Roller Coaster Ride...the Big Chute

Finally on to the Big Chute.  Back in 1904 it was an engineering marvel and it's still doing what it's supposed to do.  It has two sets of parallel rails ,one for the front tracks and one for the rear set of tracks.  The front racks are about a foot wider than the back and the two rail systems vary in elevation in order to keep the whole thing level as the platform travels up, over and down the other side.  Pretty cool!

The stern is hanging waaay out but apparently the lockmasters know what they are doing. Imagine that. 

 

Once down the chute Dave had to navigate through a maze of red and green markers.  It was like threading a needle with the boat.  There was a swift current and actual rapids on the other side of us!

Jeeze!

 



Onto the 45th and FINAL lock. Yaaay!

 

We had to wait for awhile and it was the deepest lock of all.  Once thru, the gates opened and we were in Georgian Bay!

 

Then, it seemed to me that all hell broke loose.  The markers were very close to each other and winding around huge outcroppings and tight, tight little channels.  You wanted to look at the wonderful landscape but did not dare take your eyes away from looking for the next marker.  There is no forgiveness in Georgian Bay.  So many people have told us that and now we see why.  No room for error or you are on the rocks!  The Trent-Severn was a piece of cake compared to this.  It is gorgeous, totally gorgeous.  Beautiful cottages and humble little family get aways.

 

We were looking for a marina called South Bay Cove that someone had recommended.  To get there we had to pass through Honey Harbour; one of the busiest channels in GB, especially on a beautiful July day. 

 

We found it and were pleasantly surprised.  It was one of the nicest marinas we have been to yet.  Even nicer than Hilton Head!  They drove us around in golf carts, brought us a newspaper, had coffee and cookies in the clubhouse in the morning and, more importantly, had a cute ship's store. 

Again, CANADIANS have their act together for boaters!!!

 

I forgot to mention what happened to us in Fenlon Falls that really touched us.  We were tied up to a wall near the roadway.  This cute little old (80ish) couple pulled up and started talking to us about the boat.  This is becoming very common, it is a different looking boat for sure.  They left and a little while later they came back and gave us their Power Squadron Training Manual from 1961! They thought we might need it!  How cute is that?  Inside the book was a nice old map of the Trent Severn Waterway that I plan on framing when we get home.  We failed to get their names so I can't even send them a thank you note.

 

Back in Lost Channel  there was a boat anchored next to us.  Another little old man came over in his dinghy and proceeded to show us some wonderful-not-to miss places in GB.  In fact, he was the one who told us about South Bay Cove Marina.  We never got his name either (bad habit!) but Jim started calling him Ernest T. Beggs from the old Andy of Mayberry show because he did look like him.

 

Boaters are a very helpful bunch of people.  In most cases they will go out of their way to help a fellow boater or recommend places to go.  Precious info in Georgian Bay because it is so vast and a little intimidating.