Lake Champlain

And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.” 

― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Our previous post described the locking process in the Champlain and Chambly canals (as well as other canal systems).  Between those two canals is glorious Lake Champlain. 

The scenery is some of the most beautiful that we have seen anywhere in the USA.  The Adirondacks are on the west side and the Green Mountains are to the east.  The shorelines are lush and hilly, with picturesque villages and cities in both Vermont and New York. 

Not only is Lake Champlain beautiful, it is filled with history. It was crucial in our country’s defense during the Revolutionary War. Benedict Arnold was instrumental in delaying the British from squelching the revolution and allowing us time to build our

navy and army.

Oh yes, and the many ferries that go across the lake.  There are very few bridges, mostly on either end, so ferries are a common sight.  Some of them are cable ferries; as boaters, we had to give them a wide berth to avoid getting hung up in their cables as they crossed. When 3 ferries are going back and forth the timing of going in between is tricky.

Lastly, Lake Champlain is dotted with islands and bays, which are inviting spots to anchor. Too bad we didn't realize that fact when we approached Burlington VT, just ahead of a storm that brought several days of howling winds and waves. 

Instead we docked right downtown and got pounded severely for three nights.  In hindsight, we should have sought the shelter of a bay for at least two of the nights, to minimize the effects of the wind.  Malletts Bay, just north of Burlington, would have been a good spot and is very popular with the locals.  

Mike's cousins gave us a grand tour of the surrounding countryside, including Smuggler's Notch and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory.  We had a great lunch at Stowe, the famous ski resort town.  The next day we went to church then had lunch at St. Albans and dinner at the cousins.  Having relatives like that is a great way to see an area.

 

When we left the Burlington Marina, we did anchor out in Malletts Bay after all.  Anchoring seems magical, with nothing around you but water and sky.  It was very peaceful and relaxing.  We also anchored at Valcour Island, where the water was so clear we could see the bottom.

Unfortunately we could see that our anchor had not dug in very far, but it was caught on a rock.  Fortunately it was so calm that the boat barely moved all night and the anchor stayed put.  We had been advised to invest in a really good anchor, one that was heavy and would roll over and re-dig itself if the wind shifted.  So we had confidence in our 35-pound Manson Supreme and we slept well. 

A third place we stayed was Burton Island State Park, which can only be reached by boat.  We hiked to the other end of the island with Millie, our dog, and once again enjoyed the peace of being out in nature and surrounded by water. Millie even enjoyed going in the water and cooling off.

Our next stop was the Chazy Yacht club near Plattsburgh NY.  We left our boat there for a month while we visited Quebec City, attended the wedding of Mike's godson in Akron, sold Mike's house in Owego NY, and attended the wedding of Kathy's daughter in Philadelphia. 

Now that we have no land home we are what loopers call “all in”.

Once we returned from those activities, we were ready to enter Canada and start boating in earnest.

Transitting Locks

“Fame you'll be famous, as famous as can be, with everyone watching you win on TV, Except when they don't because sometimes they won't..”

― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Locking through takes a bit of practice. The first lock we encountered was the Federal Lock in Troy NY. Fortunately for us, we were the only ones entering the lock.

It was our first experience locking and reading up on it didn’t help us much. The wind was a big factor. It blew our boat away from the wall. What we didn’t know was that by attaching the front line and pulling it tight we were pushing the back end of the boat even further from the wall.

The only audience we had was the lockmaster. He took pity on us and gave us a little instructional of how to do locks. It would take a few more locks before we would get the hang of locking through and we hoped we wouldn’t have to be in a lock with other boats while we learned.

Moving into the Champlain Canal things improved. The locks were smaller and easier to handle. While we did have some issues with getting both ends of the boat against the wall we were making improvements in each lock.

First we decided to hold onto the ropes instead of looping a line through. This made the job much easier. We could easily pull up along side the wall of the lock and grab lightly a line. This gave us lots of practice so that we when got to the Rideau Canal where we had to put a line through the cables on the wall of the lock.

Next up was the Chambly Canal. This canal is so quaint. It winds through the Canadian countryside. It is only wide enough for 1 boat to go through at a time in most spots. The lock hands hand you a rope for you to hold onto. These locks were so easy to get into and out of.

Our experience with the Canadian locks was quite pleasant. After your first lock the lockmaster finds out how far you expect to go. There after each lock expects you. Bridges magically open without calling. Locks magically open upon arrival. If there is any deviation from that the lockmaster informs you and instructs you where to wait and when to go.

After lock 4 on the Chambly we were told locks 1-3 wouldn’t be ready for a while and we could tie up on the wall before the bridge. This was great timing for lunch. In addition we were having trouble with an alternator on the port engine and we were able to troubleshoot it and fix it temporarily before continuing on.

Once we were in Canada we discovered that we were the entertainment for the day. Many families and tourists come to the locks to watch the boats lock through. Locks 1-3 on the Chambly were filled with spectators.  Lucky for us we were pros by this time and didn’t embarrass ourselves.

The last lock of the day was a bit different. This dock had floating docks inside that you tie up to. This was so easy compared to putting ropes through a cable.

Resting up at a marina for the night was nice. We were able to do some laundry.

With trepidation we headed out to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. How awesome it was to turn the corner and see the big river. Being that it was Sunday morning there was little traffic on the Seaway. However, there was one fully loaded ship that made 5-6 foot wakes. We were pretty shaken up hitting them. Fortunately Mike throttled down and we took them without damage. A few items made it to the floor in the cabin but nothing broke and no one went overboard, but it was scary.

We were warned not to travel on the weekends, but here we were traveling on a Sunday. As the day got later the traffic got heavier. We entered an area that recreational boaters in the Montreal area flock to. It was chaotic to say the least with water skiers right next to boats going through. I wouldn’t put my life or my child’s life in danger like that.

Just past that summer time fun we entered the Montreal locks. Here we learned that those who don’t follow the speed limit have to wait until the time comes that they should have arrived. At the first of two locks we spoke to the lockmaster about the speed limit. He wasn’t worried about the sailboat or us in the lock as we go slowly anyway. There were 3 fast boats also in the lock. The 3 boats took off quickly and we never saw them again until the next lock. We came around the corner and the lock light was red. As we kept approaching it turned green and we were pleased with our good fortune to time the lock so well. Off to the left tied up at the waiting dock were our 3 fast boats from the 1^st lock. The lock made them waits until the sailboat and we arrived.

As I said in Canada the lockmasters call the next locks and tell them who is coming. The lockmasters know when you are to arrive and if you mind the speed limit you will arrive with open locks.

Finally after a long day we arrived in Lachine for our Montreal adventure!