By the time we got to the lock, less than 20 minutes away, there were several boats ahead of us. The lock master informed us that it could take almost three hours to go through the lock system. Jonny was very frustrated as he wanted to beat the rush and get to Kingston in time to make arrangements for some repairs. Oh, well! In the long run, we proceeded through each of the seven locks swiftly and smoothly.
This marked the end of our wonderful cruise through the Rideau Canal. This canal, commissioned in 1827 and finished in 1832 consists of beautiful rivers and lakes connected by 49 locks. The Rideau Canal is Ontario’s only World Heritage Site and its unique character, history and beauty make it very deserving of that designation.
After a five and a half hour cruise we arrived at the Kingston Marina. This was very much a working marina with no frills at all but with a reputation for having a cadre of competent marine repairmen which was our priority as we have a pesky fuel leak. We were tied up by helpful dockmates, one of whom was familiar with our long term home on the Venetian Causeway, having anchored there in the past.
That afternoon we relaxed for a while and then went for a walk through Kingston, a very attractive small city midway between Montreal and Toronto. Kingston, with a population of 160,000, is situated on the St. Lawrence River. It has beautiful limestone and red brick architecture and a vibrant waterfront and downtown area.
That afternoon we had a beer at the Kingston Brewery, one of the oldest breweries in the city.
And later we had dinner at Chez Piggy, an excellent restaurant that was opened in the 1970’s by one of the members of The Lovin’ Spoonful (for those who are old enough to remember that popular band)!
On Friday, two marine mechanics came to address our fuel leak. After tightening things up more than Jonny already had, they determined that we had no major issues to be concerned about. Jonny was greatly relieved. We spent the rest of the day on a tour of the city aboard the on-again, off-again bus, stopping only to pick up a package of fuel additives that had been delivered to the pick up location at the local university.
We continued our city tour and stopped at another popular brew pub, called the Publix House where we met a friendly local man and his Argentinian wife. Heading back to Zendo, we rested for a couple of hours before venturing out for our dinner at Le Chien Noir Bistro, another excellent restaurant. Both restaurants were recommended by friends who we will be visiting when we get to the 1000 Islands planned for the next day. Kingston is a great city that we definitely enjoyed and would recommend to others. It reminded us somewhat of Burlington, VT and Portland, ME. They seem to be of a similar size with a funky yet sophisticated vibe. We should also note that these Canadian cities and towns are totally decked out with flowers and plantings everywhere you look. It’s as if they are overcompensating for the long cold winters and fully celebrating the long-awaited summer!
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