Rondout Creek – The Voyages of Nine Lives

July 5 to 24, 2017. Utica to Oswego and back to New Jersey

There and Back Again

On July 6^th the lock above us on the Erie Canal finally reopened and we were able to leave Utica and head for Oswego. The waters of the canal still looked like extra thick mushroom soup, and we had to keep a careful watch for floating logs, some of them whole trees that were partially submerged. We passed dredgers working on silted up areas, and other barges with workmen still gathering and cutting up debris.

Oneida Lake has a reputation for building up waves when the wind is from the west, and we wanted no further delays so we ran wide open (that means pushing the engines to just below their top speed, which gives us about 18 knots, as opposed to our normal travelling speed of 7 knots) and cut the journey time in half. Brewerton is on the northern shore of the lake and was our next stop. There is an attractive town dock, but we wanted to stop at one particular marina that Dick is planning to leave the boat with at the end of next season. They have heated indoor storage, so you don’t need to go through the rigmarole of winterizing. They also have excellent fuel prices, so we made a point of filling up!

North of Brewerton we passed a number of very nice cottages and full-time homes on the side of the canal before arriving at Three Rivers, the junction of the Erie and the Oswego Canals. The Oswego Canal was completed 3 years after the Erie Canal opened, and allows boats to travel directly north into Lake Ontario. 8 locks later we arrived in Oswego. Interestingly, the last two locks are right in the centre of town, and as you walk over the bridges you can see how the canal and the river have been kept separate.

Oswego is another old town that was once wealthy and has now lost much of its industry. In addition to being an important freshwater port it was also a railway hub. There were grain elevators and mills, the Kingsford starch factory, and textile mills. Today there is still a cement depot in the harbour, but most of the mills and factories are gone. We tied up at the Oswego marina, and prepared to leave the next morning for Kingston, Ontario.

There is a historic fort at Oswego that we did not explore on this visit, but there is also a marine museum, where we saw one of the tugs that was built for Operation Overlord in WWII. It was used to tow barges of ammunition and supplies in convoys across the English Channel to the Normandy beaches in 1944. After the war, she continued to work as a harbour tug for more than 40 years. We also went for a harbour ride on a solar powered wooden boat. This was an interesting experience, the boat was quite dreadful, all plywood, and extremely basic. The captain and his wife are very enthusiastic about their various projects, this one being their second solar powered boat, and a third is currently being built in a shed at Kingston (NY) harbor. We had seen the project when we stayed at the museum on our outbound journey. Dick was fascinated by the technology, whereas I was amazed at the complete lack of any safety briefing or life jackets on board when they are taking out members of the public. The liability issues are staggering. However, it is certainly a good cause. The boats are built by middle school students, closely supervised of course. It is often the first time any of these young people have ever picked up a hammer and nails.

Our original plans were to explore the Thousand Islands as far as Cornwall, and then work our way west towards Hamilton, eventually circumnavigating Lake Ontario before heading south towards home. Alas, the many weather delays changed these plans, but we were still expecting to cross Lake Ontario to Kingston and have time to visit Trenton, and friends and family further west. For once the weather was in our favour, and at 8am Dick turned on the chartplotter to plan the route to Kingston. At one mile outside Oswego Harbor, all the chart detail stopped. It wasn’t quite “Here Be Dragons” but close! When we bought the boat, everything had been equipped to such a high spec that it never occurred to Dick that the previous owner would not have bought the complete North America charts. With no paper charts for Canada either, we were not going to proceed, so Dick got busy and placed the order for the updated and complete charts, paying extra for “overnight” delivery. Nothing on the Navionics website suggested that they only process orders Mon-Fri (and this was a Saturday). Dick waited in vain on Sunday for the new charts. Then we gave it some more thought and realized that even if we did get another weather window we would risk getting stopped more times while travelling around Lake Ontario, and with a deadline for being back in Hilton Head we decided that Oswego would be our turnaround this year. Dick rented a car and visited his Mum while I stayed to keep an eye on the boat and Mr Tucker.

The evening before, we had one of the best get-togethers of the trip. We had enjoyed docktails with a group of Loopers earlier on the Erie Canal. The rest of that group got stuck in Ilion, two locks south of where we were in Utica, but once the canal reopened we all met again in Oswego. We gathered at a local restaurant and enjoyed a very pleasant evening of chat and consultation. One of the group is solo on a sailboat, he is Australian and has been planning to do the loop for nearly 15 years. He had spent time in Long Island Sound, and is now making his way around the loop with the rest of the pack. It was a great evening. The next morning, I stood on the stern of our docked boat and waved goodbye to all our new friends as they headed out across Lake Ontario and onwards.

Dick enjoyed visiting his Mom, and made a detour on the way back to shop at Wegmans, once our favourite supermarket when we lived in NY State. Then we waited some more for the not-even-close to overnight delivery of those pesky charts. They finally arrived at noon on Wednesday, and we decided we were quite tired of Oswego and ready to move on immediately!

On our return journey we are planning a combination of repeat visits to places we enjoyed, and new stops just to make things different. One new stop was Amsterdam on the Erie Canal. Another once wealthy town, but they have made major efforts to make it an attractive destination for boaters. There is a beautiful park on the river, with a bandshell and concerts weekly through the summer. You can tie up on the wall right in the park. Downtown has nicely restored buildings, but there is the usual sad problem that they are unable to attract a good mix of shopping and residential, so many of the shops are empty and those few that are open are a strange mix of tattoo parlours and wedding shops. East of Amsterdam we stayed overnight at the Schenectady Yacht Club, probably the prettiest location on the Erie Canal as the canal/river cuts through a gorge. After locking down through the final 6 lock flight we stopped again at Waterford. This is another village that has made efforts to attract boaters to the waterfront and the historic downtown. By this time, I was quite glad to get out of the Erie Canal and back into the Hudson River, with only one last lock to transit.

As we approached the lock above Albany, we watched replicas of the Nina and the Pinta travelling upstream on their way to Oswego and parts west. They looked quite strange with all their masts and rigging stepped and piled up on the decks. The authenticity stops at propulsion… they both have efficient modern motors to supplement their sails.

Our air conditioning pump was unreliable, so we stopped for an extra couple of nights at Shady Harbour in New Baltimore on the Hudson. The mechanic was able to get a replacement quickly. We certainly did not want to be travelling south into even greater heat and humidity without working air conditioning! That said, the other day this area had higher temperatures than Hilton Head, and the humidity was over 90%. I used the time to scrub the fenders with soapy water to get off most of the crud from the Erie Canal, and then Dick gave the boat a good wash as well.

I like the Hudson River. There is so much history and it is both beautiful and interesting with all the commercial traffic. One morning the river was completely covered in fog, and a big tanker passed, blowing its whistle every few minutes to warn oncoming traffic. We later read about the requirement for all cargo vessels to take on board a Hudson River pilot. He climbs up the side of the moving vessel in New York Harbour, and takes the ship up to Hyde Park, where another pilot takes over so they are always fully rested. Most of these ships have foreign crews, and many have never been through New York or on the Hudson before. The pilot must know how to navigate every kind of vessel, and these ships are huge! They run right through the winter, sometimes travelling in convoys because of ice.

We stopped again in Kingston, having enjoyed the Marine Museum and waterfront so much earlier. This time we tried the other restaurant we had noticed, and had the best meal so far on the trip. I had lobster ravioli that I will dream about for some time!

Our transit of New York Harbor was uneventful, if lumpy. This time most of the ferries and all of the NYFD vessels that had created such huge wakes on our outbound journey were not there, but there were a lot of sailboats enjoying the brisk winds. They all have the right of way when they are under sail, so we had to keep a sharp lookout and try to anticipate where they might be going. There was also very confusing chatter on the radios, with crackle, jargon, and add strong New York accents into the mix and it was impossible to work out what was going on and what we should be looking out for. After we had passed under the Verrazano Narrows bridge and were heading west along Staten Island I looked back and could see what we missed. There was a huge autocarrier that came out just behind us, followed by another big tanker. Timing is everything, it would have been nasty to try to get out of their way in the busy harbour!

We are now in Great Kills, New Jersey, again waiting for a weather window. It is incredible how weather dependent we are. We knew intellectually that we would experience delays, but actually living it has been a big surprise to both of us. It is not rain we worry about, it is winds and currents, as well as fog and thunderstorms. The winds and currents must both be in our favour before we can set off. We already know how unpleasant (and scary) it gets if we are caught in unexpected conditions. Even when everything is “perfect” it can be very bouncy at certain times such as when we came through New York Harbor with the tide behind us, the wind in front of us, and the East River outlet on our beam! We arrived here on Saturday and don’t expect the conditions to be acceptable until at least Thursday. Of course, you have to keep checking, the forecasts change continually. I have three different weather apps on my phone, and Dick has at least two others, and we look at all of them two or three times a day.

So, what is a typical day on our boat? Well, of course it depends on whether we are staying in port or planning to get underway. I tend to get up pretty early, usually between 5:30 and 6:00. I make a pot of coffee and wash up any dishes from the previous day. We both like our quiet mornings, sitting in the cockpit with coffee and watching the world wake up. Dick gets out his laptop and catches up with news and weather, and we both read the daily digest of the Great Loop forum. If we are heading out we try to go sometime between 8 and 9am, but this might also be dependent on the tide. If the tide is against us we will take longer and use more fuel to arrive at our destination, so some days it is better to wait until it has turned. When the time comes the engines are started, various lines and fenders reorganized, Tucker gets his harness put on, and the gate at the top of the steps is put up. Once we are underway we can close up the cockpit and take away the gate so Tucker can come up and enjoy the wind and be with his people. Unfortunately, if it is a day on a canal with locks, Tucker has to stay below because we need to be able to step in and out through the doors. It takes two of us to hold the boat in position in a lock. I bring the boat in, and Dick catches the lock-side ropes or wraps a line around the pipe that goes down the side of the lock. Then I can shut off the engines and get out and hold the stern rope to keep us in place. When the lock doors open I start the engines and drive the boat out.

Most of the time Dick does the driving. The seat is too far back for me to really see well, so I have to stand to drive, which gets tiring very quickly. I also prefer Dick to take the helm in tricky winds or currents. He is calmer than I am, not to mention if somebody is going to bump hard into the dock because of winds or currents I would much rather it was him! Instead I stand at the rail and throw the lines to the waiting dockhand, or make my best rope-toss over a cleat if there is no help available. We have headsets that are appropriately called “marriage-savers” by other cruisers in the know. It means we can talk to each other through the various manoeuvers calmly instead of having to shout or make easily misunderstood gestures.

Days spent in port begin the same way, but after breakfast there are usually necessary chores to be done. I am lucky to have a washer-dryer on the boat, but it uses a lot of water and power, so we have to have access to dockside services. Dick vacuums thoroughly once a week, and every other week there is a proper cleaning to be done, just as at home. Sheets get changed, bathrooms are cleaned, the kitchen gets a deep clean, and the rooms are dusted and the wood polished. Dick also gives the outside of the boat a good wash.

We usually alternate dinners out with cooking on board. Mostly the restaurants that are walking distance from the boat are not exactly fine dining, but we have had some very good burgers and steaks. I try to plan ahead for about 7 or 8 meals to be cooked on board. When we are in a port Dick gets his bicycle off the front rail and heads out with saddle bags and a shopping list. We have enjoyed most of the meals that have been chosen from a fairly extensive collection of on-board cookbooks left by the previous owner, plus my own cookbook. Last night I made chicken breasts in a wine sauce with cheese and bread stuffing topping. Other successful meals have included cooking a whole chicken in the pressure cooker, various beef or pork stews, plus we have the grill and Dick will do pork or lamb chops as well as steaks. We have tried pizza on the grill, so far not very successful, but we will keep trying!

Our next couple of weeks are likely to be spent mostly in port waiting for weather. We will first have the trip “outside” down the coast to Atlantic City and Cape May. Then there will need to be suitable wind and wave conditions on Delaware Bay, followed by the several days of good weather we need to transit the Chesapeake. South of Norfolk we must again cross Albemarle Sound and the (dreaded) Neuse River. After that we are at last back in the ICW and can expect mostly smooth traveling through North and South Carolina to get home.

Oswego gathering 1 — Loopers gather in Oswego

tanker in fog on the Hudson — Tanker in morning fog on the Hudson River

June 17 to July 4, 2018: Hudson River to Montreal

Continuing our stay at Half Moon Bay on the Hudson River, after a day of sightseeing, we left the boat and went off in different directions. Dick drove to Toronto to participate in the annual reunion lunch of former Ingersoll Rand colleagues from his first years with the company. I rented another car and set off the next afternoon for Long Island and dinner with Harriet and Carol. I worked with Harriet many years ago at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and together with Carol and other friends we have travelled in Europe and enjoyed canal boating in UK.

However. First it was apparently necessary for me to have a very stressful adventure. Dick had not been gone for two hours when I discovered tell-tale signs that our holding tank was ready to overflow. (for the landlubbers, the holding tank is where we keep the poop and such, it has to be pumped out once a week). Having had an experience with the situation last summer I knew this was not to be ignored. Unfortunately, the pump-out machine was located on a dock at the other end of the marina, outside the breakwater. After my urgent requests for help from fellow Loopers, they jumped into action. Two ladies got on board with me to catch and throw lines, and two gentlemen stood on the dock to cast off, and then hurried over to the pump-out dock and did the necessary business. The whole thing was immensely stressful on several levels. First, although I do take Nine Lives into locks, mostly I don’t do any docking maneuvers (I lost my nerve in bad weather at St Mary’s last January). I had to take her out of the tricky slip, around the marina, then turn and back her up to the pump-out dock. Then of course it all had to be done again in reverse. I can say definitively that I now have my nerve back! The second level of stressful was because the tank was overfull, and I will leave my gentle readers to sleep sound and not draw graphic images for you all. Anyway, it all got done, and what a great group these Loopers are. One of the ladies had just arrived to spend time with her gentleman, and there she was participating in the most disagreeable job on the water to help a complete stranger! Credit to Dick, after a brief text exchange that evening to tell him what had happened, he phoned me and made soothing, congratulatory, and even slightly apologetic noises for not being present.

My drive to Long Island was uneventful, but I am truly glad I no longer do that regularly. It was only 48 miles, but it took 2.5 hours each way, and that was outside of rush hour traffic! Port Jefferson, where I stayed and had dinner, is a pretty village on Long Island Sound. There is a very nice marina there in the supposedly sheltered bay, but that afternoon I watched a large trawler make 5 unsuccessful attempts to dock in the high winds and currents. I am very glad we are not including the Sound on our Loop itinerary. It was great to see my friends and catch up and reminisce. Dick had an equally uneventful trip to Toronto and enjoyed getting together with many old friends from his early days with Ingersoll Rand. They included Gordon Rogers, who first hired him, and who I have known since childhood, when my Dad was an I-R customer. Also Martin Campbell, who was at Queens a year behind us, and who was one of Dick’s first Application Engineers when he was moved up into Sales. Laurie Trewartha was Dick’s second boss, and Dave Mathewson succeeded Laurie as Dick’s boss. Garth Warren headed up the Calgary operation when we lived there the first time in the 80’s.

After both safely returned to Half Moon Bay, a great evening of docktails with about 20 Loopers, and a chance to provision at the excellent local supermarket, we were ready to continue our journey. Dick was pleased to provision with a car, and not have to load 50 pounds of beer, water, fruit, canned goods, vegetables and various meat and cheese onto his bicycle as he usually does! Reminding you all that he has a single speed bike, unassisted by electricity!

Our first stop on the Hudson was our favourite Maritime Museum at Kingston. We docked with two other Looper boats who we had met at docktails the evening before. On our return from dinner we were fascinated by the local fire brigade practising their high pressure hose skills across the river, fortunately pointing up the Creek instead of across! The next morning we launched the dinghy and went for a ride all the way to the end of Rondout Creek. Rondout was a major shipbuilding port in the 19^th century, when it was the northern terminus of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. Before that, it was a Dutch trading post in the early 17^th century. The Canal was the heyday of the city, bringing coal from northeastern Pennsylvania to the markets of New York City. As happened all over the world, the railroads spelled the end for the lucrative canal barge business, and it closed in the early 20^th century. Today Rondout Creek supplies a large part of New York City’s daily water draw via reservoirs and aqueducts in the Catskills. The Creek still has some small boatbuilding and repair facilities, as well as several large marinas. It was an interesting dinghy run on a pretty morning.

Our next stop was Donovan’s Shady Harbour, followed by a transit through Albany and Troy to Waterford. At Troy we passed the Corning Glass Barge moored on the river wall. This is a barge that travels around the Erie Canal and waterways of Upstate New York this year in celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the move of the Brooklyn Flint Glass Company to Corning, New York. Some of the innovations credited to Corning Glass include the first electric light bulbs for Thomas Edison, the invention of optical fiber for telecommunications, and the glass used in modern flat screen displays, including cell phones. The barge offers glassblowing demonstrations each day plus museum exhibits sharing the story of glassmaking in Corning. It is touring in celebration of the bicentennial of the New York Waterways and the Erie Canal.

Waterford was busy, due to the anticipated arrival of the Glass Barge and the upcoming weekend, but we had timed our arrival carefully and were able to get a spot under the bridge on the free town wall. Being under the bridge had the advantage of keeping the boat cool on a hot sunny day, but the ga-thump ga-thump of vehicles crossing the bridge carried on all night and in the morning the boat was covered in fallen dirt and dust. Not to worry, our next stop was on the Champlain Canal, with a transit of five locks on a wet and miserable day!

I have decided that I am not so very fond of transiting locks in Nine Lives, especially big locks and lifting as opposed to lowering. The lines we have to grab and hold are greasy and filthy, and all the muck from the lock-side transfers itself to the fenders and thus to the boat. We are sailboat shaped, so we have a tendency to swing from bow and stern, so while other boats simply push off from the lock wall occasionally, we need constant vigilance and much pushing, followed by inevitable pulling hard on wet lines to keep the boat in place at the lock wall. Our usual method is for Dick to bring the boat near the lock, but then he goes outside where I have prepared lines and fenders, and he catches the critical first line while I bring the boat into the lock wall. Then, once the boat is stopped, I rush outside and catch the second line at the stern and hang on for all I am worth.

The Champlain Canal is not the prettiest we have seen, although I am sure it would have looked better in sunshine. We stopped for the night on a town wall in the village of Fort Edward. Once upon a time it was an important portage place used by Native Americans for thousands of years to get around Hudson Falls. The first fort was built here in 1755 during the French and Indian Wars. The town was established in 1818. As is so often the case, there are signs of former prosperity, but Fort Edward has fallen on hard times. Several attempts have been made to improve the town, including an excellent park and walkways on the river, plus a good town dock for boaters. However, nothing is done about upkeep, and it is all looking rather sad.

Our next stop was Whitehall and another town dock and local park. Originally it was called Skenesborough in 1759 when it was first settled. The village was captured by the Americans during the Revolution, and a fleet of ships was built to face British forces on Lake Champlain. Whitehall is considered to be the birthplace of the U.S. Navy. More ships were built here during the War of 1812. In the first part of the 19^th century the Champlain Canal was built and the railroad also came to the town, and it became an important centre for the silk industry. Today all this is a memory. Efforts to improve the waterfront and attract visitors are ongoing.

From Whitehall we transited the last lock on the Champlain Canal and entered Lake Champlain. We passed Fort Ticonderoga, high above the western shore. Originally called Fort Carillon, it is a large 18^th century star fort built by the French at the narrows near the southern end of Lake Champlain. The fort played an important role in the region until after the Revolution. The United States allowed it to fall into ruins and it was eventually bought by a private family in 1820. It became a tourist attraction, and was restored in the early 20^th century. It is now run by a foundation. The most southerly of three Champlain ferries operates just north of the fort, crossing back and forth to Vermont using a cable.

Arriving south of the bridge at Crown Point, we anchored for the night in what we expected to be a bay sheltered from strong winds out of the north east. Unfortunately, we chose a spot a little too near to the bridge and the narrows it crosses, and Dick was delighted to experience the phenomenon of vortex shedding first hand. He can give you the scientific explanation, I only know we bounced around a lot, swung on the anchor more that we prefer, and we could see waves crisscrossing near the boat when there had been no other craft passing to create a wake!

After an enjoyable, if a little windier than expected, trip north on Lake Champlain we arrived in Burlington. Here we were greeted by Dick’s friend and former colleague Julian Smith and Nikki, his partner. We were treated to dinner at their summer home a few miles south of Burlington, and the next day they joined us for a Segway tour of the city. This proved to be a fascinating morning out. The tour operator is a former lawyer, who was one of the two influential citizens of the city who were able to prevent the waterfront and the closed railway right of way from being taken over by developers. Instead, after years of campaigning, a waterfront park was created, with a bike path that follows the shoreline for many miles, and two public marinas. His efforts did not end there. After a paragliding accident left him disabled, the activist applied several times for a permit to operate Segway tours on Burlington sidewalks and bike trails. Turned down, he then demonstrated lateral thinking, and came at the problem from the perspective of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The tours are the number one attraction in Burlington, according to TripAdvisor, and many thousands have enjoyed one or two hour tours without accident or incident. Burlington is a very nice small city, that seems to have done a great job of staying lively and successful while still being a centre for both the University of Vermont and Champlain College. Somehow the large number of students add positively to the city rather than creating student ghettos.

We stayed 3 nights in Burlington, enjoying Julian and Nikki’s company and hosting them for dinner on board one evening. Nikki and I had a very pleasant morning poking around the shops of the village of Shelburne and having a nice lunch. Dick took his bike along the waterfront trails in both directions. On our last evening we walked up the hill and had an interesting and authentic meal in a French restaurant.

We left Burlington on a cool and misty morning and headed north past Valcour Island. This was the site of the naval battle with the ships that had been built in Whitehall during the American Revolution. The armada hid behind the island and surprised the British as they sailed south. The battle was lost, but it is credited as a turning point in the War of Independence because the losing American navy harried the British enough that they had to turn back north and wait for the next year, by which time the tide had turned.

North of Plattsburgh the Port Kent ferries ply the narrows across to Grand Isle, Vermont. I remember making that crossing many times with my parents on our way to Canada’s East Coast. Three ferries were operating when we arrived, but we managed to find the right moment and keep out of their way.

Rouses Point marks the top end of Lake Champlain, and the border is just north of the bridge. We tied up at the marina overnight, and watched many small cruisers come in for fuel after clearing U.S. Customs. It was the beginning of a long weekend with Canada Day on Monday, and U.S Independence Day later in the week, so a busy time for the Lake and the Richelieu River and canals. Just north of the bridge, still in American territory, is Fort Montgomery. This is a Third System fort, built between 1844 and 1870. It is one of only a few forts in the USA that has a full moat, and at the time of building it was considered state of the art with no expense spared in design and construction. However, it was not the first structure to be built in that location. In 1816 an octagonal structure with 30 foot high walls began construction to protect the United States from an attack from British Canada. Unfortunately, it was discovered that a surveying error had resulted in this fort being built ¾ of a mile into British territory. Sometimes named Fort Blunder, it was hastily abandoned and all the building materials were carried off by local settlers to use in their homes and barns. After a treaty in 1842 ceded the location to the USA, the second Fort began construction. It was garrisoned occasionally, and some of the many planned guns were installed, but eventually Fort Montgomery was made obsolete by new advances in warfare and it was abandoned. It fell into private hands, and attempts were made to offer it to the State of New York as a historic landmark, but the State is not interested. If any of you happen to have just short of $1 million kicking around, you can buy it. It is zoned for commercial use, so you could build a marina or a resort hotel.

The next morning it was our turn to take Nine Lives through Canadian Customs. A very friendly officer asked the necessary questions (are you carrying any weapons? do you have any means of self-defense on board? Are you sure? You live in South Carolina!) and scanned our passports. He then decided he wanted to come on board Nine Lives, I think to see the boat rather than as an inspection tour! He asked lots of the same questions that other boaters ask, such as what are the engines and how many bathrooms, and then bid us a cheery farewell without looking into any cupboards or storage lockers.

We continued north on the Richelieu River to St Jean sur Richelieu. On the way we were waked numerous times by the many pocket cruisers that seem to be popular with Quebecois from Montreal. I had to take the picture off the wall as Nine Lives bounced up and down and side to side from every passing boat. The river is lined with many beautiful properties, some with huge houses, others more modest. It is only a few miles overland from Montreal, so many weekend cottages and even commuters enjoy the beautiful riverfront. St Jean sur Richelieu is a fairly prosperous town, supporting 177 restaurants, according to TripAdvisor. However, there are very few shops and boutiques, so I am guessing the wealthy shop in Montreal, while those of more modest means patronize big box stores outside of town. I had my best meal of the trip so far at one of the French restaurants, along with a bottle of my favourite Pouilly Fume, not often found on the menu. (No, I did not drink it all, Dick had his fair share!)

From Saint Jean sur Richelieu we were immediately in the historic Chambly Canal. This is a beautiful, but very narrow, waterway with 6 lift bridges and 9 locks that drop the canal a total of 80 feet. The locks are all operated by hand by summer students employed by Parks Canada. The canal has the same feel as the British canals we have spent so much time on in past years. We made it a short day, stopping before the last three-lock staircase at the town wall in Chambly. This was the hottest day we had experienced so far, with temperatures well into the 90s, and high humidity. Even though I was careful to dress in sun protective clothing and a hat, I found that standing outside all morning in the heat and sun felt just like standing in a frying pan, and by the time we tied up I was starting to feel quite ill. I remember feeling this hot when we lived in Malaysia, but then I was not also wearing a life jacket and a headset for communications!

Chambly is a pretty town. The final 3 locks on the canal drop to a wide basin at the end of the canal. From there the Richelieu River continues its course north to Sorel and the St Lawrence River. Chambly is considered a suburb of Montreal, being only 16 miles from city centre. It was settled during the 17^th century. A series of wooden forts were succeeded by a massive stone fort, one of a series built to protect French settlers in the area and the city of Montreal from hostile Iroquois and the English. Today it is a fairly quiet village with lots of parks and well kept homes and shops. We celebrated Canada Day (July 1^st) with a bottle of champagne, cheese and crackers, and some very nice country pate Dick found at the local supermarket.

Back in the Richelieu River we were again joined by numbers of cruising boats, all of whom are apparently incapable of slowing down when passing, and throw huge wakes regardless of kayaks, fishermen, pontoon boats, or Nine Lives being bounced around. We reached the industrial town of Sorel by mid-afternoon, and tied up in a local marina just off the St Lawrence River. We had been warned by the marina office to expect “many waves”, but in fact it was no worse than most of our marina stays. So far Dick is managing to save his wad of $5 bills for dockhands. Either they are too late to help, or if they do show up they are more of a hindrance than a help, so he does not feel inclined to hand out tips! An early morning walk along the Sorel waterfront park was very pleasant before the heat of the day. Both the Chambly and Sorel parks have outdoor exhibitions of photographs taken by the local camera club members, most of them to a very high standard.

Our journey south on the St Lawrence to Montreal was uneventful until the last hour. The river is wide, and there is a choice of taking the shipping channel or following a more meandering course on the small craft channel. My marine traffic app showed only one or two freighters in the Seaway, so we chose the easier shipping channel. Being so far from the shore it was perhaps the more boring choice. As we approached Montreal, the passage got a little exciting. We were passing a large freighter being loaded when suddenly we noticed a huge shadow over our shoulders, and discovered that a freighter we had passed earlier at the dock had come out and was now coming up behind us very fast. Fortunately, there was plenty of room and time to get out of the way, but his speed created a wake that reflected back and forth from the shore and churned up the formerly smooth and easy waters.

Next we arrived at the section of the river that is divided by St Helens Island. Here we turned west to enter the old Port of Montreal, the two kilometre stretch of the river that was used as early as 1611 by the fur trade until the 1970’s when it was replaced as a commercial port by larger and more modern facilities. St Helens Island was enlarged and combined with other small islands to host the Worlds Fair in 1967. The creation of this division in the river has resulted in an extreme current of more than 5 knots against you as you attempt to enter the Old Port. We made our way under the Champlain Bridge at about 2 knots, all the time having to watch out for ferries and tour boats as well as unpredictable small pleasure boats. We expected it to get easier when we entered the marina, but unfortunately one of the tour boats was coming out at that moment, so there were a few hairy moments while we tried to hold place in the strong current, avoiding being swept into the freighters moored on one side or running into the tour boat on the other. The marina management apparently do not use their radios to talk to customers, only to each other, and the current, although not as bad as outside, is still surprisingly strong inside the marina. Add the wind, and it was an overly exciting arrival. Absent any instruction, we chose the first empty dock and tied up, at which point a slightly indignant dockhand appeared to give us our correct slip assignment and supposed assistance in tying up. Another $5 saved…

We will be here in Old Montreal for 3 nights. The heat wave is still with us, although we are hoping for more moderate temperatures on our last day for some sightseeing. Fortunately this marina has good power and the air conditioning is working well. A good time for laundry and finishing this installment of the blog!