Sam’s time with us through the first section of the Trent-Severn Waterway was great fun and memorable for all of us. His impression of Canada was that it was not much different than the U.S., especially in reference to two of his special interests, automobiles and restaurants. But, he specifically appreciated the cool weather which was a relief from Charleston temperatures! We had met a wonderful Canadian couple that was kind enough to offer their car for taking Sam to Toronto to catch his flight home. It blew us away that someone who we had only known for a few days would allow us to use their car to take a four hour trip to the airport and back. We were thankful to meet such kind people, but felt the anxiety of driving a borrowed car through the crazy Toronto traffic. As we said goodbye to Sam, our friends Boogie and Jo Tudor were flying in to spend 9 days with us for the remainder of our cruise down the Trent-Severn and into the Georgian Bay.
We have traveled extensively with Boogie and Jo in the past and most of our trips have involved sailing, so adapting to our new crew was a pleasure. They are very experienced boaters, so turning the wheel over to Boogie was easy and relaxing, especially as we entered shallower waters with unforgiving rocky bottoms. Jo is comfortable and efficient in the galley as she is on deck. As we continued our northwest passage toward the Georgian Bay, the water became clearer and the shorelines became more beautiful with lush foliage, rocky ledges and quaint cottages. The weather was perfect, with 75 degree highs, crystal clear skies and very low humidity. The locks were an adventure in themselves, with their pristine landscaping and creative engineering. The culmination of our locking experience was our passage through the Big Chute, which is a mechanism that lifts your boat onto a giant railway platform and carries it across a highway and big hill to the other side, where it transfers the boat back into the water. During the 20 minute transfer time, you are required to stay on your boat for the craziest ride of your boating life!