Monday, June 30, 2025

Croil Island to Grenadier Island, Thousand Islands, Ontario, Canada

 We woke up to a sunny Monday morning and saw trumpeter swans as we left the anchorage at Croil Island and cruised past it as we reentered the Saint Lawrence Seaway headed towards the last Canadian lock at Iroquois. We saw S/V North Dawn on AIS ahead of us and saw her go through the lock as we were 5 miles behind her. This lock is unique in that it only has a four foot change in depths so that as you enter the lock and they close the rear gate, you continue moving through the lock and the front gate opens without you having to tie up. We wished they all could have been this way as this was the grand finale lock for us on the Saint Lawrence Seaway. We continued up the seaway to Brockville where we were planning to anchor. We were dodging a small sailboat regatta as a ship came up behind us and we started to turn off dodging a tour boat and then went around an anchored boat and jet skies and saw that the anchorage was narrow and a thoroughfare to the Brockville Harbour so we turned around and headed back out behind the ship. We continued up the seaway as the ship went to port and we turned to starboard along the small boat channel staying in Canada as the ship channel goes into New York as the border of the two countries is in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River. We looked for an anchorage within Parks Canada Thousand Islands Park and stopped off Grenadier Island at Duck Island Shoal anchorage. There were two other sailboats anchored here so it looked like a great spot for the evening before Canada Day Holiday on July 1. We watched fireworks on the other shore as it got dark and then were awakened in the middle of the night with hard rain. We planned to spend the holiday here out of the boat traffic.

On Tuesday, we heard a honk as we were eating breakfast and it was the Canadian Border Patrol checking to see that we had cleared customs since the other side of the river is in the United States. Glenn pulled out his customs number and the customs officers were very friendly and were gone in a flash circling around the sailboat and then were gone. We had two sailboats and a motor boat anchor in front of us and raft together but they were quiet and left early in the afternoon. Glenn spent the day troubleshooting the wash down pump and generator and got both of them working. There are twenty Parks Canada parks that have dockage or moorings in the Thousand Island between us and Kingsport. We are having a difficult time finding a way to navigate there using the charts and Parks Canada app map.

Waiting on wifi for pictures

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Valleyfield Marina to Croil Island, Louisville, New York

 We got an early start on a cloudy, windy morning with an offer of help by a cruiser passing by on the dock. We got through the long winding entrance channel outside the marina to pounding waves coming right at us. That made an uncomfortable ride for the first hour and then the wind calmed down below 10 knots and it was a pleasant but cold cruise towards the two American Locks of Snell and Eisenhower. We got to the small floating dock at Snell and were helped by the sailors already tied up.  S/V North Dawn was behind us and hailed us but she ended up anchoring as we were waiting on a down bound ship to transit. These two locks did not have scheduled times. We followed the sailboat in and we were instructed to tie up to number 3 floating bollard with a midship line which was much easier to do. We tended the line and the bollard moved us up like in an elevator. It was another no stopping to enter Eisenhower lock and we did the same tie up and quickly moved through. We turned off the Saint Lawrence Seaway behind Croil Island and had the anchorage to ourselves even though across the river was a campground and plenty of boat traffic on this section. We had great birdwatching and the sun came out and we were in shirt sleeves shedding our sweatshirts and polar fleece jackets we started the day in. We celebrated our first anchorage since leaving Vermont with my new portable charcuterie board. It was a great afternoon and a quiet night.

Waiting on wifi for pictures

Friday, June 27, 2025

La Ronda Marina to Valleyfield Marina, Salabery-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada

 We got an early start as we had reservations for four of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Canadian locks  in the Montreal/Lake Ontario section that are on a time schedule for up bound traffic. We were very close to the first lock at Saint Lamber so we were the first to tie up at the floating dock followed quickly by four other boats and another boat that remained standing off at the entrance for a schedule 9 am opening that was then posted for 10:20 am.  We watched one ship to upbound in our direction followed by another ship down stream which caused our delay. As soon as that shipped passed we had the green light. The lock tenders throw ropes down the fifty foot walls expecting you to catch one for the bow and tie up and then one for the stern before you shut off your engine. They also directed two boats to raft up in front of us and two rafted in front of them.  Once you leave the lock there is no stopping for the six miles to the next lock at Cote Sainte-Catherine scheduled for 11:00 am but of course we were late for that. It was the same set of lock tenders as we went through the lock. We then had to make tracks for the next two lock with Lower Beauharnois at 3 pm and Upper Beauharnois at 4:00 pm. Only one boat Sea retirement from South Carolina continued on with us as the other boats turned off into the Rideau Canal which we had come down last year. We made it to the lock a little after 3 pm to wait with three sailboats and one motorboat for a ship to lock through. We were the first to enter the lock and had turbulent water as well as tosses that I missed both times so it was not a good way to start. We made it through that lock and then on to the next lock which I had better luck catching the ropes but Glenn had a worse time as he was trying to catch the stern since the wind was keeping us off the lock wall. We were glad to get through as the rain started. We stayed on the fly bridge with our rain capes until the rain got so strong we moved to the down below helm. Three of the motorboats made the lift bridge together and the bridge tender wanted to wait for all the boats. We requested that he contact the sailboats and since he could not see them and they did not answer his radio call he opened the lift bridge for us. We followed Searetirement who had a faster cruising speed and a full enclosure out of the rain to Valleyridge Marina. The rain cleared for us to get into the slip and we had great female dockhands. We had plans to go out to dinner but the rain started up again and we were too exhausted to move. We slept in the next day and it was still raining so we stayed another day but we had to move slips for another huge catamaran. The rain stopped by lunchtime and we had a great lunch at a nearby pub on their patio and then walked the town stopping by the Metro Grocery for provisions. We walked back by the old canal that was now a marina where you could tie up to the floating docks on the lock wall. We had two different Canadian couples invite us to their social club and to provide a ride to the grocery store but we were happy just to have happy hour on the flybridge.

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Bellerive Marina, Saint-ours Quebec to La Ronda Marina, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

 We scrubbed the decks before we left the marina for our cruise out the Richileau River into the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Most of the huge tanker ships were at anchor. We followed one sailboat at a distance and only came across one sailboat and motorboat headed the other direction until we came closer to Montreal. The ferry traffic picked up and we waited for a container ship to pass us thinking we were going to cross paths getting to the marina. We could not raise the marina staff on the VHF radio so we struggled in the current to get tied up. We never saw anyone after we called them on the phone and said we were staying put. So we barely got a WIFI signal up at the bistro and enjoyed a beer on the fly bridge watching the two roller coasters on either side of the boat basin. We plan to get an early start to the first of the six St. Lawrence Seaway Locks.

From rural to residential to industrial in a short stretch on the river




The riverfront near Montreal

At La Ronda Marina off our starboard side

Another roller coaster off our port side

Great birdwatching with over dozen species off our stern in the marsh

Canada geese dipping down feeding


Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Chambly to Camping Park Bellerive Marina, Saint-Ours, Quebec, Canada

 We got up early to be at the diner for breakfast when it opened at 7 am. We had a delicious early bird special and enjoyed coffee while we waited for the Super Market next door to open at 8 am. We got our shopping done and then the Park Rangers said we would need to wait for them to lock a boat up the three locks, open the bridge and then we could head in followed by a small powerboat. It was a quick trip through the three locks since we were not squeezed in like the other morning. We were passed along the way by the huge 58 foot powerboat that was at the dock with us. We waited behind him to enter the Saint-Ours lock. It was a different design in that you pulled up to a dock and the lock tenders used your lines to tie you to the dock and the whole dock moved with the water level. So it was an easy way to finish off the Chambly Canal Locks. We continued on to the RV Park and Marina stopping at their fuel dock for diesel, gas and a pump out. The current was strong and we were glad two dockhands helped us into our slip. We headed to the restaurant for a pitcher of red sangria wine and their steak and peppers poutine. We had a peaceful night and got an early start out in the morning for a long day of travel.

Fruit and waffle with cream

Looking out across Lake Chambly

The dock was filled on the other side of the locks

Beautiful view across the lake as we crossed

Ski boarding on the river

Race canoes

And so many church towers in a day's cruise



The ferry using a cable across so you have to wait




Agriculture along the banks

The final lock of the Chambly Canal sysem

Looking back at the stern and the gates closing


Another ferry

Our slip at Bellerive Marina

A cool toast to finishing on a hot day

French fries, gravy, cheese curds and steak, pepper and onions poutine

Parks Canada uses the red Adirondack chairs as their ionic rest stops


Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Saint Jean sur Richelieu, Quebec, Canada to Chambly, Quebec, Canada

 The lock tender paired us up with M\V Indigo to head out Tuesday  morning and then another power boat came through the lock in the morning that we had to wait for and he was second in line.  All three boats then went through the 5 locks together.  That part of the canal is narrow and it is one way traffic to the first drawbridge so it is coordinated by the  lock tender. We stopped in Chambly before the last three locks and the other two boats continued on. It was a hot day at 94 degrees and being in the sun most of the day tending lines at the locks. We hooked up to power at the dock in Chambly and this is our first day of air conditioning. The holiday celebration was set up right across the canal from us. We are tied up to a Ranger tug that we saw at Rouse's Point Marina that is flying their looper flag. We walked into town and found the grocery store closed for the holiday and a lot of the businesses so we headed back to the coolness of the boat. We listened to the party music and were sound asleep when the fireworks started around 11:30 pm according to our neighbors. We did not realize they had a four year old onboard as they never got out of the air conditioning until we were leaving the next morning.

We walked the canal path to art in the park



Down the canal headed to Chambly

Through the swing bridges

The three stairs tep locks at Chambly

History of the canal marker

At the dock next to Hoppy Trails we saw in Rosie's Point

Party in the park across the canal for Quebec Day

The canal parallels the river here



Monday, June 23, 2025

Rouse's Point, New York to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada

 After breakfast at Best Friend's Diner, we left the Gaines Safe Harbour Marina and went under the bridge to Vermont and across the Canadian Border to dock at the Custom's office to get our passports stamped and to check into Canada. We then headed up the Richileau River to start through the series of locks and bridges along the Chambly Canal. We stopped around lunchtime and tied up to the Parks Canada dock before Lock 9 and walked to the lock to get our Parks Canada locking permit and park permit. We walked around town and ended up at Dorchester's pub for a beer and bacon poutine. Later that afternoon Park staff asked boats docked on each side of the river to move out of the fireworks zone in celebration of Quebec Day on Tuesday. We went through the drawbridge and the lock and pulled up to the floating dock on the other side behind two other boats. 

Old fort on edge of Canadian Border

Buoy marking border

Canadian customs

Mural at bridge 9, Chambly Canal

Along the waterfront

Sailboat with mast down locking through

Park near the lock



Toast to Quebec Day with bar topped with Canadian pennies


Croil Island to Grenadier Island, Thousand Islands, Ontario, Canada

 We woke up to a sunny Monday morning and saw trumpeter swans as we left the anchorage at Croil Island and cruised past it as we reentered t...