05 August 2005 First Trip on the Rideau



08 Aug 2005- I was doing a course which ended early. I decided to try and get the boat out before supper. I had discovered a new launch much closer to my home then the one I had been using at the Nepean Yaught club. This was at a place called Eccoland Park and was only about a 10 or 15 minute drive away. I got Jeanette ready to go and we took the boat down to the park to launch. I had a bit of trouble getting the boat into the water only to discover that I had not put in the drain plug. I ran back to the car only to find that my mother in law who had cleaned out the car recently had taken the plug from where I had kept it. I phoned home, but my wife had no idea what her mother had done with the plug. Her mother had flown home, so we could not ask her. The trip was off until I went to Canadian tire and got a new plug. We loaded up the boat and went back home.

Well once I got the plug we loaded up again and went back to the park. We put the boat back into the water and we were off.

I was told that the nearest lock was a short distance north. On the way there I decided to take a picture of Jeanette.




The next picture is a picture I took of the lock. I had hoped that I could start the gas engine, but when I started it Jeanette starting crying and begging me to shut it off. What can any father do when his terrified four year old is going "please daddy, please turn it off." She is terrified of the gas engine. She calles it the loud mower, and the electric is the quiet mower. We went on with the electric outboard. This is only her second time in the boat and I want her to be comfortable with boating.




As we headed south again I tood a picture just before we passed the launch area.




Took a picture up ahead. Note the speedboat. The speed boats kept going back and forth around us. The wake kicked the Little Squirt Too around scaring Jeanette. She had to cling to me every time one went by.




Fortunately she recovers fast. Unfortunately those ice cream cones are toys and not the real thing. It was a very hot day.







We were out for about a hour before putting the boat back on the trailer and heading home. Aside from small problems putting the boat back on the trailer because of chop from the speed boats there were not too many problems.



When I got home I checked the battery. I had over 75% power in the two batteries despite the fact I had been running at full power for over a hour. I rewired the batteries because they were draining too quickly. I guess I solved the problem. Because of the water from the plug being out the first time I don't know if I fixed the leak or not.



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