On Tuesday we returned to Beausoleil Island with our new crew of Brian and Muriel.  There was a 40 % chance of rain and of course it rained during our 1 ½ hour trip to the island.  There was no one else on Tobey dock- so we had our choice of spots.We went to several of the Parks’ talks including a medicine walk, where we were shown several plants and what they could be used for.  We walked up to the cemetery and learned about the earlier inhabitants of the island.  We also attended the fire talk, where we learned about starting fires with flints as well as by rubbing sticks together, we stayed for the bear talk as wellIn the evening we walked back to the big chair for pictures with our new crew.On Wednesday morning we left Beausoleil at 10:00 under a clear blue sky, and very little wind.  We reached Port Severn, entered the Trent Severn waterway, and locked through with one other boat at 11:35.  We continued on for 8 miles to the Big Chute passing by many large homes/cottage and locked through with a boat called Danny’s Buoy.

We tied up above the lock at 1:25.  After going to the Big Chute Marina for ice cream (Chapman’s not Kawartha) we played a few games of afternoon canasta (hand and foot) and re-checked some of the rules with our Missouri connections.For supper we had a fish fry, with fish supplied by Brian from a recent fishing trip.  After more cards in the evening we retired.

On Thursday we woke up to grey skies, and more rain….  We set off from the Chute at 8:20, and headed for the Swift Rapids lock.  It was only an 8 mile ride, we arrived at 9:30, the gates were opened and we proceed inside.  This lock is a 47 foot rise, I tied on to one of the bollards and Brian tied to one of the lines.  We were through by 9:40 and tied up on the lock wall to wait out the rain.  Andy and I went below the lock to a boat called Tiki Moana,as they were flying a white looper burgee, and were the first loopers that we encountered so far this summer.  They informed as that several looper boats were behind them, and we would likely cross paths with some of them today.  We left Swift Rapids at 11:50, and sure enough, saw two other loopers, one of which was the Phantom with Herb Seaton, the harbour host from Tarpon Springs, who we had met in January of 2016. He honked at us, seeing our Gold Burgee.  We continued on for a couple of miles and saw this tragedy—a Kadey Krogen trawler had hit rocks earlier in the morning and was taking on water.Not something you like to see.

We went through the Hamlet swing bridge, and 3 miles later we arrived at the Couchiching lock and locked through, tying up on the top side behind a looper boat called Simpatico at 2:00.  It continued to rain off and on all afternoon and we were content to play cards indoors.  Around 6:30 Gene from marine electronics came to replace our port side regulator, that had burnt out while we were in Little Current but the part he had brought was defective, so the repairs didn’t get done.

Friday morning it was nice when we first got up, but then some showers set in.  It was a busy morning at the lock, since school is now out; there were lots of boats on the move.  Around 10 we notice a sailboat on the blue line that we recognized, Living Life, with James, Nancy, Lucas and Marcos, sporting a gold burgee just like us.They were headed to Georgian Bay.  We had first met them last July in Peterborough, before they had set off.  It was great to see them all again and hear about their trip.  Andy and Brian went on a grocery/beer run to Washago.  After having Maple Leaf shaped burgers for lunch, with some beverages, Brian and Muriel were off to Bancroft.

At about 2:30 we watched the Kawartha Voyager go through the lock—they were going as far as the Big chute, and would be returning on Sunday.

Tomorrow is Canada Day, I hung up a few Canadian flags  on the boat to mark the occasionand the lock did some decorating as well.  Hope everyone has a great time celebrating Canada’s 150 birthday.  We hope to cross Lake Simcoe tomorrow and make it to Kirkfield lock.