The Trent Severn Waterway is the most important inland waterway on this planet. Most individuals who navigate it both personal their very own boats or have outrageously priced cottages on the water. However, there’s a enjoyable and reasonably priced approach to pattern a style of the Trent Severn. Le Boat affords self-drive, luxurious houseboats to hire for a few days to a few weeks, permitting you to discover the Trent anyplace you need.Â
About the Trent Severn Waterway
The Trent-Severn Waterway is a National Historic Site that stretches 386 kilometers from Lake Ontario’s Bay of Quinte in Trenton to Georgian Bay in Port Severn. Completed in 1920, the waterway options 44 locks, together with the world’s highest hydraulic carry lock in Peterborough, which raises boats 19.8 meters in buckets. When driving a Le Boat by means of the Trent Severn waterway, you get to go by means of this unbelievable lock.
Summer Savings with Le Boat
2025 Early Booking Offer – Save up to 25%: Take benefit of Le Boat’s Early Booking provide and save up to 25% on price range, consolation, and Comfort Plus boat leases throughout Europe. Get 15% off Le Boat’s Horizon Fleet out there for journey in Canada, France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. Book earlier than September 1, 2024, and safe your trip with only a 25% deposit on the time of reserving.
Le Boat’s 2025 Lowest Price Guarantee: Book your 2025 boat rental trip in Europe or Canada with confidence. If the worth drops after you’ve booked, Le Boat will refund the distinction. They assure the bottom worth up to 90 days earlier than departure. Early Booking affords for the 2025 season, go to https://www.leboat.ca/en/new-season or name 1-800-734-5491.
Hire A Captain with Le Boat
To make boating even simpler for first-time cruisers, Le Boat, the chief in non-public boating holidays in Europe and Canada, declares the launch of its modern Skipper for Hire program.
Available solely alongside the picturesque Canal du Midi in France beginning within the 2025 season and priced at simply US$199 per day, vacationers can enlist the experience of a seasoned Le Boat skipper to accompany them on their maiden voyage. On the primary full day of the voyage, the appointed skipper offers company with palms-on instruction on boat operation, navigation methods, and maneuvering by means of locks. This customized steering instills confidence, empowering company to navigate independently for the rest of their tour.
For extra details about Le Boat’s Skipper for Hire program go to https://www.leboat.ca/en/new-season or name 1-800-734-5491.
Le Boat’s Horizon 2+ Boat
This was our fifth Le Boat journey so we felt very snug within the captain’s chair of our Horizon 2+ luxurious houseboat. My brother and sister-in-legislation Jim and Janice joined us for this journey, and the boat comfortably sleeps 4 individuals. There are two bedrooms and two loos, a full kitchen with a full-measurement fridge, oven, range, and barbecue on the highest deck. Dishes and cookware are provided alongside with washcloths and a brush and mop.
While the boat sleeps 4 individuals, you may simply drive this boat with two individuals, however it’s definitely much more enjoyable to have further assist with ropes when going by means of locks and mooring for the night time.
Watch our video to study what to pack, how straightforward it’s to drive the boat, and what to anticipate when renting a Le Boat Houseboat on the Trent.
Trent Severn Waterway With Le Boat
We took a seven-day cruise from the Le Boat marina simply south of Peterborough to Bobcaygeon. During our journey, we went by means of 13 locks and had an unbelievable journey on one of many world’s most stunning waterways.
The boats are very nicely geared up with sheets, duvets, and pillows. Bath and Hand Towels are provided, as are all cooking utensils. There is a big water tank on board, and we have now not often wanted to refill our tank throughout a Le Boat journey. However, you may fill it on the marinas. When taking showers, hold it brief and candy so that you gained’t have to hold refilling the tank.
We counsel bringing seaside towels, further dish towels, and cleansing towels for a seven-day journey. We additionally packed shampoo, cleaning soap, and additional rest room paper. However, you need to use the bathrooms on the locks every night time, and they’re very clear. We suggest utilizing the general public bathrooms as a lot as attainable, that approach you gained’t have to fear about emptying your tanks or filling up water throughout your seven day journey. If you do want a pump out, there’s an additional payment, however they’re provided at marinas alongside the waterway.
One factor we extremely suggest packing is a few further hangers in your garments. It is way simpler to manage within the closet with extra hangers.
Day 1-Arrival
We requested an early verify-in for 1 pm and spent an hour loading our boat with all our provides. We packed two coolers filled with meals for the week and garments for each sizzling and dry climate and funky and moist climate. Canadian summers see all of it.
Le Boat Marina at Horseshoe Bay
After organizing our boat, we met the employees who walked us by means of all the things we would have liked to know in regards to the boat after which took us on the water for a lesson on hour to drive and steer the boat, how to use the thrusters, navigate by means of locks and the way to park a ship. By 3pm we have been on the water cruising to our first location.
Peterborough
Locks are open till 6 pm (or 6:30, relying on the time of 12 months), and we had three hours to get to our first vacation spot. This first day is a brief day, so we advise reserving your first night time on the Peterborough Marina. The mooring charges right here are usually not included in your Le Boat rental, however staying on the marina permits you to get pleasure from time in Peterborough and to eat at our favorite restaurant The Lightouse Bar And Grill.
Canadian Canoe Museum
Located at Lock 20, the Canadian Canoe Museum is the latest attraction on the Trent Severn Waterway. This fascinating museum homes the world’s largest assortment of canoes, kayaks, and watercraft. We spent about an hour having fun with its reveals that showcase the Indigenous origins of the canoe, the position of the fur commerce in these waters, and the evolution of leisure paddling. There are interactive shows and palms-on actions making it enjoyable for all ages.
The Canadian Canoe Museum is open each day from 10 am to 5pm. We counsel spending the night time within the Peterborough marina after which making your approach again to the lock station within the morning to benefit from the museum earlier than heading up the Trent Severn Waterway.
If you don’t need to pay for an evening on the Peterborough Marina, all Le Boats embody free docking at any of the locks on the Trent Waterway. You can keep at Lock 20 totally free and stroll the 5 minutes to the Canadian Canoe Museum within the morning, or you may also drive immediately to the Peterborough carry lock and keep there. It is a straightforward taxi or Uber journey into city, or you may merely keep on the boat and benefit from the views.
Day 2 – Peterborough to Young’s Point
Peterborough Lift Lock
Day two is a superb day to spend 4 or 5 hours on the waterway. There is lots to see on today, starting with your journey by means of the world’s highest carry lock. The Peterborough Lift Lock is a lot enjoyable to undergo. Boats drive into an enormous bucket, and as an alternative of ready for the lock to replenish with water to take you to the following stage, boats are lifted by a pully system in a large swimming pool-like bucket, taking boats up 150 toes in a mere 58 seconds.
After getting to the highest it’s a stunning day alongside the canal going by means of farmland, forests, golf programs, and wonderful cottage nation.
Stopping at Youngs Point for the night time makes for a stupendous night. Here, there’s a restaurant, store, and ice cream parlor. It is a scenic spot with waterfalls, chicken life, and beautiful sundown views. We selected to eat on the boat utilizing the barbecue and benefit from the prime deck to chill out with cocktails.
Day 3 – Young’s Point to Buckhorn
Today is an extended, scenic day driving by means of spectacular lakes and the Canadian Shield. The islands of Stony Lake are stunning, with multimillion-greenback cottages spanning its shores.
You can cease for lunch on Love Sick Island, a singular lock situated on an island in the midst of the lake. It is a historic vacation spot with mountaineering trails (they’re very rugged, although), picnic tables, and fireplace pits. Some individuals select to keep in a single day on this island for a quieter night.
Once you attain Buckhorn, it’s a big dock with a number of parking spots on the lock. You should buy energy for round $10 if you’d like to use the air-con, kitchen, or some other electronics. There is a liquor retailer, waterfront restaurant, and native retailer to buy any provides, ice, and water. This is a very good selection to spend the night time.
Day 4 – Buckhorn to Bobcaygeon
Today, you need to get going as early as attainable as a result of parking is proscribed in Bobcaygeon. However, you don’t need to miss spending the night time on this well-known Canadian city. The Tragically Hip wrote about Bobcaygeon, they usually took benefit of their fame by promoting T-shirts with the lyrics on them. Yes, we purchased the T-shirt.
This is the place to buy groceries with a number of shops promoting clothes, sneakers, and souvenirs. There are loads of eating places to select from and there are bars, patios and microbreweries.
We ate at Gaz, which had a unbelievable environment and scrumptious meals. It was only a brief stroll from the dock overlooking the canal.
Day 5 – Bobcaygeon to Burleigh Falls
If you’ve got longer, you may go to Fenlan Falls, however with solely two days left in our itinerary, we started the journey again. After having breakfast and ice cream in Bobcaygeon, we made our approach slowly south to Burleigh Falls. Burleigh Falls is a stupendous waterfall the place locals swim within the waves of the dashing water.
This is extra of a wild tenting night with not plenty of facilities, however that’s the smartest thing about taking a Le Boat trip. The boat is totally stocked with all the things you want. Tonight is an effective night time to have a barbecue on deck, play some playing cards or sit across the picnic desk. If you need to stroll to the Burleigh Inn, you may go there for dinner. It is only a 5 minute stroll and there’s a nation retailer close to there as nicely.
Day 6 – Burleigh Falls to Lakefield
The rivers run on this route, so the journey dwelling was a lot quicker. With solely two stops on the way in which again, we made a good time from Bobcaygeon to Lakefield close to Burleigh Falls.
This is a captivating city to spend the night time in, with a beautiful downtown filled with eating places, pubs, and retailers. Make positive to cease within the Chocolate Rabbit to decide up artisanal sweets. If you’ve got bicycles or paddle boards (two items of drugs that you may hire from Le Boat), it is a good place to strive them out. The water is calm, and there are biking trails close by.
Day 7 Lakefield to Le Boat
Today is your ultimate day on the Trent Severn Waterway, so take your time and cease in any respect the locks and locations you missed between right here and Horseshoe Bay at Le Boat. Stop and have a picnic lunch, pop into Peterborough, lay on the seaside at lock 20 or just chill out on the waters.
You will want to be by means of the final lock by 6 pm so you may get to the Le Boat marina to keep in a single day because the 9 am take a look at comes early. But you’ve got the night to pack up and cargo your automobile, make your ultimate meal on the barbecue, and discuss with different Le Boaters to see how their journeys went. It actually is an incredible week on the water.
How Difficult Are Le Boats to Drive?
The Horizon boats by Le Boat are extraordinarily straightforward houseboats to drive.
You have two choices for the place to steer the boat. You can steer it both from the highest flybridge or under within the cabin. It’s a straightforward shift to flip the steering from under to above, and the Le Boat employees will present you the way to do this.
Up prime provides you the most effective view and management. So in the event you can drive from there, more often than not, except it’s inclement climate,
The precise management of the boat is tremendous straightforward. The boats come with each bow and stern hydraulic thrusters, which permit you to maneuver the entrance of the boat and the again of the boat, principally aspect to aspect, which actually helps in docking and even going into the locks themselves.
One factor about renting with Le Boat is that y you do not want a ship license to drive one among these. Before leaving the dock, you’ll have an concerned lesson to study how to deal with the boat. They train you to flip the boat, steer it, park it and run you thru all the security options.
There are limiters on the boat as nicely, so you may solely go 10 km an hour (possibly 11 or 12 when you have the wind and present behind you. So, in the event you observe the buoys and markers, it’s straightforward to keep in management.
Planning your Trent Severn Waterway Itinerary
From the Le Boat docks, you may select to go south to Trenton or north to Peterborough and past. When you’re planning out your route, simply keep in mind that you’re solely doing 10 kilometers an hour at full velocity. So whenever you’re planning the place to go from sooner or later to the following, you want to take into consideration the timing.
During the excessive season, you may spend an hour or so on the lock ready for boats to undergo. So our greatest recommendation is to ask the lock masters how busy the locks are forward of you and the way far they suppose it is possible for you to to get. They know these waters nicely.
Lock Etiquette
Boating the Trent Severn Waterway is a singular expertise. All locks are operated by Parks Canada, so there’s at all times somebody on the lock stations to ask for recommendation. They carry a wealth of details about the historical past of the locks and the native space and waters.
So, how does going by means of the locks work? It’s straightforward, and if you’re uncertain, ensure that to ask the employees earlier than leaving the marina. However, we’re right here to assist. Here are the steps of what to do when approaching a lock.
Drive up to the blue line and look ahead to the purple gentle to flip inexperienced.
They lock employees will name you in if there isn’t a purple gentle or if the lock is already open. When driving in, use your thrusters to keep management.
These boats are tremendous straightforward to deal with to go into the lock. Just drive gradual, use your thrusters and ensure to flip it into reverse to cease.
With 4 individuals on the boat, there might be one particular person dealing with the ropes on the again and one other on the entrance. When the boat will get into place, all they’ve to do is loop the ropes on the lengthy cables hooked up to the lock that can assist to hold the boat regular because the water rushes in.
You might be within the lock with different boats, so be respectful of their area and enter and go away in an orderly style. Whoever is within the entrance will go away first, after which that aspect will observe earlier than the opposite aspect exits.
If you’ve got any questions, ask the lock grasp; they are going to be ready to let you know the place to go.
Cruising the Trent Severn Water is likely one of the best boat journeys on earth. It is a big portion of the Great Loop Tour that boaters placed on their bucket lists to take a 12 months cruising from Florida. We suggest anybody (whether or not you’re a boater or not) spend seven days cruising this stunning a part of Canada. As Dave mentioned, phrases and pictures can’t seize the great thing about the Trent. It is by seeing it with your individual eyes that you just actually admire how particular the Trent Severn and Kawarthas actually are. So, begin planning your journey at this time!