Islandview Resort-Marina & Trailer Park in Youngs Point, ON to Gordon Yacht Harbour in Bobcaygeon, ON
Day #385: Mike and I are considering skipping Buckhorn heading straight to Bobcaygeon. I had left a message at Gordon Yacht Harbour to see if they could accommodate "Parrot Bay" a night earlier. Mike and I were up at 5:30 A.M. to prepare for departure. At 6:25 A.M. "Parrot Bay" and "Alysana" underway heading for Burleigh Falls lock 8.1 miles away. At 7:15 A.M. both boats passed through "Hell's Gate" which was the third "Hell's Gate" for "Parrot Bay". Starting to get into the Canadian Shield with lots of rocks just off of very narrow channels. Mike and I very much missed the beautiful rock formations that will continue to get more spectacular as we move toward Georgian Bay and North Channel. Both boats arrived and tied up at Burleigh Falls Lock at 7:30 A.M. The houseboat that almost hit "Parrot Bay" the night before was on the wall as well. Mike called Gordon Yacht Harbour and he was informed that they could accommodate "Parrot Bay" if "Alysana" would be willing to let "Parrot Bay" raft with them until the fuel dock closed at 5:30 P.M. then "Parrot Bay" could dock at the fuel dock until morning. Mike talked to Gina and John they were fine with "Parrot Bay" rafting to "Alysana". The people on the houseboat were unsure if they wanted to lock through at 9 A.M. but decided to do so they were informed that they needed to enter the lock first which was a good thing as they had issues getting their stern close to the wall. They were joined in the lock by "Alysana", "Parrot Bay" and "Tiki Queen". Gina and I giving advise to the houseboat on what to do when entering the lock to get secure. At 9:25 A.M. all four boats clear of TWS Lock 28 (Burleigh Falls) (#90 lock for the trip). The houseboat decided to pull over to the blueline while the other three boats proceeded on to the next lock. At the next lock there was another houseboat but the crew on this houseboat using boathooks had no issues getting into the lock safely. The lockmaster in the locks have the houseboats enter the lock first to let them get secure before other boats enter the locks. The lockmasters assess the situation instructing the boats on how they will exit the lock as well. The lockmaster informed me that the two most busy days for them are Tuesday and Saturday as these are the days that people who are renting the houseboats pick them up and drop them off. At 10:05 A.M. boats clear of TSW Lock 30 (Lovesick) (#91 lock for the trip). At 11:30 A.M. clear of TSW Lock 31 (Buckhorn) (#92 lock for the trip). Lots of houseboats on the waterways mostly out of the channel. "Parrot Bay" followed a houseboat into the marina that was definitely struggling. Mike and I couldn't tell if they were having issues steering the boat or if there where mechanical failures with the steering as the boat was literally zig-zagging in the channel. At 1:50 P.M. "Parrot Bay" securely rafted to "Alysana" at Bobcaygeon Gordon Yacht Harbour after traveling 33.6 miles (4,790 miles for the trip). At 3:30 P.M. John, Gina, Mike and I walked to downtown Bobcaygeon to eat dinner at the harbormasters recommendation at "72 Bolton" Sports and Café. The four of us had a great dinner followed by Kawartha ice cream at Bigley's Dairy. The four of us talked to Steve and Kathy from "United 771" who were docked on the wall in Bobcaygeon. One of the attractions in Bobcaygeon is Bigley Shoes and Clothing of Bobcaygeon which Gina and I decided that they were going to visit on Wednesday. John, Gina, Mike and I headed back to the marina. The marina was closed when the four of us returned so we moved "Parrot Bay" behind "Alysana" using the lines to get it settled on the fuel dock. The four of us sat out on the dock on the beautiful summer evening enjoying the beautiful weather. At 8:00 P.M. it was time for blogging and reading. The plan is to stay in Bobcaygeon one more day to enjoy the town.
