Kingston to Trenton

 



They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

For those "geographically impaired" folks out there, here's your picture!

 

  

 

 

 

The approximate route we took from Oswego, New York to Kingston, Ontario (Canada).

 

 

 

  

 A look back at Kingston as we departed the marina on Friday.

If you've ever lived "way up north":  Remember how BLUE the sky is up there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Downtown Kingston and the Marine Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The First Mate excitedly places our Parks Canada stickers on the windshield.

These will allow us to traverse the canal systems in Canada and stay at their Park Services facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 As we head west, the shorelines are sparsely dotted with homes, but this is mostly rural, farming country.  You can easily "smell" the upcoming farms that have livestock!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 These lighted markers are unlike those we have in the U.S. but they serve the same purpose: to keep us out of shallow water.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the land of numerous islands and the only way to get back & forth to the mainland is by ferry.

  

 I'm thinking in the winter months they just drive across the ice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Some folks just don't deal well with ferries, so they come up with their own method of travel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 On our way to Trenton, we decided to stop at the town of Picton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Prince Edward Yacht Club, where they graciously found room for Spiritus to spend the night.

 

 

  

 

 

 

A small sailing yacht club, the PEYC is in the picturesque village of Picton.

(look closely & you'll see Spiritus in the back, left) 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Picton has street after street of wonderfully old stately homes . . . . . . .

 

 

. . . . . . . with tidy, green lawns . . . . . . .

 

 

. . . . . . . and colorful little flowerbeds . . . . . . .

 

 . . . . . . . and carefully trimmed trees and hedges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A gas grill & picnic table conveniently located beside Spiritus.  She could get used to this kind of treatment! 

 

 

 

 

 

When you say, "Supersize that ice cream cone, please", just be ready!

  

 

 

 

 

After a memorable stay in Picton, we say farewell to the Prince Edward Yacht Club.

 

 

 

 

 

On our way to Trenton, we pass a sailing regatta.

 Linda got all excited as she relived her days as the Wet Hen Skipper in Hawaii, throwing out the spinnaker for the downwind run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dockmaster is waiting to catch our lines at the Fraser Park Marina in Trenton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The marina is directly adjacent to this magnificent park.

 

The gazebo provides a great setting for "docktails" with our fellow Loopers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Born on Groundhog Day, Linda sneaks over to meet the namesake of her special day.

(Can you spot him on the right side of the picture?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not everyday that Spiritus gets tied up within 10 feet of an ice cream stand!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are in the prime position to launch our trip on the Trent-Severn Canal in the next few days!

 

 

Into Canada

The old lighthouse at the end of the Oswego Harbor jetty marked

the beginning of our journey across Lake Ontario.

 

 

 

 

 

Soon after starting our 42 mile crossing, we watched the sunrise come over the horizon off our starboard side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here we are, four hours into the middle of Lake Ontario, on a set course between Oswego and Kingston.

  We haven't even seen another boat for at least two hours. 

What would be the odds that we would be on a collision course with a freighter bearing down on us from the west?

 



 



In keeping with the "Law of Tonnage" . . . . . . . .

 

. . . . . . . Spiritus does a 180 degree turn to give way.

 

 

 

 

  



As we cross over the imaginary border line in Lake Superior,

our former cheerleader gives us a big "C" for Canada!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approaching Kingston, we admire a fleet of single-handed sailboats in the distance.

 

 

Next thing we know, we are in the middle of a race!

 

 

 

 WooHoo!!  The Captain cleared customs for Spiritus and the crew.
Spiritus is proud to claim "international cruising status" now!

 

Our stop at Confederation Basin in downtown Kingston is absolutely exquisite!
We even scored a live music concert soon after we arrived!

 

A stroll along the waterfront brought us to the Marine Museum.
This was Kingston's first drydock, making it a valuable port for both ship repair and ship building.

The City Hall is a magnificent landmark!  The grounds were bustling with activity including music and an outdoor movie.
 

 

 

 

Dining is a favorite pastime in Kingston, with many fine restaurants to choose from . . . . . .

. . . . . . and too many pubs & taverns to choose from as the Spiritus' crew samples Canadian beer!


 

And, YES, we managed to find the most delicious ice cream!
Aaahh ... Life is so good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Way to Oswego

We departed the Erie Canal and headed north on the Oswego Canal.

Lock 1, in Phoenix, New York was a delightful stop that we've encouraged other Loopers to put on their "must see" list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A truly unique, idyllic setting along the canal, unlike any other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lock 1 is home of the "Bridge House Brats", an enthusiastic group of volunteer Phoenix youth who take care of the little waterfront park and museum and offer a unique boater service. 

 

For tips, they will order and deliver meals from local restaurants or escort you to local stores and help carry provisions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying a dockside dinner in Phoenix with our friends from Oyster, Lucy & Woody.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another "one of a kind" lock.  See the red SUV going across the yellow bridge?

After lowering us and opening the lock gates, the lockmaster must also stop the road traffic . . . . . .

 

. . . . . . . and raise the road bridge so we can pass under it!

 

 

 

 

 

You can easily get lost in your thoughts while cruising in endless beauty like this.

 



 

Coming out of Lock 8 of the Oswego Canal, we are excited to finally be on the southern shore of Lake Ontario.  We'll spend a couple nights in the city of Oswego, New York awaiting a good weather window for our crossing into Canada.

The Captain prepares to step our mast up since we will not be going under any bridges less than 24 feet high for the next six weeks.

The First Mate was anxious to hoist the Canadian courtesy flag that we will display while in
 Canadian waters.

The historic Oswego city hall.
The grounds surrounding the city government buildings were immaculate.

Sunset over downtown Oswego.
There are wonderful walkways on both sides of the Oswego River

The gardens at the War of 1812 Memorial.

Oswego played a major role in support of the naval engagements on the Great Lakes.

 

 

 

 

On Thursday, July 25th, we will cross Lake Ontario and begin the Canadian segment of The Great Loop.

Text messages and voice mails can be received by our phones in Canada at no extra charge, however, we will not be using our phones to send messages back to you in the U.S. because of the extra high cost of doing so.  We will be checking for and sending e-mail whenever we have free wi-fi available at the marinas while in Canada.