farms to be used as fertilizer.

Wait, isn't this full circle?

And this is SS Pumper. Google has not been able to confirm if this is the original 180-year old wood burning steam screw vessel. The master architect of the canal, Colonel By, marked the opening in 1832 aboard a vessel of this name.

During the trip, Catherine stood at the ready to convert litres, kilograms, meters, and kilometers ...

… while Bob kept a lookout for pirates.

He and the captain were also skeptical of the canal's minimum bridge clearance of 22 feet.

What a surprise! Sally W needs 20 feet of clearance, and we've always wanted to confirm that. Obviously, plenty of room - this time.

But canal width varies considerably. This basin approaching Ottawa is popular with the Rideau Canoe Club. With summer in full swing, canoes are full of kids learning the basics. Look closely here. What was this exercise?

 Five miles before the finish line, the canal leaves the Rideau River at Hog's Back. The channel is a great place for all kinds of recreation.

Bridge openings require attention, and boats are abundant.

Bob and Catherine left this morning. The Rideau is complete: 125 miles, 45 locks, ten days. Hmmm … that's an average of 12.5 miles a day. Not bad. It was a great experience we highly recommend.