June 6, St-Anne-de-Bellevue

The weather is warmer today with no wind but the skies are overcast and rain is threatening. Fog is a possibility. It is pretty grey out there.

Highway bridges. First was easy, as it opened as we approached.

Waited forty minutes for the second bridge.

We left Valleyfield on the island of Salaberry which is in the middle of the St Lawrence Seaway and motored up the Beauharnois Canal, through two highway bridges that had to open for us. The first was easy and the second we could not get the bridge tender on the radio or the phone. Bridge finally opened after about forty minutes. We later learned we should have used vhf channel 14.

Canadian freighter clears the Upper Beauharnois Lock going upstream so we can enter and go downstream

We are tied to the waiting dock as the freighter goes by.

Big freighter

Then on to the two large Canadian locks for today, the Upper Beauharnois Lock and the Lower Beauharnois Lock. We docked at the waiting dock, paid our toll at the credit card booth and called them to tell them we were requesting a lock through and were ready when they were. Then we waited about a half hour as a large Canadian freighter passed through heading upstream. Commercial traffic has priority.

Linda ready as we enter the lock.

Clearing the lock after being lowered.

After about an hour, they let us enter the lock and had two other pleasure boats raft to us for the locking through. The process was easy as the lock staff dropped lines to us and we tied to the wall. Then the first other boat came along side and we tied him off to our boat with fenders in between. Then the third boat tied to the second boat. The lines to the wall were connected to our boat only and we were lowered about 50 feet with the other two boats riding right along with us. No problems. Second lock was right after the first lock and we did the same. Again no problems.

Weather is grey all day. Here we are seeing some very large homes on the water as we enter Lac Sainte-Louis.

Approaching our tie up spot on the wall at St-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Downtown St-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Linda talks to Katie. Great to stay in touch with everyone.

Rain on the boardwalk along the wall.

Then we entered Lake Saint-Louis and proceeded to Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, where we tied to the lock wall (no power) and visited the town. This a nice small town with a few shops and about 20 restaurants, all right along the water. We are still in Quebec but people here are speaking both French and English easily. We are feeling quite relaxed after our day on the water. Nice dinner at one of the restaurants overlooking the Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue Lock wall and waterway. Lots of small boats bringing people to dinner at the waterfront restaurants. Beautiful warm evening but still overcast. Stays light here until 9pm.