Great Loop Cruise Video

We've gone back and forth on that decision for the past year, and especially for the last couple of months. As beautiful as the Trent-Severn looks to be, the boss got more than his fill of traveling with one eye on the depth finder down in South Carolina where we continually had to cruise at low tide with inches under our keel. We draw 4'10". The controlling depth of the T.S. is 6', and where S.C. at least has a sand bottom, the bottom on the T.S. is rock. As for beauty it'd be hard to top the Erie, and we've had plenty of locking through experience there. Then there's the fact that we'd be hard pressed to find help on the T.S. for a big old Hatteras (60' & 74,000 lbs.) if the need arose. With that, and that one nasty little shoot I'd have to be on the helm for most of the T.S., and the boss likes to drive. So we decided it'd be more challenge than fun. We've also had enough adventures wondering if our bridge would be sheared off on low bridges to last us until Chicago. The Welland offers it's own unique experiences, and the Lakes will give us the opportunity to put on the auto-pilot and enjoy summer cruising.

We still intend to cruise Georgian Bay and the North Chanel, but we'll enter from Lake Huron.

Doing the the Great Loop isn't about time. I met a guy the other night who's doing the Loop. He got as far as Brewerton and has been there these past 3 years. But he still considers himself doing the Loop. We're probably going to bang around Lake Ontario a bit before heading into the Welland, maybe this whole next leg. The plan can change day to day. Our only real plan is to make Chicago by Labor Day, but if we don't that's not the end of the world either. Remember, we actually started heading for Canada Memorial Day weekend 2013. Boat issues put us back in the yard, then a motorcycle accident laid me up all summer. Since we missed the season for heading north, we instead headed south in September, gave Valhalla a righteous shake down cruise and began the Loop in Charleston. It's all about being flexible.

As for adding time by going down the Lakes, it's probably faster. Certainly if I were transporting a boat to Chicago I wouldn't think of going by way of the Trent-Severn.

Little Falls 40' Lock

Minimum listed overhead clearances gave us 18" in many locations, but actual clearances were generally 3' or more over our 18'6" height. Close enough to keep your attention, especially with our overhanging brow and our high point being 2/3 the way back on our bridge and not visible from the lower helm. Beam clearances were about 10'-12' over our 18'2" beam. Also close enough to keep your attention. So lots of breaths held. The real challenges came with cross currents at entrances and exits caused by the spillways, and there was a lot of construction going on at locks. Two locks had barges at the entrance that made it appear as you approached that there was no opening or one barely wider than the boat, where you had to do a 90* right (putting you broadside to the spillway current) as you cut in behind the barge and then a 90* left to enter the lock. There was talk on blogs of boats who got swept into the lock abutments, but I found them more scary looking than they actually were. Oddly, the only place I almost got caught off guard was at lock #3. It's a fairly easy looking lock, but I got hit by a cross-current that didn't show on the surface just as I was about to put my nose into the lock. Instant blood pressure spike. And we all know that when things are getting tight, that's the exact moment your cell phone always rings to distract you.

BTW, along this leg we spotted several eagles and (2) beavers, along with tons of baby geese and ducks. 'Tis the season. Next leg should bring out the bikinis. Ah the wildlife. Narure is wonderful.

Very cool Ken. Looks like 8 locks in succession. Must get interesting when boats are coming from both directions. Do you know what the total drop / lift is?
Coming east through those locks leading to Waterford looks like you're about to cruise off the side of the mountain. (We did that a few years back.) Incredible view.

Holy C---, the groupies are following me on shore. Sure glad that was my wife.
After returning home she had very serious back surgery. We're staying home while she recovers a bit, and hope to be back underway about 7/8.

We just had her waxed from the waterline to the masthead. 'Tis the season.