Monday, July 23, 2012
Crysler Park marina
Left Prescott this morning, after a great breakfast at Bobby's Fish and Chips. Wind has died down from yesterday, so Wayne got the boat out of our little corner with little difficulty. Slight wind coming down the river behind us, it got quite warm in the flybridge of the boat. No delay at Iroquois lock, the doors were open and waiting for us, we went down 10" today. Arrived back at Crysler Park marina just after noon. Usual friendly people on the docks came out to help us dock - always much appreciated. Had lunch on the boat, then began gathering up our stuff to take home. Lots of clothing to wash. Nancy and Eddie will leave tomorrow to go on to Niagara Falls for a couple of days, then back to Florida. We have enjoyed their company and will hate to see them go. Highlights of the trip, for me many of the tours that we might not have done if we had not had guests. Really enjoyed touring Ottawa, the interpretation centre at Smiths Falls, and Fort Henry. Also nice to know that Wayne is able to get the boat in almost anywhere with a minimum of difficulty. We are already planning the next trip for next year with Nancy and Eddie.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Prescott, Ont
Eddie is visiting with a seagull on the post |
Fort Wellington |
New Tall Ship Landings condo building in Brockville kind of towers over everything else. |
May not be as large as Boldt Castle, but Singer castle still looks pretty good |
Dinner on the boat, then Eddie, Nancy and I went up to the concert in the park just up from the boat. It was The Monarchs, a band made up of people our age or older, playing tunes from the 60's and 70's, they were really good. Good crowd. Prescott puts on these concerts every Sunday evening in the summer. Small gnats started bothering Nancy just toward the end of the concert; we have noticed that the bugs like Eddie and Nancy much better than Wayne and I.They will be bitten while we have no issues. Nancy kept trying to lean in to me to share the gnats, but I just leaned the other way, figured she could keep them. I think having guests with tender Floridian skin is a good thing if the bugs prefer them.
Tomorrow will be our last day on the water, we will be heading home.
Lots of small islands with one house almost covering the island |
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Ganonoque,On
Guess they could call this one bird island, good mixture of cormorants and seagulls |
Nancy and Eddie on one of the balonies with turrets behind them |
A few of the windmills on Wolfe island |
There are harts carved here and there on the castle |
s |
Boldt castle |
Beautiful flower gardens with many heart shapes evident. |
Friday, July 20, 2012
Kingston, On
The fort mascot |
Nancy aiming the cannon to shoot an American warship coming to attack. She hit it 5/5 |
Fort Henry was built first in 1814, then rebuilt in the 1830's. It's purpose was to protect Kingston and the Rideau Canal from American invasion. Students working at the fort as historical interpreters do a good job of bringing the fort as it was in 1867 to life. It has not been used for the protection of the area from Americans since shortly after 1867; it has been used to train the military in gunnery use, and for a few years, Ukraines were interned there during the 2nd world war. We watched the opening ceremonies with the raising of the flag, took the guided tour (well done), watched the shooting of the cannon at noon, then the gunnery practice at 3 pm. They have a new discovery centre at the fort with short videos on various aspects of life in the fort. Came back to a clean boat, sat out on the back to watch several boats come in and dock. Looks like several boats are here for a wedding, many people walking along the docks all dressed up and carrying gifts, and one boat down the dock has a "Just Married" sign on the back.
Firing the cannon |
Raising the flag |
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Kingston, On
We did have to wait a few minutes for the bascule bridge on the Lasalle Causeway to open. |
Looked like a dredger along the channel in the River Styx, when we got there they seemed to be piling rocks into the bucket. looked like they were going to put them into the water. |
Had to wait about 20 minutes for the bascule bridge here in Kingston to open, then we came around into Confederation Basin. As usual, breezy here in Kingston.
We went for a walk up the street, picked up a few things we needed, then went to the Lonestar for dinner. Nancy and Eddie were lonesome for Texas. Very good dinner, then back to a concert in the park by the marina. The lady in the tourist booth told us that Sugarland were playing, so we were all excited. It actually was a local singer called Sugar Plum. She was good, but she was not Sugarland.
Brass Point Bridge opened to let us through |
Concert in the park |
Best to stay well outside this marker; that is indeed a rock |
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
ShangriLa docks, below Jones Falls Locks
Lockmaster's home doubled as defense for the lock. In the case of attack by Americans, soldiers would be called up to defend the lock |
Dinner on the dock |
We turned off and tied up at the ShangriLa docks just below Jones Falls locks. We were here three years ago and enjoyed the restaurant here but as we tied up thought it funny that we didn't see the restaurant that we remembered; turns out that it burned down last year. Too bad. We went for a walk, and looked at the restaurant at Hotel Kenny right next door. They do have a restaurant, but with a set menu and a set price of $29.95 per person. We decided we could cook on the boat.
Toured the area here around Jones Falls locks, they have a restored blacksmith shop and the lockmaster house, also restored to the time when the first lockmaster lived here with his family. Two students showed us the blacksmith shop and the lockmaster house, both did a good job. They have a diary kept by the first lockmaster, so have a lot of information about the house and about life in those days here at the lock. His wife apparently lived quite a lonely life, she was of a social class above the people living around here, so had no one to socialize with. She turned to drink and he has frequent entries in his diary about her drinking and a quarrel. Mind you, he apparently drank quite heavily as well. Got ice cream cones while we were out touring, then returned to the boat and made dinner. Beautiful evening to sit on the dock, cook on the grill and eat. Lots of Canada geese here, the men cleaned off our section of the dock so we could have a clean place to sit. Walking across the grass to the bathrooms is somewhat challenging. Nancy and Wayne have just returned from the bathrooms; there is no hot water in the showers. I think I will use the one in the boat.
On to Kingston tomorrow.
A small one car ferry that the individual hand pulls to the other side |
One of the narrow channels we went through today |
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Public Docks, Westport, Ont.
Rained early this morning, things have been so dry that we would have welcomed an all day rain, but it only rained for a few minutes. Sun was out and it was breezy by the time we left the lock and set out down Big Rideau Lake. There were white caps in the water, but we were headed into the wind so the boat handled the waves beautifully. One lock to go through at "The Narrows"; lock staff were very helpful and even with the wind it went well. Three more miles on Lower Rideau Lake and we were in Westport. It is in a protected harbour so docking was easy. We were here 3 years ago and some of the docks were in rough shape, but they have been replaced with new docks, things look well cared for. The harbourmaster and his wife told us that all of the money brought in through docking fees is put back into the marina facilities.
We walked up into town, had a quick lunch, then spent the afternoon touring some of the many shops here. The first person we ran into used to keep a boat at Crysler Park, now has a shop on the main street here in town, Rene Reynen. Nice to see him again.
Came back to the boat mid-afternoon when the clouds rolled in and we could hear thunder. Sat in the back of the boat and watched storms go around us, We had wind and some rain, but it sounds like it was much worse in other places. Not enough rain here to make much difference in grass etc. Quiet dinner on the boat. On down the Rideau tomorrow, not sure where we will stop.
We walked up into town, had a quick lunch, then spent the afternoon touring some of the many shops here. The first person we ran into used to keep a boat at Crysler Park, now has a shop on the main street here in town, Rene Reynen. Nice to see him again.
Came back to the boat mid-afternoon when the clouds rolled in and we could hear thunder. Sat in the back of the boat and watched storms go around us, We had wind and some rain, but it sounds like it was much worse in other places. Not enough rain here to make much difference in grass etc. Quiet dinner on the boat. On down the Rideau tomorrow, not sure where we will stop.
Eddie tried out a chair in front of one of the stores. |
Cute little houseboat came into Westport for fuel |
Wayne is cooking our hamburgers. We thought we would eat on the picnic table, but another storm threatened so we moved back on to the boat. |
A whole school of fish gathered behind our boat, obviously looking for something to eat. The men threw a few crackers, the fish went crazy. |
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