Day 285, "on the loop", 7/21/2023
- boisselle13
- Jul 21, 2023
- 12 min read
Updated: Mar 8
7/15 (Saturday) - Today marks our last day on the Rideau canal. All I can say is WOW, so far nothing compares to the beauty of the canal and what it has to offer. Quaint towns along the canal, beautiful landscapes and incredible wildlife.
We saw black squirrels, loons, river otters and swans. The loons have a beautiful sound.
We spent the night on the lock wall (at Kingston, the lower side). Since we had plenty of time to waste and nothing was near by, Karen, Chris and I walked to the top of the locks to see if there were other loopers staying overnight. There was one couple, new to looping (2 wks in): La Mer Veille IV (means The SEA Watch IV).
Sweet couple, from Montreal, Claudette shared that Robert is an architect and their love of the Boldt Castle. They have visited the castle every year (30+ years), definitely an Architect's dream.
Claudette also shared a story about a murder that took place right here in the lock, can you believe it? In 2009, the lock hands showed up for work to find a car at the bottom of the lock.
The Shafia family murders took place on June 30, 2009, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Shafia sisters Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, and Geeti, 13, along with their father's wife Rona Muhammad Omar, 52 (all of Afghan origin), were found dead inside a car that was discovered underwater in front of the northernmost Kingston Millslock of the Rideau Canal. Zainab, Sahar, and Geeti were daughters of Mohammad Shafia, 58, and his wife, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, 41. The couple also had a son, Hamed, 20, and three other children. Rona, who was herself infertile, was the first wife of Mohammad Shafia in their polygamous household.
If you are interested to learn more, check it out here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shafia_family_murders
You may find this article a bit more interesting:
https://thecrimewire.com/institutional/Honour-Killing-in-Canada
Back to positive stuff; this area in Kingston has a lot to offer and so much nature. We saw rock climbers practicing, met a few folks fishing and took in the moment of our last night on the Rideau. We invited Arabella and LG2 over for a champaign toast to mark our accomplishment. Side note: The Canadians tell us we are going to love Georgian Bay, they say there is nothing like it! Next week will be all about the Trent-Severn, stay tuned :-)
Staying on the wall....No power or water, we ran the generator.
7/16 (Sunday) - Traveled from Kingston locks to Confederate Marina in Kingston. It was only a 5 mile cruise; but, we needed a pump out and wait for a bridge opening. Our slip wasn't available until after 11am so we left the locks a little after 9am.
In Canada, the marina / dock staff handle all pump outs and with that comes a charge. We have two "black water" tanks, in the past we have only been charged for one. The Kingston pump out station charged us for both tanks, $30 each tank - ouch! Everywhere we have traveled to thus far have only charged us for one, even though their policy is to charge per tank.
Joel and I had dinner at "THE KEG" a chain in Canada. The food was good. We ate at THE KEG in Montreal and was pleased with our food choice and was equally pleased here. I had a pistachio encrusted salmon (this may be "as good" as the Salmon I had in Savannah, GA - Delegal Marina).
Small world, while at Confederate marina, a boat pulled in beside us from Manchester, NH (Boat Name: Lucky Chicklett, nicknames of the boat owners: Jeff and Shannon). They know several people Joel worked with in Merrimack (Roland and John Mills). How crazy is that?! They are in the beginning phase of their loop so it was nice to hear their excitement and the places they plan to visit.
7/17 (Monday) - We took the hop on / hop off trolley. These are very informational and you learn a lot throughout the ride. We hopped off and visited the Penitentiary and Ft. Henry (a military base here in Kingston).
Kingston Penitentiary (known locally as KP and Kingston Pen) is a former maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario.
Constructed from 1833 to 1834 and opened on June 1, 1835,
Two Riots:
On August 14, 1954, a two-hour riot broke out in the penitentiary—the worst in its history up to that point—involving 900 inmates. During the riot a breakout was attempted, but was foiled by the guards at the gate. The trouble apparently began during a morning baseball game in the exercise yard, when a guard was attacked, followed by several inmates setting fire to various buildings in the yard, including the shops and a warehouse, causing an estimated $2 million in damages.
On April 14, 1971, a riot lasted four days and resulted in the death of two inmates and destruction of much of the prison. Six correctional officers were held hostage, but all were eventually released unharmed. The prisoners issued formal grievances to the media including lack of recreational time, lack of work, and concerns about their future conditions in the newly built Millhaven Prison. During the riot, two prisoners, the child molester, Brian Ensor, and Bertrand Robert, a man who killed his five children, were murdered by the other prisoners.
If interested in more, check it out here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston_Penitentiary#1971
There were 6 of these houses on the penitentiary grounds, used for family visits. A prisoner would to apply to use it, have good behavior and pay for food for him and the family members staying there. I believe they could get a full two days (1 night).
Each prisoner had a work assignment. A prisoner would earn between $5 or $6 dollars a day, so much of that went into a savings account for them to "cash" in upon their release. The rest could be used to purchase items; such as clothing, canteen items, radios and books for their rooms.
Pic 1 & 2 is a typical cell. Pic 3 was a maximum security door (when a person did something wrong or needed to be separated from the general population). It was a heavy door w/ a window. There is a lever midway down the door for food to be handed off. These prisoner's would only get 1 hour of yard time per day (by them selves in a small concrete area about 200 square feet of room).
Some random pictures, it was eerie. The tour guide, Connor, stated it is haunted and has witnessed it himself. We took a 1.5 hour tour and some of the retired guards spoke. For privacy reasons, we were NOT allowed to take pictures that included guards (unless you asked permission). There are several books written about the Kingston Penitentiary.
Fort Henry never saw military action, it was used as a prison for combatants captured during the 1837-38 Rebellions and again during the first and Second World Wars. During the 20th century it was restored and interpreted for public visitation.
The fort and the point on which the fort was built were named after Henry Hamilton, former Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Quebec.
Officers and high ranking military bought into their position. With each rank came special accommodations. Privates, lower ranked personnel, were not allowed to marry and had small bunk rooms.
The Fort was opened as a museum and historic site "in the name of all British soldiers who served there" by Prime Minister Mackenzie King in August 1938. During World War II, Fort Henry became Camp 31, a Prisoner of War camp for enemy merchant seamen, soldiers, sailors and airmen.
Below: Pic 1: Shout out to my friend, Amanda, the baker's quarters. Pic 2: The beer cellar!
There are four Martello towers (Murney Tower, Shoal Tower, Cathcart Tower and the Fort Frederick Tower) in Kingston – along with Fort Henry and the Market Battery,
Murney Tower (originally known as Murray Tower) was constructed in 1846 as part of the new naval defenses authorized for Kingston Harbour by the Imperial government during the Oregon Crisis of 1845-46.
Shoal Tower was built by the British government from 1846 to 1847 as one of four Martello towers and the Market Battery, in order to reinforce Kingston's existing defense system in response to the anticipated American threat during the Oregon Crisis.
Cathcart Tower is located on Cedar Island, which is within St. Lawrence Islands National Park of Canada. This limestone tower, built in 1848, is 11 m high and 16,5 m in diameter.
The Fort Frederick Martello Tower was built by the Royal Engineers in 1846 based on plans drawn in 1816, and reworked in 1845 by Colonel Holloway, Commanding Royal Engineer for Canada.
7/18 (Tuesday) - Kingston has a Farmer's market, 3 times a week with a variety of things (produce, jewelry and other items). We loopers like the farmer's markets because most of the time it is easier to get produce from the market vs. the local grocery.
Had dinner at Everly's (a steakhouse). They talked me into this Rose' (orange in color wine), it had notes of Blue Cheese and Brie. It pairs well with steaks. They have their own wine store so my guess is it would be hard to get anywhere outside of Kingston.
7/19 - (Wednesday) - We have been in Kingston for 4 days, as we plan for departure for Thursday, Joel replaced the horn (it went out last week). It is an air horn, apparently, it needs to be oiled every 3 months. Who knew? We have had the boat for 3+ years and never did that. Joel also worked on the water spout on the boat. After Joel got the bulk of the horn work done, I went for a walk while Joel worked on the other items.
Bank Gastrobar: In 1845, the Bank of Montreal opened its first purpose-built branch in Kingston. Previously, the bank had relied on bank agents, who operated out of post offices or retail stores in different communities. There had been a bank agent in Kingston since 1817, the first in Upper Canada. This new branch, at the corner of King and William streets, was designed by architect Edward Crane.
The bank was on the first floor. (Today, the Bank Gastrobar is on the footprint of the original bank floor: the bar is where the teller’s cage would have been, and the vault is now a private dining room that seats eight.) The bank manager and his family lived on the second floor. The bank tellers lived on the third floor, and the security staff lived in the basement.
The Bank Gastrobar - was on our list as "a must see," a restaurant in an old bank. Side note: The bartender made beautiful drinks!
The Pastries in Canada are wonderful.
These are butter tarts and apparently a "must have" while in Canada. They are yummy and we have had our share! We have given some to boat neighbors, who seem to love them just as much as we do!
Chocolate Lovers:
Some colorful chocolates, they taste yummy. I only picked 6; but, they had several to choose from.
They had a flavor called the "Ryan Reynolds," he is a Canadian actor. I didn't realize that was an option when I selected. I selected by color :-), bright and cheerful.
The comments about the Ryan Reynolds is - What is dreamy, spicy and just sweet enough to be Canadian? Chili infused flowing caramel that Ryan has not yet endorsed - lol... but they say if they get enough tweets, may he will, if you tweet him: #VancityReynolds.
< In my opinion, the worst: "A night in Madras": coconut cream, a turmeric-cumin-chili blend and white chocolate.
< In my opinion, the best: "Dark Passion": dark chocolate ganache drenched in pure passionfruit puree.
7/20 - (Thursday) - We anchored in a nice little cove (Sandy Bay). Boaters refer to anchoring as "on the hook". Originally, we rafted with Arabella and LG2; but the winds picked up a little after putting a lot of pressure on Arabella's boat. Side note: When rafting, the larger boat drops the hook (anchor) and the other boats pull along side basically use that boat like a dock. Arabella is 48 ft, Summer Place and LG2 are 42 ft.
When the winds picked up, we decided to separate the boats. After doing so, we settled in for the night. Keyla and Jane R. (back home in St. Louis) were taking care of Grampy / Ray (see update below) and keeping us updated on his surgery status. We are so blessed and thankful for them and all of our friends back home (they are truly helping us make this adventure possible).
Later in the night, around midnight, Joel was awake, watching weather and noticed we were "dragging" meaning the anchor is not secure on the lake bottom. He never woke me up so he was tired on Friday.
7/21 - (Friday) - More than likely we will be starting the Trent-Severn by the weekend. This will take about a week and then onto the Georgian Bay. Fellow boaters and local Canadians tell us these next bodies of water are JUST as beautiful as the Rideau. We are looking forward to these next legs of the trip. We will stay at a marina this evening (fill up on water and fuel).
Random Information & Other Stuff
Grampy Update:
Grampy had a set-back. Everything seemed to be on track, Julie returned home and started the process of finding in-home care to assist with minor things until he can get back on his feet so to speak. He has been complaining of his leg hurting since his return from the 2nd heart stint. Well, he had a blockage. Everything happened so fast! Julie got a call from the dr's office stating we should bring him in to rule out a blood clot.
Jonathan took him both Tuesday and Wednesday. His Tuesday appointment confirmed he had a blockage and Wednesday's appointment was to prep and prepare him for surgery on Thursday. Our amazing friends and neighbors jumped in (yet again) to assist. Jan W. gave him a shot Wednesday night, Keyla took him to the surgery (got him prepped) and Jane finished it up and made sure he was tucked in for the night. Thank you to the prayer warriors: Sue K, Evelyn S, Julie D, Becky H, Shelia R, Patty D, Kathy J, Kelly H, Marsha B,Jan S, and anyone else I may have left out (apologies if I left someone out)... it has been overwhelming to say the least. Julie Boisselle has taken on the brunt of things (from afar).
Grampy / Ray is currently in the hospital, we hope to find out what next steps are this afternoon (rehab or going home). Watch for an update next week!
Loons:
Loons are water birds, only going ashore to mate and incubate eggs. Their legs are placed far back on their bodies, allowing efficient swimming but only awkward movement on land. Loons are agile swimmers, but they move pretty fast in the air, too. Migrating loons have been clocked flying at speeds more than 70 mph.
Did you know they carry their babies on their back for
Unlike adult loons, a young loon chick is able to walk upright on land. Although they can swim immediately after hatching, chicks spend a lot of time riding on their parents' backs during the first several days of their lives. This helps to regulate their body temperature and protects them from underwater predators.
Sad News, while on this trip we miss out on fun things as well as things that are not so pleasant. My Aunt Peggy (in Alabama) passed away on Sunday, 7/16. She was 93/94 and an amazing lady! As a pre-teen, my cousin, Corey, and I spent a few summers with her, had a blast and made great memories. I talked to her a couple of weeks prior to her passing and she was the same ole positive person, telling me to enjoy my trip and not to worry (she was told she didn't have much longer to live). I am so thankful, I went to see her before the trip! Her daughters, Iris and Tina are in my thoughts and prayers!
Mail & Packages:
Curious about international mailing? Well, here's a bit of a story about that. Hopefully, I can share the short version. Joel needed boat parts; but, the vendor didn't ship to Canada. Joel mailed them to our Wildwood home, Julie (Joel's sister) shipped them to us in Canada to Confederate marina. Side note: she had to complete custom papers. Joel was tracking the package based on numbers Julie provided. When package reached Canada, we had to pay a tax ($100.00) so that the marina could receive the package (Marina's will not accept packages with outstanding fees). When we arrived at Confederation, we were told the package was declined because they DO NOT accept ANY packages. The package was in the process of being returned to the sender (Julie - who was no longer at our house). Joel got on the phone with UPS right away who would NOT re-route the package without senders approval. Joel tried to explain we were the sender; but, they wouldn't buy it! Julie ended up calling. The package was then routed to a local UPS store (about 2 miles away from the marina). Tuesday, we GOT the package FINALLY!
Calling out a couple of things:
1) While we were checking in, the marina handed out two packages to our boater friends, LG2. The only thing we could think of the pkgs must have been delivered after hours and they could not "reject" them.
2) A local boater (that keeps his boat at the marina) offered his home address for our package to be delivered too, that was very kind!
3) Another boater received a package and stated the desk clerk at the marina replied, "I am not sure how this package got delivered, we don't accept packages".
Maps of the trip:
July 15 - Rideau Harbor Marina to Kingston Locks (Ontario, Canada)
July 16 - Kingston Locks (Ontario, Canada), flight of 3 to Confederate Marina (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
July 20 - Confederate Marina (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) to Sandy Bay (Anchorage in Ontario, Canada)
July 21 - Sandy Bay (Anchorage in Ontario, Canada) to Trent Port Marina (Trenton, Ontario, Canada)
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