Dragonfly Boating: Bolsover to Orillia, ON

The weather forecast yesterday was the same as the day before—intermittent rain showers in the morning with possible thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. The winds were expected to be light from the south, which was favorable for crossing Lake Simcoe, the largest body of water on the Trent-Severn, at 16 by 20 miles across and known for quickly developing choppy conditions. The weather was expected to turn in the evening, with higher north winds through Tuesday, very unfavorable for crossing Lake Simcoe. Decision time: Risk the rain and get across Simcoe, or hole up in our safe, but very remote, marina for several days. We opted to go. The rain forecasts have been wildly inaccurate, we can handle getting wet (it is a water sport, after all) and our next stop would be Orillia, ON, a city of 31,000, with a protected harbor and things to do. Our first obstacles were more of the Trent Canal’s narrow sections, five locks and one swing bridge before we got to the lake, but the stars aligned and Parks Canada was en pointe to get us through quickly. Kathleen did the quinfecta of locks at the helm, and more than one Lockmaster warned us about the weather and gave us advice on bailout options if we got caught in a storm. Fortunately, the forecast was once again overcautious, and we never got wet, although we did have to outrun one big thunderstorm as we steamed north on Lake Simcoe, with a one-foot following sea. After passing through the Atherly Narrows, we were on Lake Couchiching, and soon docked at the Port of Orillia, after 24 miles and minutes ahead of another thunderstorm. Whew!!

The Port of Orillia is a top-notch municipal, transient-only marina right in town and the Orillia waterfront is almost entirely parkland, connected by paths. The city is the birthplace and childhood home of singer-songwriter and Canadian national treasure Gordon Lightfoot. His song “Couchiching” is all about his hometown. Map Link: Orillia, ON

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/track/4S3izWlu9sGYsJIDdWCs9J?si=tONw4VE4RnOQWepezbXegA&context=spotify%3Asearch%3Acouchiching

Bonus Question: Is Gordon Lightfoot alive or dead? (Answer at end of post)

We ate dinner onboard, then went for a walk on the waterfront. The weather did turn sour as predicted, with grey skies and a stiff, chilly north wind. We plan to stay in Orillia to wait out the blustery conditions.

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