We made it to Brockville with Flying Colours

Interior of the B&O Railroad Tunnel in Brockville

Our cruise today was smooth sailing and our plans were to top up our fuel tanks and get a pump out of our two holding tanks (One tank for Cynthia and one tank for the other three crew) so a stop at Myers Marina in Bellville did the trick. It took longer than expected and certainly was no Nascar pit stop. Being delayed a couple days on our cruise we had to find a way to make up lost time so we decided that tomorrow we would run as far north on the St. Lawrence River as we could. Little did we know that we would have perfect weather, little wind, flat water and sunny skies. Conditions could not have been better.

When we left Belleville we decided to stop in Gananoque for a short break. Along the way we passed Kingston and had a birds eye view of the city from the water. When we return down the Rideau we plan to spend a day in Kingston searching for Adventure.

Earlier in the day we made a reservation for 9:30 am on Friday to pass through the large Seaway lock at Iroquois and we need to arrive 30 minutes early so it made sense to get as close to this lock as possible so we stopped in Brockville. We spent 8 hours on the water today but the views were excellent.

Our route took us up the inside channel and we saw so many nice homes / cottages along the way. They ranged from large multi level homes with very nice boathouses to cute small places plopped onto islands that were not much larger than the home. One home appeared to be bigger than the island. We weaved in and out of the islands and were careful to stay in the channel as there is rock everywhere. At one point we passed the Singer Castle which is in the US but we were unable to get close. There were large islands, small islands and some that were "officially" an island. To count as one of the Thousand Islands, emergent land within the river channel must have at least one square foot of land above water level year-round, and support at least two living trees. We saw lots that qualified.

The route to Brockville was interesting and we found a couple Sea Doo's that enjoyed the wake from our boat.

When we landed in Brockville we had no expectations regarding the town. The waterfront is complete with hotels, marinas, tall boat tour boats and lots of bars and pubs within 1 block of the town dock. We had dinner on the boat and decided to go for a walk to the Brockville Railway Tunnel, located less than 10 minutes from our boat. It was Canada's first railway tunnel and built in 1953. The town of Brockville chartered its own railway company with a vision to tie the St. Lawrence River to the Ottawa River for the lucrative timber trade. The tunnel, built by B & O, connected the railway directly to a waterfront station within the town's borders.

Here are some tunnel facts:

1. Built between 1854 &1960 it is 1/2 KM long and 14.5 ft wide &14.5 ft high

2. The average temperature year round is 13 C

3. The tunnel runs directly underneath the present City Hall and is open for tourists

4. There is an LED lighting and sound system inside to enhance the visitations

5. It is worth the visit

The original B&O Railway Tunnel under the town of Brockville

Photos of the interior of the Tunnel

We had an awesome day and are looking forward to more exciting days ahead. All day on the boat was fun but at land we enjoyed Brockville. The downtown has the only Town Square in Southern Ontario and it was complete with historical monuments and nameplates to describe the historical importance. During our ride along the river we also passed a statue of Christopher Columbus and we could feel the presence of the early adventurers from centuries ago.

Our trip continues northbound with only the large seaway locks to get through before getting to Montreal. This will be another experience for all crew onboard.

I leave you tonight with an image of the moon rising over the St. Lawrence River as viewed from OUT TO SEE. And Oh Yeah..... the Habs just won the hockey game. Go Montreal !

The Hallman Experience Day 10 - It was all Good !

You will hear more from us as we float On The Water