The adventures of MR5 as she cruises America's Great Loop
Young’s Point to Kirkfield
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 to Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Traveling on the Trent-Severn is equal parts adventure and concentration! Between the locks, narrow channels, and ever-changing conditions, it definitely keeps you on your toes. The upside? It gives you the perfect excuse to slow down, stay in the moment, and soak in all the wonderful sights and quirky scenes along the waterway. There’s never a dull moment—and always something interesting to smile about.
Young’s Point to Bobcaygeon
Some mini rapids — or should I say “rapid”.It’s a little bit of an obstacle course at times.St. Peter’s-on-the-Rock. It’s only accessible by boat and is located on Stony Lake near the narrow Hell’s Gate channel. It’s watching over us boaters.This totem pole appears to be topped with a moose carving so this counts as our moose sighting.On this leg, the weather went from bad……to worse! We were being pummeled by rain which greatly impacted visibility.And it would continue for quite some time. This is one of the Bigley stores in Bobcaygeon. The Bigleys seem to own a number of establishments including the ice cream shop. And, of course, we just had to visit the local Yacht Club.This Yacht Club has covered storage. I wonder if we can get some of these at SYC. Hmmm?
Bobcaygeon to Kirkfield
Each lock has a different method of displaying the name of the lock. The Fenelon lock wins the award for the largest display. Now, this is the largest guard dog we’ve encountered thus far. I’ll bet it works well at keeping the geese away.This long, narrow passageway reminds me of the Stephen King movie, The Shining.And it would truly be a horror if we were to get too close the edge of the channel.The beautiful, elusive loon. We have seen a few but have yet to hear their melodious song.This crew member is happy because the end is in sight. But, wait, what lies ahead? Are we about to fall off the edge of world?No, it’s just the second largest lift lock in the world.This one is descending 49 feet.We had an unexpected guest on our ride. We are safely at the bottom and leaving the lock.After a long day, we decided to tie up to the wall at the Kirkfield Lock and observe the process.A view two boats making the decentA side view of the two chambers, or capstans, awaiting passengersA view of the hydraulic lift below one of the chambersThe lift parts explained The lift process explainedA peaceful night on the wall
