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Diaries of a Lodge Owner
In 2009, sheet metal mechanic, Steve Niedzwiecki, turned his passions into reality using steadfast belief in himself and his vision by investing everything in a once-obscure run-down Canadian fishing lodge.
After ten years, the now-former lodge owner and co-host of The Fish'n Canada Show is here to share stories of inspiration, relationships and the many struggles that turned his monumental gamble into one of the most legendary lodges in the country.
From anglers to entrepreneurs, athletes to conservationists; you never know who is going to stop by the lodge.
Diaries of a Lodge Owner
Episode 117: Preventing Rental Boat Disasters On Northern Waters
We share the unspoken truth about rental boat damage, how to read buoys with confidence, and the specific checks that keep people safe and motors alive. Scotty brings years of lodge management and mechanical know-how to help guests, cottagers, and new boaters avoid costly mistakes and winterize right.
• following directions over copying locals’ shortcuts
• red right return explained for headwaters and return trips
• GPS as a tool with error margins and limits
• rental boat briefings, safety kits, kill switch and anchors
• cooling telltale checks and clogged intakes
• fuel planning for remote water with no cell service
• setting return times and basic rescue planning
• winterizing plumbing with air and RV antifreeze
• lower unit oil checks, seals, and prop shaft line
If somebody's told you what to do, you should follow their direction. Because in the case of this one that we're talking about, the person actually was watching one of the guides drive on the wrong side of the buoy. Well, that guide knew where to go. And he thought that he could do the same thing. But if somebody tells you what to do, you should follow that direction. Don't do what other people do, do what you're told to do.
SPEAKER_02:This week on the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Networks, Diaries of a Lodge Owner, Stories of the North. There's a certain kind of friend every person absolutely loves. The kind who can fix a boat motor with a mountain dew in one hand and a wrench in the other. The kind who knows that a cracked skeg, a sheared prop pin, or half-sunk rental boat isn't a disaster. It's just another Tuesday north of the French River. And today I'm sitting down with my guy, lifelong mechanical genius and friend, who now, with his family at his side, manages Lake Obabaca Lodge, keeping the gears of this northern wilderness resort well oiled and turning. And it is my pleasure to introduce to all of you Scotty Hamp. On this show, we're diving into the unspoken truth about rental boat damage and how to prevent it before it happens, boat safety, and what every guest should know before turning the key for the first time. We also talk about winterizing tips, the little things that separate a weekend headache from a full season breakdown. Because out here, every nut and bolt tells a story, and every story has a lesson worth learning. So if you own a cottage or a boat and don't want headaches, this one's for you. Here's my conversation with Scotty Hemp. Welcome, folks, to another episode of Diaries of a Lodge Owner, Stories of the North. And uh this is a very special episode. It is the fall, and I am sitting here with longtime friend Scotty Hamp. And just to give you a little background on Scotty, uh, which you uh may not have heard off the top, um, Scotty and I have known each other for forever. And um he has uh he was an integral part of um helping me look after the lodge, opening, closing engines. Uh so that's kind of what we're going to talk about today. Um, and I would like to welcome to the show Scotty. Thanks, brother, for doing this. No problem, Steve. Not a boy. Uh so listen, um back in the Chaudiere days, we we did like I I gotta tell you, um, I think the first year uh you didn't come up, but the second year, uh, you come up, and Scotty come up time and time again, every opening, every closing, and now has been there to the point where he has seen every opening and closing that uh since I've sold, and you're um uh managing Lake Obabica Lodge. Yep. Uh for Craig. And Craig is uh a very interesting dude, man. He's got uh he's got so much on his plate uh that uh you and uh your lovely wife Jill um uh manage Lake Obabica Lodge, and you're here with the kids, and uh you've got three wonderful um kids that range in age from 13 to nine. And um I got a question because it's one of the one of the things that I always um when I owned a lodge wanted and didn't know how to get was how do I do this with my family? And you've managed to to do it with your family. And um what are the the the the pros and cons of of doing that?
SPEAKER_08:Well, I we managed to do it because my wife homeschools our children as well as she also helps with bookings and just general day-to-day, and she also does a lot of the housekeeping here. Um, and our children actually get involved in that as well. Um that's how we're able to do it. If it wasn't for that, I I wouldn't even be here if if I wasn't able to have my family here.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, a hundred percent. And that's cool. I know the the kids uh are uh involved in just about every aspect. Like I mean, Timmy boy, Timothy, he's what uh 10? He's 11. 11. Yeah, and um he's uh on the mule and and uh he uh he cleans the boats and you know not only is he getting the education from your wife that any kid from a public school or or a separate school would get, he's he's also every minute that he's here, he's getting an education. And um to to driving the boats, and you know, it's it's something that um that I all that I admire. It's uh it's amazing. And like I mean, although there's not a lot of um well, and I guess over the summer you do get some younger some younger kids that come in with families a little bit, but the exposure to so many different people from so many different walks of life is unbelievable.
SPEAKER_08:They they they get to see like you said, they get to see every walk of life, but they also it helps them to interact even with uh the adults and st and get have that kind of social interaction. But the children that come up think it's amazing that there's kids here as well, especially if they come with their family and there's just it's a small family. They they the kids especially uh our oldest Rebecca, she she involves herself and she'll she'll look after children. She likes to babysit for people if they you know they'll ask her to babysit. So they get all they get a lot of different social interaction up here for sure.
SPEAKER_02:Oh yeah. And like I say, it's um it's it's amazing, I think. And it was something that I could never make work with my situation, but um that uh that is very, very cool. Um and um um but back to uh back to the days when uh when we were we were working together in our own show to air, I what I wanted to kind of touch on, um you were my mechanic. You still are in the in every aspect of my life, really. Um of the the crazy uh things that happened um um to us, and and I'm wondering, like I mean, and I'm talking about, you know, um I lost a motor. I had a guy come in and uh this I bought I had uh I had bought five brand new 20 horsepower mercs to replace all those old Yamaha's that I had. And um this guy uh he went out with his son and another boat, which I don't even remember who who they were. I you know, when situations like this happen, I do my best to forget them. But they come back in, um, the one boat pulling the other minus an engine, and um uh I'm pretty sure what happened was they um they they pulled it and stashed it and you know uh and probably went back to get it. But if not, they told me the engine came off the boat and tore the whole um uh gas tank and everything right out the back and sunk to the bottom of the river in 50 feet. And um he was yelling at me because um he said that it was um um my fault that it wasn't um connected properly and and some of that I think is is is uh is is not not is is is true. Some of it is true because listen, folks, no matter whether you own a lodge or you have a boat, make sure you put a safety chain on that engine because um they do come off. Oh yeah. They come off. But anyway, so long story short, he took us back. He said he was gonna sue me, uh, which I think was just to scare me away from trying to um charge him for the engine, which I didn't. Um and and he took us back and he told me he was doing donuts and then driving through the wake uh when it came off. Um, but anyway, um here at Obavaca, have you had any incidents uh of uh uh of uh that type of magnitude in your managerial career or engines smashed or anything like that?
SPEAKER_08:Nothing real major to my own stuff, but um I had a fella come in one day and he asked me if I could have a look at his boat. He had it on the trailer already, and I I didn't see him put it on the trailer, and he said, uh, I think I got a little bit of damage to my lower unit. And so he had it parked over by the cabin, and I went over, and there was a little bit of damage to that lower unit, and he asked if there he thought I was there was anything I could do to get him back on the water, and I said, nope. I said the props ripped most of the way out of that lower unit, so I'm pretty sure there's not any way I'm gonna get you back on the water today.
SPEAKER_02:Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_08:So but I I'm uh as far as our own stuff goes, I I've I've only had her had I've had two lower units damaged beyond repair, but nothing that like they actually both got back. Um but yeah, they that's about the most most of it's just minor stuff. Our people are pretty careful. We we have pretty good we've had pretty good renters up here.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that's good. I know um I know that since I left Chaudiere, there's been a couple of doozies.
SPEAKER_08:Yes, the yeah, I I take care of Chaudier stuff still. Uh because I obviously I work for Craig and actually this this winter I'll be rebuilding uh an entire Yamaha because they they took Well let's talk about that one. They they they went out and the not only did they take the lower unit off, but they took half of the the the uh housing between the motor and the lower unit as well. It's well you've seen it, it's smashed right off.
SPEAKER_02:In in my and and when when folks when we're talking about take the lower unit off, a lot of times, you know, you say, Oh, the you smash the lower unit, and but literally the lower unit is not there anymore.
SPEAKER_08:And that yeah, there's only about really there's only I would say there's only two-thirds of the engine left, actually. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, like it where the lower unit bolts on to the top part of the engine, it tore um it tore instead of just tearing the bottom end off clean, it took some of the uh it's what they call the leg.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, it's what they call the leg.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. And I've never seen that. Um you gotta like, I mean, it's a it must have been a rough ride, you know. And the worst part is it was the rock right in front of Chaudiere, like the while the green buoy uh off the off of our island.
SPEAKER_08:They didn't they didn't make it, they didn't make it half a mile. You could they could you could still see where they were.
SPEAKER_02:Well, at least that makes it easy to go and get them.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And not only that, folks, that's a that was a ninety, five hundred dollar ticket.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And and that's the thing, right? That's why um number one, when you rent a boat, uh, you need to do everything you can do to talk to the dock hands, talk to whoever uh knows the water that you're on, uh you know, the other guests, um know the buoys, right? The green buoys, because it's a little bit confusing, right? Because do I go left of the green buoy? Do I go right of the green buoy? What's the red buoy? And I'm going to explain it to you right now in um the best terms that I can. And um uh this is how I used to explain it to the guests. It's red right return, the three R's, red, right, return. But what that means is you keep the red buoy on the right side of your boat when you're heading to the headwaters of the system that you're in. So you need to be going against the current for that to be working. Now, when you're on a place like the upper French River, it's very hard to know what current is because you can't see current there. So you need to know where the headwaters are. And in the case of the French River, our headwaters are Lake Nipissing, right? So when you're going towards your headwaters, red right return. You're returning to the headwaters, keep that red buoy on the right side of your boat, which by default means that the green buoy stays on the left because a lot of times you only see one or the other.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, there's not a lot of red buoys on on the French.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. Yeah, you and and so you you you need to know where your headwaters are at all times, and then you've got to know on a map when you're going against the headwaters because it's then opposite, right? When you're coming home, so Chaudi Air Um uh is uh at the bottom of the uh well, it's kind of central, but anyway, when you go out to the lake, red right return works. When you come from the lake back home, now everything is opposite. So, you know, Navionics really saved me a lot there. But in the early days, uh when I bought the place, there was no GPS on any of the boats. Cell phones weren't uh a real big thing as far as apps goes, like the Navionics app. A couple of years into it, I I found out about that app and and uh it became popular and it saved me thousands of dollars.
SPEAKER_08:The other thing, too, is if somebody's told you what to do, you should follow their direction. Because in the case of this one that we're talking about, the person actually was watching one of the guides drive on the wrong side of the buoy. Well, that guide knew where to go. And he thought that he could do the same thing. But if somebody tells you what to do, you should follow that direction. Don't do what other people do, do what you're told to do.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, absolutely. And that happens a lot, like that happens a lot because there's there's probably th at least three different spots that I know of that you can pass on the wrong side of the buoy, and it's a shortcut, and you get guys on the river that have lived there their whole lives, and they'll drive through those spots. But if you're not bang on the right track, you're gonna be big bang on a on a rock, right? So, and and I know that um a lot of a lot of times the the dock hands, that was one thing that I was very diligent on with all of the guys on the dock and and guides. Make sure when people are renting a boat, first thing you do, tell them the hazards. Make sure they know that that green buoy right there, you stay to the right because it's very inconspicuous. It actually looks like you've got a lot more room on the wrong side of that buoy, which by by width you do, but by depth, you don't at all, right? So, and and when it can be confusing when you're renting a boat because you're getting a lot of information all at the same time, you know. You got to press this to start it, you do this to choke it, you do this. Oh, and if it doesn't start, check your your uh uh this uh switch here and it's got this clip and you're supposed to wear it, but you know, it's the kill switch, right? So uh if you knock that off with your oar or your fishing rod handle and then you try and start it, but this thing's lying on the bottom. Well, you gotta put that back in. And oh, and by the way, if you want to, if you want to trim it, you gotta you gotta pull this little lever and then you can take it out, but it's gotta be in reverse to do it. And you know, oh, and when you're driving, make sure that you flip this so that if you do hit a rock, the engine's gonna flip up, it's not locked, right? So you've got so much stuff, if you're not familiar with boats, that you're trying to soak it all in. The big thing, and my point is when they're telling, when when somebody is giving you that information of where to go and where not to go, if you're feeling overwhelmed and you're not a hundred percent sure if you understand what they're saying, ask them again.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, don't just nod yes.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, ask them again, ask them again. And a lot of times, um uh at least when I was there, we would have paper maps, and they weren't anything special. But um, if you ask for a map, then you can write it down, right? Then you can write it down. And a lot of places also have electronics, GPS, which is another um nightmare of a thing if you don't know what you're if you're not familiar with them. Um so listen, just make sure you ask questions and you feel comfortable. And if you don't feel comfortable, don't go as fast as the boat can go. Because speed definitely costs you money if you're in the wrong spot. If you're going real slow and you just bump something and you know it's not ideal, but you're not gonna tear half the motor off and have it sink to the bottom. Yes, right? Not and and and and maybe hurt yourself. Like there's another incident, and I don't mean to pick on on Shaudi Air, because it it it it's just one of the ones that I know because I live there.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, and and I work for Craig, so I get the stories.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah. So um he had uh what boat was it? Uh the Lund. It was the Laker. Oh, the Laker.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, 17 foot Lakers.
SPEAKER_02:It's a big boat, yeah, yeah. And uh a console drive, GPS, everything. And on the upper fringe, we've got this one rock. And honestly, I would love to see that structure if you drained the river. Yeah, like this would be a rock um uh uh spire emerging from the depth. Like the one side of it is seven. Well, on three sides of it, it's like 70 feet, and on the on the back side of it, it's it comes up to like five feet and then it drops into 20 feet. But this uh the top of this rock is about, I'm gonna say it's smaller than a four by eight sheet of plywood.
SPEAKER_08:I've never actually seen it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's sticking out of the water right now.
SPEAKER_08:We'll have to go and look at it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's it's smaller. It it might it's about four feet by four feet, and um, we call it the can opener. And I don't know whether where uh I don't I don't remember who come up with the name, but um it and and the thing with this rock is it's basically right in the middle of one of the one of the more well-used channels, and um um rarely it gets marked. And the problem is um uh we were told, all I was told, and again, I don't like this. I don't like it at all. But I was told that if you mark a hazard, so I'm I'm the owner of Chaudiere, if I go out to the can opener, I mark that hazard, and it and and somebody has seen me, and um if you don't mark those rocks properly, then you're liable for the damage, and it scares the heck out of everybody, and none of the rocks get marked, and it's it's a it's a nightmare. But having said that, I I I probably if I was if I was an uh I would mark them with a white can and just throw uh uh a weight and a can on these rocks because it's so much better to be able to see them, right? Because then you kind of know.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, and the and the regular person would appreciate that.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, 100% the regular pre person appreciates that because you know, especially when you go out, you kind of you know that you know that somebody said, Okay, stay to the right side of that buoy on your way out, but then you see a guide going on the left side, and I can see how somebody would second guess themselves saying, Did he say the right side or the left side? Well, there's the guide. Yeah, the guide's gotta be right. You know what I mean? Yeah so and and now as an owner, you gotta look somebody in the eye and say, Hey, listen, I'm sorry, but that's gonna cost you nine thousand five hundred dollars when your week's all-inclusive trip is like three thousand for both of you, you and your wife or whoever, right? So it's it's uh it's a tough one. But um anyway, so this group of people go out with the um with the Laker and um the can opener. Um they hit the can opener and didn't even hit the engine, I don't think.
SPEAKER_08:Ooh, it uh you know what? It didn't actually hit it. The engine was fine on that one, I guess.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, but they yeah, that boat took a well the name can opener is very appropriate because it split it open um and barely there it it it's lucky while it ejected the driver.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, they actually I think both of them ended up in the water if I remember correctly, and the only reason it was chilly because the only reason they figure they survived is somebody saw it happen. Yeah. Yeah. It was a couple of older fellas and it wasn't good.
SPEAKER_02:No, I know. They were they were traumatized. Yeah. Well, like I mean, anytime you hit something that uh hard enough that it ejects you out of the boat. And this is this was a boat that had a steering wheel and console. Yeah, right. So like I'm and uh it it tore the the the hull of the boat open to the point where it's still not back in the water. It'll never go back in the water, it's not worth saving. Yeah, yeah. And and barely with the bilge pump going, they got it back to the to the like the the lodge before it sank. It wasn't that far from the lodge. Yeah. Well, no, it's not that far. So, you know, and and that was equipped with GPS. And and that, but uh again, it's it's tough, right? You gotta ask questions and err on the side of caution always, right? Um, if it's water that you've never been in, go slow the first time. Um, ask questions about that GPS. It's the best tool that you can you can have if you're if you're if you need to use it or and and and learn to use it, right? So that's uh that's important.
SPEAKER_08:And with your GPS, just remember that even though some of them are very some of them are very good, it still does not place you exactly where it says you are. Yes, you can be within 10, 15 feet, and that's a huge difference. Like one the one I'm just thinking of the one lower unit I had to replace here. The fellow was driving with his GPS, and he decided to skirt the rock instead of going far away from the rock. Yeah. And he ended up on top of the rock instead.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah, there's there's things that can be affected. The GPS is not 100% accurate 100% of the time, and it doesn't matter how much money you spend on it. There are times when things can go awry. Yeah. Right? Um, it's always and you know what? That's why they have the disclaimer when you turn your GPS on that says, do not use this uh as your sole navigation, you know. And that's why. When you're in the wilds of northwestern Ontario, you need gear you can trust and a team that's got your back. That's Lakeside Marine in Red Lake, Ontario, family-owned since 1988. They're your go-to pro camp dealer, built for the North, from Yamaha boats and motors to everything in between. We don't just sell you gear, we stand behind it. Lakeside Marine. Rugged, reliable, ready.
SPEAKER_04:Now you might know us as the hosts of Canada's favorite fishing show, but now we're hosting a podcast. That's right. Every Thursday, Ann and I will be right here in your ears, bringing you a brand new episode of Outdoor Journal Radio. Hmm. Now, what are we going to talk about for two hours every week? Well, you know there's gonna be a lot of fishing.
SPEAKER_07:I knew exactly where those fish were going to be and how to catch them, and they were easy to catch.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, but it's not just a fishing show. We're going to be talking to people from all facets of the outdoors.
SPEAKER_00:From athletes, all the other guys would go golfing. Me and Garchomp Turks, and all the Russians would go fishing.
SPEAKER_07:The scientists. But now that we're reforesting and things, it's the perfect transmission environment for line with these. If any game isn't cooked properly, marinated for you will taste it.
SPEAKER_04:And whoever else will pick up the phone. Wherever you are, Outdoor Journal Radio seeks to answer the questions and tell the stories of all those who enjoy being outside. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER_02:So over the years, there's been uh there has been a lot of bottom ends, a lot of props, a lot of blowed-up engines. I blew up one of my own engines. It was a good little engine. A 25 Merc, two-stroke, you know. I I um and and this is another thing, right? You gotta always make sure the pee hole is peeing. Yes. Right? And and folks, what I mean by that is um all engines cool the top end or the head of the engine with water from the lake. Um, and and to know that that water is actually circulating through your engine, there's um uh a pee hole. Stream, yep, stream of water. And it's a stream of water, and we call it a peehole because it looks like the engine is peeing, right? And that's just the hot water coming out of the engine as it sucks the cold water through it. And um sometimes you get into weeds, you get into a little bit of uh muck, and you stir stuff up, you get it's it's sitting out of the water and you get uh those wasps, those mud wasps that uh that'll go into the intake and block it. Doesn't matter how it gets blocked, sometimes the intake for your water, your coolant, gets blocked, and then as a result, the water don't come out the peehole. And when the water is not, and that's your visual, um, your visual cue when you and and constantly on all of the engines that I run. That's one thing since I blew up my little beautiful engine, uh, that I look for is water coming out of that hole. And it's it's usually on the bottom. Of the the top of the head, so your engine's got your round top right before it goes into the water, you'll see it shooting out. Uh, and it's usually, if you're looking at it, it's usually the left side. I'm not sure, could be the right, but one or the other, make sure it's peeing. Because um, I got myself into a situation where I had to go home and I was running late. You know, that was that was my big issue. Was either it was was getting away from the lodge to go home. And um I jumped into the to the the crest liner, a nice little 14-foot wide-body crest liner with a 25-2-stroke on it. And um I uh started it up and I took off and uh right away uh well it I didn't even I made it about 200 yards. And uh I noticed that there was no P coming out of the beehole. But because I was in such a r I haven't told you this part of the story because I was in such a rush, I thought, uh, it'll make it back to the dock. It should make it back. So I quickly cranked it around and I beelined it for the dock, and about 25 feet before I hit the dock, she quit. And I thought, well, it'll probably be okay. And I and I could smell that it was hot. And folks, what I mean by that is when things get hot and they're got plastic and parts and things like that, you can smell the melting-ish. I popped the top offer, and uh, I think it was the coil packs at all. The that at least one of them had melted, and I thought, oh no. And subsequently, a few years later, I held on to it because I loved that little motor and it was perfect for that boat. And I thought, uh, maybe it's just a melted coil. But uh, we had a uh in-depth um uh investigation done on that uh engine with my with my um my engine engineer Scotty, and uh it ended up in the junkyard. You know, tough lesson learned.
SPEAKER_08:Tough lesson learned. But that that's a lesson that teaches you also to do a check on your boat before you leave. Make sure you have life jackets, safety equipment, all of what you need to be out on the water. And when you start the motor, make everything, make sure it's running the way it should before you leave the dock.
SPEAKER_02:100%. And that that's almost as important as making sure you got all your safety gear. Yeah and and when you know at Chaudi Air and and uh here at Obabaca, you when you're renting boats, we've got people that look after doing that for you. But having said that, people make mistakes, yeah, and you always gotta check it. Um and and the reality is if you get out on the water and you've got a rental boat and you get pulled over by the um police and the ministry, because they usually travel together and they say, Hey, can I I need to see your safety can and I need to see your life jackets and I need to see all of the things that you need in the boat to legally operate that boat, and you look in your in your safety can and um there's no batteries in the flashlight, or the flashlight doesn't work, and they charge you for unsafe operation of uh uh watercraft. Yes, I as an owner can say, Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. Uh, I'll pay the fine, but that still goes as a black mark on you. Yeah. Right? So you always gotta check. It's like getting into a car and and nobody looks for the insurance ticket. What are the police gonna do? They're gonna charge you, and and you gotta produce the insurance, and it's on you, not the vehicle.
SPEAKER_08:No, and and even that, like here, I'm the one that looks after the boats, and so it's on me, but I've actually had it where I've gone to rent a boat and the anchor's gone. Well, I I know the anchor was there when it brought it back because I'm the guy that checked it, and then I have a guest come down the dock. Oh, yeah, I wanted an extra anchor, so I took it out of that boat yesterday, and I didn't even know, you know?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so stuff like that can happen, right? So you gotta make sure you're doing a double check on and and being responsible for yourself. And you know, when you get to places like this, it's it's easy to forget because it's always right, but there's always that one time where it may not be right. And believe me, um, from running showtier for 10 years, there were a few times when stuff wasn't right. Uh, and and um I ended up paying for a fine or two. Right. Because you just mistakes happen.
SPEAKER_08:Mistakes happen. And and another big one is fuel.
SPEAKER_02:Oh make sure you get enough fuel. Oh yeah. Yeah, I learned a hard lesson when when it comes to fuel. Um, I used to do a um a fishing trip on uh Lake Nipigan. And uh for those of you who don't know where Lake Nippigan is, it's um um it is uh directly north of uh Lake Superior, um uh this side, so the east side of Thunder Bay, and it is the largest lake in Ontario uh inside Ontario borders. Uh so we're not talking about Great Lakes, but inside Ontario borders, Nippigan is it. It's like the freaking ocean. And um, we would do a trip up to Lake Nipigan and uh go out in um we I'd call him Captain Dan. Dan Tacey. He used to have uh a um uh cabin cruiser, he called it, but really it was a glorified tugboat. It was about 52, 53 feet long, uh, and in the berth, so in the front of the boat, um downstairs, there was um um um enough uh bunk beds on each side that we could sleep six people. And Dan was seven. He'd sleep up in the wheelhouse, and there was a kitchen in the back of the boat, and then you'd go out of the boat and onto the back deck, and the back deck was probably I'm gonna say maybe eight feet wide or as wide as the boat by about five feet. So it was it was big enough for all of us to stand out there, and we would live on the cabin cruiser, and he would pull four boats behind. So um, my buddy Ray Poole and Rick Kiddock, uh, they would bring their 16-foot aluminums and we would pull their two 16-footers, and then Dan would pull two more 14-footers that he had, and off we would go. Well, I was out uh this was um after uh um Eric, my buddy Eric Poole, he uh he passed uh in a car accident in 2003. God rest his soul. And Ray Poole, I'm who I'm talking about, was his is his dad. And uh this was one of the first couple of trips after Eric died. And uh a buddy of mine uh that I met in trade school, Mario Giardnazzo, he was up there with us, and um Dan was always on us about you know, all the baloney like life jackets and and gas and you know, oars and all of that kind of stuff, right? So we were we were harbored in uh behind um uh um a long narrow island, and um uh we got up that morning, and every night Dan would park the cabin cruiser somewhere where it's safe because like on the on the lake, like I mean, it gets rough, really rough. And you don't need a whole lot of wind if it comes from the right direction because you get a uh a 30-mile fetch, which just means there's 30 miles of of water with no islands or land to break it up. It doesn't take a lot of wind to make the far side rough. Anyway, Mario and I get in our boat right after breakfast. We're all pumped to go. And um, I'd love to blame it on Mario, but I don't think I can. Anyway, the pair of us jump in our boat, I motor out and come around the point of the island, and then we were on a spot where, like I say, um it's miles of water, and we were gonna go over to this other little spot along the shoreline, but we got out, I don't know, far enough, and there was a light breeze coming off of the the shore from where we from where we came from, right? With like honestly, 30 to 50 miles of open water behind us. And um, I'm driving away, driving away, and the engine quits. And I'm like, oh, I wonder why I wonder what that is. So anyway, I start the engine up again, off I go, no problem. And you get like, I don't know, half a minute, 30 seconds a minute, and it quits again. And then it dawned on me. I'm like, oh no, Mario, pick up that gas can because we're in the 14-footer, and the gas can's up in the front where Mario's sitting. He picks it up and it's light, it's empty. I'm like, oh no. And Mario, being from Weston Road in Lawrence, has no idea of the magnitude of the problem of the situation. So I said, Mayor, okay, this is what I need you to do. I need you to pick up that tank and just kind of move it so that the gas goes to somewhere. Like we I I undid the gas cap to see where the spout uh the pickup was. And I said, You gotta hold it down, keep the gas going there, and pump that ball. Like you just pumped that ball, buddy. So I turned back and we I'm hightailing it to try and get back to where we where we needed to go. And I we probably cut our row in half, right? So I think it was probably we were out maybe a little less than two kilometers. Now I'm within a kilometer, you know, maybe three-quarters of a kilometer in a 14-foot aluminum. Yeah, and we don't have any oars, we have paddles, right? So I hand Mario a paddle now because we have pumped every drop of fuel we have out of this thing. And like I said, there was a breeze, beautiful breeze, right in our face. Yeah, and I'm like, Mario, paddle. Oh, Steve, you know I'm a sheet metal mechanic. My shoulders are my my shoulders screwed, Steve. And I'm like, Mario, you don't understand. We need to paddle. So I I oh, Steve. I said, Mario, you come sit in the back. Just paddle off the side of the boat, just paddle. So I went to the front and I planted my knees in the in the bow, and I was paddling both sides of the bow to get to get us to where we were going. And I and I paddled, and I paddled. And for a long time, I wasn't even sure we were going forward. Like it was it was dicey, and then the wind kind of died a little bit. And every time I looked behind, Mario was sitting there and he wasn't paddling. I'm like, Mario, you've got a paddle. Like, you don't understand. There is 50 miles of water behind us, and if we don't get there, we're gonna end up there. Yeah. And there, I don't, I don't know where there is. And if it gets rough out there, like I mean, this little boat, especially with no power, it might not make it. Yeah, it might, it might actually sink, right? It's okay when the water's flat, but you get into the middle of Lake Nip again and and you get into the wrong part with the wrong wind, you could be in six, seven, eight foot waves. And that ain't good. Anyway, we made it. I and and at what at the point where I knew I was gaining because the closer we got to the shoreline, the more it blocked the wind, and the breeze was a little less, and I we come around the corner. And at that point, Dan was pulling the they were they were coming out to look for us, right? And he was pulling the cabin cruiser out around the corner, and Dan tore a strip. When when he says, What's going on? And I didn't want to tell him. I said, Well, we had engine trouble. He said, What? He said, Yeah, the engine wouldn't start. He said, Why? I said, I don't, I don't, I, I don't know. He said, You didn't. I said, Yeah. It was Mario. He said, Bullshit. You got and he tore a strip rip off of us. But rightfully so. And that, to your point, gas, you gotta check your gas. Yeah, you know, because uh, like at Chaudi Air in the in those 10 years, there were a couple of um rescue missions that we had to go on, but it's a populated, it's well, it's fairly populated. Um, and uh um we always found people, nobody ever spent a night out, right? But we would uh like in the first couple of years, I wasn't asking people where they were going, what they were doing, this and that. And then after dinner, we would always I'd have the guys on the dock say, Okay, uh Scotty, um uh which direction are you going and what time you're gonna be back? Yeah, right. So then we at least, if you didn't come back at that time, at least we knew what direction to start looking.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, you know with us, we could because we're we are very isolated up here, I'm fairly cautious, especially with our rent, like our rental boats aren't supposed to be out after dark. So I'm fairly cautious with people. And because we don't, we aren't there isn't somebody out there. I am the tow truck. Oh yeah. So, you know, we it's if you're not back by six, should I come and look for you? You know, even with our housekeeping guests, sometimes it's no, are you guys planning to stay out late or should I come looking for you? So yeah, we're fairly careful with that.
SPEAKER_02:Well, and and not so much on the French, but there are places on the French, but up here there is no cell service, no, right? So you're going out there old school where there's you're on your own, right? And and a lot of people don't think about that. That's the other thing that you kind of have to think about is when you're up in these kind of remote areas, um, a lot of times your phone doesn't work. No, right? So that that's another that's another story. Yeah. But and now, you know, we're we're at that time of the year. We're actually uh here at Lake Obabaca Lodge, um, and uh we are uh we're we're closing her down. Closing her down, yep. Right, and and also doing a little bit of hunting on the side, which is which is kind of cool. And we and and uh thanks, Craig. I appreciate that. You're a good man, right? But um when it comes to closing, and I've done shows on closing, but um Scotty, you've been at every opening and closing with me. Um you've been uh you you open and close Shaudiere every year, Obabaca. If I was to ask you, um, what is probab what is the most important thing that if I if I own a cottage or I just bought a cottage um and I gotta close it for the winter, what is the most important thing that I should um do?
SPEAKER_08:Well, I mean what you're gonna help me with is is getting getting the water out of your plumbing. Because water will freeze, doesn't matter how thick it is, doesn't matter how thin it is, and it will blow up whatever it is in. Yeah. Any any kind of line, any kind of even a pressure vessel, it will it will crack it. It's ice uh water to ice is incredibly strong. Yeah, and expansive. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So getting the water out of your line air remote, um use plumbing antifreeze, like a good um uh non-toxic plumbing antifreeze.
SPEAKER_02:And you can get that at Canadian tire or Walmart, yeah. Yeah, RV. RV antifreeze is what it's called. Yep.
SPEAKER_08:Just make sure you get a good one and make sure that yeah, that the water's out of your lines.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. Now, I know that uh at Shaudi Air and on uh at the cottage, um, I use air. I pressurize the lines and then um and then I I open up the lines and and blow the lines out with air. And the other thing too is um when you're when you're constructing something that's new, always keep in mind that level plumbing looks nice, but it's not a good idea, right? You want to always make sure that your plumbing, um, your supply side at least is always kind of running downhill to a certain point. Yeah, and at that point, you can put a uh a valve that you can open and close so that gravity is your friend, not your enemy.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, and even after you so that way if after you've aired your lines out, there's always going to be a little bit of water left. And if you've got that, it will always it will you just leave those valve op valves open, it'll it'll drain itself out eventually. So yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and and I think that is like I mean, that is the most important thing when it comes to winterization. Um, I know actually here you use that um that uh RV anti freeze in the supply side as well.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, yeah. For us, we all of a lot of our lines are buried and we don't know where they are because they were buried many, many years ago and many owners ago. So for us, the easiest because I don't want to have to dig up the ground to find a split split line. That's not what I want to do in the spring. So that's what we do. And then in the in the in the spring, it requires a little bit more work to clean them out, but it gets done. Yeah, that's perfect. Yep.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. And um uh so there's there's that, and uh, that's really that's that's the most important thing when it comes to buildings. And then um uh um as far as servicing an engine for like an outboard engine for um for the winter, um what do you typically do for that?
SPEAKER_08:Uh typically for me, because we we run a lot of hours on our outboards, I do them the your your manufacturers all have recommendations. Um follow do do what they tell you to do. Um for us in Canada and inland, um, we don't we don't do as much as far as the they recommend anodes. I'm I've never done anodes, but if you're in salt water, your anodes are very critical.
SPEAKER_02:And an anode for those of you who who um are wondering, it's a um a block of um um sacrificial metal. Sacrificial metal that is mounted on uh on uh your uh bottom end that is meant to corrode instead of having your engine corrode. And I and and I'm not a hundred percent sure how that happens, but it's that's what that is, and that's what it's there for.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. Um but yeah, your your your your you know, your spark plugs, fuel filter, if you have four strokes, oil filter, and oil, um, especially what you with your lower units, you always want to drain them in case they've got water in them. I've seen lower units blow to pieces with that have been had water instead of oil in them.
SPEAKER_02:And for exactly the same reason, yeah, as you want to make sure the waters are out of your pipes, yeah, right? Because if your bottom end, which nine times or may probably ten times out of ten are aluminum, um, if they're full of water, the water expands and it cracks that bottom end, and then you're into another bottom end. And they're they're not cheap.
SPEAKER_08:No, no, thousands of dollars. So yeah, that's that would be your most critical. If you're not gonna do anything else before the winter, always, always, always check your lower unit oil. Um, make sure that it's not milky or just straight water, as we found this today already on one of ours. Um, and and then if you do have water, there's a leak somewhere, you want to look, especially your prop shaft can get um fishing line around it and just areas like that, and just make sure that uh yeah, that it's not uh not damaged.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so when we talk about winterizing an engine, there is really only one critical thing that you need, need, need to check, and that's your bottom end. And there's there's two screws on that bottom end, one right on the lower unit, one uh that's on the top at the at the uh full level line. Um uh take them both out, have a look at what comes out. And at very worst, just drain it and leave it empty.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, it's better, it's better than having water in it.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. Ideally, you drain it, you see, and then you fill it. Yeah, right. Um, but um, and and if you do have an issue, it's something that you you should address in the spring or in the fall. Like I mean, the fall is a great time.
SPEAKER_08:Uh if you if you can take the motor off with you and take it home, then do that and and have it addressed. Or if you are capable enough, most of your automotive stores sell the pump to refill them. And it's not hard, it's not hard.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and and if you do find water, uh it's typically a seal uh from the fishing line gets wrapped around that shaft and then it slides under the seal and it and it wears the seal, and then all of a sudden you're got you've got water coming in. Yeah. And and that's you know what? It's it it it you can do it if you're mechanically inclined, but um it's probably something that um that uh you can have somebody else do.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, yeah. It's uh it just take it to your marine and have them do it if you're not a mechanical person. And it's it I don't think it would be an outrageous, it's not an outrageous job to do. So it wouldn't be, you know, it's not it's not gonna cost you a whole pile of money, but it's it's better than paying for a lower unit.
SPEAKER_02:And that's uh eventually that's what happens, right? Because if you don't have oil in there and you just got water in there, it's it um it don't wear very good.
SPEAKER_03:No.
SPEAKER_02:Oh well, that's awesome, Scotty. Thank you so much for this, but I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_08:It's always it's always fun talking to you, Steve.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yeah, I know. Well, hopefully we'll get out and get a moose. We uh we had a very cool, well, we uh didn't, but uh Jonathan, one of the other fellows had a very, very cool close encounter with a bull yesterday afternoon. Yes, very close encounter. Oh yeah. Well, and I and I take some credit for it, Scotty. You and I we we walked a I don't even know how far in the bush. Like, I mean, we w and thick. Oh my gosh. That uh it was thick. It it it was real thick, but uh, I believe that we pushed a bull out his direction. But um uh Jonathan was within I'm gonna say an honest 20 feet. At least. Yeah. You know, maybe closer, 15 feet. Well, close enough. We don't have a bull tag, right? So there was no shooting this fella. Um uh and he came so close that Jonathan had to reach for his gun because he was thinking about running away and didn't want to leave it. And he was filming it the whole time. And when he went to reach for the gun, the the bull um was startled. It um it kind of jumped and moved 10 feet further away from him and stared him down and then and then sauntered away. Yeah, wasn't wasn't concerned at all. He knows, yep. Well, that's uh it's unfortunate we didn't we don't have a bull tag, but um that's very cool. Very cool. Yeah, so wish us luck, folks. And listen, thank you very much, Scotty, for being on the show. No problem. I appreciate that. And thank you all for listening to this point. I really, really appreciate it. Um, give us a like. Uh send uh send any questions or comments. Uh, you know how to get me at steve.n at fishingcanada.com. Uh don't forget to head over to fishingcanada.com uh while we're on the topic and check out the free giveaways. Everybody likes free stuff. You might as well get in on it and and uh and try your luck. And thank you to all of our supporters, um, Lakeside Marina up in Red Lake, Ontario. Uh wonderful, wonderful place. And uh thanks to uh uh uh my little buddy Nixon, good night, little buddy, and uh again, thus brings us to the conclusion of another episode of Diaries of a Lodge Owner, Stories of the North. I'm a good old boy, never meaning no harm. I'll be the whole you ever saw. I've been reeling in the hog since the day I was born. Bendin' my renting my line. Someday I might on a lodge and I'd be fine. I'll be making my way the only way I know how working hard and sharing the north with all of my plows. But I'm a good old boy, about a lodge and live my dream, and now I'm here talking about how life can be as good as it seems. Yeah.
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SPEAKER_01:As the world gets louder and louder, the lessons of our natural world become harder and harder to hear. But they are still available to those who know where to listen. I'm Jerry Olet, and I was honored to serve as Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources. However, my journey into the woods didn't come from politics. Rather, it came from my time in the bush and a mushroom. In 2015, I was introduced to the birch-hungry fungus known as Chaga, a tree conch, with centuries of medicinal use by indigenous peoples all over the globe. After nearly a decade of harvest, use, testimonials, and research, my skepticism has faded to obsession. And I now spend my life dedicated to improving the lives of others through natural means. But that's not what the show's about. My pursuit of this strange mushroom and my passion for the outdoors has brought me to the places and around the people that are shaped by our natural world. On Outdoor Journal Radio's Under the Canopy podcast, I'm going to take you along with me to see the places, meet the people that will help you find your outdoor passion and help you live a life close to nature and under the canopy. Find Under the Canopy now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts. or wherever else you get your podcasts.