Wednesday, June 27, 2007
On the Rideau Canal: Merrickville and Smiths Fall, Ontario
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Monday - Wednesday, June 25-27. On Monday, the four of us traveled through a total of 15 Rideau locks and approximately 43 miles, leaving the urban landscape of Ottawa and gradually entering a more rural setting. This was probably the longest stretch of our Rideau adventure, but it felt good to cover so much ground. On Monday afternoon we finally tied up to a wall in Merrickville, which is a popular stop because cute shops, galleries, artist studios, and restaurants are just down the street. On Tuesday the weather turned really hot – with a heat index of 104 degrees F! Even in the heat, we enjoyed going to a glass-blowing studio, a metal working shop, a pottery studio and several other shops (after Martha and I parked Jim and Bob at the boat). We spent an extra night in Merrickville because we could connect to electricity here -- and air conditioning was a must for us wimpy Americans.
Today (Wednesday) we went as far as Smith Falls (Lock 32), stopping because thunderstorms are threatening. We made one stop along the way to get supplied with our favorite booty – CHOCOLATE! A Hershey’s factory is located just a half-mile from Old Slys Lock. Needless to say, we made it there and back in record time on foot, armed with pounds and pounds of dark brown treasure. We were on high alert for armed attack, but we made it to the boat safely, where we enjoyed a Hershey lunch.
Rumor has it that there is a weak WiFi signal around here. If the blog gets posted today, the rumor was true.
Monday - Wednesday, June 25-27. On Monday, the four of us traveled through a total of 15 Rideau locks and approximately 43 miles, leaving the urban landscape of Ottawa and gradually entering a more rural setting. This was probably the longest stretch of our Rideau adventure, but it felt good to cover so much ground. On Monday afternoon we finally tied up to a wall in Merrickville, which is a popular stop because cute shops, galleries, artist studios, and restaurants are just down the street. On Tuesday the weather turned really hot – with a heat index of 104 degrees F! Even in the heat, we enjoyed going to a glass-blowing studio, a metal working shop, a pottery studio and several other shops (after Martha and I parked Jim and Bob at the boat). We spent an extra night in Merrickville because we could connect to electricity here -- and air conditioning was a must for us wimpy Americans.Today (Wednesday) we went as far as Smith Falls (Lock 32), stopping because thunderstorms are threatening. We made one stop along the way to get supplied with our favorite booty – CHOCOLATE! A Hershey’s factory is located just a half-mile from Old Slys Lock. Needless to say, we made it there and back in record time on foot, armed with pounds and pounds of dark brown treasure. We were on high alert for armed attack, but we made it to the boat safely, where we enjoyed a Hershey lunch.
Rumor has it that there is a weak WiFi signal around here. If the blog gets posted today, the rumor was true.
About the Rideau Canal
Monday, June 25. Many Loopers have told that one of their favorite parts of the entire Great Loop was traveling the Rideau Canal (pronounced REED-oh by Canadians). The canal system begins with the flight of eight locks below Ottawa (which we used a few days ago to raise us from the Ottawa River to Parliament Hill). The historic Rideau Canal then winds through a series of lakes, rivers, and canals for 125 miles until it ends in Kingston, Ontario. There are 45 locks in the system, passing through a number of small, picturesque towns and pristine wooded areas, some flanked by rocky cliffs.
We’ve learned that the story of the Rideau Canal is an important chapter in Canadian history. As the War of 1812 raged on, the British government needed an alternative supply line between Lake Ontario and Montreal in case the bad old United States threatened the St. Lawrence passage. Lt Colonel John By of the British Royal Engineers was dispatched with a minimal budget to build a canal system through rugged granite-laden terrain and disease-ridden bogs. Colonel By completed his mission between 1826 and 1832. Several of the locks feature a thick limestone Lock Masters house that could be defended from attack. Slits for arms are still visible. Of course those feared American attacks never occurred, and the canal served peacefully for years as an important artery for regional commerce. Today the Canal is a major tourist attraction, loved especially by pleasure boaters, but also visited by hikers and auto travelers.
As an engineering marvel, the Rideau Canal has just been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the year 2007 marks the 175th anniversary of its opening. The entire system was built of hand-cut limestone. Many workers died during the construction process, many from blasting through granite rock, but many more from malaria. Today the locks are still operated by hand, with a several lock tenders cranking black wheels to open and close the locks. Boats tie up inside the lock chamber by passing a line around vertical cables that line the lock wall. As water fills or recedes the lock chamber, your boat rises or falls accordingly.
Parks Canada maintains the Rideau Canal as a historical haven to a steady stream of tourists, both local and international. The fee for a one-day lock passage is $1.55 per foot. (We have a seasonal pass.) Because we also have a seasonal mooring pass, we can tie up to lock walls to spend the night. A walking trail, cycling paths, and paddling trails pass along the system, and most of the canals include an inviting park area. In the winter the canal freezes over, and we have heard that the locks become a series of skating rinks!
Ottawa!
Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24. On Saturday morning we finally passed under the bridge and made it to Dow Lake Marina. Having access to Jim and Martha’s Westy van was a treat because we now had wheels to see the Ottawa sights. The four of us spent a good bit of time touring the downtown area, especially Parliament Hill. As Canada’s capitol, Ottawa is the site of a complex of Parliament buildings, where we snapped hundreds of pictures of the gorgeous architecture, replete with spires, arches, ornate masonry, wrought iron gates, gargoyles, and statuary – very European. Since it overlooks the river, the downtown area is especially scenic. It was also neat to watch other boats making their way up the Ottawa Locks just as we had done the day before.On Sunday morning, we watched the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Wearing tall bearskin hats and red uniforms, the guards marched in step to the music of their band, which included several bagpipers. Now when we sing the Canadian National Anthem "Oh! Canada," for the benefit of our Canadian Looper friends at Great Loop Rendezvous, Bob and I will no doubt think of this day and this moment. We enjoyed the pomp and circumstance every bit as much as the Canadians did – Eh! (Canadian pronunciation is "A....!) We spent more time walking around the Parliament Buildings, feeling very much like we were in London or Paris.
One of our favorite destinations in downtown Ottawa was the open-air By Wade Market, a farmer’s market where we bought fresh fruit, smoked salmon, and some excellent Canadian cheese. Yum!
Ottawa Locks on the Rideau Canal System!
Friday, June 22. We had just commented that the day had been a bit boring – cool, rainy, pastoral but not noteworthy scenery, and a long, long run up the Ottawa River. Then we came to the Ottawa Staircase Locks around 2:30 p.m! This flight of eight locks with a 79-foot vertical lift is sometimes called the Giant’s Staircase. Because of some earlier mechanical problems with the lock, we had a three-hour wait before we could even enter the lock system. Once you enter, you must go up all of the locks, which takes a minimum of 90 minutes. We shared each lock with Loopers Greg and Susan Han on their really large boat Allegria. The first lock was a white-knuckle event because of the tight fit of our two wide boats in the relatively small chamber, but we did just fine. The rest of the locks were pretty easy after we figured out the entering and exiting sequence and the placement of our boats. Towering above us were the stately Parliament Buildings of Ottawa, looking very old and European. Below us was the river.
At each level we talked to tourists who were fascinated by the process. In fact, a crowd standing at the top on the Wellington Street Bridge watched us make our way through the entire Ottawa Lock system. Unfortunately, after we made it to the eighth and last lock, we still needed to go under an 8-foot lift bridge to get to our marina where we were to meet brother Jim and Martha. The bridge closed at 7 p.m., and it was now 7:13, so we missed it! Jim and Martha eventually managed to find us tied to a city wall, and we went out to a late dinner together. What a joy to be with home folks again! They are also great traveling companions, so we are looking forward to this next leg of the journey.
At each level we talked to tourists who were fascinated by the process. In fact, a crowd standing at the top on the Wellington Street Bridge watched us make our way through the entire Ottawa Lock system. Unfortunately, after we made it to the eighth and last lock, we still needed to go under an 8-foot lift bridge to get to our marina where we were to meet brother Jim and Martha. The bridge closed at 7 p.m., and it was now 7:13, so we missed it! Jim and Martha eventually managed to find us tied to a city wall, and we went out to a late dinner together. What a joy to be with home folks again! They are also great traveling companions, so we are looking forward to this next leg of the journey.
St. Anne de Bellevue to Montebello, Quebec
Thursday, June 21. Yuck, the boat was dotted with mayflies when we woke up. What a mess! After an easy lock-through at St. Anne de Bellevue, we cruised
through whitecaps on the large Lake of Two Mountain on the Ottawa River. Cloudy and cooler today, a light rain started falling when we entered the Carillon Lock, which looked and functioned much like a guillotine. After pulling up to “the Blue Line” to indicate our readiness to lock through, Bob got off
the boat and used a telephone to call the lock master. The “guillotine” lock wall lifted to let the waiting boats enter the chamber, then it closed behind us. Tied
comfortably on a floating dock inside the chamber, we could look up at the 65-foot high lock walls and see the lock tenders above us. Right in front of us, though, was a huge concrete lock wall. Eventually the water rose and lifted us above the wall. Then the front gate opened and we were out onto another lake on the Ottawa River.By late afternoon we pulled into the Montebello Marina. The main feature of Montebello, Quebec, is the Le Chateau Montebello, the estate of Louis Papineau, a leading figure in Canadian history. We walked about a half-mile to Montebello Manor to see the largest log cabin in the world. This structure, built in 1930, was a project similar to America’s WPA program to provide employment. This structure and other buildings in the Papineau estate are now operated by Parks Canada. It was too late to go inside, but the structure was pretty amazing.
Montreal to Lock Wall at St. Anne de Bellevue via Saint Lawrence River
Wednesday, June 20. After an hour-plus wait for maintenance at St. Lambert 
Lock, we cruised on up the St. Lawrence River until we reached St. Catherine Lock. We have learned that every lock is a little different. These two locks each require a $25 toll because they aren’t included in the Heritage Lock system as the Chambly Locks are. When we pulled into the formidable lock chamber with fenders to protect us from the jagged, slimy lock wall, lock tenders tossed us down long lines from the lock wall top, about 32 feet above us. (Hummmmm, what would happen if they missed the deck and hit a boater on the head?) We secured the lines, one on the bow and one on the stern. When the lock gates closed and water began to fill the locks, each of us took up the slack on the lines, pulling hard to keep the wind and current from pushing the boat from the dock wall. After about 15 minutes, we were at the top of the lock, the green light came on, and we could head out onto a canal beside the St. Lawrence River. Eventually we left the protection of the canal, and faced the strong wind that had blown up. Navigation was interesting, to say the least, because of some shallow spots along this part of the river. By 4 p.m., we were happy to tie up at the wall before Saint Anne de Belleview Lock. This is a lovely area, right along the town promenade. After a fish and chips supper with Greg and Susan Han, Bob and I walked a half-mile into town in search of a grocery store. We passed right by it. Apparently Quebecan grocery stores don’t have big signs or even carts. We thought it was a bank!St. Lawrence River to Montreal, Quebec
Monday and Tuesday, June 18-19. On Monday, we cruised down the big Saint Lawrence River in a light haze, passing big ships and a few ferries. We were happy to see the Great Loop flag on a large Krogen Whaleback boat, Allegria. Owners Greg and Susan Han were also heading to Montreal, so after docking at Port D’Escale Marina, right in the heart of Old Montreal, we joined them for wine on their boat and then supper.
Bob and I spent Tuesday morning going over charts and routes for the next few weeks. There are so many possible routes from this point that the guide books aren’t very helpful because information on the route we are taking is scattered throughout each book. After a major boat cleaning session, we noticed a potential thunderstorm heading our way, so we decided to stay close to the boat. A tram ride took us down through the Old Port area of Montreal. We learned a bit about the history of the ports and took photos of some interesting buildings. Afterwards we walked the nearby streets and toured the ornate old Notre Dame church. Pollen and cottonwood fuzz are in the air, so my allergies are still kicking up. Later Tuesday evening, we had Greg and Susan (Allegria) and Carol and Lee (Carol Anne) over for good conversation, wine, cheese.
Chambly Locks to Sorel, Quebec
Saturday and Sunday, June 16-17. Our stop at Canadian Customs was easy – just a matter of pulling up to a dock flying our yellow “quarantine” flag. Then Bob stepped into a small building and showed the customs agent our passports and boat documentation. No boarding; no search for firearms and booze! It took less than 15 minutes. When we finished, we raised a courtesy Canadian flag as expected, but Old Glory still flies too, of course. We are now in Quebec, where the official language is French. I wish I had brushed up before we left home. As we pulled out into the Richelieu River, we began 
to 
enter the series of 10 Chambly Locks and pass through several low swing bridges. A steady stream of pleasure boats was heading south for the weekend, but very few were heading north. What do we not know?The Chambly Canal runs along the Richelieu River for about 12 miles. Often the only thing that separates the canal from the river is a well-used bicycle path running along a grassy park-like strip. At other times, little towns separated us from the river rapids. We were surprised at the small size of each lock, which could hold two boats at the most and have a relatively short rise. A lock tender typically throws you two lines, one for the bow and one for the stern. Bob and I held tight as the lock tenders manually open and closed the wooden gates with a rotary wheel. The water level changed only 3 to 8 feet in each lock. Fascinating! After a short bicycle ride to the town of Chambly, we spent a restful Saturday night tied to a complimentary dock between Lock 5 and Lock 4.
We finished the remaining Chambly locks on Sunday morning. The bilingual lockmasters were universally cheerful and helpful, giving us directions to a pharmacy (allergies still!) and an ATM (Canadian money). These locks each charge a toll, but we had already bought a seasonal pass, both for the locks and for mooring.
The gentle, pastoral landscape of the Chambly Canal is dotted by old sliver-tinned church steeples and the distant outline of Mont St. Hilaire. Every town seemed to look like something on a Christmas card, with the tall church steeple. Our final destination for the day was the Marina of Sorel, located along the St. Lawrence River, still in Quebec. After the rural scenes of the past few days, the ships looked huge! Sorel is the farthest point north we are going on the entire Loop. From here we will be going south or west as we make our way toward the Great Loop Rendezvous in Penetanguishene, Ontaria (called simply “Penetang by those in the know). Between now and then, we will go to Montreal, then travel down the lovely Rideau Canal, experience the Trent-Severn Lock system, and take a week’s break in Huntsville (July 5-13).
Friday, June 15, 2007
Burlington, VT, to Rouses Point on the US/Canada Border
Friday, June 15. Allergies delayed our departure from Burlington this morning, but we did manage to make it to the US/Canada border. We just met two new Loopers from the Chesapeake Bay area, Carol and Lee on Carol Anne, a beautiful boat. We're looking forward to getting to know them.Tomorrow is the big Canadian border crossing when we will lose easy access to cell phones and the Internet. We haven’t had good connectivity for a while, so uploading photos hasn’t been possible. For those of you following our travels, we are next going to Montreal, then Ottawa, where we will meet brother/sister Jim and Martha Stagg on June 22. Together we will go down the Rideau Canal, which by all accounts is one of the highlights of the Great Loop. We are flying home from Toronto for a short week, July 5-12 to check the house and see family and friends. We will catch up on the blog at that point unless we can get WiFi before then.
Lake Champlain to Burlington, Vermont
Wednesday and Thursday, June 13 – 14. Lake Champlain is huge and beautiful with New York’s Adirondack Mountains to the west and the scenic rolling hills of Vermont to the east. The pollen and cottonwood tree fuzz has continued to do a number though, and after wheezing and coughing for several days, I finally started taking a prescription. The pollen was so thick on the lake that our wake seemed to have a greenish/yellow glow. We certainly weren’t expecting pollen in mid-June! But then, the water temperature still hasn’t reached 60 degrees here.
We would have loved to have spent more than two nights in Burlington, a friendly, sophisticated, vibrant city that is also boat friendly, The Community Boathouse Marina was convenient to a shuttle that took us up a hill where every upscale shop, coffee house, gallery, restaurant, and department store was available in a pleasant pedestrian-only plaza. There simply wasn’t enough time to take it all in. We did manage to splurge on Ben and Jerrys for supper the evening we arrived!
Unfortunately this is the last city before we get to Canada, so on Thursday we caught up on the mundane: post office, pharmacy, laundry, mail, hair cuts, and phone calls. The only sightseeing we managed to do was to take a walk (“only a few blocks” – actually a couple of miles) to the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory. Bliss! We loaded up on and assortment of “seconds,” which meant that some of the truffles weren’t exactly round. Oh darn. They still taste delicious!
Yet again we were amazed and thankful for the kindness of strangers. We asked the chocolate sales person to call a us cab to get back to the boat. A lady in the store said, “Oh, I’ll take you wherever you need to go.” To make a long story short, Mary Lou Surgi, a visitor to Burlington herself, then took us shopping for Vermont cheeses before we went back to Second Wind for drinks. Mary Lou is the director of a non-profit firm in Ashville, NC, which encourages food ventures. What a fun and fascinating lady! Her friend, who was visiting, has a Huntsville and Muscle Shoals background, so we sent him a Huntsville baseball cap in gratitude. What an excellent way to end our Burlington experience.
We would have loved to have spent more than two nights in Burlington, a friendly, sophisticated, vibrant city that is also boat friendly, The Community Boathouse Marina was convenient to a shuttle that took us up a hill where every upscale shop, coffee house, gallery, restaurant, and department store was available in a pleasant pedestrian-only plaza. There simply wasn’t enough time to take it all in. We did manage to splurge on Ben and Jerrys for supper the evening we arrived!
Unfortunately this is the last city before we get to Canada, so on Thursday we caught up on the mundane: post office, pharmacy, laundry, mail, hair cuts, and phone calls. The only sightseeing we managed to do was to take a walk (“only a few blocks” – actually a couple of miles) to the Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory. Bliss! We loaded up on and assortment of “seconds,” which meant that some of the truffles weren’t exactly round. Oh darn. They still taste delicious!
Yet again we were amazed and thankful for the kindness of strangers. We asked the chocolate sales person to call a us cab to get back to the boat. A lady in the store said, “Oh, I’ll take you wherever you need to go.” To make a long story short, Mary Lou Surgi, a visitor to Burlington herself, then took us shopping for Vermont cheeses before we went back to Second Wind for drinks. Mary Lou is the director of a non-profit firm in Ashville, NC, which encourages food ventures. What a fun and fascinating lady! Her friend, who was visiting, has a Huntsville and Muscle Shoals background, so we sent him a Huntsville baseball cap in gratitude. What an excellent way to end our Burlington experience.
