Planned Departure: Saturday, July 9, 2005
Actual Departure: Sunday-Monday, July 11, 2005
At first the trip seemed as if it were not to be. Our sister ship, Golden Daze, had developed problems with her starboard engine and in the week prior to our planned departure date she had a new engine installed and, when problems continued, many more days of repair work. As of Saturday night her mechanics were stumped but on Sunday, July 10, a bowling buddy of Don’s named Mike White, who turned out to be a ‘transmission man’ at the Lake George Marina, pronounced Golden Daze “Good to Go”. Adele phoned us with this proclamation at 11:30 a.m. and only minutes later Craig and I decided to launch our boat, Cloud Nine, immediately so that we could take advantage of the beautiful, 85° day. We launched at the busy and crowded Converse Bay ramp around 4 p.m.
Then we felt as though a miracle had come and transformed both the weather (on Saturday the after effects of Tropical Storm Cindy had dumped around 2” of cold, miserable rain on us) and on our circumstances. Tooled around Lake Champlain for awhile and anchored for the night in Kingsland Bay under perfect conditions. Dined on cold pizza and corn-on-the-cob. Around 9 p.m. Don and Adele phoned. They sound tired out. Their hauler plans to arrive at their marina on Lake George between 2:30 – 3:00 on Monday to pick up and trailer Golden Daze over to Whitehall, NY and launch her in the Champlain Canal. Then they’ll head up Lake Champlain, testing out that new engine, and we’ll meet some place to anchor for the night.
Had a great night’s sleep without the clouds of mosquitoes we experienced at this same spot last weekend.
Monday, July 11
Beautiful morning. Looks like the day will be hot but doesn’t feel humid. Craig went off in the kayak to explore. We spent the morning at anchor in Kingsland Bay reading up on the Chambley Canal and Richelieu River, swimming, kayaking and exploring with Ballew. Blocked out a tentative plan for the trip:
Monday night – Kingsland Bay, Vermont
Tuesday night – St. Paul, Quebec (in Canada, just north of Rouse’s Point, New York)
Wednesday night – Sorel, Quebec (junction of the Richelieu River & the St. Lawrence Seaway)
Thursday night – Three Rivers, Quebec (on the St. Lawrence, north shore)
Friday night – Quebec City
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| Kingsland Bay |
Cruised around in the afternoon and tried anchoring in the bay by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. VERY soft clay bottom! Fortress anchor didn’t hold and fetched up about ten pounds of clay and a dead tree branch when I tried to pull it up. Just as heavy as the CQR! Gave up on anchoring there and crossed to the New York shore and anchored for awhile in Partridge Bay. Much nicer there, but pretty tight. Around 4 p.m. we headed back to Kingsland Bay to wait for Don and Adele to arrive with Golden Daze.
Tried phoning them but couldn’t reach their cell phone. Around 7 p.m. the VHF radio crackled to life with Don’s voice hailing us. He couldn’t hear us well and said he’d call again in half an hour.
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| Golden Daze arrives |
Golden Daze rounded the bend into Kingsland Bay around 8:30 p.m. with two hot, tired boaters. What to do first? Drink, talk, swim….. did all and retired for night. Plan on a relaxed get-up hour for tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 12
Awoke to a calm, sunny morning that promised to get hot early. Hauled anchor around 9:15 and headed north to Burlington for lunch. Hazy but dead calm. Opened Cloud Nine right up and flew! Arrived Burlington at 10:30. Had lunch at the Shanty Restaurant and then boated up to North Beach and swam – Don and Ballew too! At 1:45 headed north….but we lost Golden Daze just north of Valcour Island. Couldn’t imagine what was keeping her but, of course, worried about that starboard engine. Finally we turned around and went in search. Hadn’t gotten far when Don radioed us saying that they had been stopped by the Homeland Security Patrol. Boat had been searched and now they were back underway and would catch up to us. What a way to start!
Adele, Don, Craig & I have decided that this trip deserves a special name and that after overcoming so many obstacles it shall be called “The Stroke of Luck Cruise”.
We proceeded to the Lighthouse Marina at Rouse’s Point, NY for gas and had fun talking ice hockey with the dock boy who plays for Connecticut College. Then on to Canadian Customs. Previously we’ve been able to phone Customs from an approved marina and get approved without even leaving the boat. This time we had to first find the little customs house, all by itself on the western shore and looking a whole lot like your average vacation cottage, and then dock and go in for an interview. Then we were issued a form with our temporary number which we are supposed to RETURN on our trip back! Much prefer the old phone system.
Found a night anchorage just south of St. Paul by Ile Ash. Put out two bow anchors and our large Fortress to stern.
Wednesday, July 13
Awoke at 5 a.m. feeling the boats rocking. Wind had come up from the south. At 6:30 it was “Up and at ‘em” as we realized that the stern anchor had started to drag and we dashed around retrieving that, repositioning the boats and then immediately getting under way. Not a leisurely morning! Proceeded north to the Ile aux Noix dock to walk Ballew, get the kayak back on top of the boat, the bumpers stowed and the other usual tasks of morning done under calmer conditions. Then continued toward the Chambley locks when shipshape.
Approached the bridges at St. Jean at 10:25, then into Lock 9. Exited Lock 9 at 10:55. The 2005 price for a 6 Day Lock Pass is $118 ($4.75/ft. Canadian funds) – the best deal.
Exited Lock 8 at 12:30 and continued through the subsequent locks, exiting Lock 1 at 1:45. We went right past Chambley, recalling our 2003 arrival there in the driving rain, and reached the St. Ours lock at 4:00. Had to wait for south-bound lockage. Really hot and humid. 86˚ in the cabin, Ballew being a doll about it. Love the St. Ours lock! Why don’t all of them have floating docks? I could even take Ballew up the stairway to the park for a walk while we locked through – and then we stood and chatted with Don and Adele until the lockkeeper pointed out that the water was down, the lock doors already open and it was time for us to leave! 
Threaded our way through the shoaly waters to Marina Sorel at 5:30 p.m. Lovely marina! Cost $1.35/ft. Great showers. We had an inexpensive dinner in their restaurant that has a great view of the St. Lawrence. A long, hot day that ended nicely.
Thursday, July 14
Slept till 7:45! Gassed up and left docks around 10:45 bound for Three Rivers (Trois-Rivières) with Golden Daze in the lead. Finding the markers to guide you in and out of the Sorel Marina is hard. The area has lots of shoals and you really have to find the bouys. We are using the chart print-outs given to us by Craig’s cousins, Bob and Joan Handschumaker. Don had the stoke of luck to find his tube of St. Lawrence charts that were accidentally left behind during our 2003 Loop Cruise, and so he is navigating with those.We flew across Lake St. Pierre on almost flat water, but with dark clouds threatening up to the north. Bob’s charts work great and coordinate well with the GPS longitude and latitude. Our chip ended at 72˚57’00”W & 46˚9’00” N, way east of Sorel. Slowed down so Golden Daze could snap up her canvas for the rain. Dark clouds right over us now. Raining hard, but no thunder or lightning. After we passed under the bridge near Three Rivers, Craig and I got so interested in looking at a unique Canadian Government boat off our starboard that we passed Don and completely missed the entrance to the Marina. After awhile he radioed us and quietly suggested that perhaps we needed to turn around….. Sure enough. Marina was painted clear as can be on the portside wall. Arrived Marina Trois-Rivières at 1:30 p.m. Set up our air conditioner and noticed that just to the north of the marina was an industrial complex with a high chimney that sure looked like a paper plant. It didn’t smell like a paper plant so we had to consult our expert on paper mills: Don. Sure enough, Three Rivers was one of his stops when he was on the road working for the paper industry. And we were just experiencing another stroke of luck by being up-wind of the smokestack. After check-in we decided to hire a taxi and go into town to get Canadian funds and some groceries at the Super C on St. Maurice Street. |
| Claude and Pierre |
Pierre and Claude had a lot of restaurant suggestions for us to try in Quebec, especially their favorite - Café de Mode. They expect to be in Quebec City at the same time as we are so we’ll probably be seeing more of them. Lots of friendly Canadians at this marina who were happy to give tips and advice on our Quebec City trip.
Friday, July 15
Bright & sunny with a little breeze. Quebec City, here we come! Departed at 10 a.m. with Golden Daze in the lead. Perfect day with clear, blue sky. Raced a huge tanker to get ahead of it and then just followed the chart page by page, and passed the town cathedrals one by one. Could barely make out the famous rapids – just a faint ripple that sped us on our way. The news is in English at 93.9 FM (CBC). Claude and Pierre zipped by us in Minoux not long after we set out.
Water was flat calm with a following wind until we reached St. Auguetia de Deamau and then got bouncier, especially from 71˚29’00” to 71º27’00”. Continued to have some bounce all the way to Quebec but in general had an uneventful passage. As we approached the City, signs of industry increased along the northern shoreline and then ahead were the tall grain towers that mark the entrance to the lock at the Port of Quebec City. Arrived at the gas dock at 2:50 p.m. and had to wait awhile for the lock to open. While waiting we radioed the Marina for a dock assignment and were assigned to side by side berths at D14 & 15 west. $1.55/ft.
Then we got ready to stay awhile! I strapped on the bow canvas awning, Craig got the water and power hooked up….out came the Mike’s hard lemonade and the beer! The crew is ready for shore leave!!! All hands agreed that dinner out was in order and we all opted for Pierre and Claude’s recommendation of Le Café Du Monde. It was described as being on the water, just a short walk from the Marina. Well……we walked and walked and walked – enjoying the pedestrian scene along the shore, but also looking intently for this restaurant. 
And we couldn’t find it! The one restaurant that seemed to be in the right place didn’t have any sign showing the name, so we skipped it. Instead we turned up into the old city and dined at another great place, Bistro Sous le Fort. It had a great, lively atmosphere with really good Québécois fare.
After dining we drifted around in the lower Old City having a wonderful time. What a night spot! Before long we found ourselves at the entrance to the Funicular and so decided to take it up to explore the streets within the old city walls.
The upper city was even more packed with strollers than the lower! Street performers were everywhere and spectators ringed around them. We walked till our legs begged for mercy and then headed back down to the boats, vowing to return the next night.
Saturday, July 16
I was eager to visit the farmer’s market so got my shopping bag and set out early before it got hot. Found it located in a series of long buildings just across from the marina. Wonderful market! Fresh berries, bread, cheeses, sausages, flowers. I was in heaven. Purchased strawberries, bread and some wonderful local cheese named Ciopelle, then returned to the boats to feast!
Adele and I set ourselves up in Cloud Nine’s cockpit and tasted my treats while we made some bead bracelets. Love this relaxed boat life! Craig and Ballew went off in the kayak to explore the marina. We’ve spotted the Minoux at the dock just south of us. In the early afternoon we all went into town to do some more sight-seeing.
Map of Quebec City Old Port
Hard to say which is more fun ..
….kicking back on board our boats or partying in the City.
The marina has a 5’ deep swimming pool that Adele really liked, a double bench swing and all sorts of spots to explore with the kayak. 
The City….well, photos tell the story better than words!
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| Having fun in the city |
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| Night time is the Right Time in QC! |
On our way back from sight-seeing in town we were astonished to see a sign that read “Le Café Du Monde “ on a building quite close to the drawbridge that is over the lock to the marina. Couldn’t believe our eyes! And it is the same building that we looked the 1st evening from the waterfront. Apparently it only has a sign on the town side! Decided to save it for Sunday night and dined on board. Later we took turns paddling around in the kayak, swimming and just kicking back.
Sunday, July 17
Beautiful morning. Returned to the Farmer’s Market with Craig, Adele and Don. Bought even more stuff. Day grew hot and Adele and I spent time at the marina pool – along with a lot of other folks.
Our departure time on Monday has been a hot topic of conversation. Everything we read indicates that the prudent thing to do is follow the chart that tells you what time to leave Quebec City heading for Three Waters – based on engine speed and tide tables. This enables you to minimize the impact of the Richelieu Rapids that are west of Quebec City and avoid the out-going tide. The proper time for our departure is 3:00 a.m. And, good boaters that we are, none of us objected to the idea of rising and shining at that early hour. There was a problem, however, that is overlooked by the chart. The Port of Quebec (where EVERYBODY docks) is guarded by a lock. This lock does not run at night. This lock, in fact, was going to be closed at 3:00 a.m. and was not scheduled to start operation until 7:00 a.m.! So. Time for a conference with Pierre and Claude! Pierre told us that we had engines powerful enough that we didn’t need to worry about rapids and tides. We could set off whenever we wished –depending on wind and weather, of course. So we decided to plan on leaving around 8:00 a.m.
Then we let our thoughts turn to the delightful prospect of finally dining at Le Café Du Monde. It turned out to be everything promised – beautiful surroundings, wonderful food, great service.
Craig hadn’t had enough of Quebec City’s nightlife so after dinner we left Don and Adele, who chose to return to the boats, and instead took a taxi up into the walled city.
Monday, July 18
It rained during the night but didn’t cool off much. Got up around 6:00 a.m. and dried out the dingy/cockpit etc. Decided to continue with the plan of departing around 8-8:30 for Three Rivers. Visability may be poor, but our GPSs display a dotted line showing the path we took coming here and we can follow that back.
Everything proceeded smoothly at first. Not long after we got underway Minoux streaked by us and we got a big wave from Claude and Pierre.
Around 10:30 though we got a radio call from Don saying that his port side engine had started to overheat. We could see the smoke drifting up from it. Found a small marina just north of buoy Q14 at Neuville (to starboard) and pulled in for Don to have a ‘look-see’. While he worked on his engine we took a look around the harbor – which has very high rock walls. We were shocked when one of the boaters pointed way up on the rock wall and showed us the water line of high tide. 14’ tides here! We had arrived at pretty low tide.
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| Neuville Harbor |
Don added some oil and fixed the crimp in a cooling hose while we topped off our gas (recalling the Phelps’s story of the boater in their group running dry when returning from Quebec City) and then we got back under way. It turned out to be an eventful trip. The Richelieu Rapids between Portneuf and Grondines lived up to their reputation and Craig marveled that Champlain and the other early explorers could pass through them without having gas engines. Here is what our Cruising Guide says about this area: " Between Pontneuf and Grondines the channel is very narrow and lined with rocky islets. You will also encounter commercial ships. Any deviation from the channel takes you into the rocks."
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| The kind of ship you do NOT want to see! |
Golden Daze continued to have problems with the port side engine over-heating, so they were forced to cut their speed. THEN a storm closed in on us just as we got to the section with the narrow channel and we could barely see! Inched along from buoy to buoy (searching intently for each one with the new stabilizer binoculars) and prayed that we wouldn’t see the prow of one the of those huge ocean-going commercial vessels loom up over us. At 2:25 p.m. it rained like mad and there were a few thunder/lightening events, but nothing very close. Got us to thinking about radar! Dropped our speed to almost nothing.
Weather finally began to clear and we limped along to Three Rivers arriving around 5:00 p.m. A LONG DAY but the two crews feeling pretty upbeat. Don thinks he has a leak in a water hose. Those rapids were enough to really put a strain on the mechanical systems. We had our two 50 hp Yamahas wide open and could only go about 9 mph. Wide open we often cruise at 19-20 mph fully loaded.
Even though it was pretty warm it felt great to be back in Three Rivers. Adele and Don feasted on Penne Pasta, showered and turned in early. Ballew practiced his off-leash dock maneuvers, as inspired by his time with Consuelo down in the Chesapeake. He’s gotten so he much prefers to leap on and off the boat on his own and not always be lifted. His eyes just shine when he’s been allowed to jump onto the dock and walk along, pausing for “Sit, Stay” commands, followed by, “Ballew, Come!”. He’s such a great boat dog! Tonight we found a new way of kayaking together too. Instead of having him ride in the bow of the kayak, I lifted him behind me to the dished out space in the stern. He really liked that! Showered, did some wash, slept well.
Tuesday, July 19th
Underway at 8:45 a.m. after a long wait at the gas dock. We left Three Rivers bound for Beloeil (pronounced ‘Ballet’) on the Richelieu River. Today we have to cross the shallow, open section of the St. Lawrence called Lac Saint-Pierre. Wind from the west can kick up nasty waves and we were concerned that NOAA was calling for westerly wind. Because of this Craig thought we should travel as fast as we could, even if this meant getting further ahead of Golden Daze than we’d really like to. We spotted a big cruiser going our way and tried to get in the shelter of its wake and pushed down the throttles! The day was overcast with a mist obscuring the shoreline, but Lac Saint-Pierre proved uneventful, so we were soon able to slow down and join up with Don and Adele again as we approached Sorel. Much easier going without the big current going against us like yesterday. Golden Daze was back to functioning well too.
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| Boat seen in Sorel |
Reached the mouth of the Richelieu River at Sorel at 11:40 a.m.. Lots of boat traffic. Set aside the terrific MapTech charts that Bob and Joan gave us for the St. Lawrence and returned to GPS chip navigation. Sure did appreciate those charts!
Up the Richelieu we steamed, had a brief but intense thunder storm near Port de Plaisance de St. Charles (fortunately this was a wide spot in the river and not a bad place to sit out zero visability), then the weather turned clear and bright with lower temp and humidity. On to Beloeil! Beloeil is my choice for tonight’s destination because its cafes and waterfront looked so inviting to me as we passed it on the way north.
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| Beloeil |
As we approached the Beloeil Marina, however, it became evident to the two captains that there was no protection from wind & wakes at all. We did attempt to dock (just to keep the 1st Mates happy) but even this was so difficult, given the wind and steady chop from passing boats, that we gave up and pushed off even before Golden Daze tried to come in. Next we’ll try for the marina at St. Mathias on the east shore – but firstt we have to negotiate the passage in Beloeil that curves beneath the railroad bridge. Here the current is strong, flowing north, and northbound boats have the right of way. Unfortunately when you are going south you have to keep your power up to counteract the current and the boats headed toward you are obscured by the bridge embankment. It’s a perfect scenario for a head-on collision. Once again, however, luck was with us – it’s the ‘Stock of Luck Cruise’ so how else could it be? – and both boats had safe passage under the bridge. St. Mathias, however, was a repeat of the Beloeil situation and the lesson we learned from the Hudson River Cruise 2004 was to seek sheltered dockage at night. Instead we headed on to our old haunt, the marina at the Chambley basin.
Docked at 4:15 p.m. and found it pretty windy there too. Adele and I walked into town to the fabulous gourmet grocery store located in a small shopping mall. What a treat this place is!
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| Touch of Class |
And after we returned to the boats we met Ray and Betty, the owners of the boat docked ahead of us named Touch of Class. Ray and Betty live on Lake Winnipesaukee, in New Hampshire but since buying Touch of Class, a 40’ Pacemaker yacht built in 1972, have been all over the place cruising. They spent last winter restoring the boat and launched her this spring, almost all redone. Betty did the decorating (that is also her trade) and Ray did hands-on rebuilding. They are headed north to both Montreal and Quebec City and told us of the plans for Quebec City’s 400th Birthday in 2008. They plan to have their boat there for that entire summer. Sounds good to us too! They encouraged us all to meet up with them sometime.
Spent the rest of the evening dining onboard, showering and doing laundry.
Wednesday, July 20th
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| Mink on lock wall |
6:30 a.m. Up and Ready! This year we are NOT going to be separated from Don and Adele in the Chambley Locks!!! By 9:00 a.m. we had both boats tied up at the blue line and waiting for lockage. Hot and sunny again. There is a French Canadian couple ahead of us with a Maltese named Chopin. When the wife saw us admiring him she scooped him up so we could see him better. The husband says his wife is the true boater and he just does his best. While we sat there waiting a mink came running along the dock! I could hardly believe my eyes.
Then we got underway.
Craig & I changed our usual locking procedure, putting me up front handling the bow lines and Craig the stern. Worked so much better for me! I had a really hard passage back in 2003 coming south on these locks. Avoid being the front boat in the lock. The current will push you into the steel doors. But this time was easy and I had a great place from which to watch the antics of the wife ahead of us. She’s quite a character! The sun was really beating down on us and it’s hot. One of the lock keepers pointed out an out-side shower to her and she hopped off her boat and showered down!
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| Back to beautiful Lake Champlain |
We were through the last lock at 3:00 p.m. (5 hour passage) and then headed south to return our immigration pass to Canadian Customs…..what a pain this is!....and then on to U.S. customs at the Light House Marina at Rouses Point, New York. Back to beautiful Lake Champlain again with beautiful calm water and clear blue sky. All we have to do is pick out an anchorage and then it’s R&R for us till Thursday afternoon when we are invited to the home of Adele’s friends, Karen and Dave who have a home in the gut of Grand Isle.
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| Anchored in Middle Bay, Lake Champlain |
Craig and I suggested heading for Middle Bay on the New York shore. To get there we had to find Long Point and then continue south to the red N2 Buoy that marks the end of the shoal, make a U turn around the buoy to the west & north and boat back up into Middle Bay. The bay has great protection from the N/W/E. Needless to say, tonight the wind is out of the South! But we are ready to stop, no matter what.
6:30 p.m.: Threw out bow anchors from both boats and prepared to kick back! Evening’s agenda is Swim, Drink, Relax. Enjoying this so much that we didn’t get around to eating dinner till 9:00 p.m. Even got the inflatable dingy down so Ballew can have good shore service.
Thursday, July 21st
French toast for breakfast all around, courtesy of Cloud Nine. Nothing what-ever to do today except relaxing and playing. Craig is giving dingy rides over to explore the Treadwell Bay and Armond Beach. So many French boats (‘D’ registrations) there that it almost feels like we’re still in Canada. Adele found herself a nice flat rock to take home as an souvenir. Adele declared it a “Perfect day with nothing to do, Yipee!!” Around 4:30 we started trying to get the anchor lines sorted out – since the wind had changed, the boats had done a 180° swing and the lines are crossed. Underway by 5 p.m. to ‘The Gut’ of Grand Isle to try and locate Karen and Dave’s house. Inched our way through the narrow entrance and trained our binoculars on the shore, searching for evidence of the right place. Finally figured out which dock to head toward when Dave appeared, waving us in. Fun to be landing at someone’s house! Visited, swam and planned our activities for tomorrow.  |
| No. Hero Country Store |
Friday, July 22nd
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| Dave waves us in |
At 5:30 p.m. we headed up to the house to help prepare our fancy dinner of Lasagna, grilled chicken, corn on the cob, blueberry tart…and much, much more. Karen and Dave’s beautiful historic brick home has a wonderful country kitchen with room for all of us to work.
Then we moved on to their elegant dining room to eat and then sang around the player piano.
A really great time!
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And then it was time for us to take our last cruise together of this trip….down to the Essex Marina on the New York shore. Just a beautiful cruise down Lake Champlain, the Green Mountains on our east and the Adirondacks loaming on our west. Blue skies, clear water. Pretty brisk southerly wind.
Sunday, July 23
Time to say goodbye! We got underway early for a short passage across the lake to our waiting truck and trailer. Another beautiful day. Seems a shame to be hauling out! As Adele would say……Goodbye and Goodnight!
Reference
Cruising Guide St. Lawrence River & Quebec: Waterways from Cornwall to the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, Canadian publication & our primary reference on the St. Lawrence
Cruising Guide to the Hudson River, Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River by Lake Champlain Publishing
Lake Champlain Atlas of Navigational Charts by R.W. Vogel
Cruising Guide to New York Waterways and Lake Champlain by Chris W. Brown III
2002 MapTech Charts for the St. Lawrence
Garmin GPS Chip
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