Burton Island and Home!

Day 28, Thursday

After a brief stop at US customs we were back on Lake Champlain. We motored through the Grand Isle drawbridge and onto the part that is called the "Inland Sea" and stopped at Burton Island State Park for the night.

The Grand Isle drawbridge opened right on the half hour

We were surprised to see just one other boat parked there against the long dock. They were sporting a gold looper burgee, which means that they had completed the loop. When we met them we learned that they had just returned from Quebec City and they were traveling with two of their grandchildren.

Lily is invited on a dinghy ride around the island

John and Lily go in for a swim

The water is very level is low here as it has been almost every place we have been and except for a few day visitors and some campers, we had the place to ourselves. In the evening we had a campfire and gathered with our new friends to visit and roast marshmallows. Ahh, s'mores - the taste of summer. Although it had reached 90 degrees, this had been a perfect day and a wonderful way to extend our trip.

The perfect roasted marshmallow

Captain’s Log, July 12, 2012

Depart Marina at St. Paul 7:10 am
Arrive Burton Island 12:45 pm
31.1 nautical miles, 5.4 engine hours, 5 hrs, 35 min total time
WX severe clear (pilot term) winds SW 5-10 kts.


Day 29, Friday

Since she had already captured so many sunsets, Lily decided that this was the last time she would be able to catch the sunrise so she set the alarm for 5:15 am. She got right up, grabbed her camera and off she went to the beach which had a perfect view of the north east. I got up too, and did some Tai Chi while keeping her company. Her new friend, Mora, soon joined her with her own camera in tow.

Lily caught that first glimpse of the day

Mara stands at the edge of the beach for a different perspective

Lily went back to bed and after breakfast John and I took a walk around the perimeter of the Island along the well worn trail through the woods and along the rocky beach. It took and hour and we were glad we had started early when it was still cool. Later, we picked up some salads at the little store for lunch and shoved off for home, timing it just right for the 11:30 bridge opening.

The three lone boats in Burton Island - Serenity is in the middle and the other
looper boat, Free to B, is in back of us

Captain's Log, July 13, 2012

Departed Burton Island 10:30 am

Arrived Champlain Marina 6:30

Stoped at Thayer Beach for swim

24.46 nautical miles, 4.6 hours engine time, 8 hrs total time

WX - clear, SW winds 5-10 kts becoming calm. nice trip

Chambly Revisited

Tuesday, Day 26

We locked through St. Ours at 8:30 when they opened for the day. Again, we appreciated that it was a weekday as we cruised south on the Richelieu. There was very little boat activity and the water was just as smooth as glass for at least the first hour.

Morning view along the Richelieu

Of course, the breeze had picked up as we entered the Chambly Basin and made our way over to the dock with the blue line at the base of the locks. It was lunch hour and we had to wait about 30 to 40 minutes before things started to run again at 1:15 which gave us a good chance to relax and raid the refrigerator.

Another church steeple

We locked up 3 stair step chambers and at the top we were in the center of Chambly .We tied up for the night against the wall there. It was a nice touristy town, especially being at the end of the canal and the bike path, with one main strip of shops. It was both bike and pedestrian friendly and it had ice cream and a grocery. Lily and I had a good walk and browsed a bit, but the afternoon was warm so we were glad to get back to the shade of the boat. Just like the night before, we didn’t have a power hook up, or Wifi, but it was certainly a pleasant overnight stay.

View at the top of lock 3

Captain’s Log, July 10, 2012

Depart St. Ours Lock 8:30 am
Arrive Chambly 1:45 pm
27.38 nautical miles, 5 hrs, 15 min total time, 5.5 engine hours
WX Clear, winds calm, increasing to 12-15 kts west, Nice Ride

Wednesday, Day 27

It was another 8:30 departure as we made our way south along the Chambly Canal. There were 5 locks in fairly rapid succession and the sun was already intense as we went through locks 4 to 8. We then enjoyed the hour and a half stretch to St. Jean with a couple of easy bridges opening as we approached.  We were glad to get to the last lock, #9 at noon – the first and last one of the whole trip!

On this trip we have been through a total of 79 locks – counting the 10 Chambly and 2 of the St. Lawrence locks twice. I think we can call ourselves quite experienced in that department.

In St. Jean we said goodbye to our trusty companions, Micki and Steve on Endurance. What a pleasure it was to travel with them, taking turns leading the way, conferring in the evening about the next day’s route, and learning from their expertise as travelers, both as campers and boaters. They wanted to stay on the wall in St. Jean and explore the town a little more, while we pushed on to a small marina about ten miles north of the US border.

We spent the night at Saint-Paul-de-I’lle-aux-Noix, a pretty quiet place which was not really set up for transients, but it had everything we needed, although Lily would have liked a pool.

Tomorrow: back in the USA!

Captain’s Log, July 11, 2012

Departed Chambly 8:25 am Arrived St. Paul, 2:25
20.62 nautical miles, 5.5 hrs engine time, 6 hours total time
WX clear! Winds calm to SW 5-10 kts, locked through Chambly canal

Our resident photographer seems to be on vacation - she deserves a needed break.

Back to Montreal, then onto the Richelieu

Day 24, Sunday

Off to a bright early start this morning as we left Valleyfield Marina under much calmer circumstances at 7am. We hoped to get to the locks early so we wouldn’t have to wait very long depending on the shipping schedule. Unfortunately we forgot to anticipate two bridges that had to be raised for us to pass through. We got to the first bridge at about 7:35, finally contacted someone on the radio, and they said that it would be about a 20 or 30 minute delay. So we held our position as best we could in the 2 knot current pushing us toward the bridge. The wait was more like an hour and by that time we were joined by another boat, Phoenix IV. Finally, the bridge started lifting.

Endurance following us through the bridge

The bridge attendant had been waiting for a barge coming our way and only wanted to open once. We went through and the barge was making its way toward the bridge. Now I felt sorry for the cars waiting on the road while the snail paced barge, being pushed by a tug went through. Phoenix IV went on ahead because it was a faster boat and when we got to the next bridge it was already coming up as we approached.

Barge being pushed by a tug that fits into a V shaped notch in the back

Lily's expression says it all while we are rafted up in the lock

Ok, that was the end of no waiting and the only time we breezed though all day. At the Bauhaus lock, we waited, tied up at a dock for an hour and a half, after being told it was a 30 minute wait. They had us raft up 4 boats abreast in the lock. Phoenix IV was against the wall, we were tied up to them, then a late arrival named Lucky Luc, and then finally Endurance. You can just see Steve checking his lines in the photo above.
We made it onto the south end of Lake St. Louis, and the Sunday traffic combined with winds made it fairly rough water. An hour later we were back in familiar territory. As the loopers say, “We crossed our wake" when we turned into the channel to Montreal. We had completed our loop through the Rideau and we were now on our way home.
The next lock we came to, we sat in a holding pattern for two, make that TWO hours after being told it was just a 30 minute wait. So waiting was the word of the day followed closely by wind. It was actually a beautiful day, but we didn’t intend to spend 12 hours trying to get from point A to point B.
 When we finally reached point B the winds were whipping from the west and we agreed that if we were at our home port at Champlain Marina, we would never have left the dock in these conditions. We were at the gas dock for about an hour and it was a relief when we finally got into our spot for the night, giving full credit to the captain's adept boat handling skills!

Lily always finds beauty at the end of the day

Captain’s Log, July 8, 2012
Depart Valleyfield 7:00am
Arrive Longueil (Montreal) 7:00pm
12 hrs travel time, 10.2 engine hrs., 48.78 nautical miles
Long Day – 4 Locks, 3 Delays. Crew was super!!
WX Clear, winds calm, then NW increasing all day to 20-25 kts north at Montreal


Monday, Day 25

Somehow I got behind on my number of days on the trip, but it is officially day 25. We woke up to a cool breeze and almost cloudless skies as we started our last leg down the St. Lawrence River at a reasonable hour, 9pm. The average 2 knot current pushed us along the familiar path toward Sorel. We had lunch while underway, as usual, with cold bean burritos, starting to be the usual as our cupboards are looking a little bare, and at 1:00pm we made the turn onto the Richelieu River. The current was no longer with us but the water was calm and after passing through the industrial section we settled back into watching the views along the pleasant pastoral river. The shores were dotted with occasional homes, some simple and some elaborate with lovely gardens reaching down to the river.

Tied up at the St. Ours dock - note red fenders, extra big for locking

Note blue fenders - home made from a mesh bag with an exercise ball inside.
We got some strange looks, but they are half the cost and worked just as well!

There was very little boat traffic and before long we were tied up at the dock just before the first lock at St. Ours. The grounds are lovely here with the old superintendent’s house now used as a museum and information center. We took the bikes and rode three miles into the village of St. Ours, picked up a couple of items at the small grocery and rode back to enjoy a quiet evening.

Lily couldn't resist taking a photo of our colorful dinner

Lily has been helping me make some very delicious meals. This night we had pita pizzas with spinach and sweet onion, tortalinis with cheese and a green salad with shredded carrots, pears and maple roasted walnuts.

Captain’s Log, July 9, 2012

Depart Longueil 9:00am
Arrive St. Ours Lock 2:50pm
5 hrs 40min over all, 5.9 engine hours, 47.11 nautical miles
WX Clear, cool, NW winds, 5-10 kts.

Starting the St. Lawrence Seaway

Day 16, Friday

Today starts our third week of travel on our boat. We got up early and John and I were both sitting at a damp picnic table just after 6am where we could tap into the internet connection at the marina office. Our boat just wasn’t close enough to stay on line and we had work to do.  John had to check his customers’ emails and I had to get pictures up on the blog!

Lily starts the day with some ballet warm-ups,
complete with bun in her hair

The tiny dot is Endurance going under the bridge

We got underway in good time, just before 8 am, and Endurance took the lead. We passed under the Ogdensburg Bridge and the 2 knot current on the St. Lawrence helped push us along. Our timing was very good as we approached the Iroquois Lock. A big tanker had just come up in it going west and we waited in idle as she slowly came out through the gates.

Tanker just emerging from the lock as we wait to the side of the channel

The tanker seemed to move at a snail's pace

As soon as she cleared, we got the green light and motored in, with two other pleasure boats behind us. This was a quick one with just a 4 inch drop! As soon as they had closed the gates behind us, the dock master sped up to the other end in a 4 wheeler, sirens and bells went off as a bridge went up and the gates started to open.

It was now still only 10:30 so we pushed on the approximately 10 miles to the next two locks: Eisenhower and Snell. These were locks with a big drop of 45 feet in each. We had to wrap a line around a large cylinder called a bullard that floated down as the water level dropped. It was a little eerie to hear the scraping sounds they made echoing in the deep chamber as the water went down.

John holds on to the line wrapped around the bullard

The three boats in front of us - Endurance is rafted up with the first one

At the Snell lock we had to wait even longer because a large boat was just entering from below. As it rose up, we could see that it was not the typical pleasure craft. It had 4 decks and as it came by we could see that it had crew members in snappy white and black handling it. The name was Antares and was about 130 feet long and several million dollars to say the least. It may have been a chartered vessel.

Motor yacht Antares

At the bottom of the Snell lock - the gates are about to open

Today was all about the locks. The skies were partially overcast and the scenery was non descript. By the end of the very long day it was nearly 90 degrees, and we were all glad to plug into a slip for the night at Cornwall, Ontario. John and Lily went for a swim at the nearby municipal pool and later we all walked to an air-conditioned mall for a bite to eat and pick up some ice cream and fudge sauce. This cruising certainly does trigger our craving for sugar!

Captain’s Log, July 6, 2012

Depart Brockville, Ontario 7:45 am
Arrive Cornwall, Ontarou 6:10 pm
56 nautical miles - 10 hours 25 min
9.1 engine hours
WX overcast/clear wind: 10-15 kts in pm, humidity increased as the day wore on

Day 17, Saturday

We woke up to the sound of rain on the roof and the outside temp was 72 degrees. We looked at the weather radio and hoped that John’s father, who always said, “Rain before seven, sun by eleven” would prove to be accurate. Sure enough, the sun broke through almost on schedule, but the light overcast kept things cool as we cruised along. This would be an easy day, just about 30 miles and no locks. The water was water was very calm and smooth, with very little boat traffic.

Lily does some stretches on the back deck using a book on her nook to guide her

The bird common in these waters is the cormorant

Doing a little laundry as we cruise along

Lily enjoys reading in her cabin



.Just as we were coming in on the channel to the Valleyfield Marina in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, the air suddenly felt dryer and the wind came up. Wouldn’t you know it! This was a very busy marina, a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and it seemed like every boat there was either going in or coming out. The wind and the traffic made getting into our slip a little hairy, but we made it, finally!   

Taking an evening walk

Two yacht tenders come into the marina for fuel

 You can't see these boats very well, but they are yellow on top and silver on the bottom. The black line is a huge rub rail. We looked them up on the net and they are 40 foot nautical limos for a huge private yacht called Luna. The "mother ship" is 350 feet long and cost 750 million dollars. John looked up on his AIS and the big yacht is going through the locks and headed for the Thousand Islands. Musing what it would be like on such a yacht was good entertainment!

Captain’s Log, July 7, 2012

Depart Cornwall, Ont. 9:30am
Arrive Valleyfield, Que. 2:00pm
29.8 nautical miles, 4.5 hrs. total time, 4.6 hrs. engine time.
WX Calm, overcast AM, gradual clearing, winds picked up from west

Kingston and Thousand Islands

Day 14, Wednesday

One of the first things we did here in Kingston when we arrived was to take a trolley tour of the area. We drove across the causeway that we had just passed through on our boat and saw Fort Henry and the Canadian Military Academy, then back into the old city to see historic homes and businesses. It was a good way to get a feel for the city. None of us brought our cameras so we don’t have any pictures to show you.

This morning we walked up Princess Street where many of the restaurants and shops are. We were on a mission to find a grocery, which we did, but we couldn’t resist a stop at a local bakery and deli where we bought croissants and an assortment of salads for lunch. We are eating very well on this trip! We also had to stop at the brand new Limestone City Cupcakery. When it opened its big claim was that it had bacon flavored cupcakes, but they only bake them on Saturdays. We had to support the local economy and bought an assortment. We each had one for lunch and rated them 5 stars out of 4!

This picture reminds me of a quilt with the reflection of the tile floor

Lily - self portrait, "Who do you love?"

After our walk and gourmet lunch we chilled on the boat napping and reading. The captain went over his nautical charts for the St. Lawrence River. We will shove off and start down the St. Lawrence River and through the Thousand Islands in the morning.


Day 15, Thursday

I will let the pictures do the talking:

8:00 am : goodbye Kingston - weather: redundant

Windmills on Wolf Island supply power to all of Kingston

In the Thousand Islands - there were buildings on most of them

Quaint house in the islands - the stonework looked like an owl

Ospreys for the bird watchers

Close-up

View from our boat tied up in Brockville, Ont. - an occasional tanker glides by,
this one is headed north

Sailboat regatta started promptly at 6pm - there were dozens of boats

9:00pm - Four mariners enjoying the quiet in the gloaming

Captain’s Log, July 5

Depart Confederation Marina, Kingston 7:50am
Diesel & pump out Kingston Yacht Club 8:00 am, 20 gals
Arrive Brockville, Ontario 2:30 pm
5 hr, 45 min overall – 5.1 hr engine   43.17 nautical miles
WX – clear, winds 5-10 kts, west to calm

South to Kingston, Ontario

Day 17, Monday

What a beautiful day to cruise and we were traveling through some of the lovliest parts of the Rideau waterway. It was still part of the Canada Day weekend, so we encountered quite a bit of boat traffic,
but there was plenty of room for all of us.

Small islands and cottages dotted the lakes



A lone trumpeter swan greeted us as we approached Jones Falls

Micki and Steve on Endurance tied up to a boat in the lock

At Jones Falls there is a succession of 4 locks which bypass a big dam which was built in the 1820s, in fact the largest dam in North America until the Hoover dam was built much later.

Side by side in the lock with a 47foot boat named Blue Heron

They packed us in with 4 other boats and at each lock we took the same position as in the first one. The Canadian Park service has been doing this for many years and they are very organized in their procedures. The boat, Blue Heron, was also a looper and we had met them at the Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk and they had tied up near us several times since St. Anne so we were getting to know them a bit before we would go our separate ways after reaching Kingston.

We were one of 5 boats locking through the 4 steps down,
onlookers can walk across the V shaped gates while they are closed

We stayed at the bottom at a welcoming place called Kenney Hotel which had tie-ups for visitors. We toured the site of the old dam which is still in use. it is 60 feet high and an engineering marvel of its time. The  photo below just shows part of the almost full semi-circle.

Kenney Hotel at Jones Falls

Stone Arch Dam at Jones Falls

That is not water flowing over the falls, and I was a little disappointed not to see any actual water falls except the water flowing over the locks.

Captain's Log, Jul 02, 2012
Depart Westport 8:25 am
Arrive Jones Falls 2:15 pm
14.81 nautical miles
5 hr 40min travel time, 4.1 engine hours
Wx - AM - calm, clear - very nice, PM winds westerly, moderate 15-20 kts

Tuesday, July 03, 2012
One can hardly complain about being wakened by the sun at the crack of dawn when you can look out on calm waters with a light mist rising off them. Then, just to top things off, a loon calls in the distance. So on with the day. We left Jones Falls just after 8am, letting Lily sleep in. Lily has been doing very well as part of our crew, but we realize that we are getting a little dependent on the extra pair of hands, so we are going through the locks today with just the two of us handling the lines to be in practice for future boat trips.

We cruise on, with the red and green channel markers occasionally marking the way. For most of the trip the red would stay on our right and the green on left, which is easy when the two are together, but sometimes confusing when one is standing alone. Now to make things a little confusing, because we are “leaving” the main waterway, the opposite is true, with red on the left, green on the right. Mariners joke about how to remember this, with some improvising with Velcro tags to hold up a red triangle and a green square which they can switch when needed. We improvised our own colorful visual aid with our bottle of bright green Palmolive dish soap and our carton of cherry tomatoes placed on the right and left sides of the lower helm. Works for us!

You can barely make out the red marker on the left and the green on the right

Scene from the day - loon family with a chick off to the right

We traveled through Cranberry Lake and the River Styx and finally arrived at the last locks on the Rideau waterway, upper and lower Brewer, before reaching Kingston. We had a wait of about an hour and a half at the top of another run of 4 locks, because they were already locking some boats down. Lily was fascinated with a little sea gull who didn't seem shy at all. She lured it in with some crumbs, took at least a dozen photos and we picked her favorite one.

Lily's gull

After waiting for a half an hour for the drawbridge over the causeway leading into Kingston to open, we arrived at our overnight spot at the Confederation Marina, a very large facility with many transient boats. Besides our traveling partners, Micki and Steve, on Endurance, we were docked near Blue Heron, Moon River and a couple of other cruisers we had met along the way. We will stay for two nights and observe the Fourth but we may be too far from the U.S shore to see any pyrotechnics.

Lily catches the night scene in Kingston

Captain's Log, July 3, 2012
Depart Jones Falls 8:05 am
Arrive Kingston, 3:15 pm
23.58 nautical miles, 7:10 total time, 5.2 engine hours
Wx, calm, clear in theam, pm winds west 15-20 kts, rain after tying up to slip