Southern Style: Port of Orillia, The Waubic, Big Chute

We left Port of Orillia Thursday morning July 19th and cruised through two locks.

In line with several boats going through a railroad bridge

The first narrow channel left us out onto Sparrow Lake, very pretty

After Sparrow Lake it was on to Locks #42 and #43

We are just starting to enter the real Canadian Shield where limestone gives way to granite. Also there are a few precautions we will need to take for bear, rattlesnakes, and poison ivy. The Massasauga Rattlesnake is indigenous to the region and is protected (just great!)

Coming out of the second lock (#43)

After passing through Lock #43 on the Trent-Severn we pulled into "The Waubic". This is a little restaurant with several docks located in the Severn River and known for their food; particularly their fish and chips. We had reserved a spot for two nights here. The Waubic has been around since 1913. There are several stories as to how it got its name, however, it is likely that it was named after the S.S. Waubic. This was a passenger ship that ran between Midland, Ontario and Perry Sound.

Southern Style at The Waubic

Patio Seating for The Waubic

When we first pulled into The Waubic we were talking with people at the dock about bumping along the bottom. There was a family on the dock with 4 boys. We spoke with their parents, Mike and Katherine about our trip and where they lived. Mike and two of the boys were kind enough to dive under Southern Style and inspect the props. They said all looked good aside from something wrapped around the starboard prop. Mike was able to cut it loose.

Mike and Family, Mike holding what was recovered from the starboard prop

Mike, Katherine, and their entire family were great. They could not have been more gracious and we enjoyed talking with them about the Trent-Severn and their home in Ontario. We hope to see them at their cottage after we go through the "Big Chute".

The Waubic is just a little slice of heaven. We sat outside and visited with the two couples on the boat "Black Pearl" along side of us. All the people we have met here have been so nice and it is great to talk with so many different people. We ate at the restaurant and swam in the water whenever we got hot. "Winston" is the official mascot here. He runs the show and apparently is quite feisty. Word is he has treed a bear, and tangled with a rattlesnake and snapping turtle winning both times.

Winston resting under a flower pot

I also got the chance to do some kayaking

This was a lovely place to stay, both because of the setting and the lovely people that we met there. All the local boaters staying there were fun to talk with about there boating experiences in Canada. Karen Smiley and her family are the owners of the Waubic and they were just so nice to us as well. We hope we can meet up with all of them again sometimes during all our travels.

Saturday July 21st we left the Waubic traveling a whopping 6 miles to Big Chute Marina. This marina is at the Big Chute Lock and we will be going through here tomorrow (Sunday). The Big Chute is a unique marine railway and although not a lock it is referred to as Lock #44. At Big Chute water rushes down a long granite chute between the Upper Severn River and Gloucester Pool. The Big Chute railway portages boats across land and down the chute on twin rail tracks. This method was originally cheaper to build than multiple concrete locks which would have been needed to traverse the rapids and granite.

Here is the old carriage that is now retired

The new carriage can accommodate up to 90 metric tons of boats and it lifts and lowers approx. 60 feet. It can handle a boat up to 100 feet long. The entire ride once loaded takes about 10 minutes.

Carriage submerged waiting to load boats