Day #3: Last Minute Preparations in Belleville, Ontario

Nellie is ready to go cruising so today was about getting some creature comforts aboard for the crew. First up, propane.



Nellie carries two 20 pound propane tanks. The gas is used for cooking. One tank is always in use while the other is a spare. In the old days you bought propane by the gallon. Today, instead of trudging to a propane distributor, most people simply swap out their empty tank for a full one at almost any convince store. Of course that convience has a big cost. Knowing I'd save a fortune and also wanting to know how much, we first stopped at a convience store. They wanted $19 for a tank swap. Ha! That's $4 over the price of the gas alone. A 21% markup. Highway robbery. So, we drove, and drove to find a propane distributor. We finally spotted one and pulled in. I handed them my tank. They filled it up. They charged me $19...



By volume today's largest addition to the larder was beer. No complaints were heard from Nellie's crew.

No miles today and 10 for 2018. Safely at the dock in Crates Marine, Belleville, Ontario. DBH

Day #2: Sea Trials in Belleville, Ontario

Getting away from the dock is always the hardest part of any cruise; this cruise is proving no exception.  Bad weather and some minor repairs are currently slowing us down.  No worries though, we will reach escape velocity.

We got out on the water twice today.  Our first run was cut short because of a malfunctioning engine temperature gauge--the very same gauge that haunted us last year and the one I thought I'd fixed.  Apparently not.  

The temperature reading should be a lot less than 203°F.  Shooting the engine with an infrared thermometer alleviated our fears.

The second time out we put Nellie through her paces and she performed like the thoroughbred she is.  Bottom line, the engine is running beautifully and the temperature gauge is squirrely.  The gauge isn't a no-go item as there are two independent alarms that will sound in an over heating situation.  

The plan is to provision Nellie tomorrow, pay the yard bill, and get underway on Saturday.  

The sea trial took us 10 miles; mostly in circles.  Still, Nellie gets credit for it.  Safely at the dock in Crates Marine, Belleville, Ontario.  DBH

Day #1: Belleville, Ontario

Today Nellie splashed!  We've been in Belleville working on her since a week ago Monday.  Living on the hard is, well, hard: no running water; no toilet and; you have to scale a ladder to get on and off.

There are lots of wild animals up here in the high latitudes.  I feared for my life when this wolf grabbed my foot.

Getting a boat ready to splash involves myraid activities.  However, one job not normally associated with splashing is rebuilding the rudder, its post, its bearings and, its packing gland.  Certainly this job wasn't on our agenda two days ago when we were initially scheduled to splash.  What changed this was a prelaunch rudder operations check.  Instead of gliding smoothly from side-to-side, the rudder squealed and complained.  Bicki and I looked at each other with knowing glances.  We were both thinking, "We'd rather be on the beach wishing we were cruising, than out cruising and wishing we were on the beach."

We'd never rebuilt the steering system before but figured a good place to start was by removing the rudder.  This was followed by a whole bunch of steps and culminated with the rudder reinstallation.  After splashing today it was a relief that no water leaked aboard via the rudder post and that Nellie's steering worked--at least for the 300 yards to get to the slip. 

Nellie's finally afloat in 2018; and, with running water and a flushing toilet.  Can life get any better ;-)  No miles today but 6,438 miles since leaving Naples, Florida in 2016.  DBH

Day #66: Belleville, Ontario -- 2017Journey's End

The Engine's Water Strainer is Doing its Job

Trenton Memorial Park

This Mural is Made with the Faces of Belleville Residents

Yes, I'm a Sucker for the Wildflowers

Bicki's Solution to the 50 Pound Problem

The good news was we found antifreeze (to winterize Nellie's potable and raw water systems) on sale.   The bad news: the store was a mile from Nellie; 6 gallons of antifreeze weighs 50 pounds; and, we were hoofing it.  Bicki, ever creative, stuck out her thumb.  No one stopped.  Undeterred, she showed a little leg.  No one stopped.  I heard her muttering, "This always worked when I was 21."  A smart husband knows when to stay silent.  We walked.

Trenton to Belleville

In today's 12 mile run we didn't go through a single lock ;-)  Tonight Nellie's at Create Marine in Belleville, Ontario.  I hope she likes this place as it may be her home for the Winter.  This summer's journey was 2068 miles.  Since starting the Loop in 2015 Nellie has gone 6438 miles.  Until May 2018,  DBH.

Day #65: Trenton, Ontario

Fog Burning Off in the Blue Hole

An Air Fisherman Sets the Net

Bicki Receives A Gift

The lock masters are, in a word, congenial.  They're also a wonderful source of information.  Lock 7's master is Kevin.  He told us that in the 1800's there was a small village around Lock 7.  He pointed out where the blacksmith's shop was.  "We still find square nails there", he said.  Then after, a short  pause and a quizzical glance, he asked, "Would you like one?"  Absolutely!

Time to Enjoy the Scenery While Waiting at the Locks

A Band-Aid on Lock 3's Hernia

Major repairs on the Trent-Severn are done during the winter.  Lock 3 is limping along with a rotted section in one of its doors.  Based on the complexity of the temporary repair, which is an impressive mesh of steel and wood, a permanent repair must be both  expensive and time consuming.  Lock 7 is getting a $12M overhaul this winter.  It was built in the mid 1800s and has stood the test of time amazingly well.

Lock 1--Almost Done

Out of Lock 1, Wahoo

Trent-Severn Buoy 1--Nellie Survived the 240 Mile and 1200+ Channel Marker Gauntlet

Nellie's Route Along the Trent-Severn Waterway

Today's 7 locks and 22 miles brought us to the end of the 240 mile long Trent-Severn Waterway.  There were over 1200 channel markers along the route and we managed to pass them all on the correct side.  There was one green that we approached on the wrong side but noticed and quickly corrected the error before fate threw a penalty flag--red, left port!  Tonight we're safely tied to a dock in Trenton.  DBH

Day #64: Blue Hole

The Value of a Long, Rigid Boathook

We bought this 8' long wood pole (pictured above) in a hardware store in Juneau, Alaska.  To it we attached a brass boathook fitting.  In Alaska we used the boathook to push iceberg bits out of our way.  It's still used almost daily: to attach the bridle to the rode; and to help push Nellie's stern away when departing a mooring.   In the Trent-Severn it is also earning it's keep by clearing grass off the rode while weighing anchor.

Back-To-Back Locks 16 & 17 Bring Nellie Down 54'

Fall Colored Flowers

Lock Master's Flowers

Ontario's Freshwater Version of a Georgia Salt Marsh

Today's fun facts: 19 miles under the keel; traversed 10 locks; and, underway for 8 hours.  The journey this year has now covered 2033 miles.  Tonight we're anchored 3 miles east of Lock 8 in what the chart calls the Blue Hole.  It's pretty (see the marsh picture above) and a good anchorage, but there's nothing blue about it ;-)  DBH

Day #63: Hardy Island

Red, Left Port Window-Mounted Post-It Reminders

The Nassau Mills Lock Master told us about a large boat that went hard aground immediately after leaving his Lock.  Unable to get the boat off by any other means, the Park Service raised the river's water level.  "It took three days to get the water high enough, but we did it", the Lock Master said.  Red, left port.  Red, left port.  As a memory aid there are now red (on port) and green (on starboard) Post-Its on the wheelhouse's center window.

Fall is In the Air

The sign on the dock said, 'Don't get too close.  We may be swimming naked.'  Look as we may we saw no one.  Oh well, it is 62°F out and the water is only one degree warmer than that.

On the Blue Line in Hastings Lock 18

While crossing Rice Lake, named for the wild rice that once grew there, Nellie's 10' water depth alarm sounded.  Shortly thereafter our speed dropped percipitously while fuel consumption went up by 25%.   Hmm, we've seen this before--thy name is grass.  After stopping the boat and going hard in reverse, Bicki reported seeing clumps of weeds in our wake.  Sure enough, both speed and fuel consumption then went back to normal.

Self-Trending Lock Lines

All the Trent-Severn locks have plastic-coated, wire rope, mooring lines.  They're mounted vertically and spaced 8' apart along the lock's length.   One end of the mooring line is fastened to the top of the lock's wall while the other end is also fastened to the lock's wall but well underwater.  The mooring lines are used by boaters to keep their craft in place while locking.  We've found that a short loop around the mooring line, which is then made fast to a hawse cleat, frees our hands to do other things.

The Whole Trent-Severn to Date but Only Peterborough to Hardy Island Today

As expected, today's flat lands, and only one lock, allowed us to put some miles under the keel; 48 miles to be exact.  That puts this year's total at a nice round 1800 miles.  Tonight we're on a well set anchor in a pretty bay on the east side of Hardy Island.  DBH