Lock & Load

This past Friday was the last night of our big 2007 waterway trip, and we got to experience spending the night at a lock station for the first time. Sounds like fun, eh?

Up to this time, we had always 'overnighted' in marinas. The advantage to the marina choice is that we get access to shore power (electrical hook up), drinking water and showers in the washrooms. Also, most are located within walking or biking distance of shopping or attractions.

At the majority of the locks along the Trent Severn Waterway, hydro and water are unavailable and showers are non existent. So, I guess for most people, this would be a short term choice unless it wasn't too sweaty out or if you had a generator and things of that nature. The upside of our stay at Lock #39 ('Portage') was that we were the only ones on the top of the lock and it was a beautiful night. And given the fact that we'd be home the following day (sigh), the lack of a shower for one night wasn't a big deal.

It had been quite windy all day, but calmed right down to nothing just after we ate our supper (BBQ hot dogs - hey, it was simple), as the photos attest. I took a number of shots of the area and it was great to capture the trees reflecting off the water. Check the video clip - it offers a panoramic view of the surroundings. Sorry for the colour being out a bit, but I was using my digital still camera for that clip and the lighting wasn't 100% for it . . .


The really big 'WOW' was after dark. About 10:30 I went outside and was blown away by the amount & clarity of the stars in the sky! Given that we are surrounded by so much light pollution in our modern world, it was a huge treat to see the night sky as it's supposed to look. I actually sat back on the concrete break wall to take it all in, and then opened the forward hatch on the boat to stare at the stars from our berth. Truly wonderful - and one more inspiration to take the cruising lifestyle to the next level.