Chambly, Quebec

We finally left Rouses Point after eight nights at Gaines Marina waiting on parts to get our boat repaired. But before taking off on Wednesday, July 5, we had to get a pump-out and do a sea trial to make sure everything, especially our rebuilt injector pump was working as it should.  The sea trial went great and we were on our way.

Within 1.5 miles of Rouses Point, we entered Canadian waters and had to stop for customs.

That, too, went smoothly and after the customs officer asked if we had any firearms (no) and alcohol (yes), Jonny dutifully described in detail all that was in our ship’s store.  The agent raised his eyebrows somewhat and asked how long we would be in Canada.  We told him three months and he said we were OK.  I guess he considered us to be well stocked for the journey (we definitely are)!  Technically, we are over the limit of what the rules say we should have, but thankfully we had an empathetic agent!

Cruising north on the Richelieu River, the landscape is changing and becoming much flatter and more pastoral.  

After we passed the first bridge, the waterway became the Chambly Canal system.  The waterway was not at all busy but it was slow going.  We had to wait for bridges and locks to open.  It was not unusual to wait 15 minutes either hovering around or tying up to a lock wall until they opened. 

The locks on this historic waterway are all hand cranked and during the summer they are operated by college students.  Some of the locks are so close together that the lock tenders drive from one lock to the next to open it for you. They were all very friendly and bilingual!

The day got hotter and hotter and by the time we were almost in Chambly, we were more than ready for quitting time.  There is a heat wave going on across North America and even here in Canada the temperatures were in the high 90’s but it felt like 100 -  even being on the water which is usually cooler!  At about 4 p.m., after going through three locks in quick succession, we arrived at the lock wall in Chambly where we tied up for the night.   In order to have enough power for our air conditioning we had to use two separate electric pedestals.

After recovering from the heat, we weren’t eager to cook, so we walked into the charming town of Chambly and had dinner at a restaurant with an outdoor patio.  Thankfully, we found some shade!

There were a lot of people walking towards the park across from where we were docked and it turned out there was a free concert going on.  So after dinner, we strolled by the park.   People were sitting on blankets and lawn chairs and enjoying a midsummer concert.

 We listened for a little while but having been spoiled by the music at the Montreal Jazz Festival, we ambled back to Zendo to settle in for the evening.  We are grateful to have air conditioning!