Day 92...Jones Falls to Chaffeys Lock

FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012

     We left Jones Falls at about 8:15 a.m. since we were already at the top of the lock.  We had decided to try to get a spot at Chaffeys Lock and hunker down for the Canada Day Celebrations.  We read that they are going to have a barbeque as a fundraiser for their museum.  I found out later that instead of ribs we’ll have a choice of hotdogs or hamburgers.  We can handle that.

     We went under the bridge and entered the Quarters.  They are rocky cliffs only 80 feet apart.  I sat up on the bow and tried to take pictures to show you how narrow this area of the waterway is.  The water was 6 feet deep in some places and crystal clear.  In spots where there were no weeds, you could see the rocky bottom and fish swimming around. 

     We continued through Eel Bay and into Sand Lake.  Sand Lake was a tiny bit bumpy but not very bad.  We were getting closer to stopping.

     There was one lock to go before we arrived at our destination for the weekend.  Davis Lock (Lock 38 up 9 feet) is a very rural lock just before Opinicon Lake.  Davis was already almost full so Ian (the Lockmaster) suggested we keep going to make sure we got a mooring spot where we wanted.  

     We crossed Opinicon Lake on our way to Chaffeys Lock.

     We arrived at Chaffeys and found plenty of space at the bottom.  The top of the lock was almost completely full.  Boy, we were lucky.  We tied to the port side of the wall and decided to get electricity.  

     We went up to the top and met the lock ladies.  Amy is the Lockmaster, Julie is the Lockman and Hilary is the Summer assistant according to the board posted on the lock office. Amy has been working on the Rideau Canal for 18 years.  They were all very friendly and helpful.  Hilary was off or at another lock the day I took this picture.  Julie is on the left and Amy is on the right.

     After we paid for the hydro (electric), we started back to the boat.  When we went in Gary thought he heard something fall.  As he was looking to see what had fallen, a black squirrel ran out from under the table.  He told me not to let it get into the pilothouse so I was guarding the hallway with a towel.  It ran up onto the sofa and Gary herded it out.  I watched as the culprit dashed away up a tree. I can’t be sure that this is the actual squirrel, but it might be.  It must have pushed the screen and gained entry that way or slipped in if the screen wasn’t shut all of the way.  We found evidence of what it had been doing.  It had torn my clothes pinned bag of pretzels with peanut butter open and had been helping himself.  Welcome to Chaffeys Lock.  We had been warned about the raccoons but didn’t know to watch for the squirrels.

     We walked to a store a little way up the hill.  There was a Celtic Cross on the way.  It was “erected to commemorate the labourers (that’s the way they spelled it) many of whom were Irish and other immigrants that lost their lives while building the Rideau Canal”. We also walked to a cemetery with unmarked gravestones.