Looping NZ Style: Tuesday 15th. Blue Hole To Hastings

We left Blue Hole anchorage, Tuesday morning in light drizzle. The weather promised not to get better until perhaps later in the day. We rather dithered on the subject of moving or staying and it was only after consultation with John and Susan (via Radio) that we decided, collectively, to push forward with our multi-lock day ahead. It promised to be a looooong one.

Leaving our little hidey hole back the way we entered, we turned left onto the Magenta Line once more. The water was not that deep, but I wasn’t watching. It appears that 6 feet under us is now ok, by me J

The channel wasn't very large, and it certainly wasn't deep!

Our starb'd engine was smoking a bit...she needed a blow-out, having done nothing more than slow, all the previous day.

With the day ahead filled with Locking through, I made certain to have fenders and ropes forw’d and aft on both sides of the boat ready.

Lock 8 was our first of the day. We were informed by the Lockmaster that there was a Beaver Den on the port side (left) just up ahead, and if we were lucky, we might get to see the Pups playing along the riverbank. We weren’t so lucky, but I did get a few photos of it.

There are also lots of families of Canada Geese...EVERYWHERE. Their numbers are almost plague proportions. They are grazers...eating lots of grass....and their poop is HUGE! and also everywhere.

An Osprey Nest in the middle of this pylon:)

The middle Osprey is the baby and was shrieking incessantly. The parents just looked the other way, as we do when our kids wont shut up!lol.

Some of the farms don't look so prosperous. Always, we can see the grain silos.

All boats are not created equal...and some just might never see water for pleasure, again.

Watching the canal/river traffic is obviously a spectator sport for the locals. I cant say I blame them, on a lovely day or evening.

Waz remarked that this is one marker that you DONT want to end up on or run into.

We made our way eventually to our first double lock, 11/12 at Ranney Falls.

John and Susan going in ahead of us. This was our first double. The power station is on the right.

The doors on this lock are steel because of the huge amount of water pressure they have to withstand. Most are wooden, however (single locks). You can clearly see the two step process here. Out of the bottom one, and into the top one.

The view from the bottom of the double. Waz took this pic from the fly bridge.

The water is filling fast...you can see it swirling and the bubbles!

Now we are about to untie on the first section, the gates will open ahead of us, and we will motor in about 50 feet to the second section and repeat the whole process all over again.

We are now looking down on the control booth, and the water from whence we just came.

Such a looooong way down,...this looking back.

This was the first of two sets, this day. You go into the first step up, then the lock fills and you go up to the second lock, but you have to untie, move forward and tie up to the cables again in the second section. They are pretty much dungeon height, and took us up about 60 feet (don’t quote me on that…seemed much higher!!). When we came out of the top lock, we could look to our right and see the Falls. We were a long way up! Looking back down to where we had come from was rather exciting… Soooo far down!

Going out the top side.

We are enjoying the Canadian Locks. They are so much less ‘fraught’ than the Erie Canal Locks, and much cleaner and better kept. I guess I keep saying this, lol. The summer jobbers are friendly and enjoy talking to all the boaters…we even learned some gossip on the way through!

We passed a couple of small towns, not wanting to stop because we didn’t want to sample the cream donuts on offer at Campbelltown…and we really didn’t want to do any of the summer tourist activities anywhere else. The push was on to get to the little town of Hastings.

The rain came and went, and we enjoyed some time without drizzle, until the sun came out and then the wind came up just as we entered the long skinny stretch of river Lock 17 and Lock 18, at Hastings town.

Lots of little islands in this area….all gorgeous, and made us want one of our ownJ I guess we already HAVE an Island Paradise…it is called BOAT!

It is amazing how locking through 10 locks can wear a body out. We were pretty pooped by the time we got to Lock 13, just past Campbellford, needing food. We ties up port side, and S and J tied up on the opposite wall, Starb’d. Not enough room for both of us on any one wall.

Susan and John wanted to stop for a short while, but we ended up staying there for a good hour, due to a thunderstorm that passed through leaving us pretty drenched.

We had to wait for three boats to go into the lock there, before following J and S onwards to #14, now with full stomachs

The next double Locks were at #16/17. Same drill as before, and this was in sunshine, thank goodness. It was nice to have already shed our wet weather gear in favor of t-shirts and shorts, again.

The temperature wasn’t exactly tropical, and it got colder as the hours went by.

There was no way we were going to be able to lock through #18 at Hastings, as the last locking is at 5.30, and it was already that time, with some 15-20 mins to go to get there.

The wind came up past Lock 17, and we spent the last hour and a half with a full on blast. We resorted to sweaters on the fly deck. White caps and gusty winds. Fun!

S and J docked on the south wall of Lock #18 minutes before us. Coming up to the lock we were confronted by a torrent and strong current, running about 10 knots in the Dam race. The dam is right alongside of us, and we are fortunate to have a wall separating us, right now, or we would be straining the posts! The gates have been open for a couple of days, they tell us. Much rain further up!

We were grateful for the help of the two young Parks Service Lock attendants, just prior to their going home at 6pm. I don’t think I could have managed the lines on my own, in the current and the wind pushing us back out into the path of the dam race.

We were pretty exhausted after 10 locks and the last 12 miles of strong windy conditions.

It was decided by S and J and us, that dinner was to be cooked by someone else, that night! Phew.

We walked the short distance into Hastings and found the first restaurant to be to our liking…Italian!:)

We initially sat outside in the garden bar, but realized this also meant smokers! And retired inside. The other three ordered a beer, and this being Canada, the server knew what a Shandy was, and brought me one of those. For the uninitiated, it is a half beer/half 7-up or Sprite. Light and a little sweet. It certainly hit the spot!

We all ordered the Calzone type of pizza…I ordered mine baked, the other three had theirs deep fried. Sounds disgusting, but Waz said you couldn’t tell the pizza dough was fried…yeh riiight!:)

We walked across the swing bridge, afterwards, needing to go for a walk to clear our heads, now that our stomachs were satisfied. We happened upon one of the many ice-cream shops, just across the bridge, and we all enjoyed a cone from the choice of 23 flavors! Well, I got a cup, per usual. They were VERY generous servings!

S and J had to go to bed before lights were needed as they had a belt on generator problem to solve the next day, and we sat and read and looked at the day’s photos…internet not being available.

No rush to get up in the morning…it is a rest day, and well deserved. We cannot just charge through each day and not see SOME of the countryside, or experience what there is on offer. WE are not ‘tourist-types’ per se, so we enjoy the uncommon, and we certainly find it.

More on that tomorrow.

These photos weren't supposed to be down here, but too bad...I have written the text without benefit of the internet, and now I am trying to fit the photos in with the text...sorry!

At 11/12, there was the small matter of the swing bridge that has to open for us to get through the end of the lock....

I did a wee chuckle at the Lawn bowling club. We havent seen one outside of NZ!

By the wayside.

We were tied up on the wall waiting for this and two other boats to lock in, so that we could continue our journey, after the lunch and downpour break. These folks were going down the lock we just came up.

Water was coming at us from all directions at this lock. We had to wait for a large vessel to lock down, which seemed to take forever, and we were in a lot of current. The rapids and power station are on the left, while there is also a falls on the right, as you can see.

Here is the boat going down, while we wait. You can see they are letting water out of the lock, with the water splashing about at the bottom of the wooden gates.

...and here it comes out the bottom. Susan and John decided to stop fighting the current and tie up for the wait.

They were in the process of refinishing the walls in this lock and we had to tie up on port side. You can see how lovely and clean the new walls are:) Thank you! Makes our job so much easier.

Susan and john had a wee problem with their bikes. The handle bar got caught under the top of the cable and wouldn't release. The boat was tipping port side at this point, as you can see. When released, the boat popped back to rights like a cork. They lockmaster couldn't stop the lock filling, so they hustled to get the handlebar out!.