JULY 18, 2007...LOCKS/CHAMBLY

9 LOCKS AND 10 MILES OF A NARROW CHANNEL.

We left St. Jean at 9:15 , but had to wait till 10:30 to get locked through the first lock. We understood why, since they have to coordinate the north and south boats in the locks and canal. We were now in the Chambly ditch. It has a maximum width of 30 feet...we are 16 feet wide...and a depth of 5 feet...we are 4 deep. This goes for 10 miles at a speed of 5 miles an hour, and that is a little fast. It is like taking our boat down the Blanchard River in Findlay. I think the Blanchard is wider. You could not turn the boat around if you had to, or pass a boat unless you were next to the locks.

All the locks are late 1800 vintage and are hand operate. A few are a flight of locks, so you go from one to the next. The lock hands are very helpful and hand you lines. One major problem on the locks where you down, is the water and the lock walls are about the same height so your fenders ride up. Easy to get boat damage; however we had none. We locked through with a 20 foot runabout, and that was about all the room left when were in the lock.

We went 10 miles and it took us 4.5 hours. Locks 1,2,3 in Chambly are step locks and you wouldn't believe the crowd there to watch you lock. Reminds me of being on the first tee at Bayhill proam...you just want to get off the tee and down the fairway...out of the locks.

Chambly has to be the best marina and town on the Richelieu. They wired a plug for 50 amps, so the power was good and the marina was well kept and landscapped. The town was a 5 minute walk and a hopping little place, with new stores opening. We found a great Italian Resto, Tri Colouri and had a great waitress, Violet, who practiced her English with us. The food was good and as usual we had enough for the next days lunch.

After dinner we stopped at the concert in the park, along with about 1000 or so other people. It was a mixture of French and English songs.

It was a beautiful evening; and we relaxed knowing the next time we do major locks we will have extra hands on board. We did turn in early since the wine from dinner and the exhaustion of the day was setting in.