Hi Marie
That looks like an awesome trip. Pictures are well done. I have seen that boat around Kingston but I had no idea it went down both canal systems. What is the company called? And how do I book? On your pictures there is one small labeling error. The lift bridge labeled 401 lift bridge is I think actually old highway 2 which the 401 replaced the 401 is far too busy to have a lift bridge and is 4 lanes of heavy and continuous truck traffic in that area. I have been patiently waiting to do those canals until I get a boat again but you have now peeked my interest in doing via a charter. I have driven to Ottawa several times and always try to follow the Rideau where ever I can. I drove from Huntsville to Trenton this fall but you can't follow the Trent Severn nearly as easily. Nick (sw Ontario) _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of marie heaster Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 6:50 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [canals-list] Trip Report - longish (both trip & report) In Sept. and Oct 2007 we finally went boating again. This time on the Canadian canals and waterways system in the province of Ontario. We had super weather for cruising. We did three, 5 day segments back-to-back, covering 425 miles. I've tried not to bore you with a day by day journal, but have concentrated on the engineering facts. The photos I've posted show a few of the more interesting locks and lock mechanisms. And I have included a few "tourist' photos for those not so keen on the mechanical side of things. Our vessel was hardly your standard nb - the Kawartha Voyageur carries 45 passengers and a crew of 12. The Kawartha has a hinged bow which is raised when necessary to allow it into the shorter locks. During cruising it is in the lowered position and provides a seating area for the guests. Boat specs: length - 121 ft (bow down) and 109 ft (bow up) see pics width - 22 feet draft - 4 feet (when fully loaded) First Segment - The Rideau Canal - Ottawa to Kingston - 49 locks - 125 Miles The Rideau Canal is a chain of beautiful lakes, rivers and canal cuts winding through varying landscapes. 2007 marked the 175th anniversary of the canal. Construction started in 1826, and the waterway officially opened in 1832 All locks on the Rideau measure 134 feet in length, are 33 feet wide and have an official limiting draft of 5 feet. Average lift varies for Locks 1-8 at Ottawa of 80 feet, to as small as 2 feet at Kilmarnock. Lock gates are made of Douglas fir from BC. Most locks have a "push bar/crab" opening mechanism. But a few have been converted to 'electric/hydraulic' The beginning point of our trip was at Ottawa, 134 feet above sea level. The waterway rises to 408 at the highest point, then down to end of 1st trip 244 feet at Kingston. The Rideau is twinned with the Caledonian Canal. Both were constructed in the early 19th century, both commercial highways and both survived as recreational waterways. Tour Rideau Canal at http://www.pc. <http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/Rideau/natcul/natcul2_E.asp#tour> gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/Rideau/natcul/natcul2_E.asp#tour Second and third Segments - St. Lawrence/1000 Islands/Trent-Severn waterway First a circle cruise through part of the St. Lawrence Seaway to see the large freighters in action and the Thousand Islands with over 1,800 islands (1,1864 if you want to be exact). All very scenic and a popular boating holiday and summer cottage area. Then on to the Trent-Severn Waterway . - 45 locks - 240 miles Like the Rideau, the waterway is a combination of lakes, rivers and man-made canal. There are 125 dams to manage water levels for navigation. There are 36 conventional locks, 2 sets of flight locks, 2 hydraulic lift locks and a marine railway,and 33 miles of man-made canal. Lock-lift ranges from 4-49 feet Locks vary in length from 120-154 feet, with the majority being 32 feet wide. First lock was built in 1833, but the full waterway was not finished until 1920 The waterway begins at Trenton, 243 feet above sea level, rising to high point 840 feet , then down to end of our trip at 623 feet at Big Chute. Of Note : Peterborough Lift Lock - built in 1904, 26,000 cubic yards of unreinforced poured concrete. Each chamber holds 228,093 gallons of water. Lift 65 feet. Kirkfield Lift lock - opened in 1907, 228, 093 gallons, lift 49 feet. Bolsover Lock - deepest all-manual lock on the waterway - 22 feet Swift Rapids Lock - deepest conventional lock on the waterway at 47 feet Big Chute Marine Railway - built in 1917. A new larger one was built in 1977. (The original is still used for the overflow of small craft during the busy season.) Conventional locks would have been cheaper to build but the railway was chosen to prevent possible migration of lamprey eels from Georgian Bay into the Trent-Severn system. The marine railway and one lock lower boats further into Georgian Bay & Lake Huron. Our vessel was too wide, too heavy and too long to use the railway. However, we were given a working demonstration so we could see how it all works Tour Trent-Severn Waterway http://www.pc. <http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/index_e.asp> gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/index_e.asp See photos at www.flickr.com/photos/pouffe Sorry about the order of photos - couldn't quickly find out how to reorder them . so start at the bottom and work up. Cheers, Marie Connect with friends from any web browser - no download required. Try the new Yahoo! 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