Archimedes Principle in practice
July 21, 2019 Sunday Peterborough Marina, Trent-Severn Waterway, Peterborough, ON to Otonabee River Lock 26, Lakefield, ON 8.9 nautical miles.
44°25’10.3″N 78°16’13.2″W
44.419535, -78.270335
Elevation: 751 ft Locks 7 Ascent 134 feet
Along the Way
Yet another attempt by the Jackson’s to Canadianize the Tobins.
Peterborough Lift Lock 21 National Historic Site of Canada. Lock 21 is the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world at 65 feet. Opened on July 9, 1904. It still runs perfectly 115 years later. The water powered lift lock is an engineering marvel that operates on a balance system entirely without electricity.
checking it out first before going in 
One going up and one going down. 
at the top 
Return trip 
Dropping gate for exiting
Our turn.
Water is let into the upper chamber and the heavier chamber automatically descends, forcing up the lower chamber to start a new cycle. Because of Archimedes Principle, adding the boat displaces the equivalent weight in water, so the mechanism doesn’t have to deal with any more weight.
Check out the window and doors in the walls. They don’t flood because water stays in the tubs.
pulling up to the wall. 
mid-way up 
lift mates 
at the top 
exiting
view from below 
at the bottom 
lubricating the piston 
The Peterborough Lift lock is said to be haunted by one or more ghosts. One story of the many stories is that during the construction, a worker fell over the side and into the wet concrete into the middle of the structure’s three pillars. As was common in the old days of construction, workers could only helplessly watch their friend be buried alive. The ghost of construction worker said to work overtime at the lock and is often seen on the walkways standing at the edge before vanishing, spending his afterlife wandering the site of his last job.
Locals honk their horns as they pass through to scare the ghost(s).
Alex, Vienna and Chanda J, we are bummed to see you leave. It was fun to have you aboard!
Trent University in Peterborough.
Just like the UoM Minneapolis, a river divides the campus. UoM has a covered bridge. Trent University doesn’t. Bet it’s a cold walk in the winter.
Lock 22. This is our 132nd lock on our loop. We still have 235.4 kilometers to Port Severn at the end of the Trent-Severn Waterway (22 more locks).
zebra mussels
Last lock of the day.
Good Night
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Canada’s official phone number is 1-800-O-CANADA.
Canada is just 1.5% larger in land than the U.S.A.
Drolleries and Yuks
Where are
fish in orbit?
In trout-er space
