Leaving Lakefield Marina, we had thoughts that we would anchor that evening in Buckhorn Lake.  We were entering the Kawartha Lakes area – Kawartha meaning “happy lands and bright waters” – an apt moniker as it turns out – right after Lakefield and entering the 5-mile long Katchewanooka Lake with a narrow marked channel, at the end of which is the Youngs Point Lock (up 7 feet).  

After locking through, we entered Clear Lake, which is both clear and deep – and regrettably too close to where we started to call it a day and anchor.  Clear Lake was followed by an area called Hells Gate – nothing like the one on the East River in New York – rather studded with stone outcroppings topped with little cottages and trees, but with a narrow channel that bears close attention.  Bearing left after Hells Gate we turned into Stoney Lake leading to Burleigh Falls Lock 28 (up 24 feet), a new hydraulic lock replacing old Locks 28 and 29.  

Following Lock 28, we entered the smallish Lovesick Lake, which end in Lovesick Lock 30 (up 4 feet) – where the lock wall is on Millage Island, allegedly inhabited by raccoons and bears curious about the boats that tie up, but the wall was fully occupied by small boats when we passed.   We then passed through Lower Buckhorn Lake and Buckhorn Lock 31 (up 11 feet) leading to Buckhorn Lake, where we had resolved to anchor for the night, if no interesting lock walls were available.

We had pored over the Waterway Guide for an indication of what the best anchorages were for a southwest wind and the guide indicated that the area bordered by Boyd Island, Scollard Point and Emerald Island fit the bill with 10-foot depth.   Alas, we tried three times to anchor and get a firm hold but each time we dragged anchor – and each time pulling up a weed beard that resembled a cross between Cousin It and a really big Christmas tree.   We gave up and moved to another anchorage that the chart indicated had a sandy bottom and some depth at Gannon Narrows.   The first time we tried, the anchor dragged but the second time we got a firm hold in 12 feet of water.  Our experience of the day made us a little wary and between the mobile anchor app and leaving the plotter on all night to make periodic observations gave us some comfort and we didn’t move all night.   The lights and the noise of cars going over the Gannon Narrows Bridge didn’t give us much of a sense of being in the wilderness – but we went swimming anyway off the boat and made pesto pasta for dinner from the basil plant we have on board.