So I've completed my trip up and back on the Rideau canal. I arrived back at Kingston Marina yesterday afternoon. Pumped the holding tank; refilled the water tanks; restocked the galley, and cleared the Lasalle Causeway bridge at 6AM this morning. Should be in Trent (Trent Severn Waterway) this evening.
So here are some takeaways from my 11day cruise:
If you're looking for a large concrete city, lacking green spaces, riddled with crime and filled with cold callus street urchins, this isn’t for you. If you enjoy a trip through very scenic lakes, canals and small cities with extremely friendly people, this is a wonderful trip.
Kingston and Ottawa are the 2 cities at either end of the canal. Also spent an evening wandering Smiths Falls and Merrickville. As the sun rises between 5 and 6AM and it's light out till 9PM, there's lots of time to wander before and after locking hours.
Did I mention locking? There are 47 locks in the 125 miles of canals.
Some are singles. There are groups of 2 to 4. And then there is the flight of 8 in Ottawa.
I'd like to tell you I spent an hour and a half going down the flight to the Ottawa river, and then turned around and came back up. But I didn't.
The locks have docks above and below that you can overnight on for a fee. I bought the season pass for locking and docking which is an exceptionally good deal (IMO). Some of the docks have 30 amp electric ($8 to $10) and some locks have varying levels of bathroom and shower facilities.
The lock operators are very good and extremely helpful. A smile on your face and a nice greeting goes a long way! Understanding that most of the locks run on human power and sometimes there are delays. If you show up with a schedule in mind, you may be disappointed. Above all else; you're on vacation; try not to act like an impatient American. They see more than enough as it is.
Two points of caution:
A few of the locks when full, have less than 12" sides. I used a couple of
Polyform F4 fenders from my dinghy between the wall and my boat. They were tethered with a line from the railing to float on the water, but follow along as I moved to the next lock in the flight.
The other caution is to be aware of the bumper boats. Some of the people renting those boats couldn't create more havoc if they tried.
Ottawa is a wonderful city to visit!
The canal runs through the city with several docks to spend a few days on. Even found a 50 amp outlet!
Lots of green spaces, bicycle and walking paths, and an amazing restaurant district! Lots of older architecture and breathtaking views.
Some pics from my wanderings:
I think I was over served.
In conclusion, the cruise was wonderful and will probably do it again with some extra time for certain areas. Go early or late. I'm told late June through late August can be quite crowded with boaters. September is supposed to be amazing with the fall foliage.
Ted