Saint-Ours, QC - 6/22/12

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6/22/12The locks on the canal operate from 8:30 until 7 p.m.starting today for the season so we were prepared to leave at 8:30 when theyopened.  In Canada you indicate thatpassage is wanted by tying up on the blue line painted on the lock wall if it isnot open.  You are allowed to moor thereovernight if you want the first opening next morning which we did.  This was a flight of 3 locks that drop atotal of 35 feet with each down stream lock door be the opening lock door onthe next one.  Pretty clever but don’tforget, they are manually operated so each lock had 4 or 5 folks eitherthrowing ropes to us or operating the doors. As with the other locks in the past two days, Marc’s Ark tied port andQuest tied starboard because we barely fit inside.Marc & Michele did not fill their water tank beforestarting the canal so they have been running low and watching theirconsumption.  After the 3^rdlock there was a marina so they took advantage of water and a pump out beforecontinuing on further.  Now it wasdecision time … travel through the next and last lock on the canal which wasabout 2 hours or try to make it all the way to Montreal which would be six orseven hours.  We elected to pass throughlock 12 then stay on the lock wall and hit Montreal Saturday & Sunday.  Our friends from Quebec, Gilles & Nancyhad told us back in Fort Edward about a very tricky spot at mile 33 where youhad to go through a very tight passage with lots of current and you only hadone chance to get it right.  We had toline up our entry and power through at over 10 mph to maintain steering, but wemade it.  The rest of the trip today wasvery nice except that one of two cable ferries we encountered pulled outbetween us and we had to stop until the cable was on the bottom of the canal.Lock 12 had a floating dock inside to tie to and was muchlarger.  A 3^rd boat showed upat the lock with us and all 3 boats went down together.  Dinner was prepared on Marc’s Ark and consumed onQuest.  We were entertained by someplayful critters in the park next to us while Marc grilled our dinners.We all retired at 8:30 to our respective boats to watchmovies in bed.  Another day in paradiseafter 31 easy miles!N 45  51.982   W 073 08.855

Leaving the Lock Wall

Manual Lock

Tight

Leaving the First Lock

Leaving the Third Lock

Looking Back at #3

All Three

Water & Pump Out

Volcano Formed Mountain

Looks Small

Is Small & Fast

Cable Ferry

Inside #12

Leaving #12

Grillin'

Critters