Tues June 21: Crysler to Cornwall ON

We got off the dock much more smoothly than we got on!  The harbor host came down to bid us adieu, and he's going to give us more info on the Rideau Canal, which will be great.

Today we have two big locks - Eisenhower and Snell.  Because they are US locks we have absolutely NO IDEA how they will work.  There is NO info on line about reservations or payment.  I guess we will show up and see how the US of A treats us French-speaking peoples...

 

 

All of the locks on our way 'downbound' will drop us - we like a drop better than a lift as water coming into a lock can make the boats bounce around. We arrived at Eisenhower and found actual written instructions to wait on the (tiny) pleasure craft dock and pay online.  (As an aside, I became kind of hung up on the word 'pleasure craft'...  Is it, though?  I might call it a challenge craft, or an anxiety-producing craft, or a bank-draining-craft.....  No - I joke with you.  It does, occasionally, bring us great pleasure).  ((In French 'pleasure craft' was translated as 'petite bataux' which really tickles me. We are used to being the biggest thing on the water in a canal - and now we are petite compared with the working boats.  Also, our boat is a little self-conscious about her ass, I mean aft, so petite is good!))  I digress ...

We waited - when nothing happened we found an actual channel and radioed, so we found out they were locking a boat up and we could enter when the light turned green.

It's a bit hard to see what is going on in the lock since it's so far away - where the arrow is pointing.

 

Finally the lock disgorged this beast and we were allowed in. 

 

This was our first time locking on the Seaway, but Rick had read (ALL) the materials and so we knew what to expect.  At these two locks you put your lines around a floating cleat/bollard and it smoothly moves down the wall as the water level drops - as my lovely assistant demonstrates below.  These locks are all business, so life vests are mandatory.

 

These locks aren't the biggest drops we have had, but they are so long and wide they feel quite impressive.  The working ships are built specifically to fit these locks.

Looking off the stern of the boat back toward the lock doors.  See how full the lock is.

Same view, 40' and 7 minutes later.  Like an elevator - and amazingly smooth!  The lock hand told us that it moves 220 MILLION gallons of water per lock cycle.

They are VERY LONG locks - the doors are opening somewhere V E R Y   F A R  in the distance.

They are very industrial looking - lots of equipment to keep people and the big ships safe.

Snell Lock had just lifted this beauty up, so we could go right in.  Isn't this ship an unexpected sight?!  That's the kind of thing our days are full of - surprises of all different shapes and sizes!

The lock hand told us this ship is a replica of Columbus' Santa Maria.

Cornwall offered us a peaceful dock and we took a short walk through town to grab some pizza and local baked goods.  It was raining so when we got back to the boat, Rick decided to be really brave and use our combo washer/dryer (which we have never used as we were worried about the soapy run-off into the water) to dry our wet clothes.  I was a bit afraid of it - but it went splendidly!  (Hah!  The model name is  Splendid!)

Our first boat with a name in French!

Twilight heron ...