Canadian Yachting October 2021 - 38

OUR SUMMER JOURNEY ABOARD
'BOLDLY GO' WAS ALL WE EXPECTED AND
THEN SOME
- BY JEFF EVANS, SARNIA POWER AND SAIL SQUADRON
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote " Life is a journey, not a destination. "
The same can be said for boat trips.
I write this while anchored at Beausoleil Island, 1,002 nautical
miles into our summer journey.
This past winter, Cecily and I discussed options for our summer
boat trip out of Goderich, Ontario aboard Boldly Go.
Having recently retired, we elected to cruise to Ottawa via
Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, the Trent-Severn Waterway, Bay of
        
Departing mid-June from Maitland Marina, we travelled up
Lake Huron, rounded Tobermory and set course for Echo Bay
just off from Parry Sound for two nights at anchor. Echo Bay
is a lovely anchorage just north of Henry's Fish Restaurant
which provided an excellent pickerel lunch as we proceeded
south.
After another night's anchorage in Frying Pan Bay, we docked
at Queen's Cove Marina in Victoria Harbour in preparation for
the Trent-Severn voyage. The stop doubled as a long overdue
visit with local family members. After two nights in Victoria
Harbour, we set out for the locks.
We completed the Trent, Bay of Quinte and Rideau system
over the next few weeks, stayed one night in Ottawa, and
then retraced our route back to Victoria Harbour where we
landed six weeks after our Goderich departure. One night at
the marina and now we are anchored off Beausoleil Island,
getting ready to enjoy our return trip up Georgian Bay.
This is where my travelogue stops. There is an endless supply
of excellent articles that provide insights into traversing the
national canal systems. Rather, I would like to share tidbits
and images that impacted me over that time.
I was overwhelmed by the various birds and beasts we encountered
along the way. There were any number of frogs,
turtles and ducks that locked through with us in the TrentSevern.
It was commonplace to see blue herons, egrets and
loons in numbers I don't remember as a kid. Even more
interesting were the hundreds of swans we encountered
along the Rideau. Most special was sighting a bald eagle
          
An unexpected encounter with a black bear on Mitchell Lake,
who crossed the channel three meters ahead of us, created
much excitement amongst the crew.
There were also various characters along the way that created
special moments, such as the hydrofoil windsurfer blasting
past us on Balsam Lake and the grinning old guy near
Osgoode on his antique three-point hydroplane. And who
could forget the gentleman in Smiths Falls walking his pet
pig past the lock.
The best, however, was the youngster tying up the family
pontoon boat at Upper Brewer's Lock. In him I saw yet another
generation of boating enthusiasts.
Watercraft were obviously plentiful including a beautiful ear
        
abandoned craft like the sunken wreck at the Percy Reach
Lock; the lawn ornament sailboat at the Jones Falls Lock; the
38 CANADIAN YACHTING | OCTOBER 2021

Canadian Yachting October 2021

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