It was a BIG week…in every sense of the word. With plans to reach Midland by July 16 (due to a flight out of Toronto), we knew we needed to make progress each day along the Trent-Severn. After completing 19 locks our first weekend, we were left with 24 more to complete. Since we completed 19 locks in just three days, it sounds easy enough, right? Well, those 19 locks were spread out over 75 miles. The remaining 24 locks? 130 miles WITH a work schedule to navigate.

We ended the weekend in Peterborough just before the famous Peterborough Lift Lock. Monday afternoon after work, we lifted anchor and made our way to the thrilling ride. The Peterborough Lift Lock is a large concrete structure along the Trent-Severn Waterway designed to lift boats 65 feet. The lock operates on a balance system, whereby water is let into the upper chamber, a connecting valve is opened and the heavier chamber automatically descends, forcing up the lower chamber to start a new cycle. Considering how slow every other lock has been, we were shocked at how fast we went up 65 feet…it only took 90 seconds! 

That night we stayed on the lock wall in Douro — a beautiful, secluded area. We enjoyed a peaceful night and Evan finally got some fishing in! We’d been told time and time again that it’d only get more beautiful the farther we went which we found hard to believe. However, the next night we dropped anchor near Burleigh Falls and were proven wrong very quickly. 

Burleigh Falls may have been my favorite spot along the Trent-Severn. Our anchorage was secluded and the breathtaking Burleigh Falls waterfall was a short dinghy ride away. We let Ripley off the leash and had a great time as a family climbing all the rocks and dipping our toes in the water. We even jumped off the boat that night and got some swimming in…a welcome refresher after some hot days!

Wednesday night took us to Buckhorn where we had a bonfire right next to our boats along the lock wall. On Thursday we moved to Bobcaygeon, one of the larger towns along the route, and not a single minute was wasted there! We purchased butter tarts from the local bakery, enjoyed a flight at Old Dog Brewery, finally ate some pickerel at Just for the Halibut, and ended the night at 72 Bolton Sports Bar. Some locals that follow us on YouTube even joined us for a drink!

Friday rolled around yet again and our only goal was to get as far as possible. We made a three hour stop in Fenelon Falls to take a few work calls and grab a coffee at the local shop, then made our way into the Trent Canal, a very, very narrow passage that had us holding our breath. With no towns along the Trent Canal, or “The Ditch” as the locals call it, we crossed Lake Simcoe on Saturday and stopped for the evening in Orillia. 

Finally, come Sunday, our big goal was to get across the Big Chute Railway. Aside from getting your photo in front of the Statue of Liberty, the Big Chute is another one of those “rite of passage” items on the Great Loop. The Big Chute Marine Railway, located at Lock 44, is the only marine railway of its kind in North America. The extremely skilled staff scramble up and down ladders to operate the slings and carriage that lift boats nearly 60 feet over a ridge between the Severn River and Gloucester Pool, then slip them gently back into the water on the other side. It was totally nerve wracking and exhilarating at the same time.

This week we have one more lock to get through on the Trent-Severn, then we’re officially in the Georgian Bay! We have been eagerly awaiting this section of the loop since the day we set off, and it’s finally here. Cheers to continuing the adventure!