Updates from 6/27 to 7/16/08

Going There is Smiths Falls
Lois in Smiths Falls
Check this out

Ottawa locks (8) from the bottom
Going There as seen from Parliment Clock Tower
Changing of the Gruard
Parliment during the light show
Locks from the top

Canadian Customs

We left Rouse’s Point, NY on 6/27/08 and headed for the border. We are cleared for 3 months in Canada as of now. The officer was very friendly as always. We stopped at Fort Lennox and toured the buildings, including a moat. The buildings are completely rebuilt. Very interesting. We continued on to Saint Jean on the Richelieu River and stayed just south of the Locks. We walked up and purchased the pass for the locks and a mooring pass as well.




On 6/28/08 we proceeded through the locks, all nine of them. We had traveled 8 kn m. in 3 hrs and went through 9 locks, we were tired and stopped for the night at the town of Chambly. We cleaned up and went out to eat. We deserved it after this very tiring day. We had two instances where the help in the locks was far from helpful, a little more knowledge of boating would have been good.
6/29/08 We continued on the Richelieu River to St. Ours Lock and when north of it we tied up and enjoyed the park and explored the whole island including a fish ladder, and we saw fish in it. Our mooring pass covers parks as well. No town here, but a snack bar along the road with very good ice cream. We ran the generator and had showers and cleaned up the kitchen. We are ready for an other day.
6/30/08 We left early in anticipation of a long day. We entered the St. Lawrence Seaway and headed west into a strong current, 1.5knm. and 25 knm. wind in our face. About 30 mins. later I saw a blur and something hit just below the windshield. I thought at first it was a gull but later figured out it was our flag staff and the second looper burgee. The wind must have worked the stainless pipe till it dented and came out. It had a jam nut so the screw could back out. With the wind and the current we made 5 knots when we should have been going 7.5 knots. We made it to Montreal and spent 2 days, including their Canada Day there.
7/2/08 We proceeded on westward through the St. Lambert and St. Catherines Locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway to St. Anne De Belvue Lock on the Ottawa River. We met 2 different loopers in the locks today. Wow!!!! some of the ships on the St. Lawrence are big when you are 100 ft. from them and no place to get away. The next couple of weeks will be much smaller water and lots of locks. We reprovisioned today as the market was 7 blocks away.
7/3/08 Woke up to rain at 5:30 and closed the windows. We stayed put as it really had strong winds to.
7/4/08 Sunny and pleasant. Made the first lock and away we go. 2 locks today, St Anne de Belvue and Carillon. Carillon is 65 ft. lift and has a lift type gate on the bottom. What an experience, We were so low in the concrete that we lost satellite signal. We took pictures during the process. 72,000,000 litres to fill the chamber. We continued to Hawksbury , Ont. and anchored at a free dock with 15 amp. electric. It was an interesting docking in at least 2 kn current, but we had no problems and this morning we pulled away like pros. Lots of practice helps.
7/5/08 Got started at 7:00 and stopped to see the worlds largest log building at Montebello, Quebec. I was not as impressed as I thought I would be. 10,000 logs shipped in from British Columbia to build it. Money wasn’t and object and the logs were straight and uniform. We continued on to just East on Ontario and will anchor out tonight and get to Ottawa for the first locking of the flight of eight if there are not to many waiting there. At any rate we should get through tomorrow. We will be over 800 nautical miles into the trip when we are through the locks tomorrow.
7/6/08 We were at The bottom of the steps of eight in Ottawa for the first locking at 8:30. We finished locking thru at 11:00 and tied to the wall downtown. No services. Very tired from the ordeal. Went to explore the city. Very Hot.
7/7/08 Did the changing of the guard and the parliament tour and By market. We shopped and just enjoyed the people we have been traveling with.
7/8/08 Left Ottawa and stopped at Dowes Lake to pump out, their primary pump was broken and they brought out a portable gas powered pump and that wouldn’t start. I ask them to check the spark plug and they did not have tools. I got a wrench and plug was fouled. They found another plug and it started. I got a free pump out for fixing the pump. We stopped at Black Rapids and stopped for the night. We had done 5 locks for the day
7/9/08 Started early and went through 4 locks and stayed at Buritts Rapids for the night. There was a really old Chris Craft there 1936, It was beautiful.
7/10/08 Started at 8:00 in the morning and did 11 locks and had 2 bridge delays totaling 2.25 hours. We ended up in Smiths Falls home of Hershey Chocolate. We stayed here 7/11/08 as well. They had a Walmart and Canadian Tire and a big Grocery store. I changed oil and resupplied the boat. Lots of walking. Lois did laundry too. We purchased a little cart like old people use to shop as our arms seem to be getting longer from carrying heavy items we buy.
7/12/08 We headed out and did 8 locks today. We stayed at Davis Locks for the night. There were kayakers traveling with us from New York State and they stayed at the night too. They were having a good time in spite of the fact that it rained some.
7/13/08 We did 11 locks today and we finished the Rideau System and stopped at Kingston, Ont. it was very windy in the marina which is on the Lake. Upon arrival we found that we had lost 12 volt power to the refrigerator and things had thawed out. When we plugged in it worked on 120 volt AC. After much searching we found a fuse had blown and replacing it solved the problem. We spent time exploring the town. We took a bus tour as well. We found a really great ice cream store. White Mountain Ice Cream just like the churns.
7/14/08 More of the same here in Kingston. We now have more 12 volt problems. The items on the main panel are dead. Can’t find the problem. Have mechanic coming tomorrow to find the problem.
7/15/08 I knew it was something I did when I was fixing the first problem but I was so frustrated I could not find it. A large plug type connector with 8 wires in it had partially came apart and the mechanic found it in about 20 mins. I only had to pay the minimum service charge of 75.00 as he was already in the marina working on an other boat. All is well again.
7/16/08 We left Kingston this morning after stopping to pump out. While we were there a Canadian Coast Guard Boat 47 foot was refueling after being out on a search and rescue mission for a man who fell of his sailboat. They found him and returned him to his wife and boat. The part that really made us laugh is that the 4 crew members didn’t have the same uniforms on. Matter of fact the person operating the vessel was in civilian clothing with the exception of his life vest. We ran a bit over 8 hours today and ore in Belleville, Ont. We should be in Trenton, Ont by lunch tomorrow. We are in a marina tonight as it was hot today and need the break. We have Wi-Fi and I am tying to catch up on e-mail and bloging as best I can.