A Sail Tale

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North America

Trent-Severn Waterway

A 386 km Ontario canal of 44 locks, including the Peterborough Lift Lock and Big Chute railway, linking Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay.

14 episodes on the chart

Length
386 km (241 statute miles)
Locks
44 (conventional, flights, two hydraulic lifts, Big Chute marine railway)
Depth
2.4 m (8 ft) locks 1-19; 1.8 m (6 ft) locks 20-45; not guaranteed
Fixed bridge clearance
6.1 m (20 ft) minimum
Season
mid-May (Victoria Day) to mid-October (Thanksgiving)
Typical transit
5-7 days one way

The Trent-Severn Waterway crosses central Ontario from Trenton on Lake Ontario to Port Severn on Georgian Bay, linking the Kawartha Lakes, Lake Simcoe and Couchiching. Parks Canada operates it as a National Historic Site. The waterway was completed in 1920 and climbs to 256 m (841 ft) at Balsam Lake.

Boats book no passage slot. You buy a lockage pass, then follow operating hours, lock by lock. Most people take 5-7 days one way, though summer traffic and stops often make it longer. Sailboats generally pass with the mast down or cranked down, and they should check draft before they go.

The Peterborough Lift Lock raises boats 19.8 m (65 ft), one of the highest hydraulic lift locks. At Big Chute, boats are carried across a hill on a marine railway. The hard parts are draft, varying water levels, swing bridges and lock queues in July and August.

Highlights

  • Peterborough Lift Lock
  • Big Chute Marine Railway
  • Kirkfield Lift Lock
  • Kawartha Lakes
  • Georgian Bay 30,000 Islands at the western end

Watch out for

  • Water depths not guaranteed, so check draft
  • Crowds and lock queues in July and August
  • Mast-down clearance limit of about 20 ft
  • Lock size 84 ft x 23 ft at Port Severn

Episodes on this route 14

Crews on this route

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A summary for learning and dreaming, not for navigation. Rules, fees, seasons and security advice change: check current official sources before you go.

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