Cruises from Lake Simcoe

[wrhfinancial]

We are new to boating and wondered what trips our local boaters are planning
We are at Crates
My plan is to be out all the time or until we run out of gas money
It would be good to know who all the local boaters are so we can get to know each other
And cruise the waterways of this region

[Lost Weekend]

Hey Elaine/Wayne,

I launched last weekend and came up Sunday night to load in. I will be up at the Marina Saturday morning attending to maintenance stuff/putting on my new main anchor, etc. If you're in the neighbourhood at that time drop by for coffee and I can show you some Lake Simcoe routes on my GPS.

The shallow sandy flats at Snake Island are an easy trip (about 15 minutes if that) and quite a lot of boaters go out there on weekends, anchor/raft up etc. and enjoy the sun and the shallow water somehat protected by what can get to be big waves out in the main lake.

A trip up to Barrie is about a 40 - 45 minute in fair seas @ approx 26 - 28 mph. In heavy seas it can be over 1.5 brutal hours @ 14 mph. I have usuallly found the trip pretty smooth though. You can dock at the public dock area in downtown Barrie for free and you don't have to pay for transient dockage as long as you don't stay over night. We often go up there for an afternoon into the early evening.

A longer trip is to go cross lake to Orillia. I would recommend that you at least have a handheld GPS for that trip with a marine chart of the Lake loaded as you lose sight of land for a little bit mid-lake. From Crates to Orillia taking the cross lake route is about 1.5 or so hours @ 26-28 mph. The public dock in Orillia is rght downtown and again there is no charge as long as you don't overnight. However, the pulbic dock in Orillia is a nice place to overnight - its probably about a $1.25 - $1.50 or so a foot per night and includes electricity and water and you can get a key to keep all season for a few dollars that lets you use the private showers and washroom facilities - very clean. They have a big in water Boat Show in Orillia in early June that a lot of people cruise up to see.

About 5 minutes outside of Orillia is Big Chief Island (google Big Chief Island and you'll see party time pictures from the Summer). You can't go ashore there because is is a restricted Aboriginal site, but in the bay onthe north side fo the island many people anchor in about 3 - 4 feet of water and party all weekend in the soft sand.

If you continue about 10 minutes further along from Big Chief you are at Casino Rama. They have a lot of Big Name Artists who appear there and over the Summer. A couple fo times each Summer we take a late Friday cruise (about 6 - 7 pm) arrive at Rama aroung 8:30 pm or so as the sun is going down and then stay over and see a show Saturday night and then come back late Sunday.

[wrhfinancial]

We launched this past Monday
I have a list of things to do myself
We plan to sleep on it Friday night
See you Sat

Great information

Thanks Stephen

[HarrynLeslie]

Having grown up and boated on Lake Simcoe most of my life, I would definitly invest in Lake Simcoe Trent/Severn Ports book, Crates and most marinas carry this book. Ports will give you all the destinations that you maybe interested in. There's plenty of places to go on Lake Simcoe, one that Lost Weekend forgot to mention was Lagoon City. They have a nice restaurant on the shore, you can sit outside and watch the boats go by. Once you get tired of the same old on Lake Simcoe, try the Trent/Severn system and after you get tired of the locks theres always a nice trip to Georgian Bay via the Severn River. Enjoy your summer and pay attention to the skies and listen to the forecast on your VHF for Lake Simcoe. I've seen sunny and calm one minute to stormy with 5' waves the next. PS. and don't forget the charts!!!

[wrhfinancial]

I was on the Ports website and the new 2009 book just came out
I plan on buying it tomorrow
I am counting the days that Elaine and I can go exploring

[wrhfinancial]

Our 2009 Ports Trent Severn book is on its way
I just got my Power Squadron Membership Card so I got a 25% discount

[Lost Weekend]

Hey Elaine and Wayne,

What Squadron are you with? I'm with Toronto.

[wrhfinancial]

Elaine did not do CPS
I am with the Newmarket Squadron
Got my flag tonight

[Lost Weekend]

I hear that the Trent-Severn Waterway might not open this Victoria Day weekend due to high water (perhaps delayed to next weekend). You'd better check late tomorrow if you're thinking about that first cruise up to Georgian Bay this long weekend

[Southern Cross]

Thanks to Greg (Canada) for sending this to me last night...

NAVIGATION SEASON OPENING DELAYED

TRENT-SEVERN WATERWAY

Peterborough, Ontario, May 13, 2009 - The Superintendent of the Trent-Severn Waterway advises that a wet spring and recent heavy rains, has resulted in the Trent-Severn Waterway being unable to fully open in time for the traditional start to the navigation season on Friday, May 15, 2009. Water levels and river currents are well above safe navigation limits for most of the Waterway. As a result, many sections of the canal will remain closed until further notice when water levels subside.

A re-evaluation of the water situation across the entire Waterway corridor from Port Severn to Trenton will be made daily while these conditions persist.

Closed lock stations include Lock 30 known as Lovesick, south to the Warsaw Road Swing Bridge north of Peterborough, and from Lock 19 south of Peterborough to Lock 1 in Trenton. As well, all locks on the Severn River are closed from Lock 42 near Washago to Lock 45 at Port Severn.

Stations on the Trent-Severn Waterway that are scheduled to open this Friday include all locks and bridges from and including Lock 31 in Buckhorn west to Lake Simcoe, Lock 20 and the Peterborough Lift Lock, the Warsaw Road Swing Bridge and the Murray Canal.

Boaters may experience some operational delays at the open lock stations as a result of staff making adjustments at nearby dams.

Boaters should operate with care when out on the water. Areas above and below water control dams should be avoided due to strong currents. Navigation buoys may be out of position or partially submerged. A special note of caution – the lock valves at Lock 42 at Couchiching are open and generating fast currents above and below this lock.

Parks Canada will continue to work diligently to move water and achieve desired water levels and flows as quickly as possible.

The general public is also advised that the fast water above and below canal dams and in river reaches is extremely dangerous. Parents are asked to warn children to stay away from riverbanks and canal control structures.

Further advisories will be issued as necessary.

-30-

Information:
Mike Jamieson

Acting Director, Canal Operations

Trent-Severn Waterway

(705) 750-4900
Dave Ness

Water Control Engineer

Trent-Severn Waterway

(705) 750-4900


(Also available on the Internet at www.pc.gc.ca/trent under What’s New.)

Martin

[wrhfinancial]

This is good information
We had not planned anything to far this weekend
My inlaws are coming up
Keep the posts coming

[Lost Weekend]

Anybody know if the Trent-Severn Waterway between Simcoe and Georgian Bay will be open this weekend?

[wrhfinancial]

I just checked the Parks Canada Website
It has not been updated since May 13th

[coby1]

On the way home from work I heard on our local radio station in Peterborough that the rest of the Trent Severn system is supposed to open tomorrow or Saturday.

[wrhfinancial]

We are planning a two week trek to Georgian Bay with Scott and Gail of Misty 2 the
First two weeks of Aug
Seems like there will be other people coming with us or meeting up with us
The more the merrier
Our plan is to Stay in Orilla the night before and head out first thing Sat morning
I have more essentials to buy ie Bruce Anchor, extra shore power cable, and these cool dock springs
That Scott purchased, and other essentials I am sure

My wife and I may also take a one week trip towards Peterborough the first week of July
This will require some investigation and planning as this will be our first trip on our boat alone

[Vaughn]

Hi ... good to see that you guys are bonding on the Keswick side of Cook's Bay. We won't be able to do a rendezvous this summer - too much going on this year chewing up the vacation time.

We're in to do some weekends locally though, maybe we should setup a Cook's Bay chat and do some planning now that Misty is finally in the water .

The guys still left at what was Hot Knots may be interested as well.

What do you guys think?

[HarrynLeslie]

Hi Wayne, We are available during that time and we can meet you guys up there. We hooked up with Scott and Gail for the past two summers. Let us know what your plans are as we get close to the dates.

[wrhfinancial]

Like I said
The more the merrier
We should start planning
Being newbies anyplace we go is new and exciting to us

[CharlieT2]

Hi All,

Jennifer and I are now up in Georgian Bay at Bayport Marina in Midland having moved from Hot Knots last summer. If you're coming this way we would love to see some of you again and meet some of the new faces. We'll watch this space for dates and plans as they approach.

Cheers,

Walter

[Lost Weekend]

Its hard for me to find time to get away in June, and it has been a challenge so far this year getting out of the office to spend a full weekend on the water. Have been spending way too much time on the laptop (unfortunately, the Marina has WiFi ) Things should free up by the end of June though.

My Motley Crew of ankle biters and I intend to spend the last full week of July in Georgian Bay - usng Honey Harbour and then Parry Sound as jump off points for day cruising. We will keep you posted and would love to connect with others while we are up there.

I have tickets for The Stone Temple Pilots performing at Casino Rama on Friday night, July 10/09. My plan now is to cruise up there about 6 pm on that Friday night for the 9 pm show and stay over at Ojibway Bay Marina on Lake Couchiching. If the weather is good we will be spending Saturday and Sunday (July 11 & 12/09) in and around Big Chief or perhaps up to Swift Rapids Lock for a wilderness overnight Saturday night.

For sure we will be spending at least the August 1/09 long weekend in GB and will connect sooner to that date.

For Lake Simcoe boaters, I suggest that we post a weekly note on what each of us plans if we intend to be on the water and want to connect on that weekend. We might also want to agree on monitoring a specific VHF channel.