On day 2 of our
Rideau Canal cruise, the Kawartha Voyageur sailed from Hartwell Locks near Carleton University in Ottawa to Burritts Rapids, about 60 kilometers away.
We sailed under numerous bridges as we crossed the city.
Some were high enough that those on the top deck could remain standing as we went under. But at other times, we had to sit down to avoid bumping our heads.
Sometimes the captain's cabin had to be lowered (the captain steering with his head sticking out of a hole in the roof - as in the photo on the left!)
As we traveled through the city, I tried to keep track of where we were, but it all looked so different from the water!
Much of the time, we could see lovely homes with private piers.
At times, I did lose my bearings as the river meandered and divided into different channels.
The Rideau Canal passage includes natural lakes and rivers as well as sections of man-made canal.
En route to Burritts Rapids, we passed through several city locks. One I had never visited was Lock 13, at Black Rapids, which is mechanically operated. In the picture on the left, a young woman - a summer student, perhaps - was pushing the buttons to control the lock doors, under the watchful eye of the lockmaster.
Most of the locks we passed through on our 5-day trip are still opened and shut manually. It would be a physical workout for anyone to open and shut the lock doors.
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