The adventures of MR5 as she cruises America's Great Loop
One last lock then onto Penetanguisheen
July 25, 2026 through July 29, 2026
We finally reached the last lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway — Lock #45 in Port Severn! 🎉 And what a journey it has been.
Over the course of our adventure, we travelled 240 statute miles and navigated a grand total of 44 locks (apparently, there is no Lock #29 — just to keep things interesting!). Along the way, we climbed a remarkable 596 feet (182 metres) to reach the summit at Balsam Lake, before beginning our descent — another 262 feet (80 metres) — toward Georgian Bay, the eastern section of Lake Huron.
Needless to say, reaching the end of the Waterway felt like a pretty big accomplishment. We were ready to celebrate — and perhaps give our lock lines, fenders, and dirty gloves a well-earned rest!
After completing the Waterway, we spent several wonderfully relaxing days at Hindson’s Marina in Penetanguishene, Ontario, taking a breather and plotting our next adventure through Georgian Bay and the Thirty Thousand Islands. It was a perfect place to slow down for a few days, enjoy the scenery, and remind ourselves that boating isn’t always about navigating locks!
We loved wandering the docks at the marina, admiring scores of beautiful classic boats — many of them so pristine that again we felt like we stepped back in time. They were a real treat to see.
We also managed to get off the boat for a couple of leisurely bike rides through Penetang Park and Midland, which gave us a chance to stretch our legs and explore a little more of the area on two wheels.
It was a wonderful few days of relaxing, exploring, boat-gazing, and planning what comes next.
Here are some of the highlights from our time there…
Lock #45! Woo-hoo! The final lock in the Trent-Severn Waterway. Now, we get a break from locking until the inland rivers.An interesting wall on the way to the marina.This is the public marina across on the way to our Marina.This would be our home marina for the next five days as we prepared for venturing out into Georgian Bay.We enjoyed walking the wide spacious docks and looking at all the classic boats……such as well maintained Chris Craft……and this one. And there were many, many more.This was my favorite. I think I could have fun driving this one. It’s like a boat version of a clown car.Saint Ann’s Parish in Penetanguisheen. It’s another limestone beauty built in 1886.We came across this enormous sculpture of a mariner’s astrolabe (an ancient, multi-purpose astronomical tool) located in the Penetang Park on the route to Midland.This sizeable and beautiful tug at the Midland Town Dock reminds us of our friends on the boat Tug Along, whom we haven’t seen since leaving Hastings.Located at the Midland Town Dock, this is a 20-foot-tall Trumpeter Swan with a 25-foot wingspan, sculpted by local artist Ron Hunt and installed in 2001.This is one of many beautiful, historical murals found on buildings in downtown Midland.The current Midland Public Library building was constructed in 1913-1914 as a federal government building. It was later renovated and opened as the public library in 1967.Dino’s (Chris’ late brother’s namesake) is a popular lunch stop in Midland. The menu isn’t extensive but they are well known for their Mile High Sandwiches…and we can substantiate that claim.It was a fiery moon over the marina that evening.Another bike ride through Penetang parkThis sculpture by Timothy P. Schmalz is titled, “The Meeting,” and is a celebration of two people, two faiths and two distinct cultures coming together 400 years ago. The reverse side is just as ornate and full of meaning.At Discovery Harbor, we received a history lesson on this royal navy base that never came to be because the War of 1812 ended before its completion.
