June 22, Monday

     Underway about 0900 and down the ship channel thru Lake St Francis. Met a freighter at a 40 degree turn, gave him plenty of berth.

     On the outside of the turn low and behold, or high and dry as it were, is the freighter Tundra, about 600 feet, who had completely missed the turn, now about two boat lengths out of the channel, empty of cargo and showing plenty of bottom, including half the prop and half the bow thruster. Both anchors out, but the bow must have been in about 6 feet of water. Seeing as it went aground without cargo aboard, it may be a job to pull her off! Maybe by the end of the summer they will rename Lancaster Bar.

     We continue on, seeing a few sailing yachts drifting around the North East end of the lake. We then enter the Beauharnois canal. It is a wide dredged channel 12 miles long ending with 2 Canadian locks that will drop us 42 feet each. Problem is there are two lift bridges along the canal that we have to have opened. At the first we try several channels on the VHF to no avail and then our electric horn, but no response. Finally after much circling around bells and whistles start going off and they open the bridge, all the way to the top. A little excessive for our little yacht, but enuf to get us thru.

     Next bridge we get an answer on the radio, but not really sure what they said, but we did catch 15 minutes. Then we see the ship approaching from the East so now we know why they waited. We snuck thru before the ship and got a couple photos of her going thru the span. Tight fit!

     Now this whole day we are being inundated with pesky little flying insects, that thankfully don't seem to want to bite, they just land on every surface and buzz about aimlessly. Thousands! Even turning and motoring into the wind we can't shake them. Slathered up with Kathy's homemade blend of Citronella, we prevail. I just hope these are a temporary nuisance for this area because no one deserves a summer of this. None-the-less, there are open boats out fishing all day long on this part of the river.

     Then on another mile to the Beauharnois locks. Just as we were arriving the lock opened and spewed out four West bound motor cruisers. We could have sailed right in, but have to tie at the floats and check in, and pay, at the pleasure boat kiosk. Instead of a man driving to tell us our status, a woman's voice comes over a loudspeaker, “2 minutes”. Cast off the lines, the doors are opening, green light.

     When we get in the lock two gentlemen hand us 50 foot poly lines, their end attached to the top of the lock wall. Our job; pay out the lines as we descend. Here we go down, very gentle but only 2 or three minutes to the bottom. Doors open and off we go to the next lock, about half mile down the “pool”. They were all ready for us at that lock, and two gentlemen, who look strangely familiar hand us lines again. They must hire twins at these locks. Down we go and shortly are spit out into Lake Saint-Louis.

     Just around the corner from the lock is the small town of Beauharnois, where we drop anchor. After launching our trusty skiff, we head ashore to check out the town.

     We spent a little time at Tim Hortons donut shop using their WIFI, then hit the grocery, where Kathy scores some corn on the cob and shish-ka-bob, all ready to grill. Back at the boat we had a restful supper, with the addition of cheese stuffed mini Italian eggplant.

     Later a couple curious boater friends , 4 young gentlemen in a sailboat, and a couple rowing a zodiac, come alongside to ask about our traveling floating wagon. Luckily they knew some English because our French is pretty shaky at this point.