Quest on the Loop: Chambly Lock, Chambly, QC

6/21/12

We left Gaines marina at 8:10 a.m. and headed for the Canadian Border and clearing custom. Quest followed Marc’s Ark past the US Customs facility and into Canada.

The customs station is not very far inside Canada and the channel to it is marked by a sign indicating the need to stop. Marc’s Ark cleared first and then Quest, one boat at a time at their dock. It was very simple just answering questions about the boat … name, size, who was on board and how long we planned on being in the country. Of course I had to produce boat documentation and our passports. Nothing about any liquor, guns or anything else. We needed to fly our quarantine flag until clearing and then replace it with the Canadian courtesy flag. During the customs clearing only the captain of the boat is permitted off. All this only took 8 minutes.

At the first lock of the day we purchased our seasonal locking and mooring pass ($744) which covers all the Canadian locks except those on the St. Lawrence River and gives us permission to dock at any lock or National Park without further costs. The break even point of pay as you go or purchase the passes are 11 days which we should exceed easily. This lock only opens twice a day at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Since we got here at 11:15 we tied to the floating dock and went ashore to a cafe and had lunch while we waited.

The speed limit on the canal is 6 mph and we got passed by folks on bicycles on the 9 mile path beside the canal.

After 7 locks, 36 miles over 8 hours we are in Chambly, QC a very neat little town docked at the flight of 3 locks that we will go through in the morning at 8:30 when they open. Each lock or swing bridge we encountered all day was either open for us or opened as we approached. The lockmasters had to leap frog the locks and we saw the same ones all day long. We are 100 miles from Montreal by boat but only 20 minutes by car. We still haven’t figured out why more loopers don’t do this route because it is just gorgeous. We walked into town after a pot roast dinner on Quest that cooked all day in the crock pot and enjoyed ice cream and checked out our locks for tomorrow.

Another sunset and off to bed about 9:30

N 45 26.792 W 073 16.992