Cruisin'

 

A week or so ago our next door neighbors here at the KOA offered to take us for a short trip in their "other" RV. As we have experienced other folks who have offered to take us for a trip in their 12 foot aluminum Jon Boat, we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the "Ship" below.

 

This is a 38 foot Bayliner cabin cruiser and it is beautiful. There are far more living spaces and separate entertaining areas on this thing than the Flying Scotsman for sure. It has two staterooms and two separate baths ... sorry, heads, and three different levels. Our neighbors, Morgan and Jeanette have meticulously restored and maintained this 1991 boat and the classic woodwork and fittings are truly a work of transportation art.

 

 

I was allowed to briefly sit at the controls (while parked) and remarked at the similarity of this cockpit and those of aircraft. Arrayed in front of me are GPS, weather radar, marine radio, depth gauge, and the autopilot input pad. With twin throttles and transmissions it is highly maneuverable. There is a duplicate set of all these controls one level below in the pilot house proper.

As we departed on the Trent-Severn Waterway from Port Severn we headed east and encountered the Big Chute (below) or historic Marine Railway we have shown before, except we were land-bound before and looking at the boats navigating this thing from the sidewalk. Time to hit the rails. If you were an avid boater and were heading full speed toward this view below I think you'd be waiting for the crunching of fiberglass.

Not so here. As you slide onto the cradle it gently picks up the 40,000 pounds or so of us, hauls us up over the top like a roller coaster and on the way back you have the view of the water about 80 feet below ... wow!

After a leisurely run up the waterway amongst the many islands that reminded us of the 1000 Islands area of the St. Lawrence, we paused for the wine toast of the day.

The boat was to be Morgan and Jeanette's main living venue but then the land based 5th wheel RV showed up and they are now looking for a buyer, but the sign below at the marina seemed an apt name for whatever recreational vehicle you are now or contemplating.