Bob and Gail's Next Adventure: Days 106-109

Current Position: 44° 32' 13" N 78° 32' 52" W

While we were sleeping.....True North III left early this morning and shot this picture of us in the morning mist.

Leaving Buckhorn Lock was not an easy task. We had to back out off the wall. The current of water rushing toward the dam was very strong. As soon as we left the security of the lock wall (2 feet behind where we were docked) the current sucked us up against the concrete barriers to the dam. Bob had to pull forward again, steer the boat at a sharper angle, and give it as much power as safely possible in reverse! It was a bit nerve wracking but it worked!

We didn't plan on going far today - Buckhorn marina was only a mile away. We had made an appointment with the mechanic there to look at our engine to see if he could figure out why the amount of water in the exhaust discharge was so little (much less than the starboard engine).

This was a house next to the marina

The mechanic couldn't find anything wrong with Bob's repair work on the water pump and agreed with Randy that the scoring on the water pump housing could be causing the problem. We decided to keep going and keep an eye on the temperature. Randy had a propeller that needed some work but the marina didn't have a diver available to pull it. They lent him the tools and after more than 3 hours he got it off! He was a little blue around the edges but very happy.

This guy kept one eye on us and another watching for his lunch.

Several Loopers passed by the marina while we were there and one snapped our picture.

The propeller would take a while to repair so we decided to move on ahead to the next lock aend Magic would catch up the next day. Just an hour into our trip our port engine overheated AGAIN! We shut it down and traveled on one engine until we arrived at Lock 32 - Bobcaygeon. This is a lovely tourist town that caters to boaters - mostly fisherman. It is the busiest lock on the waterway. Normally you are only allowed to stay two nights on the lock wall, but we were given permission to stay longer as we are broken down. We pulled way forward (away from the office and bridge to town) to be out of the way. Little did we know that we have prime seats for the fireworks on Canada Day - July 1st. True to form - the boaters around us gave advise, offers of help, and lots of encouragement.

The "guys" talking over engines.

We were put in touch with a mechanic who could order a new water pump for us. There are none in Canada available so it had to be ordered from the states and come through customs. Had we ordered it ourselves it could take more than a week (most of the time the part would be sitting in customs). He could get it in a few days. So we cooled our heels in this lovely town, visiting other Loopers coming through and other boats on vacation, locals who love the water, and exploring the surrounding area. The shopping here is fun at Bigley Shoes and Clothing. In a town of only 2,500 people, they have over 10,000 pairs of shoes in a huge size range (people come from all over to shop there)!

The Chamber of Commerce here is awesome. We weren't sure if Bob would stay here while I flew home or if we would have to move. So many things to consider - transportation to the airport, where we pick up our new water pump, and a marina that has room for us. It quickly became apparent that Bobcaygeon was not an option as there was no room in the local marinas and no public transportation - $500 to get to the airport via shuttle!!! The ladies at the Chamber assured us they would get us to the rental car company 30 minutes away if needed. We found a marina in Orillia that has room and is in town so Bob can walk to the stores AND has a rental car agency in town! The only problem was getting the boat running! The pump arrived on Friday but we had to drive 2 hours one way to get it. Enterprise would come pick us up to rent the car but didn't have anyone to bring us back to the boat. The director of the Chamber of Commerce arranged for her husband to come pick us up and bring us home safely with our new water pump. What sweet, sweet people! Saturday Bob and Randy installed the pump and it worked!!! What a relief that we'll be able to travel again in the morning.

It's Canada Day - Canada's 150th birthday so the town is in full celebration mode. Everything and everyone seems to be dressed in red and white. There is a parade in the afternoon - a perfect spot for people watching!