Engine Troubles and Lake Ontario

As we started the engine at the bottom of the Kingston Mills lock for our final portion of the Rideau Canal, Ruth noticed that the engine didn't sound right, so we shut her down and investigated. It turned out that the alternator bracket was no longer attached correctly to the engine and was rattling itself loose. After some contemplation, we put a quick fix in place using a wire wrap tool (thanks for the tip, Roger!) that we felt would get us to Kingston.

Once we started calling for a marina in Kingston, we found out that everything was full as it was a poker run weekend. When hearing about our engine troubles, Kingston Marina gave us a spot in a back corner usually reserved for their working boatyard. So we finished the Rideau Canal hobbling into Kingston Marina.

We spent three days in Kingston repairing the alternator. This was the first time we fixed our boat again underway and we were able to do it ourselves, so it was a good confidence boost.

To get from the Rideau Canal to the Trent-Severn Waterway, the route goes along the shore of Lake Ontario from Kingston to Trenton. This involves a few sections where the shoreline is exposed to Lake Ontario's wind and waves. We went out on a day that turned out to be way more boisterous that forecast. We almost turned around, but decided to press on, giving Geru her first test in bigger waves since her renovation. As in the past, Geru handled it better than we did, although we did end up tying an extra line on the mast lying on deck as we were worried about it moving around.

We spent a day in Picton waiting for the winds to calm down before a nice day of motoring to Trenton.

Alternator repair

The source of the problem

Lake Ontario

Leaving Picton

Rushing the Rideau Canal

Our first day on the water took us from Marina Leblanc to the Ottawa flight of locks at the start of the Rideau Canal. Going through the locks, we were one of the day's tourist attractions. Lots of people were standing around taking photos and videos of the boats. We docked on the canal in downtown Ottawa across from the National Arts Center (NAC). We certainly noticed the bustle after our previous quiet nights at Marina Leblanc. We ran errands from the boat walking the familiar streets we walked hundreds of times over the last ten years, but this time coming home to Geru on the canal.

Because we are running six weeks late, we could not take the slow trip down the Rideau Canal we had originally planned. We managed to take a breather on a mooring ball at Colonel By Island in Big Rideau Lake for two nights, but otherwise it was just a flurry of buoys and locks. We did, however, really enjoy some of the scenery, especially the narrow cuts with overgrown vegetation in the southern end of the canal.

We went through the last lock of the Rideau Canal - the 45th! - at Kingston Mills on August 14th, and then the engine adventure started....

Ottawa flight of locks

Geru in downtown Ottawa

Going by Carleton University in Ottawa

Entering the Smith Falls lock

A narrow spot on the canal

Pastoral landscape

Geru at the bottom of the Kingston Mills locks

We Have Left!

We have finally dropped our dock lines and left!

Leaving the dock at Marina Leblanc

Leaving the harbour

On the Ottawa River

Moving Aboard

Over the course of about three weeks we moved onto Geru. It was a rather strenuous and stressful time as we were running against the clock of losing the apartment at the end of July. We started by taking car loads each day, but in the end we ran out of time and had to rent a van to be a storage unit for a few days. To top things off, we were moving aboard during a heat wave!

Because we ran out of time to sort through things, Geru is crammed full and it will take quite a while to get through it all.

Storage under the bed

Temperature while moving aboard

Our storage van

Geru is now officially our home (turning in the keys to the apartment)

All moved aboard!