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,