Ottawa to Narrows Lock #35 on the Rideau June 22 -26 , 2016

June 22 -26 , 2016

As we began our travels on the Rideau Canal this Wednesday morning, I perused the various information booklets and travel guides we had acquired at the Visitors Center in Ottawa. I soon realized that the Boating Safely Ontario Waterways, a publication of Parcs Canada, would become my ‘can’t live without it’ partner during the upcoming 125.6 miles to the Kingston LaSalle Causeway Bridge. The foldout for the Rideau Canal itemized 49 locks, numerous swing and fixed bridges, and various other points of concern and interest (wharfs, bays, lakes and parks). I quickly check-marked “Ottawa Locks #1-8, in flight” as we’d traversed those a few days prior (I still have vivid memory of that encounter!); I also check-marked the Plaza fixed bridge over which we’d walked numerous times during our stay in Ottawa and under which we’d passed post-flight locks. I continued this practice of check-marking as we traveled; there were SO many bridges and locks that it seemed to be the only way to keep them straight.

Following behind our companion boat Bright Angel, we passed under seven bridges, locked through at Hartwells Locks #9-10 (in flight), another bridge, Hogs Back Locks #11-12 (in flight), through a swing bridge and under two fixed bridges, then through Black Rapids Lock #13, traveling a total of 9.3 miles. Captain Byron aboard Bright Angel, veered starboard and tied to the lock station dock just past Black Rapids. Uh-oh, trouble. His starboard engine was overheating, so he chose to shut down at this location for the night and troubleshoot. Suits us! All four of us (well, maybe not Clay as he can sleep thru anything) had suffered through an almost-sleepless night the previous night with jack hammers echoing in our ears from daytime construction downtown Ottawa. And, being AGLCA friends, two heads are better than one with this troubleshooting stuff! We soon witnessed Byron in the water clearing weed and muck from the raw water intake, confirmation that this aqua vegetation would be a concern along the Rideau.

Docktails brought out fellow ‘campers’ to exchange boat information and boat stories. We met Dan and Liz who were quite congenial and invaluable resources for Ontario waterways. We hit the sack following a yummy grilled burgers and asparagus meal aboard. More travels to follow tomorrow.

Armed with good info for future boating Clay had acquired from Dan, we departed Black Rapids Lock mid-morn Thursday to arrive at Burritts Rapids Lock #17 at mile 39.8 four locks, five bridges, two wharfs, four parks and one side channel later. We don’t seem to be traveling many miles, but after four or five locks in a day, we’re pooped and ready to call it quits. We’d done all four locks with Bright Angel and another boat I’d nicknamed ‘the Frenchies.’ I was at the bow so couldn’t read their boat’s name, but Clay kept referencing the Frenchies as we completed each lock. At Clay’s suggestion, I had prepared my crockpot balsamic chicken recipe which had been simmering since early afternoon. But Clay spied a roadside restaurant appropriately called Lock 17 Bistro which had word-of-mouth recommendation for their awesome pizza. Of course, with dinner ready but for serving, I wasn’t too happy about the change of plans (especially since the chicken breasts had a history, and I didn’t want to waste any of the $20.04 per kg cost). But the Captain ‘is always right,’ so I stowed the balsamic chicken for future and up the hill we climbed for supper. P.S. It WAS awfully good pizza!

A 10 a.m. departure on Friday, it was on this day that we parted company with Bright Angel. Safe travels, Byron and Cynthia, until we meet again! Three bridges and six locks later we curled around the last Merrickville Lock #23 to the lock station dock for an afternoon of exploration and an overnight of what we hoped to be restful sleep. The three Merrickville locks are detached which ‘will slow your progress here, and that’s actually a very good thing, since Merrickville is a truly charming town. The locals refer to it as “the Jewel of the Rideau” and it has won the titles of Ontario’s Most Beautiful Village and the Communities In Bloom award for Canada’s Most Beautiful Village. The Jewel of the Rideau is an appropriate name because of the efforts of the locals to restore and maintain the dozens of historic homes and commercial buildings.’ We poked around town, walking the main street as well as numerous of the surrounding side streets which were lined with antique and craft shops, book stores, gift shops, a bakery, and a number of women’s clothiers and leather shops. We waved a cheery hello to some of our newly-made Canadian friends from the prior evening at Burritts Rapids who had elected to spend the weekend here. Merrickville must be a popular weekend destination!

We returned to the boat where we were soon appreciative of the power available to us for air conditioning. My journal notes say, “Sunny and warm. Nice breeze and flies.” I took note of a red rash appearing on my body and wondered the trigger and pondered the cure. Hmmm, medical problems beyond our realm of expertise aren’t welcome in Canada where we are far from our good Dr. Pitney! Note: I endured the rash another twenty-four hours, then it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

Saturday’s destination was Victoria Park Campground and Marina some 14.2 miles, five locks, five bridges, and two parks away. I called the telephone number given for Victoria Park and was cheerfully greeted by a male voice who gave us an advance welcome, touting the friendliness of the staff there. If he was representative, ya got that right! We motored along, handling easily the locks we encountered. As we exited the second of the Old Slys (flight) Locks #26-27, we caught the distinct sound of bagpipes nearby (a festival we were later told). On through the Smiths Falls Combined Lock #29A (which replaced the old locks 28-30), we turned port to the rickety-appearing campground docks. I guess they were secure enough with smaller-than-usual cleats (we just doubled up the number as we wanted to be secure!). The Victoria Park Campground was municipally operated, well managed, and well stocked with town and regional information. Smiths Falls marks the halfway position on the voyage between Ottawa and Kingston and is also the largest community between the two cities. There are grocery stores, including Warring’s Independent Grocer and Wal-Mart, both of which we made a point to visit for re-provisioning.

Clay wanted a ‘Saturday night on the town’ and insisted on dinner out. “When oh when will we eat that balsamic chicken?” I asked. But, I simply and quietly packaged portions for freezing, thankful for the meals I now have in reserve and for the freezer space to house them! You’ve heard the saying, “Sometimes my greatest achievement in a day is keeping my mouth shut!” Back to the dinner out topic… Active Captain is a terrific resource to which Clay turns frequently for everything from docking and marina info to dining info so he happily researched restaurants while I cycled a laundry load in the one washer, one dryer available in the small back room of the campground office. It seemed there was a sign-up dry erase board for washer-dryer use; but there were no names listed, and a young child was happily doodling on the board’s surface so I didn’t feel I was particularly intruding on anyone’s use of the machines. Plus, I wanted my laundry done! Opportunity knocks!

Clay and I were again appreciative for the power at this marina as it was hot with little breeze. We also had a water source so planned to take advantage of it to top off our water tank prior to departure tomorrow. In the meantime we would shower in the comforts of home and prep for dining out. A restaurant called My Place seemed to be Active-Captain-popular and highly touted by Loopers, so we arrived there to find the chef(?) standing outside the restaurant smoking a cigarette (Clay says he notices lots of smokers among the Canadian population) and telling us he was sold out of almost everything. Plan B took us in search of his recommendation, newly-opened Chuckles Jack (isn’t that a fun name for a restaurant!), but they’d not received their liquor license (whatever it’s called in Canada), so we moved on to Plan C. That was my choice even though the menu looked good; I wanted a glass of wine and I figured Clay would want a beer. We ended up at Ft. Hemlock, seated on the back deck overlooking the old mill and falls (I assume a sawmill built by Thomas Smyth for whom the town was named). We had a fabulous view from our vantage point, and our meals were palatable if not somewhat tasty. Third choice wasn’t too bad after all.  This seemed to be a hopping spot where we were joined by many of the race runners who had completed the multi-lap race in Victoria Park; don’t know if it was a 10K, 5K or half-marathon…we only know that we saw the same runners go by our boat’s bow again and again and again earlier afternoon.

Sunday soon became our day of wrong turns! After leaving the docks of Victoria Park, we immediately locked through the Smiths Falls Detached Lock #31, continued through a swing bridge and on to Poonamalie Lock #32 (try pronouncing that one!). At this point on my list, the list of locks, bridges, wharfs, bays, lakes and parks confused me. The listing of Poonamalie Lock #32 at mile 62.8 continued on sequentially through mile 74.9 with various locks, bridges, etc., but then the next listing backtracked to mile 68.7 and continued sequentially (but this wasn’t sequential!) So, I guided Captain Clay sequentially to arrive at Lower Beveridges Lock #33 at mile 68.8.

How many boats have the distinction and recognition of doing half a lock?

Clay and I waved cheerfully to the picnickers along the gray wall at the entry to Lower Beveridges Lock #33 as we entered the chamber to lock up. I secured our lines to the cables, remarking to Clay how awful the cables were (translation: slimy, gooey, yuk-encrusted…take your pick of synonym descriptors). Upstream waters began to fill the chamber at which time one of the cute, young Parcs Canada summer staffers asked me how far we were going. “At least through the next lock (Upper Beveridges),” I replied. He said, “You can’t go much farther than that. There’s a 7’ fixed bridge just beyond.” Uh-oh. A quick confab between him and our good Captain established that we were in the (wrong) lock doing what locals considered a day trip to Perth, not headed to Kingston. With courage, I asked the cute, young Parcs Canada summer staffer if we could reverse course midway, i.e., if they could now drain that which they were filling. With additional courage, I asked if any other boats had made the same mistake; and with a wink, he assured me we weren’t the only ones, maybe just the only ones so far this season.

The now two cute, young Parcs Canada summer staffers challenged the good Captain to back out of the lock which he did with finesse and aplomb. I had remarked to them that I have a good Captain. To top it off, he did a 180 in what I considered a narrow passage to return from where we’d come. As we now exited the Lower Beveridges Lock #33, the picnickers asked how our trip was, to which I replied, “Fabulous! I highly recommend it!” We all got a chuckle out of that exchange. Not too many Loopers can claim having done a half of a lock! OK you guys, ‘fess up! Note: NOW I understand our Ontario Waterways guide; it sequentially makes sense!

Back on the ‘road’ toward Kingston, Clay fielded a cell call from a friend and chatted merrily as we made our way toward the Narrows Lock #35. I can attest to the fact that talking on the phone distracts the boat driver (me, when I drive) from the chart plotter’s charted course. And obviously, on this large body of water called the Big Rideau, there are many ‘charted courses,’ meaning channels to various locations on the Big Rideau’s shoreline. Distracted, and without the advantage of an overall area map to guide him, Clay guided port instead of starboard, and we took the channel toward Portland. Nice place to visit Portland was purported to be, but we weren’t going there. Oops, boo boo #2. Score: Clay and I were tied, love-love. Needless to say, we were thrilled to reach the Narrows Lock and snugged in at the lock station dock for the overnight this Sunday night. I promptly sought solitude on the fly bridge while Clay weaved among the dock tailers with boats secured here. A 1.5 hour nap to awaken at 7:30 p.m. gave me enough energy to stoke up dinner (yay, balsamic chicken), then read until bedtime. Note: As I recount this tale, I’m finding brochures I wish we’d accessed before making this trip along the Rideau!

We’re now at mile 82.3 with 43.3 miles to the Kingston Causeway bridge. I will bid you adieu as I close for now. More adventures from SaSea Sally upcoming.

Chambly Quebec to Montreal Quebec, June 13 - 17, 2016

June 13 - 17, 2016

As we traveled the Richelieu River this Monday toward Sorel, we enjoyed the warming temps and lessening winds. We covered some 28 miles with Clay making note of various villages and small marinas along our route. At various of these villages, our eyes were drawn to small formal gardens along the river bank; restaurants (noted in our guide book as known for their quality so as to be popular destinations for diners from Montreal); prominent cathedrals with tall, pointed spires; elegant churches; and often a municipal wharf in the center of the waterfront. Clay, with his constant awareness to photo ops, often scoops up the still camera for a shot of this or that along the way. Many of the public wharfs support docks too small to handle a trawler of our size, so these stops are not an option.

We arrived at the Saint-Ours Lock with only twelve miles to travel downstream to Sorel. St-Ours Lock is the largest of the locks on the route to Sorel. Adjacent to the canal was the massive St-Ours dam and its fish ladder which has, as its primary purpose, aiding in the recovery of an endangered fish species, the copper redhorse; the ladder also benefits other fish such as the lake sturgeon and American eels. 

This lock was our only for the day, and we were warmly greeted by a female Parcs Canada agent who quickly and efficiently tied us to the floating dock which would make our locking procedure simple. She chatted as we descended the lock chamber to the waters below. Clay questioned her about the fish ladder, and she graciously offered us a tour. Accepting her offer, we exited the lock now accompanied by a brisk headwind, docked immediately on the northern (downstream) dock, and joined her in the park on Ile Davard. This island, complete with picnic benches, a picturesque old lockmaster’s house and museum currently under renovation, and a boat-launching ramp, also hosts overnight guests at a number of camping accommodations, each called an oTENTik, a cross between a tent and a rustic cabin, which offer a unique blend of homey comfort and a taste of outdoor adventure. 

Noteworthy, the oTENTik accommodations are $120 per night per unit (taxes included), and the six units will be available July 9, 2016. So plan your vacation accordingly!

We crossed the massive dam with powerful spilling waters swirling below us to the fish ladder on the far side of the river. Our agent gave us a brief overview of the fish ladder and fielded our numerous questions. We felt privileged to have a close-up view of this unique environmental structure because we were not there during normal tour hours.

Our plans, following the fish ladder tour, were to motor on to Sorel; but Plan B became effective when the Parcs Canada agent noted the brisk headwind was indicative of extremely rough conditions on the St. Lawrence River on which the Sorel marina was located. So we opted to ride out the winds overnight at Marina Camping Parc Bellerive at RM (river mile) 7.7 and tackle the St. Lawrence the next day.

Tuesday dawned sunny and bright, cool with less wind just as we’d hoped. After a quick pump out, we traveled the last miles of the Richelieu River then turned in a southwestward direction onto the St. Lawrence River toward Montreal. This is one big river! 












We encountered big ships, big barges, and fast big ships which produced big rollers causing periodic rockin’ and rollin’. Mid-afternoon we were thrilled to see the nearing skyline of Montreal. The channel which we followed along the west shore dead-ended at Montreal’s Vieux Port; this portion of the river has its highest currents – as much as 6 knots – which was quite noticeable as our boat slowed against the stiff current on approach. We’d been warned of the swift current along the Montreal shoreline (Linda and Floyd (Tumbleweed), my hubby is a risk taker!), but the Captain elected to buck the current and forge ahead to the Yacht Club of Montreal (YCM). We welcomed the protected water of the marina harbor (once we found the entrance in the basin just west of the very prominent clock tower) and followed the harbor master’s directives to squeeze into a slip with another large boat with which we would bump fenders frequently during our three-night stay here. But we were snugged in and ready to enjoy the sights of Montreal.

 
Once again weary after a long cruising day, Clay and I found ourselves late in seeking dinner out. As a matter of fact, my goal was to eat at the first spot we encountered. With a few sprinkles falling from some stray gray clouds above, Clay queried a couple seated at a sidewalk dining spot called Pub BreWskey who complimented the meal they’d just eaten. Suits me (although I think Clay was looking for something a bit more ‘elegant’). I politely told Clay I wouldn’t melt should I get a bit more than spritzed, so sit we did; eat we did; enjoy we did. Post dinner, Clay insisted on just a bit of wandering which also gave him opportunity for a pricey ice cream cone.

 





Our morning walk Wednesday gave us a chance to explore Old Montreal, the section of the city in which we were docked. ‘Visitors are often surprised by the exceptional vitality of Old Montreal, a lively area day and night and in all seasons. In addition to welcoming millions of visitors each year, the historical district is a place where many Montrealers live, work and play. Up to 40,000 people work in the 500 or so shops and 1,500 offices in Old Montreal. Its 6,000 residents find everything they could want in this much-sought-after neighbourhood, including a diverse and exclusive shopping experience.’

Clay was particularly curious about Rue Saint Paul which he found disappointing in having more souvenir shops than those of local artisans. We passed many magnificent buildings with strikingly elaborate architectural features which would be identified later when we took a Hop-on Hop-off Montreal city tour. We hugged the shoreline and wandered past the Marina Port d’Escale where a port strike had reduced the activity to almost nil. The Port d’Escale Marina is a transient-only marina in the Vieux Port, but many tour boats and freighters berth at the Vieux Port. We’d originally planned to dock here, but news of the port strike had Clay rerouting us to the YCM. We wandered through the Old Port area which has been developed into a scenic park, with amusements, restaurants, gardens and an IMAX theater.

Late morning, we bought tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off Gray Line tour of Montreal and boarded the red, double-decker, open-top bus for the two-hour tour. As we pulled away from the curb, the bus was hailed by two latecomers we identified as our leap-frogging Looper buddies Byron and Cynthia (Bright Angel) with whom we ate lunch at a sidewalk café post-tour. Our bus made a huge loop of the city, first touring through Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) where our guide identified many of the impressive buildings we’d seen earlier. We continued to see such sites as the Musee Pointe-a-Calliere Museum, Le Village, Quartier Latin (the Latin Quarter), Quartier des Spectacles, Musee des beaux arts (Fine Arts Museum), L’Oratoire Saint-Joseph (Saint-Joseph’s Oratory), and the Kondiaronk and Camillien Houde Lookouts. Obviously, road construction is constant over the nice-weather months here as in the States, so traffic jams and detours were part of the experience as was the extremely warm (92 degrees) temperature. The bus had particular trouble climbing the steep incline of Mont-Royal where congested traffic stalled our driver’s keep-moving approach. We took no opportunity to hop off then back on as our purchase price included two days of travel; we’d hoped to do a bit of in-depth exploration on Thursday.

Back to the boat for some housekeeping chores, showers, and a bit of dock hopping before dinner, Clay and I both enjoyed the nice weather which was a welcome relief from the cold and wind of past days. Clay made the rounds at the upper end of the marina dockcomplex, meeting and greeting fellow Loopers; he struck up quick conversation with any boater whose boat flew the AGLCA burgee (flag). The lateness of the hour caught Clay unaware which made for an irritated first mate and another late dining experience, this time at Restaurant Jacque Cartier (Clay’s choice). This restaurant was located among many other restaurants, cafes, museums and shops in the most historic part of the city which is known as Place Jacque Cartier.

By Thursday morning, I was feeling rather confident in my command of the French language (context is a great clue) and read an entire billboard at the Marche Bonsecours to Clay on our morning walk. I delivered it with such continuity and confidence that he believed every word! I guess my credibility with him is pretty high, yet I truly think I was pretty spot on. I thought this Marche Bonsecours to be an indoor shopping ‘mall’ of maybe vendor rooms or stalls or kiosks, but because of the ongoing road construction at this site, we’d not had access until I weaved thru the bordered walkways to seek out the immediate façade of the building. It was so cool! (I always remember a walking tour I took of Portland, ME, where we were taught to look UP for architectural appreciation, so did plenty of looking UP in Montreal!) On this side of the massive structure we found the indoor entrance to Pub BreWskey, our first night’s restaurant. I hoped to return later in the day to see the interior of March Bonsecours!

But our stated plans for Thursday were aborted when the galley faucet started leaking like a sieve. I trotted off to do laundry, leaving Clay to tend to the plumbing detail which quickly became more of a project than either of us had bargained for. We spent the entire day dealing with plumbing issues, borrowing dear harbor master Debbie’s car for two separate trips to first an Ace Hardware-type store (Clay went solo here), then together to Canadien Tire and on to Home Depot. Long story, but bottom line, we’re still slow-leaking with a new faucet fixture and a wealth of experience which, as Debbie reminded us, few Loopers have in this fair city. We now know how to navigate the streets and highways around Montreal, dodging an abundance of construction workers and bicyclists; we know how to ‘plug’ sidewalk parking meters; we’ve wandered the aisles of Canadien Tire (a Target-like store; wish I’d had time to shop a bit!) and Home Depot; and we wasted a perfectly good day of sight-seeing in Montreal. Huge shout-out to harbor master Debbie who could not have been more accommodating!

Now Friday and departure day from Montreal, I will sign, seal and send this email as we gear up for a 9:30 a.m. departure with two locks (Saint Lambert and Saint Catherine) on the St. Lawrence Seaway upcoming.