The view from Crysler Park Marina

As Morris Anderson told us before we left "It looks like a river. But it is actually The Seaway surrounded by very sallow water. There are places that you can go but you must constantly check your charts.

This use to be the end of the known world

Up until three and a half weeks ago this was as far down the river we had seen. The bridge is visible from Brockville. Now we have almost seen to Labrador. A this time we are about 1 hour away from Brockville. We have decided that if the yacht club cannot take us in we will go the 11 miles to Adelaide Island and go I to The Gan Marina later in the week.

Another interesting site

While on the river you get very few chances to sail and thus burn a lot of diesel. On the other hand for those who spend hours at the helm alone there is always something to look at.

The missing birds

Generally while on the river, which consists mainly of the 1000 islands, we see hawks. This trip we have not seen many at all and no eagles. This picture was taken by Trish about half way from Crysler Park Marina to the Iroquois Lock. Trish who knows better then I thought these were all babies.

Bill sending the blog.

This is a picture of me sending the blog from the canal which connects The Cote Ste Catherine and St. lambert locks. The system work very well. We would take the card out of the camera and using the apple adaptor I would download the pictures to the IPad. Then would simply email the picture to the blog with a comment.

The floating bollard

When tying up to a lock the Canadians simply throw you a 50 foot line and say hold on. The Americans have a much better system. As you see in the picture they have floating bollards which you tie a stern and bow line to. Your job is then limited to pushing off. The Canadian locks you must pull and push at the same time. Pull the 50 foot line and push off the wall.

Bill pushing the stern off the wall.

Trish pushing the bow off the wall.

The Snell Lock

Today we left Creg Quay Marina at 8:00. We were headed to the Snell and Eisenhower Locks. We had no idea when we would get through but thought we should try to be early. Up to Cornwall we had some current. About two miles from the lock we hit the Cornwall Current and slowed to 4 kns. When we could see the lock just before going under the bridge we could see the lock was open and the pleasure craft were going in. At this point we were doing 4 kns or less, but we pressed on. We could not see the gate but the arm was clearly visible and it had not been lowered. With a mile or so to go we got out of the current and started to do 7 kns. Tey waited not only for us but several others. Having arrived at 12:00 the gate closed at 12:30, not bad at all. By 1:40 we had left the Eisenhower or last lock. Once again a great day.

I would like to call this meeting to order

Creg Quay Marina

Last night we stayed at Lancaster and Creg Quay Marina. It was very pleasant and all the people were very nice, but it did live up to expectations. There was a swimming pool for 5 or 6 people maybe. There was a bar and restaurant, but they were closed. The development of several hundred homes turned out to be several homes.

We did satisfy our major goal of getting a little bit closer to the American locks. It is 9:00 and. We have 15 nautical miles to go. We have no ideal when we will get through. Sometime tonight we will be back in Morrisburg. Tomorrow we will be in Brockville or the islands.

I must go now for I think after the next turn I will put the gib out. We are of course still in current, but not nearly the the current we have been in.

Good morning

Today is July 30 th and we have been gone over a month. Currently we are motoring towards Cornwall and the Snell Lock. The picture is of Kelly having breakfast yesterday.

The adventure is almost completed

This is day 31 of our odyssey and we could not have had a better time. One thing I want to mention before I forget is while going up river up current stay out of the middle. We would loose up to 2.5 kns from the side to the middle. If you can then get out of the Seaway ditch you can generally pick up another .2 to .5 kns. To day we go half way to Cornwall from Valeyfield and will stay at Creg Quay Marina. Tomorrow we will go through the last two locks, the Iroquois only goes up or down 6 inches thus is easy to do and fast.
Saturday night we will be at Crysler Park Marina and Morrisburg. This is really where the adventure started on the 4th of July 24 days ago. There is nothing we would change nothing we would not do over. As a matter of fact we are considering retracing our steps in two years. We would strongly recommend the trip to anyone.
The people we have met have all been going much further. The last couple bought a 40 foot sailboat in Chicago. They left on July 24 and two days ago were already in east Montreal. They are going around Nova Scotia, down to Florida, overt the Panama Canal and then the
South Pacific. It makes our little 24 day adventure seem small. I should say at this time that neither myself nor Trish were tempted to follow them.

Sent from my iPad

This morning while I was walking

A Blue Heron flew up to the beach beside me and posed for a picture.

And then she flew away

Valleyfield has a church aussi.

Just thought you might be wondering if Valleyfield had a church. We were going shopping so we did note go in.

Getting close the Les Mille Ille.

We must be getting close to the islands. We are starting to see Herons.

This our day off

Since we are not on the water today and we know were the Metro is in Valleyfield it's time to provision. Molly's cart came in handy pulling the 49 cans and a couple of pop bottles back to the boat. We will most likely go to dinner early so as we can take advantage of some ones air-conditioning. It is a beautiful day but feels as if there will be a thunder storm somewhere tonight.

It's rest time

After covering about 327 nautical miles in 9 days including an extra day in Cap a L'Aigle and another one in Ville de Quebec we are now going to take it slow for a few days. We are staying in Valleyfield for two nights which gives us today to shop and go out for dinner. Tomorrow we will most likely go to Creg Quay Marina in Lancaster. It is only 18 kns but it is half way to the Wiley-Dondero Canal and it's locks. The problem is not so much the locks but the current in Cornwall. Saturday we will go to Crysler Park Marina. This means in the next three days we will cover 49 nautical miles. We all feel great about the distance we have covered with ease and flat water, but we all also need a little rest.

On the bright side

On the bright side we are on our way to Valleyfield having done 4 locks in one day. We think we will stay in Valleyfield a couple of days. By the way it is a beautiful hot sunny day.

Now for today

We left Longueuil at 8:00. The Seaway website said they would open for easier craft at 9:00. When we got there with no commercial traffic around I phoned the lock master to see if we would be put through at 9:00 as the web had said or would we have a wait. He said he would have to find put. He came back saying the lock would open at 9:30. The lock opened at 9:30 with no explanation as to why not 9:00 as the web said. By the way the web was updated with that information at 7:00 only 2 hours earlier. We got through the St Catherine lock immediately and headed for the CPR bridge. We got through it immediately, explanation below. It was 12:00 and we had done 2 locks. We were going to go to The Royal St Lawrence Y C but decided to catch the 15:00 opening of the Beauharnois locks. We raced at 2400 RPB for 3 hours and got to the lower lock with time to spare. For some reason known only to the Gods thelock ,aster had decided not to follow the schedule but let all the fast motor boats through earlier. I phoned and got no answer. Then just minutes after three down bound boats emerged from the lock. Nothing happened so I phoned again. I was told we would have to wait one and a half hours after the posted time then we could go through. The lock door remained opened for one and a half hours and we were called in. A needless annoyance.

Correction

I'm sorry it was not Tim S Tool but The Alcobay which helped us through the bridge. Please see next slide.

Thanks Tim' Tool

They will never know it but Tim' Tool did us a big favour. Between the St Lambert and St. Catherine locks the is a railway bridge. Te operator is very slow, but not for commercial traffic. I tried to call on 14 but a seaway lady came on and told me they would not answer 14. She also said there was an north bound boat almost there and the bridge would be opened in a few minutes. We almost did not have to slow down. The bridge opened and off we went.

Last night on the way to dinner

Kelly spotted this ground hod. I decided we should call it Kelly. This is the second port we have seen ground hogs. I saw one in Three Rivieres. The only wildlife we have not seen yet is an eagle.

Now that's Current

On the ride from Longueuil to Old Montreal we went through the same curent we would have gone through in Irish Mist. I don't think she would have made it. Clearly the island side has a lot less strength.

The reason we decided not to stay in downtown Montreal

Just for Rebecca

Did you know that your neighbours were coming to Montreal. We thought we should take a picture so as you could give it to them when they get back to Denver.

Kelly decided to be the fourth sister.

Notre Dame

We wanted to go inside and say a prayer but they had a little business set up and were charging to get into a church. We did not go in. We did have a coffee and hot chocolate. The boat ride over was great fun but more about that in the current pictures.

Good Morning from Montreal

I am just sending a brief note to say the lock schedule is out for today. We hope to get through the St Lambert lock at 9:00. We do not know what this means for the timing at the St Catherine lock, but feel we may have "some time" later today to work on the blog.

Sent from my iPad

Wildlife is not limited to Whales

Yesterday we had a Dragonfly join us so we thought we would add it to the blog.

Contrecoeur's Church

In the section of Contrecoeuri saw there is not much to see so I took a picture of their church. While in Quebec there will always be a nice old stone church to photograph.

Contrecoeur

Good morning

We did not stop at Sorel. We crossed lake St Pierre very slowly but with flat seas. We went into Sorel and got diesel, by the way we are up to about 260 litres of diesel. Then decided to go to Comtrecoeur. We are about 25 kns from Montreal we will stay at Longueuil tomorrow. We do not have a schedule but by the itinerary I set in the winter to get us to the rendezvous we are about 4 or 5 days ahead. We radioed Le Parc Nautique de Contrecoeur at about 6:45 and got no answer so we radioed Le Port de Plaisance de Contrecoeur and got no answer. There seemed to be only one solution, just arrive. When we got to the Parc a gentleman was on his boat. Bessie tie up over there they are away on holidays. We tied up and asked if anyone else was around. He said no they all go home at 7:00, but would be back at 9:00. I said do we need a key to get back in he said yes, here's mine just put it on the boat when you are leaving.

In the morning I but $41 and a note in a bag and left it at the office with a man who said the gentleman I must pay would be in around 9:00. We left at 8:35 and are headed for Le Port de Plaisance Rela-Bouvier in Longueuil. We have not made any final decisions but may stay for two days and go into Montreal.

Can't wait to watch the ice boat racing now that I have been here.

Today we left Quebec city actually The Yacht Club of Quebec. Our intention was to go 34 miles into the current and stop at Portneuf. It was such a beautiful day we stopped in Portneuf, but only to walk Molly and went on to Batiscan. When we got there it was still a beautiful day so we kept going and are in Trois Rivière. On the way down the river it was a one day trip from Montreal to Trois Rivière. Not now we will stop in Sorel even if it is a good day. I believe we have covered 208 nautical miles and have about 350 to go before we are home. The picture I know has nothing to do with this, but I wanted to include the picture so as we can all think about going to the Winter Carnival. A 13 hour day is long but with little wind and flat water you don't want to waste it.

Notre Dame de Saint Roch

Saturday morning I went for a wool down a side street just north of the Marina. I came across this church, which by the way hopes to be a basilica soon. I said a little prayer for our safe journey and that all of you experience a similar journey in the future. We are today starting to fight the river currents to Les Mille Ile. At the present however it is not much of a fight. With the motor at 1200 rpm and the sails out we are doing 5.8 and only 10 miles away from Portneuf. The plan is to go in walk Molly get gas and be on our way. It is 11:30 now.

Good Sunday Morning

No we did not go back to the Saguenay. I just thought this was a nice way to start Sunday July 24. This of course is the statute of The Blessed Virgin Mary on top of the mountain at Baie Eternity. When you are in the Baie you do not see her. She is out an around the corner. Today we will be off at7:27, or one hour before low tide. This gets us the best passage to Portneuf. Indeed I believe it get us to Portneuf at about 1 to 3 hours after high water in Quebec. At that time the Richelieu Rapids are the calmest. If we get to Portneuf around 2 hours after high tide or 3:30 we will go on to anchor in the Batiscan river. I will try and keep the Blog interesting but we are going to be retracing our steps now back to Les Mille Ile ( The Thousand Islands ).

A typical rue en Quebec

The Great Quebec Silo Show

This is the most dramatic picture we got of the show which is explained below. Most of the presentation is in 3d thus not conducive to photos.

Grain silos come alive

At 10:00 the grain silos beside the Marina in Quebec city come alive with a 3d multimedia presentation of the history of Quebec. This picture is of a church bell which is 30 meters high. The length of the show, the picture is of just a very small part, is 600 meters or over half a kilometre. By 10:00 having been up two days in a row before 5 I was tired but had to see the presentation. It was most certainly worth it. Wearing 3d glasses which you can get from the Marina, but we got from once again a very kind neighbour you really get a show. At one point a lake of ice crystals shatters and comes towards the audience. I was sitting on the dock in front of Irish Mist and thought I was going to get hit, the ice came or appeared to gone that close.

http://www.quebecregion.com/en/what_to_do/ideas/image_mill?a=vis

Ville du Quebec au nuit

Last night the weather changed it cleared up and got hot. Well not hot like Toronto but hot none the less. Trish Kelly and I went back to the same restaurant Bistro du Cap and had just as fine a meal. When we got here we decided to ask to stay for two nights, but were told they could give us one night only. We debated whether we should go to Portneuf or try and get a place at The Yacht Club of Quebec. TYCdeQ won and I called Andre Audet le Directeur General whose card I happen to have. He remembered us but despite this said he would be happy to have us stay again. We will still be ahead of the arbitrary schedule I set up in the winter by two days. The schedule was not meant to push us anywhere but only as a guide to assist us. We have always felt it would be nice to get back to les mille iles pour le rendezvous. Monday will be the last day we are assisted by tidal currents. From Portneuf on there is tide but only enough to slow down the Richelieu Rapids.

Where's the burgee?

The other day I think it was leaving Baie Eternite I put the burgee up as I have for 11 years. It got caught on the radio antenna, but I thought it would be ok. Later I noticed it had become unstuck and in doing so it bent the antenna into my anemometer. Fortunately the radio still works thus the AIS, but the anemometer will not turn. Against my strongest inclinations I have decided to leave well enough alone and not attempt to fix it until I get home. This means also that the pig stick is not going up the mast and our burgee is flying off the starboard halyard.

A pretty yacht

This yacht is moored just behind our yacht. It is nice to dream so I went over for a closer look. It is just as beautiful close up. I noticed a hose coming out of the back of the boat so I followed it to a man with a truck. I asked if they would take the whole truck and he explained no. One third of the tanker was gas but the other two tanks would go. I asked how many litres? The gentleman replied that each tank held 7000 litres. He sure can kill a dream pretty quick.

I would rather have a blue hull anyway

Depth sounder

This morning at 5:10 we left for Quebec City. We were leaving about exactly one hour after low tide. The book and the Marina said you should wait until one and a half to two hours after low tide to leave. The gentleman in the trawler beside us who had been a river pilot said that he drew 4.5 pieds and had no problem leaving one hour after low tide. To be sure we sent out our personal depth sounder to check it out. You can see her walking out route to make sure there was at least some water. We got to the entrance and had 2 feet. Our motor got to work and did a little dredging and out we popped. Currently we are just opposite a ferry to Ile aux Grues and about 25 knots from Quebec doing about 8.2. Kns. Bon jour

The Restaurant

La Coureuse DES Greves

We had been told to eat here and decided it looked pretty good. Knowing that we would most likely leave early dinner was at 6:15. Once again it was great. The waitresses spoke excellent English and could explain what the menu meant. Our French really let us down. I should have taken my IPad. Kelly had Caesar salad, Trish had noddles, shrimp, and salmon, while I. Ate pork tenderloin. It could not have been better.

La Maree Basse a St Jean Port Joli

When they say the tide is low at SJPJ they mean it. Look at the navigation buoy lying on the ground. My French is improving. Coming into SJPJ I said"Je nos par lee pas en Francais, use put suelment, Maisie mon bateau et Trente six. Nous Desiree use quay pour un nuit." The gentleman replied "Dock 217 port tie up." I guessed I did not have the accent down quite right.

The last of The Saguenay

Before we discuss St Jean Port Joli let me finish up with The Saguenay. We saw some commercial traffic, but not as much as I expected. There were some sail and motor boats but no were near the number I expected. What was in great supply was kayakers. They were every where. We saw places to rent kayaks at both stops, Tadoussac and St Jean. I have kept wanting to get this picture in, but my mind has been concentrating on the current, wind and weather. You have to have patience and be prepared to change your mind. The best advice is of course to seek advice every where and we have done that.

S Jean Port Joli

Last night I realised we had a window to get to St Jean Port Joli. The wind was to come at noon so leaving with the civilised afternoon maree basse or low tide. Our decision was to get up at 4:45 and sail by 5:00. This is about 2 hours before high tide or haute maree. The phone developed an error and did not wake us up as a result we awoke at 5:15 and left by 5:30 one hour and 15 minutes before maree haute in Pointe-au-Pere. We had 29 nautical miles to go and did it in 3:35. As we arrived at 9:05 the wind started to get up around 6 or 7 knots and it was raining. Oh did I mention it rained cats and chien yesterday evening from 5:30 to 6:30. Just about filled the dingy again. We walked Molly went to breakfast and are now onboard hiding from the rain. It is not cold, but it is definitely not hot most likely around 17 or 18. Tonight we are going to La Coureuse des Greves a restaurant recommend by Andre Hout a gentleman we met at Crystler Park and Port de Plaisance Real Bouvier en Montreal. He is from The Yacht Club of Quebec and Secretaire of the Quebec Sailing Federation. We are all fine, but miss every one.

Just another Beluga

Two days ago as we were about to leave the Marine Park and round Cap a L'Aigle we saw our last whales. It was another mother and her baby we did not get a good picture and you cannot see the baby. After this picture they dove down and we did not see them again.

Lots of traffic

Yesterday the wind and current gods aligned and we decided to take advantage of the generosity and go. The guide book says when you get to Baie Eternite you should go to the dock provided for dinghies and pay $20. We put the inflatable in the water attached the motor and went to the dock which clearly said it was reserved "tout le temps". Trish held the boat while I went up to the top of the tide ramp. There I found a park employee organising a trip for some visitors. I asked him where we could tie up he said the dock was reserved for tour boats. I asked about The $20 and he said there was no charge. Since we could not get off the boat we felt that one glorious day at Baie Eternite would be enough. The result was we sailed up river at up to 7.5 knots in flat water due to an off shore breeze.

Another lay day.

First if you look closely at the picture you will see a mother beluga teaching her baby how to swim. The baby is grey not white. Trish took this picture yesterday just off Tadoussac. We are having a little problem with the wind. Today's forecast is up to 30 knots from the southwest. We cannot go up stream against the ebb tide thus must be on the floor tide. The flood tide would run right into the strong wind. The two opposing forces would fight and the result is what they call square waves. These are very nasty and unpleasant. The flood tide is around 2:00 this afternoon, so we will have a look then but it looks as if we are staying at Cap a L'Aigle for a couple of days.