Aug 22, Hastings, ON

On toward Hastings today, a trip of about 20 miles and six more locks.

Some turbulence below the lock as the water is released. We are tied up on the "Blue Line" so the lockmaster knows we are waiting to go through.

Most locks are beside a hydro-electric power plant with rapids below as the water is discharged to make the power.

This is pretty countryside with the rivers and lakes and vacation homes. There are hills surrounding most lakes and the whole area has a summer resort atmosphere.






Two of these locks raised us 27 feet at a time and in one stretch of 3 locks where we were lifted 75 feet in a quarter mile from a lower lake to a higher lake. It was quite an engineering feat to connect all these lakes and rivers into a usable waterway. Many of these locks have celebrated their 100th anniversary since opening.

This is a double lock lifting us 27 feet at a time.

Hastings is a small town with our last lock of the day right in town.


There is a marina and several restaurants, a book store and a "collectibles" store that has a supply of furniture, brick-a-brack and 8 tracks for your music collection. Haven't seen those in a while. Several stores sell fishing supplies and worms and there are many fishermen fishing the spillway of the dam which forms the edge of the lake at the top of the lock. Lots of water is being released over the spillway and it make a pretty sight to see the rushing water churning below the small dam.