MIDLAND to PARRY SOUND / July 12-19 (Days 194-201)

Upon completing the TSW, we entered the Georgian Bay (GB).  The GB offers more than 30,000 islands, nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline and is often referred to as the sixth Great Lake.  Our journey through the GB would take us approximately 170 miles following the Small Craft Channel (SCC) that snakes in and out of the northern shore.

Our first stop was Wye Heritage Marina in Midland.  There we found ourselves with about ten other Loopers and docked right between Morningstar and Rowe Boat.  We stayed in Midland for three days so that Dave could change the oil and so we could hook up with some folks who live near Midland that we had met down in the Florida Keys.

The most striking feature of the GB is its topography.  Land both above and below water consists of granite outcroppings.  It was amazing to see houses built on huge rocks.

We were in a flotilla with three other boats . . . Morningstar, Rowe Boat and Sweet T.  It was great fun cruising with fellow Loopers and it gave us the confidence that we needed to tackle the "rock infested" waters of the GB.  Our biggest fear was hitting a rock, which several other boats had already done.  (Spoiler alert ~ we made it all the way through Canada without hitting a thing!)  We anchored at Bernadette Island, where Dave took Sweet T's dingy for a spin to test out their new motor.

Many of the anchorages were small so we rafted together often.  Rafting was great fun ~ we could hop from boat to boat with ease.

The sunset was beautiful ~ check out the bright moon.

And the sunrise brought a cool fog the next morning.

We continued on the SCC passing an occasional small boat . . . .

and weaving our way through the red and green bouys, making sure to stay in the channel to avoid those rocks!

A 22 mile run that day took us to our next destination ~ Port Rawson Bay.  The last few miles was like an obstacle course!

Dave and Mel took off fishing as soon as wet set the anchors.

And then Dave and I took the dinghy ashore and climbed up the hill side to get an aerial view of the bay  ~ what a sight!

On the way back, we stopped to visit Mike and Leann on Rowe Boat . . . 

Mel and Ann on Morningstar . . . 

and Mike and Tonya on Sweet T.

On Tuesday the 19th we headed to Parry Sound.  Along the way were occasional cottages and boat houses.  It was interesting to see people pull their boats in garages like we pull cars into garages.

Even though some of the areas were very remote, we would still see a lot of water craft activity, like jet skis . . . 

 . . . and kayaks.

To add to the activity on the water, Parry Sound is where you can take a ride on a floatplane.  We had quite the show watching them take off and land right next to the Big Sound Marina where we were docked.

Parry Sound is the home to Canada's largest sightseeing cruise boat, the 550 passanger Island Queen.

It was another beautiful sunset looking one direction and an incredible moon rise looking the other.  The skies of Canada were just amazing, especially on a clear night in a remote anchorage, where you could see nothing but thousands of bright stars!  No picture could do it justice!

BOBCAYGEON to PORT SEVERN / July 7-12 (Days 189-194)

On July 7th we arrived in Bobcaygeon, which is the most popular town along the TSW and therefore very crowded.  This is a special place for us as we had visited here about 15 years ago when Nancy & Ron had their cottage on Pigeon Lake.  It was here that we saw our first Looper boat passing through a lock, but at the time had no idea what the Great Loop was!  The Bobcaygeon Lock was the first lock built on the TSW.

It is a quaint town with much to offer, including the largest shoe store in Canada called Bigley's, many great restaurants . . .

. . . and even outdoor yoga (look closely on the grass on the left).

The shorelines of Bobcaygeon had many homes and cottages, more than any other town we had visited.  This home caught our eye because of all of the brightly colored chairs, including the oversized orange one on the far right deck.

Our next stop was Fenelon Falls, where we tied to the wall at yet another quaint town with more great restaurants and shops.

Leaving Fenelon Falls took us through a very narrow passage, which reminded us of the Dismal Swamp in Virginia. This passage brought us to Balsam Lake, which is the highest point in the TSW at 840 feet above sea level.  In fact, this is the highest point in the world that you can get a boat to by water!  From here the TSW drops more than 120 feet in just 12 miles, which meant we would be busy going through locks.

The Kirkfield Lock was the second hydraulic lift lock we would pass through.  We had read that this would be more thrilling than the Peterborough Lock because the structure is not enclosed and you get more of a feeling of "hanging out there" as you drop 49 feet!  Luckily there was another boat ahead of us which meant we didn't have to pull all the way to the front!

On the way to Canal Lake we passed kids swimming.  They loved it when Dave blew the horn when they motioned.

Entering the lake, the waterway passed under a picturesque, perfect half-circle arched bridge.  Built in 1905, Hole in the Wall Bridge is an historic, engineering marvel.

There are very few marinas like this one along the TSW, as most boaters want to stay at the towns along the way. 

On to Lake Simcoe, the largest lake on the TSW some 20 miles long and 16 miles wide.

After crossing the lake we passed by the city of Orilla and continued on until we were stopped by a train crossing a railroad bridge.

The final section of the TSW is the Severn River.   The low lying farm land gives way to breath taking granite rock formations and crystal clear water.  Here is McDonald's Cut, which was excavated by hand (no machinery!) in 1905.

With only three locks to go, on Monday, July 11th we passed through the Swift Rapids Lock, dropping 47 feet!

This was the last lock where we "tied to the wall" to spend the night.  It was a beautiful, quiet night.

The next day we reached the Big Chute, where (as we had read) we were "about to do something truly amazing."  The Big Chute railway carried our boat across land and down the chute 58 feet on twin tracks.  Here's how it works:

All the guide books recommend that you dock your boat and go ashore and watch other boats ride the chute so that you know what to expect.  So we did just that, watched a small boat loaded at the lower end of the chute . . . 

. . . and carried up the chute . . . 

. . . and across the street.

And then it was our turn!

It was truly amazing!!

And on Tuesday, July 12th, we entered our 43rd lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway in Port Severn.  Georgian Bay . . . here we come!