Mer Sea

Roy and Leslie's Sea Adventure

We set out from Ottawa quite excited about finally being on the Rideau Canal. We’d heard so much about the wonderful canal systems in Canada, and the ready availability of cheap mooring and the charming towns we’d be passing through, it all seemed quite enticing. Our first stop was to be a short visit with someone we’d met in St. Augustine, who gave us her phone number and said to be sure to stop by when we were on the Rideau. We’d called to find out exactly where she was, and to let her know when we’d be coming, and she’d given us good directions for finding their dock. It was just a few hours from Ottawa. One of the things Wendy had said we should do while docked at her place is to walk to the local grocery store, which she had described as being just through the park and down the road. SO…

When we actually got to the dock, which we found without much trouble, we tied up and I went up to the house to say hi and let Wendy know that we were there. There was no answer at the door. So I headed back to the boat and called and left a message that we were on the dock, were going to have lunch, and that we’d then wander back up to the house. Well, we ate lunch, wandered back up to the house, and there was still nobody home. So we decided to try to find the store ourselves.

There was a lot of construction on the acreage around the house, and there was lots of dust and torn up road, but we made it to the “main drag” and started walking. We could see some sort of a sign in the distance, and supposed that was the store. We passed someone pushing a stroller, and she confirmed our supposition. On the way we passed a large park, and were able to look past the trees at the back edge and see the roof of Wendy’s house. This must be the shortcut that she’d described. We decided to try that route on the way back, as we’d kind of gone around Robin Hood’s barn getting to the main road.

Well, we got to the store, and WHAT a store!! It was the biggest, cleanest, best stocked grocery store I think I have ever seen! We didn’t need a whole lot of stuff, since we had just stocked up in Ottawa, but we did manage to fill our two big LL Bean bags full! Packaged stuff that was not what we were buying in Ottawa. It was fabulous!

The walk back was MUCH easier, taking the shortcut through the park and Wendy’s back yard. There was still nobody home, so we just went ahead to the boat and left. I did call and leave a message thanking her for the use of the dock and telling her how much we’d enjoyed the store. It was kind of funny not to see them, but then, it was kind of funny for her not to be there during those hours that she knew we’d be coming. I suppose that something could have come up, but it also could have been an invitation carelessly extended and not really meant. I always tell people, don’t invite me unless you mean it, because I will show up! Let this be a lesson to you if you’re reading this!!

We went through a total of seven locks that first day. The lock tenders are uniformly friendly, helpful, full of information and good-natured. What a pleasure to encounter them along the way! We docked at the top of a flight of three locks, and spent a quiet evening enjoying the beauty and serenity of the environs. These lockstations all have well-maintained, clean restroom facilities, picnic tables and trash cans, and this one also had a path leading into a beautiful field of wildflowers, where I took a lovely stroll. It was perfect.

We went only a few miles the next day, stopping at Burritt’s Rapids, and again tying off on the canal wall. There was a laundromat and convenience store across the street, and a path through the woods leading into the little town. After Roy did laundry we walked together through the woods into the town. Charming!! The gardens at peoples’ houses were stunning, and the beautiful stone buildings just lovely. We stopped at the General Store for ice cream cones, and walked around a bit. Then we headed back to Mer Sea for a peaceful evening and bed.

Our destination the next day was Merrickville, reputed to be a really nice little town. A well-deserved reputation. Not only was this town charming, there were lots of little shops, a library where they let me bring our computer and plug into their DSL line, a really wonderful gourmet foods and kitchen goodies shop, and a couple of great ice cream stores! Roy and I each had fun wandering around separately, and then together, then had a beer at a little pub where all the locals were meeting on the patio, and then went back after dinner for ice cream! Sort of a perfect day!

We headed out the next morning for Smith’s Falls. We find that we can’t get started too early, because the locks don’t begin operating before 8:30, so there’s no point in rushing to get going in the morning. We did get as early a start as possible, however, since it was Friday, and we anticipated a busy weekend on the canal, and we knew that Smith’s Falls is a popular spot. They have a big RV park in addition to the marina, and a limited number of slips with power hook-ups. Because of the heat, and wanting to run the air conditioner, we knew that those spots would be at a premium.

Before we could go to a slip we needed to pump out. We came out of the lock and managed to locate the pump-out facility, and got ourselves tied up there, with the help of a couple that we’ve been playing leapfrog with all along the canal. Roy went in search of some “powers that be” to assist us, and came back with some young kids who worked there. While they were getting their-pump out ready for us, Roy went to survey the docking situation. He was able to find one spot, I really believe that it was the last one, with power, right next to a couple we’d met in Ottawa.

Well, I’ll cut to the chase and say that the pump-out never did work properly, so we finally gave it up and headed over to the slip. By then we were exhausted and cranky. You shouldn’t advertise having a pump-out unless it is a functioning one. What are we supposed to do with our, forgive me, shit, when our tank gets full? We’re trying to be responsible, conscientious boaters, but you have to do your part! Well, we fortunately weren’t at maximum critical stage, so could wait until we left Smith’s Falls and stop at a marina on the way. But it might not have been the case!

I discovered that we were receiving a wi-fi signal from the nearby Comfort Inn, so was happy to be able to update the website and get other computer stuff done at this location. The whole area around Smith’s Falls was filled with families in RVs and boats enjoying the canal and the beautiful summer weather, and the Chocolate Festival taking place in the park that weekend! There were bands and parades and people out just having a great time! We were able to enjoy the whole thing from our boat, without getting too close to the music. Perfect.

We went out for dinner that night with Marlys and Mike on Ahzmyrah, the couple we’d met in Ottawa. We landed in a wonderful Eastern European restaurant owned by a Czech national and had goulash, “Pork Dracula”, schnitzel, etc…Strudel, and strawberries and whipped cream for dessert. It was really wonderful food! What a find in little Smith’s Falls!!

Marlys and I went to the Rideau Canal Museum the next day. It was very interesting and informative. The canal was built in the wake of the war of 1812, when the Canadians feared that the St. Lawrence River was too vulnerable to attack by the US to use it as a means of transporting goods between Upper Canada and Kingston and the Great Lakes, so Colonel John By was sent from England to supervise the construction in 1826. The canal was completed in 1832, and considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19 th century. Many men lost their lives during the construction, from malaria, cholera, and explosions. It is still operated by hand today, with a couple of exceptions, and the lock tenders hand-crank the gates open and closed, and the sluiceways open and closed to control the water.

Roy and I decided we wanted “fair food” for dinner, after being tempted by the aroma of hamburgers being grilled. We ended up with very disappointing hot dogs, which were re-heated on the grill for us, but not every meal can be a winner. I think the hamburgers we’d smelled had been someone’s private barbeque. It was interesting to me that, even though this was the “chocolate festival”, there was no chocolate to be found anywhere except for some special desserts in some of the restaurants. I had other visions…

We woke the next morning to find that someone (probably kids) had gotten his jollies by untying the boats along the wall where we were docked. The boat behind us was attached only by his power cord, so Roy and I retrieved his lines and retied him. We were all very lucky that it had been a calm night with no wind to speak of. Our lines had been tampered with, but, I think because they are so long, and were wrapped multiple times around the fence rails (there were no cleats) they hadn’t been actually released. There could have been a real mess!

We headed out to the marina we’d found where we’d be able to pump out. In the first lock we met the couple who had been docked in front of us at Smith’s Falls. Apparently they had not left the previous evening, as we’d assumed, but had also been untied, and had woken up that morning with their boat up against the dam!! Now, that’ll get your blood going first thing in the morning! Thank God that nobody was hurt, although they did have some significant scratched on their boat.

We found the marina for our pump-out, and there were a couple of late teenage girls manning the docks. They did a great job, and their pump-out equipment was in excellent working order! We left there clean and happy.

The next part of the “canal” consists of a series of lakes connected by man-made cuts. The lakes are beautiful, deep, clear, and well-marked, and we had a ball in them. We anchored out in Upper Rideau Lake, outside of a town called Westport, and dinghied in to the town to explore. Now, this was Sunday, but this place was hopping! Many little shops, and most of them open. There were also several bakeries, not to mention ice cream shops, and we of course had to be sure to support the local economy! There was also a young girl, maybe fourteen, standing on an elevated landing outside a building playing Bach on a violin. And quite beautifully, I might add – beautiful phrasing, as I told her when I tossed some coins into her basket!

We got back to the boat, stripped off our clothes, and took a lovely swim in the cool, clear water of the lake. It was bliss!! I look forward to more such opportunities when we‘re in Georgian Bay and not these close confines of a canal. Although many do swim here, I’m not really comfortable swimming this close to all these boats, and I actually think you’re not supposed to. And I sure wouldn’t skinny dip here – might scare someone! But it’s good and hot right now, and swimming sure felt good!

We headed to another lock where we’d have access to shore power for the next night. This makes it easier to run the air conditioning pretty much all the time, and saves the Gennie. The location doesn’t have a whole lot else to offer, just rural beauty and quiet, but Roy had fun fishing while I worked on my journal, and we were just a short run from Kingston, where we’d be heading the next day.

The run to Kingston was through very narrow channels in shallow lakes, with man-made cuts in between. There are apparently lots of snags in the water to watch out for, so we were on full alert while transiting this tricky water. We stopped enroute to get fuel, which we were much in need of, and paid over $4.00 a gallon!! Oh, well, as I often say, the cost of the adventure…

The docking experience here at the marina was interesting – lots of wind, fairly short finger piers on the dock to tie to, and some dock hands with not enough experience. Not a particularly good combination. We made it in without hurting ourselves or others, but not without some angst. A welcome sight was Ahzmyrah on the dock near us! We’d last seen them in Smith’s Falls, and it’s always nice to hook up again. Going out for pizza with them tonight!

Kingston promises to be a great stop – there’s tons of history and lots of things going on in this town! We’ll be here for two full days before we have to move on – yippee!!