QUINTE CRUISE – DAY FOUR

The KV at Campbellford at breakfast time

Today's shore excursion was after breakfast. Almost everyone went. There is a chocolate factory in Campbellford – need I say more?

We sailed at 1050 hours under a low bridge heading for Hastings. Weather remains warm and humid, overcast with the threat of showers. Another day that was poor for photography, at least until we tied up. Wouldn't you know it?

The twenty-five miles to our next overnight stop used to be the roughest stretch of water on the Trent-Severn Waterway, falling 220 feet over three waterfalls and nine miles of rapids. Today we sailed on a placid river, wide in spots and narrow in others. There is plenty to see here now.


Water tumbles down the layer rock formations at Crowe Bay beside the lock. Healey Falls has a dam to visit if the captain stops for half an hour and the lock station that lifts vessels fifty-four feet.

This is another lock whose sides and gates tower above the ship, and it's intimidating to stand on the lower deck until the water rises and one can see over the sides to the lock station. Then it's plain sailing for fourteen miles without a lock.

The captain's head is up through the hatch

The waterway is very high at the moment and the heavy rain of the past day meant that the two low bridges caused hearts to stop as we slowed down and edged our way through the highest spans. The clearance on one was four inches and the next was seven. I was on the bridge for the first and as the wheelhouse was lowered above me, I had to sit on the floor. The captain, head through the hatch, had to bend his knees to prevent being knocked out on the concrete. It was a tense moment. I was by now lying on the floor behind him taking photos and saying some hasty prayers!





The clouds began to lift about 4pm and the evening alongside in the small town of Hastings was sunny at last. I went ashore to find the pharmacy, missed it, and was out the other side of town in five minutes.

The mate, John, waits to assist with
the lines in Hastings

Our final dinner on board was excellent roast turkey with all the trimmings and English trifle. As all the passenger but four are Ontarians, this evening brings the results of today's provincial election and many will be staying up to watch the live stream. I'm going to try to finish a mystery I borrowed from the ship's library.

IMAGES: © Photos by Pharos 2014. All rights reserved