Boating with Sunset Delight: TI: Brockville, Canada

Sunday 7/29/2018
Depart: Clayton, NY 9:10
Arrive: Brockville Canada Municipal Marina 12:10
Distance: 28 nm

Navigating the waters around the islands can be a bit confusing as everywhere one looks one sees yet another island.

Islands on St. Lawrence River

Highly-terraced House

House on Bedrock Island

Along the way to Brockville we passed "Singer Castle" owned by the fifth CEO of the Singer Corporation. Unlike Boldt Castle, Singer Castle was finished and lived in by the family. Although we could have stopped for a tour, we decided two castles in two days would be one too many and kept going.

Singer Castle

Looking back at Singer Castle and Boathouse

We arrived in Brockville to find the AGLCA Harbor Host, Bob, standing on the dock to greet us. Before we could do much socializing, however, we had to check in with Canadian customs. It took Clark quite a while on hold before he finally got his check-in number and approval.

Arriving at Brockville Canada

Tall Ships Landing - Condo complex
- tallest building in Brockville

By the dock where we tied up

Brockville Harbor

After we got settled in, we walked with Bob to see the famous train tunnel in town.

Light show and music in tunnel with
Occasional sound effects and lights of an oncoming train

After a quick peak at the tunnel, we walked back to Bob's condo at Tall Ships Landing to meet his wife Mavis. They have great views from their condo.

After Clark and I left the condo, we went back to the boat and grabbed our bikes. We found out they have a nice bike trail in town, and we decided some time on wheels would be a great way to see the area. We headed east to the end of the trail then passed through town to pick up the west end of the trail.

Biking along the St Lawrence River

Caboose

Swimming Hole dating to 1922 and before

Historic Home on road up hill to Court House

Mural on a Law Office Building

View of town from Courthouse site

Courthouse

"Sally Grant" Lady Liberty
statue on top of courthouse

Historical Marker describing the courthouse and jail
(in French!)

Rowhouses in Brockville Canada

We thoroughly enjoyed our small biking excursion off the water and into the trees.

Wooden Bridge on Bike Trail

Brockville Museum
(we did not stop in today)

Boardwalk along the river

Marker describing local events of War of 1812

The trail took us right onto the Tall Ships Landing condo property which we followed back to our marina.

Following the tracks to TSL

We planned to eat dinner with Bob and Mavis this evening. After our bike ride, we both grabbed showers and then headed out to the Buell Street Bistro to meet them. Just as we left our boat, we saw the "Black Jack" tall ship come in to dock at the harbor. The captain battled the wind with a somewhat ineffective crew as he struggled to get the boat to dock.

We left for our walk to the restaurant early enough that we could go there via a walk through the tunnel. With Bob, we only walked a short distance in, and we wanted to see the whole tunnel. The walk through the tunnel doubled the distance to the restaurant as the tunnel brought us out near the courthouse and then we had to walk back down towards downtown.

Signs every few feet describe the tunnel and its construction c.1860.

Mineral deposits on walls from constantly dripping water

Periodic Road signs
This one says James Street is 56' above!

"Light at the End of the Tunnel"

We enjoyed our dinner with Bob and Mavis at the restaurant and then we all went in search of ice cream. Outside the ice cream stand we found a metal sculpture. Mavis explained that it was built to resemble a real person who dressed in the clothes of a hobo annually for a parade in town and pushed a trained chicken in a stroller.