Calling All Ontario Members

[Grandad]

I'm still hoping to get out to Beausoleil Island but I need to get the breaks working on the trailer if I'm going to bypass Lake Simcoe. Which I need to do if I want the wife to go with me.

Hi Wrench. If you've never experienced Big Chute marine railway, I suggest that you trailer into the adjacent "Big Chute Marina". It's a privately owned place above the railway that has a decent launch ramp and adequate parking for your car and trailer. The railway car will transport your boat, with your crew onboard, down to one flight lock above Georgian Bay where the Trent Canal system enters the bay just south of Beausoleil Isl. There are strong currents in a narrow channel below the railway and you'll need to religiously follow a good chart as you enter Georgian Bay. Here's a pic from the stern of our boat while on the rail car one time as we rode back up to higher water. It's a fun experience. - Grandad

 

[wrench 3]

I went out as far as Waubaushene in the '70s but haven't been past Swift Rapids since then. They were still using the old railway at Big Chute at that time. It was basically just a wooden flatcar so I'd really like to try out the new carriage.
I was thinking of dropping it in at Starport Marina in McPhee Bay. That should be close enough to the Atherley Narrows to keep the wife happy and it's not too bad a drive from here.

 

[Grandad]

I went out as far as Waubaushene in the '70s but haven't been past Swift Rapids since then. They were still using the old railway at Big Chute at that time. It was basically just a wooden flatcar so I'd really like to try out the new carriage.

We might have passed ... ships in the night? Here's a pic of our 17' Winner Eliminator in about 1973 on the old flat car on a trip from Peterborough to Beausoleil. I'm the guy leaning on the far side with Donald Trump's hair. Alas, he has it now. I still have the beard, but it's all gray now. - Grandad

 

[wrench 3]

We might have passed ... ships in the night? Here's a pic of our 17' Winner Eliminator in about 1973 on the old flat car on a trip from Peterborough to Beausoleil. I'm the guy leaning on the far side with Donald Trump's hair. Alas, he has it now. I still have the beard, but it's all gray now. - Grandad

It's been a long time since I saw a picture of that old car. In those days I was running one of those small plywood cruisers with an outboard on the back. If we did meet you might have remembered my crew. I got a lot of comments about taking along my girlfriend and my ex girlfriend.
I didn't wined up marrying either one of them but still found a good one. Thirty seven years this month.

 

[Grandad]

It's been a long time since I saw a picture of that old car. In those days I was running one of those small plywood cruisers with an outboard on the back. If we did meet you might have remembered my crew. I got a lot of comments about taking along my girlfriend and my ex girlfriend.
I didn't wined up marrying either one of them but still found a good one. Thirty seven years this month.

Hey, 35 years for us in a couple of weeks. Here's another shot you might like. - Grandad

 

[wrench 3]

Thanks for the picture. It reminded me about the Lady Evelyn. She was a Cris Craft displacement hull with side entrance cabin. A lot of mahogany and varnish.
I'm wondering if you ever ran into her. She was a bit of an icon on this part of the system around that time. I also remember spending a night at Swift Rapids with them.
I don't remember the footage but she was running twin inline Detroit diesels.

 

[Grandad]

I don't recall the Lady Evelyn. It's too bad that taking pictures back then was so expensive and not near as convenient as using today's cell phone to get superior picture quality. We'd have a lot more of that history preserved. During that era, I used slide film, taking pictures with a camera that didn't give an amateur like me any idea what the results would be and paying $1 each for them to be developed in a week's time. A couple of years ago, I made myself a slide copier to transfer from Kodak carousels into digital files in the computer. It took days to complete but certainly worthwhile to be able to look back now so easily. - Grandad

 

[cdnNick]

We spent today cruising around Big Rideau lake, 1st outing of the season. A few hiccups launching the boat (only our 2nd time) but retrieval went and it was a beautiful day on the water.

 

[cdnNick]

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Made it out to White Lake on Saturday, it was hot as hell but a beautiful day. I've never been on this lake before, it was a nice lake mostly smaller boats and pontoons since it's not a big lake.

 

[cdnNick]

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We spent the weekend camping at Bon Echo Provincial park. Very nice place, deep and cold water though.

 

[Grandad]

Thanks Nick for the great pictures. Looks like a place I'd like to visit. - Grandad

 

[cdnNick]

It was a very nice place to visit, the campground books up early so it can be a challenge to get a good site as our friends found out on the weekend. They weren't very impressed with their swampy site.

 

[canuckmark]

Thanks for posting those photos wrench and grandad. It's amazing to see the boats just sitting there on the flatcar!

 

[wrench 3]

Well I made it out to Port Severn by water. I took the grandsons and left the wife at home. It's not as bad as it sounds. She's saving her holidays for a trip to the east coast.
The Simcoe crossing was OK going down and excellent coming back.
It was interesting to see the old rail carriage still sitting on its original tracks. I'm attaching pictures of the new system and one of the lower gates at Swift Rapids
. I decided to add one from the top of the Kirkfield lift lock as well.

I'm not sure what happened with the pictures. They were all supposed to be the same size as the first one, but it makes the lock gates look more impressive.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

only your railway pic is showing up, wrench. the other 3 show as broken links.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

We tried out the cabin they rent at lock 35 Rosedale the other day. On Sunday I looked at it online and the 3 yurts and cabin were all vacant, so I booked it for Mon. We went up from Scugog and they were surprised we were arriving by boat ( I guess most people renting these are car campers)









It was pretty good and quite private they way they situated it. I hope they continue and make more of these and the otentiks (yurts). I think it would be cool for people to be able to travel the system in a bowrider or other small boat..
The bunkie had 5 beds so perfect for a family. There's a propane bbq in your own cook shelter. You get your own dock but it's small as you can see.
They also added a shower at the main lock stn house which worked well. (it's a rental portable thing, but they say there's permanent ones coming). I think the sode they give you to use it is only aval to yurt/cabin renters not sure.

 

[wrench 3]

Trying again with the pictures. I might as well go with all four.

 

[wrench 3]

We tried out the cabin they rent at lock 35 Rosedale the other day. On Sunday I looked at it online and the 3 yurts and cabin were all vacant, so I booked it for Mon. We went up from Scugog and they were surprised we were arriving by boat ( I guess most people renting these are car campers)

I noticed the cabin when we went through there on the weekend before last. (almost got blown into the dock a couple of times when we were hovering below the lock in the wind on the Saturday) I was wondering if it was operated by the canal system.

 

[Grandad]

Re: Otentiks by Howard Sterndrive. Thanks Howard. I'd not heard about this new accommodation. It sounds just great for us small boaters. I'd love to try it. - Grandad

 

[cdnNick]

We are going camping for 3 days in the 1000 Islands this weekend. I'll be sure to share some photos next week.