July 8, 2012

At 8:30 this morning we departed Victoria Park and went through a swing bridge operated by one energetic kid who ran around in circles opening the bridge for us.  He had been mowing the lawn at the park and stopped mowing to let us through.  We teased him about having to do all the work and he laughed!   

  

We locked through Lock 31 at Smith Falls and Lock 32 at Poonamalie (pronounced Poon-ahh-maw-LEE).  We crossed the Big Rideau River where the water got clearer and deeper.  We arrived at Colonel By Island at noon.  We had difficulty anchoring because it was so deep, weedy and sandy and provided poor holding.  We asked one of the local boaters about the moorings and he said we could just take a mooring and we’d have to vacate it if the owner came, but it is a common practice and it was okay to do so.  We picked up a mooring belonging to “Here and Beyond”  and spent the night.

There’s a long hiking trail on Col. By Island and we walked about a mile of it and also toured an old run-down “cottage” (probably 5,000 sf) once owned by the Arnstein family in the 1930s where many stars like Fanny Bryce, David Niven and Paul Anka visited.  

In this area, there are many small islands with houses on them as well, but Colonel By Island is the largest.  Al Capone is said to have owned one during the days of prohibition.  Interesting place.  We took a few dinghy rides around and Jack and PopPop scrubbed the swim platform.  Here are a few photos:

 

Taking a dinghy ride on the Big Rideau Lake near Colonel By Island

Say Good-Bye anchored near Col.By Island

The former Arnstein house, now abandoned on Col. By Island

Jack

Jack and Reees

Ralph and Betsy