Great Loop: Kirkfield & Orillia – Trent-Severn Waterway: Locks 36-41

Days 195-197: July 31- August 2, 2023

Lock 36 – Kirkfield Lift Lock

The waterway to the Kirkfield Lift Lock was surprisingly clear. You could see the rocky depths at the edges of the waterway as we traversed. It was a narrow channel that suggested to call Securité on the way in to announce your transit. We did but didn’t pass any boats on the way to the lock. On approach to the lock there was only one other boat staged to go down called ERIEsponsible. They are a nice Canadian couple that we chatted with during our wait.

The Kirkfield lock was broken last year and luckily for us they have been running one side. The lock, which normally had very little moving parts, needed a pump to keep running the functional side. That band-aid made the lock a two-hour cycle: 30 minutes down and 1.5 hours up. Thankfully, the lock was almost up when we approached so we had only a short wait.

This was our first down lock of the Trent-Severn and the pictures don’t seem as cool as the Peterborough Lock when we went up. I’ll assure you though that it was just as cool going down in a tub as it was going up.

Check out the time-lapsed video going down the lock:

Next up, we made our way through a tight road archway, past a “fuel” dock, beyond swinging bridges #43 & #44, and watched the massive group of canoers go by.

Lock 40 & S’mores!

Boris & Mayli and Tonia & I walked the path next to the waterway between the locks (less than a mile) to check out the next lock. We found Jody & Karl from Better Together on the wall there and invited them to s’mores (Mayli was able to procure some wood scraps from the lockmaster to use in the lock firepits). After dinner, Jody & Karl rode their bikes along the waterway path to join us. They are from Lake Nahwatzel, WA, so it was fun to chat about the trip and Washington with fellow Loopers.

Fuel Leak

When we cleared the locks and entered Lake Simcoe, Lil Sudden was overdue for the 20-hour run-up. So off we went. After we went back to slow mode, I decided I should go down and verify all was well. When opening the hatch, I could smell diesel and then saw a sea of red under the port engine. I tracked down the issue to a loose fuel line on the pump that my mechanic (aka me) hadn’t fully tightened when replacing the fuel pump a couple weeks earlier. Guess you get what you pay for! After I got all the fuel back in a bucket and dried up the bilge, we were off to the fuel dock top off (and get some ice cream courtesy of Boris).

Orilla

The festivities in Orillia got off to a great start with a HUGE Looper docktails. Karl from Better Together made sure to get a group photo. All the gang is in there with Matt about 6th in and Tonia on a chair towards the back right. It’s always fun gathering with other Loopers to share stories, boat woes, and more over docktail drinks and apps.

Orillia had a great bakery, sweets shop, and more all in one. Mariposa Market had everything from a wide array of donuts, which we treated our group to during coffee, to cute cakes and sweets in their downstairs store to everything jarred, whether pickles, salsas, or preserves.

Orillia had a vibrant, artistic vibe. Displayed across town were 60 painted guitars to honor the late Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian music legend – check out his hit songs. It was amazing to see them throughout the downtown, along with other art displays.