Quest on the Loop: Saint-Ours, QC

6/22/12

The locks on the canal operate from 8:30 until 7 p.m. starting today for the season so we were prepared to leave at 8:30 when they opened. In Canada you indicate that passage is wanted by tying up on the blue line painted on the lock wall if it is not open. You are allowed to moor there overnight if you want the first opening next morning which we did. This was a flight of 3 locks that drop a total of 35 feet with each down stream lock door be the opening lock door on the next one. Pretty clever but don’t forget, they are manually operated so each lock had 4 or 5 folks either throwing ropes to us or operating the doors. As with the other locks in the past two days, Marc’s Ark tied port and Quest tied starboard because we barely fit inside.

Marc & Michele did not fill their water tank before starting the canal so they have been running low and watching their consumption. After the 3^rd lock there was a marina so they took advantage of water and a pump out before continuing on further. Now it was decision time … travel through the next and last lock on the canal which was about 2 hours or try to make it all the way to Montreal which would be six or seven hours. We elected to pass through lock 12 then stay on the lock wall and hit Montreal Saturday & Sunday. Our friends from Quebec, Gilles & Nancy had told us back in Fort Edward about a very tricky spot at mile 33 where you had to go through a very tight passage with lots of current and you only had one chance to get it right. We had to line up our entry and power through at over 10 mph to maintain steering, but we made it. The rest of the trip today was very nice except that one of two cable ferries we encountered pulled out between us and we had to stop until the cable was on the bottom of the canal.

Lock 12 had a floating dock inside to tie to and was much larger. A 3^rd boat showed up at the lock with us and all 3 boats went down together.

Dinner was prepared on Marc’s Ark and consumed on Quest. We were entertained by some playful critters in the park next to us while Marc grilled our dinners.

We all retired at 8:30 to our respective boats to watch movies in bed. Another day in paradise after 31 easy miles!

N 45 51.982 W 073 08.855