Dot's Way Cruising Cat: Saint-Ours to Chambly, Quebec, Canada

We got up at 6 am to make a quick departure from Bellerive Marina towards Saint Ours Lock. We tied up to the blue line dock and enjoyed the beauty of the park setting with camping yerts and trails around to cross the dam to the fish and eel ladder. A pontoon boat and sailboat stayed on the Parks Canada dock as we left. This lock had the red and green signal light and we came into the lock and lock tenders tied our lines to the floating dock. This is surely the easiest way to lock through. We did some fast cruising up the Richelieu River to get to Locks 1,2,3 on the Chambly Canal. We crossed the Bassin de Chambly which is a wide body of water that is used as an anchorage and has several marinas nearby the lock entrance. One other NY boat went through the lock with us but we had to wait for three downward lock throughs first. All the powered dock space was taken up so we were directed up the canal to the floating dock for waiting to get through Locks 4-8. It turned out to be a great spot with just one other small power boat joining us for the evening. We walked back to the canal and the promenade and found a jazz band playing on the patio of Delires et Delices Microbrasserie. We ordered two ciders, chicken wings and chorizo nachos followed by a beer sangria that was cooling and fruity. We stopped for ice cream cones across from the park with band stand and listened to female singer before walking back to the boat. We cranked up the generator and ran the air conditioner for one hour to cool off the boat and then two fans in the berth kept us cool for sleeping.

Docks along Chambly Basin

Cable Ferry dock

Wash station and Camping Yerts at Saint Ours Lock

Dam and fish and eel ladder

Entering Saint Ours Lock on Richelieu River

Along the river headed to Chambly Canal

Cute boat at the dock

Looking back at narrow channel with current we had to navigate

Popular surfing

Lock 1, 2, 3 of Chambly Canal

Marina near lock entrance

Lock tender's house now a museum

On Saturday morning we woke up and walked along the canal to Lock 4 and crossed over the walkway on the lock gates to follow the bike path along side Locks 5-8. We talked to the lock tender at the first lock about spending two more nights and locking through on Monday. There is a 48 hour limit on Parks Canada docks but since our dock is less desirable with no power hook ups we are able to stay. We walked to our breakfast place which was the same chain we previously enjoyed the avocado toast and omelet. We checked out the Metro Grocery Store next door and decided to come back later with our grocery bags. We headed over to Chambly Fort and then along the river to the rapids park before returning to the fort to tour the museum. We then hit the tail end of the Farmers market in the Park next to the canal for fresh veggies and homemade artisan bread. After walking 8 miles we headed back to the boat to enjoy the breeze and shade on the flybridge for our own charcuterie board and a German beer.

Walking on bike path to Locks 5,6,7,8

Beautiful flowers in yards along canal

Our first night at Lock 4 with 2 boats, last night with 6

Along the promenade walking path beside bike pat

Looking out at Chambly Lake

Fort Chambly

Rapids by the fort

White water kayakers

Dam and falls

From inside fort looking out

Parks Canada beaver

Fort exhibit

Fort entrance with heroes names

On Sunday we walked back to our favorite restaurant and tried the French toast with Nutella and bananas or a change. We walked back by the grocery store and stocked up and returned to the boat. We then took our backpack and headed up the canal past Lock 8 up to the high rise bridge thinking we could get to the Tim Horton's for a snack but not entrances there. We back tracked along the canal bike path and past the locks into town and stopped at the brewpub that also had a museum quality collection of beers and memorabilia. We headed back to the boat and then it started raining as the Park Canada lock tenders came by in golf cart to make room for six more boats at our dock and to make arrangements for traveling on Monday. We cranked up the AC to cool the boat down and had a quiet evening even with the crowd on the docks.