After making a loop through the Thousand Islands, on the Saint Lawrence River, we returned to the canal system in Ontario. The first stop was Kingston, the southern starting point of the historic Rideau Canal The French established Kingston, Ontario in 1673 as a trading post, Fort Cataraqui. In the 1780s the British took possession of the Fort and officially named the city, Kingston. For a short three-year period, in 1841, Kingston was the capital of Canada. In 1844 they moved it to Ottawa, at the northern end of the Rideau River. As we walked around town, we noticed a more European…

The Rideau Heritage Route, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Ontario and Quebec, Canada – Kingston Mills – We began our ascent of the Rideau Canal at the Cataraqui River system, cruising through the Cataraqui Marsh before we arrived at Kingston Mills, 4.35 miles from Kingston, our first of 24 lock stations on the canal. For about two weeks, we followed the canal and navigated through historic, charming villages, were witness to a few local events, and met friendly Canadians. They operate the old locks, of the Rideau Canal, today as they did when the locks first opened in 1832. A 19th-century…

Jones Falls is a Good Example of a Flight of Locks – After leaving the anchorage at Morton Bay, we headed for the locks at Jones Fall. Boats were already locking through, east to west. So we tied up to the blue line on the long dock below to wait for them to finish locking down. Since Jones Falls is a series of locks near each other, called a "flight of locks," we were there awhile watching the process. [wpgmza id="24"]   Jones Falls is a Good Example of a "Staircase" Lock The first three chambers, Locks 42-41 and 40 of Jones…

Newboro Lock Was a Fun Stop! A picture-perfect day on the water for the crew of Kismet. Before we arrived at Newboro, we went through Davis and Chaffey Locks. We locked through to the upper side of the lock and tied up under the cover of some shade trees. The Newboro Lock features a Blockhouse–one of four, constructed by Colonel John By, on the Rideau Canal. They built blockhouses to defend the channels and locks on the Rideau; they housed a garrison of about ten men. Newboro is one of the few communities that arose because of the construction of the…

Poonamalie Lock Was a Fun Stop –  It was another picture-perfect day on the Rideau Canal, it made for an easy day cruising to our destination. I remember how hot it was on the day we arrived at Poonamalie Lock. It felt like the humid air sucked the life out of us by the time we got settled on the lock wall before the lock itself. We were thankful that the Poonamalie Lock is one of the few with power available to boaters on the wall. So we hooked up right away so we could cool down, clean up, and think…

Smiths Falls is the Mid-Way Mark, Between Kingston and Ottawa, On the Rideau Canal – Smiths Falls is the halfway mark between Kingston and Ottawa, Ontario. This industrial town, otherwise known as the Heart of the Rideau Canal, held interest to both Lisa and me. Up to this point in our Rideau Canal cruise, we have been tied up to lock walls that are more rural in nature, the peace and quiet that afforded us was welcome. However, considering Smiths Falls is the largest community we’ve visited in the Rideau Corridor up to this point, we were eager to get…

Merrickville is One of the Oldest Settlements Along the Rideau Canal –  The French-Canadian influence of the area was becoming more and more clear as we reached Merrickville, Ontario. We tied up to a lock wall; only one block from the downtown area. The village is dripping with heritage architecture, cute little boutique stores, and pubs. Townspeople were friendly, showing us hospitality at every encounter, and welcoming us as guests to their beautiful country. There is a thriving community of artists in the area and it was reflected in the shops downtown. Don’t speak French? No problem! We found that every…

Dinner and Games Tonight at the Lost Village of Long Island –  Uneventful cruise today on the Rideau Canal. We are getting closer to Ottawa, but have two more stops before we get there. We are getting accustomed to the daily drill of locking through multiple locks. Lock, cruise, lock, cruise, lock, cruise, and lock again, then tie up to a lock wall or dock, explore if possible, make dinner and relax while enjoying our new surroundings. At the end of this day, after transiting four locks, we arrived just before the Long Island Lock-14-15-16 and the lost village of Long…

Ottawa Named After an Algonquin Odawa Meaning “To Trade” –  Cruising through the historic Rideau Canal, and its winding waterway, took us through rural park-like settings for most of the seven-day trip. Never so true than our last day on the canal itself. The approach to Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, was like driving on the Natchez Trace Parkway, in the USA, only we did it here by boat. The city sits on the south bank of the Ottawa River. When we leave here, our trip will continue on the Ottawa River until we reach the St. Lawrence River…

Ottawa to Baie Des Atocas for a One-Night Anchor –  Leaving Ottawa and the Rideau Canal behind us, we continued on the last leg of our trip via the Ottawa River – a major tributary of the St. Lawrence River. Once we left the flight of eight locks in Ottawa, Kismet and crew emerged into the wide expanse of the Ottawa River. Our cruise started in the province of Ontario and proceeded on to the province of Québec. Jim broke the distance, of our last few days of cruising from Ottawa to Montreal, almost in thirds by first choosing a well-protected…

From Orillia to Hawkesbury – Time to Go Home! – As our trip through Canada’s historic waterways came to a close, the weather chilled up a bit from the hot, humid days we had most of the trip, a signal it was time to go home. We had a full week exploring Montreal, Québec, one of the most interesting cities we’ve cruised to date. Touring Montreal took us back in time, they don’t build over historic sites; they repair and preserve, honoring their ancestor’s vision. As our last few days, at the Yacht Club Montreal, approached, our thoughts turned to the…