Day 98 - Merrickville, ON
03 July 2015
Day 98 - Fri 3 Jul 2015
Docked - Merrickville, ON
[photo: typical of the park settings at most of the Rideau locks]
Last evening was very pleasant in all respects - quiet, perfect sleeping temperature, low humidity, calm, no worries about security. By 0530, it was pretty light, but since we were in a canyon of sorts, there was no direct sun for a while. With all the potatoes we got at the farmers market in Kingston, it seemed like a good idea to have some home fries and one egg each for breakfast.
I wanted to get started just a little early in case we had the same trouble with the anchor, so at 0700 we got going. Well, thankfully, the anchor came up with not much to clear off, so I proceeded slower than usual so as not to get to the first lock to much before the opening at 0900. It was a glorious morning to be on the water; we are so thankful to be able to experience this.
Other than some fisherman in their small boats and a number of loons, we did not see too much activity for the first few hours. After the first lock, however, we started to see many more boats on the water and many more people at the locks. Many of the lock stations have nice park areas for people to visit for free, and obviously a lot of people do just that. Our hailing port of FL gets a lot of attention and most people, including boaters, are amazed that we came all this way by boat. When we tell them where we are headed from here, they are even more amazed.
We locked-down through 7 more locks today and had a nice time with each one. The conversations were frequent with other boaters in the locks, boaters staying overnight at the locks, or the lock staff themselves, but they were all interesting, friendly, and just added to the charm of this part of the adventure. Unlike the Erie Canal where the locks were obstacles to get beyond, these were to some degree a big part of the ambience.
It was just after 1300 when we got to Merrickville and entered the separate pond where the overnight docking was located. As the previous lockmaster had forewarned, dock space was at a premium. There was only one spot near the main dock and it looked extremely crowded and uninviting over there, so I took a spot on the concrete wall next to the road. There is no power or water here, but we really don't need either. Diane was not happy that we still had to pay an overnight mooring fee even though we would not have access to water and were much farther from any amenities. I offered to pull off and find another spot, but we decided to stay.
Despite the not so great location we have next to the main road, the downtown itself is quite lovely. We walked slowly for quite a few blocks up the main drag and stopped in numerous shops along the way, picking up a few gift items. On the way back, the local grocery had some items we needed, so that was convenient. The next stop was McClean's Pub where we each had ale, and I had an order of poutine to serve as a late lunch. This version was probably more typical of the Canadian style than I had in Sackets Harbor, NY, and it was quite tasty but should have been served a little hotter.
We deposited our purchases aboard Diva Di and then walked in the opposite direction for a while. After exhausting what we thought there was to see, we got back aboard for reading and relaxation. We each had a short nap and then a few bites for supper. I went to the flybridge to read until dusk at 2030 and a surprising number of people walking along the nearby sidewalk stopped to chat about the boat and our homeport.
We have been taking this latest section one day at a time, and now we see that there do not appear to be any lakes and lovely anchorages before reaching Ottawa. We could make Ottawa in one long day, but there is no need, and we suspect it will be best to arrive on a Sun afternoon when the weekenders have left for home. So, we will find some place along the way to stop and hope for the best.
I may have already mentioned this, but locals have told us that the entire construction industry is legislated to take the last 2 weeks in Jul off for vacation. That means all of them who have boats will be crowding the waterways during that time. We expect to be in Montreal by then, but that is perhaps the heart of the Quebec province, so it should be interesting.