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!
# posted by Second Wind @ 4:09 PM
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!
