Author: Jeff

Regular readers will know I like these settings. I’m anchored here just upstream from Smiths Falls. Nice spot with marsh on all sides. The frog calls are loud enough to hear over Saturday Night Blues.

I’ve been noodling along. Not much fine dining – I had my hopes up when a fellow traveler assured me that the Opinicon was doing takeout, but on arrival we found they require 24 hour advance booking. Check first!

On that note, I’m seriously considering abandoning my trip east. It’s quite clear that current COVID restrictions in Quebec, NB and NS do not allow me to travel there. I had imagined a quick summer opening, but I’m not getting the sense that’s going to happen. I’ll get to Ottawa and make a final decision. So I may get a meal on the return trip.

The alternative is not all bad – head up the Trent Severn, and then to the North Channel. When the US opens head south from Chicago. Join the Loopers.

It feels a lot like 2020, except for the hope that travel restrictions will get lighter in the foreseeable future.

Things have been very quiet on the waterway. Very little local or through traffic.

Not many pics as this is my third return trip. See last year’s blog entries for the same trip.

Boat is great, very easy to maneuver in locks. I had some issues with fuses and breaker going in my thruster battery system when I first got going this year, but have that sorted and now use bow and stern thruster without hesitation.

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Samantha, Sarah and later Mallory joined me for a few days of noodling around the area. We visited a few islands, spent a few nights at anchor, ate takeout a couple of times. The usual. Nice weather, cool but sunny. Samantha and Sarah did some point to point biking and I picked them up. Fun.

They left early this morning from Gananoque, and I cruised up to Kingston and into the Rideau Canal. I’m now stopped for the day at the top of Upper Brewers.

I’m in no rush. Got lots of food and fuel. I like Beveridge and the Tay Canal. Will stop there for a bit and do some cleaning. They have water. There is a paste of bugs on most exterior surfaces.

Weather looks great, getting warmer. Windy today, but the wind didn’t bother me. Easier going up than down in a breeze, but also I’m getting increasingly comfortable with handling the boat. The thrusters make it easy, and I step straight out to the deck from the wheel.

These pics were taken between Gananoque and Brockville.

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Today’s trip from Gananoque to Upper Brewers. This section of the Rideau is not particularly great. Shallow, muddy and weedy.

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I was up early this morning and left Collins Bay shortly after dawn. Got into Gananoque mid morning, cleaned the decks and got takeout lunch, and am now anchored here for the night. Lovely spot. It really is beautiful around here.

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I’m anchored in Collins Bay just west of Kingston. Left Toronto Monday about 5:00 PM and got in here at noon Tuesday. Lovely trip, about 140 nm.

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A front has just passed through, and I’ll head east tomorrow. Meeting family in Ganaoque Friday.

All systems are working well. Still have some work to do to get ready for big water, but can putter away at that on the Rideau. I still haven’t commissioned the generator – I need some fuel fittings – but am quite comfortable without it. This weekend will be a test to see how cooking on 12v goes.

I’m struck by how comfortable the boat is. I did a similar trip on Mazurka a few years ago and stayed on the flybridge most of the way. It’s much more civilized in the pilot house.

My journalist friend Rob was out for a harbour cruise with me this weekend  and he asked me why I chose this boat.  I started to answer, but realized it was long and complicated. Later Sarah remarked on how nimble and maneuverable the boat is.  So, back story…

My first job was as a tender operator at Bedford Basin Yacht Club.  I started when I was 12 years old and worked at it through my teens.  Most likely the youngest and possibly the oldest on record.  Best summer job ever.  If you need further explanation, think water taxi, taking passengers back and forth from their moored boats.

I was driving outboard powered boats.  A bit later in life as I roamed the world a bit, I found a few clubs and harbours used the Crosby Launch and I fell in love with those boats.  Tough, stable, maneuverable. 

A bit later, the first big power boat I ever dreamed of owning was a Willard 30.  This was about 1991 when I came across one in the great lakes.

I really had the Willard as a benchmark boat when I bought Mazurka. 

Escapade started out life as a super sized Crosby Launch.  That’s what attracted me.  it was built to navy specs as a tender. So I was confident that the design and build were to my liking, and confident that I would enjoy maneuvering in close quarters, which is important to me.

Beyond that, Escapade met the criteria outlined in an earlier post.

This also might help to explain the opening photo in this post.

I should say that I’m exceedingly happy with my choice.

Had a couple of great days noodling around Toronto with friends and family. Some of their pics below.

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I’m underway. Left Marina Quay West this afternoon after the rain stopped and am now anchored in Outer Harbour.

I think I mentioned earlier that I was getting an AIS transponder. For now it’s always on when underway, so I’m very easy to track. My MMSI is 316038777.

I’m in the area for a few days for provisioning and family visits, then off to Kingston next week. Rideau Canal opens the 28th, and I have family visiting aboard next weekend in the Thousand Islands. Weather looks pretty benign for the trip down the lake. Will have to go outside Prince Edward County as I think the Murray Canal doesn’t open until the 28th.

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These four pictures were taken from tonight’s stop in the Toronto Islands. Beautiful here.

Here in Toronto and Ontario we are just getting over the worst wave yet in the pandemic. A month ago we went into a stay-at-home order. Today it was announced that recreational boating will be permitted starting Saturday.

So I’ll be on my way. Planning to noodle down to Kingston, meet family there for a couple.of days in the Thousand Islands, then head up the Rideau for Ottawa.

Nova Scotia is closed to visitors right now, but I expect that things are going to get better. I hope I can have a path to getting there in July. We’ll see.

Boat is pretty much ready. I was dawdling on finishing up a few things but the recent beautiful weather got me energized.

Davits are on, and the boat hung. Easy to get on the platform when the dinghy is there. I like it.

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Still at Marina Quay West. I’m now in the middle of a movie set.

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They’ve been setting up since Thursday, and it all goes down tonight, apparently with a boat getaway. I’ve got a good seat for the action! Jason Mamoa is the star. Susan says I’ll recognize him if I see him.

I took the cover off today.  It’s nice to see the great outdoors. 

I was also relieved that my new anchor fits well on the roller.  I was confident until I got it.  It’s a beast.

Countdown is on.  I’m off the dock in less than three weeks, and am poking away at my lists.  All good.

I got my first Covid vaccine today.  Toronto’s infection rate is at an all time high, but everyone in my bubble has now been vaccinated.  Kathleen got hers a couple of weeks ago. 

I’m not in any rush when I leave here.  Will noodle down to Collins Bay near Kingston and hang there for a few days to finish up a few things and update some gear.  There is a very good chandlery there, with an anchorage and dock.  After that it’s up the Rideau Canal after it opens May 21.

The new dinghy is most satisfactory.  I cleaned out the carburetor on my old outboard – it hadn’t been running well since I sank the dinghy in 2019.  Now it’s running like a top.  I’m impressed with the boat based on solo operation.  Easy to plane and stable at speed.  Much better than my old Avon 310.  The extra length helps a lot I suspect.  Bigger tubes too, so it feels like a much bigger boat.

I had been planning to build a floor in the anchor locker, but to my surprise found one there when I removed the chain. The previous owner told me that the locker drained into the bilge. There were holes drilled in the floor.

It turned out that it drained into a section of the bow contained by a watertight bulkhead, and I found a compartment full of water. There was a hole for cabling that allowed it to drain with a couple of feet of water in it. Looked like it had been there forever, with marine plywood delaminated. I’ve pumped it out and run a heater in there to dry things out. Not concerned. The boat is massively built, and the folks doing the conversion used 1″ marine ply everywhere. Originally it had a watertight collision bulkhead and lifting point in the bow, but that was all removed to create the berth.

I’ve confirmed that the floor is a few inches above the waterline so I’ll plug the holes in the floor and drill a drain through the hull.

Since I’m not building anything there I’m back to using the eye for the anchor snubber. Will post pics when it’s set up.