Good day on the water - we made it to Lock 1

A perfect spot to take a break and enjoy the views

It has been 9 days since we left the Wye Heritage Marina in Midland and in total we have travelled over 384 Km's in the Trent Severn Waterway System and have passed through 45 locks. Swabbie and Cynthia are now weathered and experienced mariners.

This morning we left Campbellford at 9 am with the goal of getting to Belleville by dark and we are happy to report that we made it in one piece by 4 pm. With both props working we made good time and the Captain found it a lot easier to handle the boat, especially in the winds.

Overnight it became much more blustery (is that a real word) and getting in and out of the locks took some careful maneuvering.

Campbellford is an interesting town and offers boaters lots to do. The Bakery is to die for and most boaters that we met all stopped there for their treats. In the mornings there is a long lineup to get in.

From Donuts, to Cakes, Nainimo Bars and Butter Tarts - they all filled our taste buds. In the town there are many restaurants, a Canadian Tire across from the town docks, a grocery store close by, a Tim Horton's one block from the docks and many historical things to visit.

This morning at 6:30 am Cynthia went for a long walk to the Ranney Gorge which is just beside Lock # 11-12 and it is an interesting visit. The rock includes lots of slate laying on the gorge floor and with the water level being so low it was barely covered in water. A large Suspension Bridge crossed the gorge and Cynthia actually walked across it, but "treaded lightly."

The cruise from Campbellford to Trenton was a scenic tour of wide views and gentle river like waterways. On this part of the Trent the locks let water out and we were always going down in the locks. As a result we had a great view of the countryside from the top of the locks.

Can you tell which side of this picture is "Right Side Up" ?

We didn't have any unique Hallman Experiences today to report on, so we decided to post a series of pictures that we took on our way to Trenton. Click on an image and review them in full screen - Enjoy !

We are docked at the Crates Marina in Belleville for the night and are looking to leave the marina tomorrow morning and get back on the water. A pit stop for Diesel fuel and a pump out of our holding tanks is essential and we plan to do that by 8 am.

Because we are a few days behind in our schedule we have opted to have a long day tomorrow and try to make it to Crysler Park Marina which is just south of Cornwall and near the Upper Canada Village. If we can make it that far by dusk, we will have made up a lot of our lost time. We are hopeful that our arrival in Montreal will only be a day late. We are still focused on arriving in Ottawa for Canada Day.

Tomorrow is going to be a long haul .......... we'll be on the water at 8 am and hopefully arrive at the marina by 8 pm. The crew is up for the challenge.

The Hallman Experience Day 9: Watch out for the winds when docking.

1. Solution - Don't let the marina put you into a slip that you are not comfortable using and be sure you feel safe docking. Usually the dock hands are students with no experience - never trust them.

Tomorrow - the St. Lawrence River to Quebec