Entering Davis Lock
by Paula Huber
June 1, 2002, the wind howled sending strong gusts slashing the waters of Mooney’s Bay, Rideau River. My heart thumped as my husband gave me a shove and I slid across the choppy water in my 12-ft. Sun Flight kayak. My Rideau Canal journey had begun, an 11-day paddle from Hog’s Back lock station, Ottawa, to Portsmouth Marina, Kingston, a distance of 190 kilometres.
A visit to my daughter, who attends Kemptville College, a few months before had planted the seeds of this adventure. We had a picnic lunch at Burritt’s Rapids lock station. One look at the serene surroundings and the still, flat waters of the canal beckoned me to paddle the system.
The historic Rideau Waterway is a national treasure. After the War of 1812 the threat of an American invasion necessitated the construction of an inland water route to Kingston to avoid attack on the St. Lawrence River. Colonel By and his Royal Engineers constructed the canal system (1826-1832), to allow British gunboats and supply safe passage from Montreal, through the interior, to Kingston. Today much of the system is tranquil and pastoral, while other parts encompass modern cities and cottage settlements. Two publications were used to plan and research my trip: Rideau Waterway, by Robert Legget and Rideau Boating and Road Guide, a Parks Canada Publication.
My kayak had been purchased a year previous to this trip. Always one to seek out adventure I was looking for an activity to keep myself fit and enjoy the wilds of the outdoors on a solo basis. A sea kayak would satisfy my need to be on the water, explore nature, and provide plenty of exercise. Two Canadian companies, Sun Kayak, and Simon River Sports had well-built, durable products that fit my small body frame. The Flight is a plastic, bombproof compact (12’ 6″), light (39 pounds) kayak which fits inside my van. The SRS paddles are short in length, durable and extremely light weight. I took to the sport immediately, spending many hours paddling on Lake Ontario (Toronto area) and Lake Erie (Long Point Bay area). The kayak performed so well in big lake waters that I was soon thinking of a one to two week solo expedition.
A bit of customizing, trimming the seat back lower, adding extra knee/thigh padding, and neoprene gasket seals around the hatches and the boat was ready. Being fit for my age, having many years experience boating/diving the Great Lakes and various oceans and a love of wilderness camping and adventures meant I was prepared. The challenge was loading and paddling the kayak for an 11-day journey. I am a light packer and have been known to wear the same clothing day after day for up to 3 weeks on wilderness adventures. Clothing was a non-issue, the challenge was food, camping, cooking and safety equipment.
The first step was to bring the kayak into my living room and make 3 piles of the gear (light, heavy, very heavy) that I was planning to take with me. I learned very quickly that small, elongated bags work best. After numerous packing attempts and much elimination of “stuff” I had the kayak packed so that it would paddle on trim. Never having paddled with a full boat I had no idea what the performance would be on the water. In the end, my many years of boating experience paid off and I had a fully stuffed kayak that handled well, glided smoothly and was stable. My objective was to have everything inside the kayak except compass, spare paddle, paddle float, map case etc. Not a hope! My clothes were triple bagged and tied on top of the kayak immediately behind me. A tip over and I was prepared to cut the tethers of the bag so I had a chance of righting the boat. The bag did provide a nice soft backrest when I was lazy paddling.
Food, now there was a challenge. I am a meat eater who likes real food not bulgar, couscous etc. There was the problem. In future I will test cook and eat every meal before trips. I have plans to dehydrate my own meal creations for my next adventure. A better mix of food groups next time will satisfy my hunger. (Oatmeal just doesn’t provide enough lasting energy per gram consumed.)
I used the Parks Canada book as my navigation/information guide. Basic navigation skills and common sense were all that was needed to find my way. The system is well marked with channel markers even in the larger bodies of water. A one way Transit Lockage Permit and a small camping fee at the lock stations was reasonably priced. Most of the locks are still hand operated. For most of the trip I was the only one locking through at the stations. The lock staff were pleasant and friendly, always willing to operate the locks just for me in my 12-ft. kayak. Camping is allowed at all lock stations. Drinking water and flush toilets are added luxuries.
Daily paddles were gauged according to distances between lock stations and closing times of the stations. During the week 4:30 p.m. was last lock through and 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. I tried to lock through and camp on the downside so I could leave anytime the next morning and not have to wait for the lockmaster to arrive at 8:30 a.m. A key to the washroom was also available if I arrived before closing. Paddle days ranged from 6 to 35 kilometres. The direction of paddling was from Ottawa to Kingston, due to the convenience of leaving my van parked at Portsmouth Marina, Kingston.
I am not a “zoom down the water, how many miles can I do in a day” person. I have too much self-confidence for that nonsense. I was prepared to abort the trip and try again another time it I found it too physically challenging, had boat problems or became injured. I enjoy the outdoors and solo travelling. The serenity of travelling solo with no distance or time constraints made the trip enjoyable and fun. Some days were difficult paddles (wind, very hot temperatures) where self-discipline ticked off the kilometres using technical, mechanical strokes. Other days, gusty winds accompanied by driving rain produced a soaked, exhilarated paddler who shouted for joy at being alive and able to experience the situation. Being alone gave me the freedom to control my day.
Many times I lounged and savoured the moment. It is more difficult alone, because I was tied, hungry, and sometimes wet and cold at the end of the day. It was I who had to pitch camp, prepare food, clean up and pack the kayak for the night. A sense of pride and accomplishment definitely is the result of all the effort. One can discover one’s true self when physically challenged. If you give up you don’t proceed. Whining won’t help; there is no one to hear it. Self-confidence and physical and mental fitness are the result of reaching limits.
Whenever I became overwhelmed, too hot or too tired I landed and stopped. I ate, drank and lots of times took a dip in the water to cool off body and mind. Then I would sit awhile to savour the experience, and feeling of freedom and accomplishment. It didn’t matter if I finished the route, paddled 6 or 35 kilometres in a day. What was important was how I felt about what I was doing. I did this for me; Ellesmere Island here I come.