We join the Westport Boosters Club

3 June 2009, 1930 hours, Westport

Westport is our kind of overnight stop: A five-minute walk from the public docks we can purchase a fresh baguette and sweet raisin butter tarts from Westport Bakery, house-smoked salmon from Salmon House, and fresh produce and groceries of any kind at Kudrinko’s Country Kitchen supermarket.

Not to mention Yvon, the helpful harbourmaster, docks with power, water and a view—all for $1 per foot in dockage fees. Plus shower and laundry facilities, albeit a few minutes away. And WiFi right on the docks. Well, for us Mac users, not right on the docks; we have to walk up the Westport Visitor’s Centre where the WiFi is free and blazingly fast.

When we realize there is a second bakery in the village, as well as a store called Rosie Yumski’s Fine Foods, we decide to stay a second day.

The French baguette from Westport Bakery, quite possibly, is the best baguette we’ve ever eaten in Ontario.

Newboro for WiFi and cinnamon rolls

3 June 2009

As we departed the Opinicon Resort dock, we encounter the Endeavour B and B and lock through Chaffey’s (Lock 37) with them. We both stop at Newboro (Lock 36), B and B for a fishing licence, At Last! in search of WiFi.

We find the WiFi—and decadent cinnamon rolls—at the Saint Cinnamon Bakery and Cafe in the Stagecoach Inn.

For lunch, we have an excellent club sandwich with freshly oven-roasted turkey and a serving of broiled haddock with fries and coleslaw. For dessert, we share a warm Saint Cinnamon roll served “turtle-style,” that is, topped with French vanilla ice cream, roasted pecans and drizzled with caramel and chocolate. It is so good that we take two cinnamon rolls to go (without the ice cream).

The Endeavour 36 TrawlerCat approaches Davis Lock 38 on the Rideau Waterway.

Morning on the Opinicon

3 June 2009, 0830 hours, Opinicon Resort, Chaffey’s Lock 37

Opinicon Lake is like a mirror, with the rising sun reflected across still waters. As the sun warms the day, the pockets of morning mist vanish.

We hear the cry of a loon, repeated, ever so forlornly, it seems, two more times. Two huge swans drift into view. Over there, we spot an otter feeding. In the distance, an osprey dives into the lake but comes up empty.

What a beautiful way to begin the day, sipping a cappuccino and marvelling at nature’s ways.





The 700-foot-long dock at Opinicon Resort is empty save for one 24-foot powercat.







Our arrival last evening at famed Opinicon Resort, however, was a total disappointment. The only delight was the water moccasin that greeted us, and two turtles sunning on a log.

Even though the resort advertises that it’s open from May till October, on June 3 the showers are not working, the laundry facilities are not available either, and there is no hot water in the washroom. At the docks, rusty brown water flows from the tap.

During registration, we pick up a brochure. The sample menu is four years old.

But we do have power on the dock, so we pass on trying the resort dining room and enjoy pasta with pesto and a great view aboard At Last!

The only saving grace: Lance, the manager on duty when we depart, waives our dock fees.

There are so many fish in Rideau waters, we've made a note to have fishing gear aboard when we return in the fall.

We've also made a note to make sure we have a long lens for one of our two cameras as there is so much of nature to photograph.

Powercat rendezvous at Upper Brewers

At Last! is dwarfed by B and B and Tumbleweed at Upper Brewers on the Rideau Waterway. Click on this and any other photo for a larger view.

2 June 2009, 0830 hours, Upper Brewers, Rideau Locks 44 and 43

This is the third season we've owned our powercat, a TomCat 24 built by C-Dory. In that time, we've never encountered another power catamaran.

All that changed last night when we arrived at Upper Brewers. There, waiting for us was Tumbleweed, a PDQ 34. A little later, B and B, an Endeavour 36 TrawlerCat arrived. That was a first for us, three powercats together.

Attitude Adjustment Hour took place aboard Tumbleweed, floating home of Roger and Erika for the last five years. Their last home on land was in Ottawa. Over the years, they've cruised the Great Loop and explored the Bahamas. These days they call the Rideau Waterway their home. The Endeavour is owned by Bill and Birute who have also cruised extensively, but they do have a real home, in Charlevoix, Michigan. Bill and Birute are cruising with friends Paul and Stacy who own a Gulfstar 44MC and hail from Athens, Georgia. Add the crew of At Last! and you have one happy hour with great apps, great conversation and great time. All of which started with the toast, "Powercats forever!"

As a light rain descended on the locks in a wooded setting, we all retired to our individual boats for dinner. Aboard At Last! the Captain prepared a house specialty: perfectly seared rib-eye steak smothered with buttery mushrooms and onions, presented with home-fried potatoes and Banrock Station 2007 Shiraz.

When provisioning for the cruise, we were delighted to find that some of our favourite wines are now in Tetra Paks and so easy to store in the port hull.

We must mention the lunch we enjoyed on our first day on the Rideau: Roasted sweet pepper and tomato soup accompanied by grilled cheese sandwiches made with Le Baluchon, a fragrant raw-milk cheese from Quebec. After that little feast, a nap was a must.


At Last! and Tumbleweed wait below Kingston Mills, the first lock when northbound on the Rideau.

The Admiral holds a line around a fixed lock cable as water is let into the lock chamber.

Bicyclists take a shortcut across the closed lock at Kingston Mills.

Access to the Internet on the Rideau is spotty; thus, the delay in our posts.

Surfing into Kingston

31 May 2009, 2030 hours, Confederation Basin, Kingston

Our first two days on the water ended in boisterous conditions. On both days, we started out with a wind out of the west at 10-15 knots. Which was just fine as the wind and resulting waves were behind us, pushing At Last! along.

As the day progressed, the wind increased in strength to 20 knots, even 25. The waves that were 1 to 2 feet grew to 3 to 4 feet. As we approached Presqu’isle Bay on Saturday, we were surfing down 5 to 6-footers. On the approach to Kingston earlier today, confused 3 to 5-footers chased us in.

Nothing dangerous, but definitely not a smooth ride in a boat as small and light as ours. We were delighted to see how well the TomCat handled the conditions, and sure glad we were not pounding into such wind and waves, that is, heading to weather.

The Cetrek Pilot 730 autopilot kept the TomCat on course, and didn’t seem overwhelmed at all. The Captain did take the helm in his own hands at the end of both days, mainly because it made him feel useful, and in control.

We ran at 20 knots through most of the stuff, but when we began to take off from wave tops--and land with a crash and lots of spray--we throttled back the Yamahas to 15 knots.

Somehow, it was fitting to arrive in Kingston in a hail shower, completing our 145-mile run from Frenchman’s Bay with Mother Nature playing a fanfare.

Undaunted, we wasted no time in heading for our favorite shops, all within an easy walk of the marina:

Oldest farmer’s market in Ontario -- late in the day so we only picked up local tomatoes;

Block & Cleaver Meat Market -- a nicely marbled rib-eye steak, about 1.5 inches thick, for tomorrow night or the next day;

Pan Chancho Bakery & Cafe -- where we went over budget with purchases of an extraordinary pate maison, Baluchon raw milk cheese, smoked mackerel pate, double-smoked bacon, Red Fife organic whole wheat loaf, croissants that could use more butter, oatmeal raisin muffins, and, for dessert, creme brulee and caramel pecan tart.

What a bistro night we had aboard At Last! With an excellent Italian organic sangiovese from the wine cellar in the powercat’s port hull.

With our song playing on the iPod Nano.

You can track our progress as we start up the Rideau today and see our whereabouts with SPOT. For the best look, select "satellite" or "hybrid" view.

We're off!

You can track our progress and see our whereabouts with SPOT. For the best look, select "satellite" or "hybrid" view.

Preparing for the Rideau

We are starting to count down the days to our departure on May 30 for Kingston and the Rideau Canal Waterway.

Six months between cruises is a long time--but then we do have a full winter in our neck of the Great Lakes.

Map posted with the permission of Ken Watson, the creator of the best single online resource for cruising the Rideau Canal Waterway: www.rideau-info.com. We hope to meet Ken when we're at Davis Lock on our way to Ottawa.

Click on the map for a larger view.

At TrawlerCrawler.net, we have started a forum devoted to cruising the Rideau. Join us there to exchange information and experiences on the famed waterway.