Rideau Canal Info-Guide

Normally, it takes 4 to 6 days to get from Gatineau to Kingston.
The amount of traffic at the locks, your daily sailing time, your sailing speed and the weather will all have an impact on how long it takes to do the canal.
There are so many places to anchor that some boaters spend weeks and months there.

Lockage and mooring fees are charged according to the length of your boat.
Several packages are available, including daily and seasonal passes.
For example, a daily lockage pass costs $1.75 per foot, while a seasonal pass costs $9.50 per foot.
The overnight mooring fee is $1.00 per foot for a single night, while the season mooring pass is $10.50 per foot.
So, for example, a 30-foot boat would cost an estimated $600 (plus taxes) for a lockage and mooring season pass.
You can purchase your pass online with Parks Canada or at the first lock.

Allow 30 to 49 minutes for the 8km trip from MKG to the blue line at Ottawa Lockstation.
Leaving the marina, you sail upstream, with Kettle Island on your port side.
Then we reach the urban section of the Ottawa River.

Although the number of berths varies from lock station to lock station, it is possible to moor your boat at the locks for the night.
Parks Canada fees apply.

During lockage hours, the blue line is reserved for boaters waiting to lock through.
Boaters are encouraged to go as close as possible to the lock gate to optimize space on the blue line.
The gray line is reserved for day or overnight docking.

Yes, you can dock your boat if lockage hours are over.
However, if lockage is still in progress, you must ask the lockmaster for authorization to dock on the blue line.
Unsurprisingly, the answer will be influenced by real-time traffic and the time of day.

The normal rule is 2 nights maximum.
The lockmaster may allow you to extend your stay only if you have major mechanical problems or if there is little traffic.

There are 13 lock stations equipped with electrical outlets.
Since plugs are limited, it’s a case of first come, first served.
That said, we’ve noticed that the vast majority of boaters will try to maximize dock space to allow access to electrical outlets.
It’s always a good idea to bring an extra electrical cable.

To navigate your boat with confidence, we recommend using map 1512, which covers Ottawa to Smith Falls, and map 1513, which covers Smith Falls to Kingston.
Many boaters use TrakMaps Marine Atlas 614, which covers the Rideau Canal waterway from Ottawa to Kingston.

Whether Gatineau’s Kitchissipi Marina (MKG) is your stopover or your destination, you’ll have access within walking distance to a boat mechanic’s shop, Provigo grocery store, banking services, SAQ, pharmacy, restaurants (Benny et Cie, Subway, L’Industriel, etc.), snack bars and numerous convenience stores.
Restaurants also deliver to the marina.

Space in our refrigerators is limited.
At some point, we all wonder if we should bring an extra cooler.
Before you leave MKG, you should know that you’ll have access to convenience stores, grocery stores, restaurants, creameries, laundromats and LCBOs, all within walking distance.
After Gatineau and Ottawa, the main food stops are Merrickville, Smith Falls, Westport Harbour and Kingston.