Fri July 1: Chambly to St Jean Sur-Richelieu free wall

Happy Canada Day!  This is something everyone in Canada celebrates, even the Quebecois who have such a chip on their shoulder (as someone said to us in Montreal - 'we have to fight so hard to make sure our culture and language are not erased').

Once you are in this narrow canal system they know you are in it and help you move along.  Thus, when we called Lock #4 on VHF68 at 9am this morning, they said (imagine a French accent, S.V.P.) 'Buon matin, Blue Horizon.  We are ready for you' and we traveled the 200ft to the lock and went right in. Locks #4, #5 and #6 were right in a row.  I can't say we ZIPPED through them, because they are old and operated by hand = slow, but we did eventually get out the other side, traveled a hot minute and then entered #7 and #8.

 

This is the best I could do to show you the contrast between the water inside and outside the lock.  We are locking up, so that we match the height of the water you can see beyond the lock doors.

 

There is a lock tender on each door, and they carefully match their movements - see how he is looking at the other guy's rhythm.

 

Then the head lock tender takes his gear thingy and moves over to this pedestal in order to swing the bridge at the end of the lock open for us.  In this case the bridge telescoped in, so we didn't have to wait long.

Then we had time to make a second cup of tea/coffee, before we got to Pont (Bridge) #5 - where the bridge tender was ready for us, opened the bridge, sent us through, and then jumped in his car to get to Pont #7 before we did.  I am sure you sharp-eyed readers have already thought to ask, but where in the blazes was Pont #6??  I am happy to satisfy your curiosity and keen attention to detail.  Pont #6 is still there, but no longer used so is permanently in the open position. 

Just to be sure we didn't get complacent about things, at the next lift bridge they were waiting for us to arrive, holding two boats on the other side so they could send us all through together and only stop bridge traffic once.  Because we were the last to show up, we were the first to go through - the other boats were tied up on the waiting dock. It was a good thing we learned about that system, because at the NEXT lift bridge we had to tie up and wait until the other boat showed up.  Have you lost count of bridges and locks?  Us too...

Then there was a long stretch where all we had to worry about was how shallow it was, and what would happen if we met another boat our size coming the other way, it was that narrow.  

One lock tender assured us that two boats, each with a 15' beam (width) could pass in this stretch, but Rick had serious doubts.

 

 Then Lock #9 appeared, was successfully managed -  and we docked on the free wall right after it! My arms were TIRED! And my nerves a bit frazzled because I don't like attention (especially when I'm driving) and these locks often have spectators watching.

Once settled in, we headed straight out for lunch. Popcorn shrimp at Captain Poof.  Hee Hee.  Captain Ottoman!!

After lunch we walked around St Jean - they are putting a lot of money into the canal area, and it looks quite nice.

 

We will pass under this lift bridge tomorrow.  I like how much it looks like a piece of sculpture.

 

Out with the old mural and in with the new.

 

 

 

Ummmm-this train was right in our living room.  I almost feel overboard when it blew its horn, it was so loud. It did not seem a good omen for peaceful 💤…

In honor of Canada 🇨🇦 Day! We surely do stumble across a remarkable number of random firework events.

 

 

Our night ended with a truly terrible serenade by an enthusiastic, tone-deaf and possibly high (cannabis is legal in Canada) busker doing what can only be called a caterwaul.  Fortunately we did not have to pay him to stop singing, as curfew kicked in (Canada asks for quiet after 11pm - very civilized) and he had to mute himself.