One of my goals as a boater has always been to cast off and do the Great Circle—I mean the entire circle in a single trip. However, given my life and editorial constraints, at present I’ll have to be content with experiencing, and sharing with our readers, only parts of the trip when the opportunity arises. One such chance came last summer when my fiancé and I were able to escape for a week-long trip alone on the Ottawa River. It left us wanting more.

The lower Ottawa River forms a part of the Great Circle connecting the St. Lawrence Seaway at Montreal with the Rideau Canal at Ottawa. The Ottawa River affectionately referred to by the locals we talked to as “the Ditch”, is a historic waterway having been used at various times as Champlain’s route west; a fur trade highway inland; a log-driving run south; a military transportation corridor; and presently as a recreational boating waterway. I’ll not bore you with all that history except to say that in nearly every little town along the banks of this very rural and scenic route, different parts of the history come alive in some amazing ways. Some of which I’ll share in these excerpts from our cruising log, others you’ll have to come and experience for yourself.

Day 1:
It was late afternoon when we launched our borrowed Sea Ray 210 cuddy cabin at the Rockliffe Yacht Club behind the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa. RYC is at mile 5 on Canadian Hydrographic Services (CHS) Chart 1515, so our first leg of the trip was upriver to Entrance Bay at the confluence of the Rideau and Ottawa rivers. From here, the Chateau Laurier and the Canadian Parliament buildings stood high overhead on either side of the Big 8 locks of the Rideau. It’s easy to dock at the foot of the locks and take a tour or access the nearby By-Town Market, but being without kids, our overnight destination was a little more of an adult venue slightly downriver—The Casino du Lac Leamy.

We grabbed dinner on the floating outdoor deck of the Rockcliffe Boat House. Existing only because of squatters rights dating back to the 1800s, the entire indoor restaurant and outdoor patio floats on over 100 tons of BC timbers.

Once a squall had passed, we headed up the Riviere Gatineau (ahem, remember to switch your marker reminder!), across Lac Leamy and into the Casino. It’s best to call ahead at least 24 hours in advance to reserve a slip. However, if the docks are full, there is a single quiet overnight anchorage nearby on the north shore at the mouth of the Ruisseau du Lac. The limiting mid-channel depth was more than 4 feet and just around the bend lies what remains of the wooden Ville d’Aylmer wreck.

Day 2:
If you’re an early riser, as we are, don’t expect to get breakfast at any of the eateries in the casino. As the sun rose over the tree tops, we continued downstream and toured the circa 1914 Ottawa-New Edinburgh club’s headquarters at mile 3. The view over the river from the third storey banquet room and deck is amazing. At mile 6, the Upper and Lower Duck Islands are a bird-watchers delight. A couple of sheltered coves left me wishing we had our kayak with us to go exploring.

From here, heading east some 70 miles to the Carillon lock, the south shore is in the province of Ontario and is lined with large estate homes and smaller cottages scattered around small, but very quaint, rural towns. The north shore is in the province of Quebec and is mainly lower floodplain. It’s amazing to reflect on the fact that the large hill that runs along the river a little farther inland was the prehistoric bank of the river, which would put the present river height about 30 feet under water.

Navigating down the very wide Ottawa River is simple, there are a few buoys well marked on the chart, and it’s easy to tell where one should be headed. At times you feel like you’re on more of a lake than a river. Caution is still advised, because the occasional deadhead—a remnant of the lumber days—does float to the surface and the light brown muddy waters make seeing down into the water nearly impossible.

At Mile 22, we docked at the town wharf at Rockland and headed into town to find a Tim Horton’s and several excellent local mom-and-pop restaurants, a liquor store, and bank machines in the main core; and a large grocery store out on the main highway 17. A local taxi ride for $5 will bring you back to the wharf.

If your preference is anchoring out, Îles Thurso at mile 30 is your best bet in this part of the river. The sheltered bays and uninhabited islands teem with wildlife. Our preference however, was to duck into a different little town along the river for dinner each night, chat with the locals and experience the culture of a rural countryside. In Papineauville near mile 38, try La Table de Pierre De La Haye, a French cuisine restaurant open for lunch and dinner on Wednesday thru Sunday. Reservations are recommended.

Day 3
We spent the day at the Chateau Montebello, at mile 42 on chart 1514, just outside the village of Montebello. This is an absolute must-see stop along this part of the Great Circle. Built in the thirties in only three months out of British Columbia red cedar, this 200-plus room log hotel is the world’s largest log structure. The wagon-wheel design is centered around a massive three-story stone fireplace in the central foyer. Going for a swim in the original ceramic-tiled swimming pool built in the 30s with an elaborately painted log ceiling high overhead is a unique experience. There’s also an outdoor pool, 2 hot tubs, an 18-hole golf course, a spa and miles of walking trails for you to stretch your legs on. The Chateau is now owned by The Fairmont Group, and features a top-rate marina with water, showers, and laundry. Day dockage is complimentary for visitors and includes access to the pools; overnight dockage is $2.75 per foot CDN with a 30 foot minimum.

The Chateau is one of the highlights of this area and after a day of exploring, we treated ourselves to a five-course dinner in the main restaurant, rented bikes and toured the waterfront path and the village before returning to our boat.

Day 4
I love cruising when you’re the only boat on the water, so after drying off the windshield, we pulled out as the morning mist was still rising off the river. Thank goodness for a handheld GPS because heading east into the rising sun on water you’re not familiar with isn’t such a good idea. Ah, the adventures of exploring!

By lunchtime, we arrived at the top of the Carillon Canal. The gate at the downstream side of the lock is as impressive as it is unique in North America. In 1953, the 20-meter vertical drop lock replaced the old system of three canals and eleven locks dating from 1854. One of the old locks is preserved as part of this National Historic Site. The Parks Canada staff are very efficient, and we were through the lock and on our way in thirty minutes.

Now both sides of the river are in the province of Quebec, and we’d switched to chart 1510. At mile 82, at the east end of Île de Carillon (another bird sanctuary), the Ottawa River opens up into the northwest arm of Lac Des Deux Montagnes (Lake of Two Mountains) and we cruised onto the village of Hudson where we spent the night in the Hudson Yacht Club and meandered our way into this quiet and very friendly town for dinner.

Day 5
The eastern arm of Lac Des Deux Montagnes is very shallow and with the exception of the main buoyed route between the few small marinas and towns, there are few places to go. All the land is privately owned, and so we proceeded straight for the locks at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, on the Île de Montreal.

We’d had many recommendations about spending a lot of time in the town because of all the quaint little shops and abundance of restaurants that are right alongside the locks. There is plenty of space to moor along the wall above or below the lock, so we tied up and went shopping for the afternoon.

Impossible to choose among the attractions, we elected for appetizers at one outdoor café overlooking the lock; dinner at another and then a stroll later, dessert at yet another. As we were finishing our coffee, the summer storms decided to shed their moisture on us again and it was fun to watch entire outdoor patios empty in a matter of seconds as everyone scrambled to cover and close up their boats. Apparently this sort of thing happens a lot here because the waitresses weren’t the least bit worried as people bolted from tables without paying their bills. A few minutes later, chairs were dried and all was back to normal with conversations picked up right where they left off.

Days 6 and 7
The next morning we could have continued downstream through the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue lock, which first opened in 1882, into Lac Saint Louis and onto the St. Lawrence. But our adult week away was nearing an end and rather than rush home, we wanted to stop into one or two of the towns we’d bypassed on the way down. We wandered the lock walls looking for a café that was open for breakfast and ended up meeting two couples who were doing the Great Circle—one from Maryland and one from Siesta Key, Florida. Needless to say we left later than we’d planned.

The trip back upriver was just as scenic and relaxing as coming down. We stopped in at Oka and Hawkesbury and the next day finally made our way back to RYC and hauled out.

A journey on the Ottawa River is a welcomed voyage back in time to a period when small towns were the norm and when mom-and-pop restaurants with only a few tables was all there was. The marinas, although small, certainly have all the services a transient boater could want. The difference is they are offered up by friendly folks who aren’t afraid to say hello and introduce themselves to a stranger and without all the glitz and glamour of larger marinas in the big cities. Although “The Ditch” is only a part of the Great Circle, it’s a part I’d do again in a heartbeat.