Well, Captain Mark and Sidekick Sue are at it again; attacking another piece of the Great Loop. This year they are following a route through the Canadian waterways. This summer, they were able to get a slip in Massena NY on Barnhart Island in Robert Moses State Park. At the end of last summer, they left the Wayward Explorer on land at Barcomb’s Marina in Rouses Point, north of where they were docked in Plattsburgh, NY. The boat went in the water last Friday, and the Explorers set off in road vehicles to drop off a vehicle in Massena. A series of unfortunate events kept the Explorers grounded for a few extra days in Massena, but yesterday, Monday, May 23rd, they returned with one vehicle to Rouses Point and prepared for today’s departure.
They started north, passing the defunct Fort Montgomery (it’s for sale if you have a spare $1.4 million), just shy of the Canadian border. After crossing the border, they headed to the Canadian customs check-in, which was relatively mundane. Captain Mark thought he was displaying expert maritime knowledge by displaying his yellow “quarantine” flag, which is supposed to let Customs know that everyone aboard is healthy and requesting clearance into a new country. Apparently, it is not a well-known rule in these parts, as the Customs guys checked them in and asked “What’s the deal with the yellow flag”. A dejected Captain Mark replaced his yellow flag with its Canadian counterpart, and the Explorers were on their way out of Lake Champlain and up the Richelieu River.
They passed a swinging railroad bridge that was already open and the Highway 202 Bridge which had plenty of clearance and didn’t require an opening. Today’s trip was relatively short and scenic. Many vacation homes dotted the shores on both sides. It was a beautiful day as the Explorers wove their way around numerous fishermen, being careful to minimize their wake. As they neared their destination for the day, they passed by Lennox Fort National Historic Site, an island fort which had guarded this gateway to Canada in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. The site is currently closed for conservation work, and all that could be seen from the water was the ferry landing.
The day’s destination took the Explorers to the entrance of the Chambly Canal, where they have to wait overnight for the 9:00 AM opening of the lift bridge, followed by a series of 9 locks. As it is “pre-peak” season for boating, boats are only allowed to enter the sequence of locks twice a day, and the locktender moves along, with the boats to open each bridge and lock along the way. After checking in with the locktender, the Explorers are on the list for tomorrow morning’s passage.
The rest of the day was spent walking, exploring and provisioning (grocery shopping in boat-speak) since the Explorers entered Canada with very little food to avoid any trouble at Customs. Overnight accommodations are along the wall at a cute park that has a bike path along the canal. Dinner was Michigan Dogs at a small restaurant across the street.
Pictures to follow if we get some free high-speed internet 🙂
Have another great time!
Thanks Deb. So far, so good!