The most interesting thing about this canal, it that this bridge charges to swing...$4.95 per boat. Can you see the man with the cup on a stick collecting the cash? (The sail boat behind us sort of blocked this photo...but we couldn't resist.) We thought it was a hoot!

After the last bridge, we pull to the wall...tied up, and spent a calm evening....watching kids swim and dive from the swing bridge, other boats passing though, and even walking up to the Variety Store for ice cream....then about 9 a boat showed up wondering why the bridge wouldn't respond. Oh, yea, closed two hours ago...so we helped them tie up... they proceeded to drink and party the night away. Needless to say, we didn't feel too bad about firing up our BIG engines at O'dark thirty. It is the call of the wild!!!!

(Oh, I forgot to mention that while we were in Trenton we off loaded those Bikes...haven't used them at all this trip, they are always in my way when docking, and you know how I HATE riding them. Good riddance...hope some one else likes and uses them more than me.)

Good bye Trenton...Hello Murray Canal. We decided to take a shorter route back across Lake Ontario through the canal. We needed to leave Trenton on Sunday evening in order to get through two low bridges that closed at 7:00 pm and then didn't open until 8:30 AM. Since we needed 8 hours to cross...that meant O'dark thirty. So off, we went.

The marina pretty much emptied out every morning...and then by the time Craig and Sandy (owners/operators) left at night it was full of boats. They were a great two man team...and sold ice cream as well.... MOMOUSE was definitely the biggest we saw...at 50 feet...but you can see by this photo that there were plenty of big boats.

Everything we've read by folks who are looping mentions the great people you meet...and we are in total agreement. At Trenton, we met Steve and Nancy from Belleville, Ontario Canada. Their son, wife and almost three week old baby visited that evening. We drank too much, laughed, told all those boating stories you have heard before, and had some really good pizza. (Evidently there is a trick to ordering it just right...or you get cheese on the bottom instead of the top. Who knew?) And you can see who else Floyd and I were attracted to...the cutest and most well behaved dog we have encountered...Brandy, the pom-shitzsu mix. He sure seemed comfortable aboard our boat as well. But we couldn't convince Steve or Nancy to let him stay. We were sad to see them leave Trenton the next morning. But we did promise to call when we return next year.

That weekend was a Big Bass fishing tournament as well...so every morning they launched across the river from us. (Or so Floyd says, I never witnessed it myself.) Then in the afternoon, they started lining up to weigh in. Again, we had good seats for watching.

Frazer Park Marina was delightful...and every day was like watching a jigsaw puzzle unravel and come together. Big boats, little boats, sail boats, fish and ski boats...all fitting together perfectly. And we had the best view in the house. Facing the waterway one direction, the marina and bridge the other way...the park gazebo behind us...where at 6:oo pm sharp a concert started. Band wasn't the best we've heard (probably not the worst either) but we did have the best seats in the house...got to eat another serving of that gourmet bacon-wrapped pork, enjoy our wine, Floyd had his cigar...and we never left the comfort our aft deck. The other ammenity this marina offered was laundry pick up and delivery. Who could resist??? So, while we enjoyed the concert and meal, our laundry was done, folded, and delivered. Oh, yes, we are roughing it!!!!