Camping on water in the Trent Severn Waterway

Trent Severn Waterway

For our post-Mother’s day/Victoria Day weekend get-away, we rented a houseboat to go around some of the lakes of the Kawarthas. We started off in Pigeon Lake and made our way up to Fenelon river via Sturgeon Lake.

After some instructions for handling the boat and a crash course in chart reading, we left the southern part of Pigeon Lake at past 10am. I would not recommend operating a watercraft if you have absolutely no experience with boats. While it was simple enough to steer the wheel (the boat goes where you turn the wheel), the wind direction and waves greatly affect where the vessel goes. Good thing Hubby was quite comfortable with boats as I would not have the courage to venture out into the waters. Driving the boat for the few minutes that Hubby had to go to the loo got me concerned that I was going to head straight onto one of the islands, the speedboats crossing or the many fishing boats anchored along the lake.

It took us 3 hours to get to Bobcaygeon where we docked for the night. I learned quite a few things as first mate. One of which was how to read the charts and look for buoys to figure out where we were. I also learned to tie the boat to the dock. It was not too late to teach this old dog new tricks! I had to jump off the boat into the dock and tie it securely. Scary for me at first but I managed to get a hang of it (I think :P).

 We went around town before settling down for the night. The boat could sleep six by converting the dinette and couch into double beds. There was also a bunk bed. The boat was running on batteries which were charged as we ran the boat. The fridge, stove and heater ran on propane. It was pretty much like a trailer, like camping on water.

Between the batteries and propane, the heat from the flameless heater was not sufficient to warm up the entire boat. Even if it was the first unofficial weekend of Summer, it was still pretty chilly. We ended up with jackets and blankets through the night. But during the day, the sun shone and the rain stayed away! 

 

Lock 32 Bobcaygeon

The next day was another adventure in boating. Navigating the lock connecting the lakes was pretty tricky and intimidating for newbies like us. We first had to get the boat to the blue line to signal to the operator that we wanted to lock through. We then waited for them to open the swing bridge and listen to their instructions before proceeding. Inside the lock, I had to again learn new skills in attaching the boat’s ropes to one of the black cables. As I hooked up our front, Hubby (aka El Capitan) hooked the back ropes. We then had to wait for the water levels to adjust before proceeding. Each lock through took about 20 minutes. Our supporters from the other boats showered us with encouragement—the first lock through was always the toughest, they said! Well, they didn’t see the second!

  We went through Sturgeon Lake up to Fenelon river. The lake was just beautiful and the cottages lakeside got us dreaming of winning the lottery! Islands, some with cottages, dotted the lake. We also saw some floating Osprey nests. It was very relaxing! 

Osprey nests at Sturgeon lake

 Another 3 hours from Bobcaygeon took us to Fenelon falls where we docked for the night. As it was the beginning of the fishing season, there were many folks fishing on the shore by the falls. We disembarked to explore the area but we no longer went to the museum (supposedly one of the main attractions of the area). We had to set aside some time for Hubby to take the girls fishing for perch. 

Fenelon Falls

Lock at Fenelon Falls

We stayed at an inn this night to get a hot shower and some well-heated sleeping quarters. The water on the boat was just freezing and the engine had to be running for quite a while to get some hot water.

 

The next day, we headed back to Bobcaygeon. We dropped anchor somewhere in the middle of the lake and the girls did more fishing. I also tried a bit of trolling. The girls were ecstatic over their catch! They caught fish after fish! I hope this does not set such a high bar for the next fishing expedition! We did release most of the fish and only kept those we were going to have for lunch. Hubby was not only captain and head fisherman, he was also the fish-cleaner! I wasn’t totally useless, you know. I did grill the fish in the propane grill on the boat and charted our path at the same time! Ha!

 When we got back to Bobcaygeon, we had to lock through again to get back to Pigeon Lake. Locking through with half the town’s locals and tourists gawking was quite an embarrassing experience. Instructions from the lock master rang loud over the PA system, clearly highlighting our lack of experience. But folks were so nice and encouraging that we did not feel so bad! We do need to practice for the next time!

Am sure a video of us is floating out in YouTube somewhere. With a strong tailwind, Hubby struggled to get the boat close to the dock. We got some awesome help from the lock master and a nice gentleman walking on the docks who tied our boat as I couldn’t get off. The other boaters were so friendly and gave out tips as best they could. We finally managed to lock through after several attempts.

Since it was a long weekend, the dock parking was full. We ended up having to moor overnight at Gordon’s marina. They charged just under $2 per foot for the length of the boat. Not bad at all since they also have fuel, showers and filling/pump out stations. We hooked up the electricity and managed to charge some of our gadgets. The electricity also boosted the heater and we slept comfortably in the boat. 

 The next day, we headed back to return our boat. This time, Hubby masterfully docked back at the marina--a weekend of experience did help!

 The girls have declared this as one of their most memorable vacations. It was not only memorable for me and Hubby but a learning experience as well. I learned everything I needed to know about boating and charting this one weekend. This will not be the last of our journeys for sure, now that the girls are totally hooked on fishing and boating. Anchors Aweigh (or Away, whatever suits your fancy)!