Bad Google Review
The saying goes, “You can’t please everyone all the time”. Well, Schuyler and its management received a bad review from the current passenger, my brother, Bill.
His review: “This cruise has failed to meet nearly every expectation I had and that was a low bar to start with! First, I’m used to getting up at the crack of noon, so these early morning wake up calls are completely ridiculous. Not only am I woken up at an ungodly hour, eggs benedict in never on the menu for breakfast - ever! Then, after waking me up and not feeding me in accordance with my expectations, I am expected to climb all over this boat performing monkey tricks (without bananas) handling lines and fenders going through locks all day. To top it all off, the steward department ran out of Jack Daniels for my end-of-the-day attitude adjustment! My concerns have been met with disrespect and rudeness by management. I’m only giving this cruise one star because I can’t give it zero stars. Beware to all that follow me - you’ve been warned!”
My response: This passenger has done nothing but whine and complain since he got on the boat and he lost a fender along the way. Mom always liked him best anyway. The floggings will continue until moral improves!
In other news, we got out of the Port of Orillia marina this morning on time (way too early according to at least one of us) in order to time a train bridge opening at 9 AM. When we arrived at the bridge right on time, we were boat 5 in line waiting for it to open. Eventually, the first boats turned around and left after seeing a sign that there was expected to be a high volume of train traffic and the bridge would not be opening until “eleven-ish”. The bridge has a 14 foot clearance and Schuyler is 18 feet tall so we made the boat into a convertible by collapsing the two biminis and radar mast and made it under the bridge with 6 inches to spare. That move probably saved 5-6 hours of waiting during the day.
We just transited “The Big Chute” Marine Railway. Bill said that it’s the craziest thing he’s ever done on a boat and that’s saying something! Instead of a lock (or a series of locks) descending 59 feet, boats are loaded on a special railway car supported by sling cradles. The railway, starts up and over a roadway and then down into the lower body of water. It was interesting, fun, and very cool all at the same time.
We completed the Trent-Severn Waterway today when we passed through Lock 45 at Port Severn. From there, it’s on Victoria Harbour Marina tonight and on to Georgian Bay tomorrow. Also happening tomorrow, the Complainer-in-Chief is getting off and heading back home to Delaware. We’ve really enjoyed the TSW. The entirety of the TSW has been beautiful, some of it spectacular, and all of it memorable.
Four boats ahead of us waiting for the railroad bridge to open.
Schuyler as a convertible with an air draft of 13’6”
Note the caboose as a dwelling
Waiting at Lock 43 for an opening
Lock 43 has a 47’ foot drop
A boat ahead of us being lifted up on the Big Chute Marine Railway
Completely out of the water and heading up and over the roadway
Up she goes!
There are 2 other boats on the railway besides the big one
Our turn to go up and over the road
At the top looking down 60+ feet
Down we go
Almost to the bottom