ON OUR WAY

ON OUR WAY

Weather report – severe wind warning. What should we do?

Options:
1. Leave the Lachine Marina and anchor out somewhere on the Seaway.
2. Head out to clear the two locks then find a secure anchorage past Montreal.
3. Enjoy our morning coffee, review our anchoring options on the charts and discuss.
4. Have another morning coffee and discuss further.

See where this is going? By 10:30 listening to the winds buffeting R.E.D., straining the dock lines like a tethered bronco. Winds gusting 50 knots. Rain pelting. 11 ° C. Why don’t I cook us up a hearty breakfast, make another coffee and we stay one more day?…which is what we did.

The weather forecast for today wasn’t much better but we headed out anyway with a belly full of ‘hearty breakfast leftovers’ and freshly brewed coffee to go. It turned out to be a good idea.  There were only two BFB’s to dodge (what we call Big Fleuvial Boats – I cleaned the term up a bit for you)

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The winds were much less feisty than day two. Locking through Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Lambert was a breeze…east-bound 30 foot and 16 foot drop, respectively.

But oh was it was cold!

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Monkey Socks, not just for safely storing scotch bottles.

We found a great little anchorage at Iles de Vercheres at the end of the day,  threw together a supper feast…

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and settled in for the night with a rainbow to the east…

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and a sunset to the west…

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Winds are still howling but the anchor is holding fast while R.E.D. does her dance,

DAY TWO: Leaving Montreal

DAY TWO: Leaving Montreal

Another beautiful day.

Clear skies and fabulous south-east winds

as we said goodbye to Montreal.

 

 
 
There was very little traffic on the water.
 
Just one BFB….
 
 
 
…look at the force as it pushes through the water.
 
 
 
…and the force of its wake.
 
 
 
Next time we must remember to close the forward hatch.
 
 
And finally after another glorious 35.8 nm
we anchored for the night…
at Île aux Cochons
(Island of the Pigs)
SQUEEE!
 
Where the bull frogs and marsh birds lulled us to sleep,
 
 
 
 
…but not before we comsumed a healthy dose of vitamin C.
We aren’t concerned about getting enough vitamin D,
but a sailor always has to be concerned about scurvy
so we added a large wedge of lime to our evening rum…
Arrgh!

 

 

LITTLE LOOP – Day 30

LITTLE LOOP – Day 30

Leaving the ‘Welcoming Club’ was a little sad…
last day of our first ‘Loop’ adventure.
We had a relatively early start
…a short wait at the last lock at Sainte-Anne de Bellevue…
…37.75 feet clearance…
and we need 37 feet…
…not a lot of wiggle room…
…we made it without incident…
Today is Bastille Day
the French National Day…
…and we came storming into our harbour as though we were storming the Bastille…
5.2 knots at our maximum,
genoa only, close hauled.
…a fitting way to close the Little Loop…
407 nautical miles…
54 locks…
30 spectacular days…
Happy Fête Nationale
to all our French readers