Engineering Marvels pt 2

Since the time of our arrival in Boncaygeon, we have been hearing about a growing backup of big boats (over 30’) at Big Chute.  Apparently, there are only two seasoned operators who have the experience and expertise to safely move big boats on the railway.  For some reason (another lock tender told us they were out with Covid🤷🏼‍♀️) no one was qualified to transport big boats for about 10 days.  By the end, there were 40+ ‘big boats’ backed up and waiting to get through.

Once again, time for us to slow down and spend a little more time in each location…

Three locks in a 1 mile distance…all in a nice straight line.

Orillia seems like the perfect town to explore for a few days!

We anchored right off the park, which includes a nice beach.

And luckily, this was the site of an awesome Scottish festival.

On Friday nights they close the main street to traffic so shops and restaurants can expand outdoors.

We didn’t patronize this particular shop, but during our three day visit we put quite a few miles on our bikes and really cruised from one end of the town to the other.  One afternoon we set out on a mission to find wifi (for the posting of a blog), and after three attempts (which included a lot of coffee and donuts), we finally found a business with an adequate connection to handle our upload…thank you Starbucks!

Word is the Big Chute is open for ‘big boat’ business again, so it’s time to mosey along.

We arrived on a Sunday, knowing that ‘big boats’ were only being transported on weekday, but we wanted to walk around and get a feel for how things worked.  We were boat #11 in the line for the next day.

A bit of history is warranted here since this is the only marine railway, of this kind, still in use in North America!  

In 1914, plans were made to build three locks (#43 Swift Rapids, #44 Big Chute, and #45 Port Severn) to connect the Severn to Georgian Bay.  Construction on the Port Severn lock started first, while ‘temporary’ railways were constructed at Big Chute and Swift Rapids.  World War I halted construction plans for locks 44 and 45, but Port Severn was completed, and is still in operation today. In 1964 the Swift Rapids railway was replaced with a conventional lock, and plans were made for a single lock at Big Chute.  

However…” Before construction began the sea lamprey, which had been devastating the fishing industry in the Great Lakes, was found in

Gloucester Pool- at the bottom of the railway-and plans were put on hold. Several impractical ideas were suggested, but

no practical solution could be found. By the end of the 1960s, the old marine railway could not keep up with the amount of

boating traffic in the area. Long lines formed at either end of the railway, with waits often being overnight. Research was done

to find a way to prevent the migration of the sea lamprey into Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, while still effectively

increasing the flow of traffic. A biologist sat at the bottom of the railway for days, checking the bottom of boats that locked

through, and finally saw a lamprey attached to the bottom of a boat. The lamprey fell off after less than 6 meters, so the

railway was determined to be effective at preventing the sea lamprey's migration. In 1976, it was finally decided that a new,

enlarged railway would be built. The current carriage was opened to the public in 1978, and can carry a boat up to 100 feet…” (Wikipedia)

The first rail car, we witnessed, carried 4 vessels at one time (3 boats & 1 jet ski). The car comes out of the water and crosses a road…

Then down the hill they go.  If you look closely, you can see that the rollers in the rear run on a different track than the front rollers.  This is designed to keep the rail car level during the descent.  You might also notice that now the cables are working to slow the rail car, and keep it from picking up too much speed before it hits the water below.

Once everyone is back in the water, they lower the roller arms that divided the sling straps, and cables pull the straps into a groove to ensure they are well protected from props.  The entire ref lost process only takes a few minutes, and everyone is on their way again.

The mechanisms that power the cable system are located in the building on the right.

This was the boat in front of us.  Big boats are usually on the car alone.  You can see the small cables used to pull the straps in, once the boat is refloated. Also, in the upper right hand corner of the picture you can see a spool.  The operator uses that to roll cable in, or let cable out, as the car moves.

Yikes…it’s our turn!  Again, I drew helm duty🤷🏼‍♀️  Just put the boat in the slings.  The stress involved in this ‘lock’ was opposite of that in the lift locks.  Here, once we were hanging in the slings, and the engines were shut down, and that’s when my heart rate increased.  Prepare for an interesting ride.

The process was very seamless.  Within a few minutes we were out of the water.

Crossing over the road…

Here is a view from behind.  You can see two of the boats waiting on the ‘blue line’ for their turn. As well as, the road we just crossed, and the cables doing the work.

And as we are heading down the hill there is a big THUMP, THUMP with a shudder!  With heart rates back up, the operator explains that thick ice, this past winter, damaged the track in that spot😳 I think it provides him and his crew a little entertainment, watching the faces of the ‘people in the sling’.

And just like that, we are floating off the car, and on our way again…WOW, that was COOL!  The time stamp on our pictures shows us entering the sling at 11:13, and exiting at 11:24…that was an impressive 11 minutes!

This is lock #45, Port Severn, the last lock in the Trent Severn Waterway.  Notice the sign on the gate showing that once we leave this lock, the navigation markers will flip sides. Farewell, Trent Severn and hello Georgian Bay!

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip along the Trent Severn Waterway.  This was a very different cruising experience than what we are used to!  The people were fantastic! The towns were welcoming and happy to see us! And…the cruising itself was EASY!  No major worries about tides, winds, storms, waves, swell, or surge.  There were always numerous  options for overnight mooring…you can anchor on a lake, tie to a lock wall, or stay in a marina. 

 Even if you don’t own a boat, you could experience some of the beauty and wonder of the Trent Severn Waterway.  There are houseboats for rent on several of the lakes, and NO previous boating experience is necessary!  You read that correctly, and that is probably why encountering houseboats was the most stressful experience on the TSW.  They are notoriously hard to steer anyway, and add to that equation a little wind + a totally inexperienced captain, and you will understand why the locals call the houseboats ‘Harvey Wallbangers’😁