St. Peters Canal
03 August 2013
Thursday August 01,2013
Another relaxed start but we are off the dock by 11 and on our way to the Lennox Passage. It’s another beautiful day sailing for the most part in protected waters. We lock through St. Peters Canal, a National Historic Site of Canada
With a steadily increasing volume of shipping in this area, plans were made to replace the old portage road with a navigation channel. The first feasibility study was commissioned in 1825, and work on the canal began in 1854. A passage about 800 m (2600 feet) long was cut through the narrowest point of land. After 15 years of digging, blasting and drilling, an opening averaging 30 m (100 ft.) wide had been cut through a solid granite hill 20 m (66 ft.) high. This passage was shored up with timbers and planking. Locks were then installed and the canal finally became a reality in 1869. Additions and renovations, widening the channel and lengthening the locks, continued until 1917. In 1985, Parks Canada completed a major project to restore both the Bras d'Or Lake and the Atlantic Ocean entrances to the canal. All kinds of pleasure craft now use the canal during the summer: canoes, schooners and power cruisers. Only occasionally does a commercial vessel pass through these locks that once were so vital to communication and the economy of Cape Breton Island.
The St. Peter’s Marina is owned and Operated by the St. Peter’s & Area Lions Club. They are located in the small village of St. Peters at the entrance of the beautiful Bras d’Or Lakes.
We no sooner tie the boat up and we are off to a Seafood chowder dinner at the lion’s hall community center up the hill. Great food then spend the next two hours trying to coordinate a visit with Kristen. The end result is she is flying in to Sydney on Sunday, We have rented a car and will head in early, rent a room and explore Sydney while we wait for her plane to get in at 01:30 hours Monday morning. She will sail the lake with as we take her back to Sydney by boat in time for her to catch her return flight next Saturday. It’ll be a whirlwind visit but we all need a hug and a hit of family. Shannon, Allister and Owen arrive on Sunday August 11 so unfortunately will not cross paths with Kristen. We can’t wait to see them all and are looking forward to them sharing a bit of this adventure with us.
We end the day going by dingy to a jam session in a small bar down the bay. Another opportunity to pull the spoons out. Ya HOO!