Crysler Farm Marina, Morrisburg, Ont to Valleyfield Marina, Quebec

July 21, 2011

We left the dock this morning at 0715 hrs.  Today we locked thru the  Eisenhower and Snell locks.  We were lucky that there were no delays so we didn't have to tie up to the Pleasure Boat Docks and wait for Upbound or Downbound traffic.  If you're coming from Sea into the St Lawrence River, you're UPBOUND; going to Sea DOWNBOUND.  Wait times can vary from thirty minutes to four hours or more.  When planning out the days run and where to stay at night this has to be taken into consideration.

So far we haven't anchored at night.  I'm still putting into marinas so that we can have a restful night's sleep.  The navigation on the St Lawrence continues to be line-of- sight but requires diligent course changes within the channel limits.  The channel is weaving and bobbing in a snakelike fashion but it isn't difficult.  At the end of the day we're both tired from navigating, wind and sun.  The average cost for Canadian Marinas is about $1.50 to $1.70 per foot of boat length.  We  measure 40 ft so it comes out to be $60 to $68 CAD a whopping 12% tax.  Just about the price of a motel room in the States.  This gives us water, electricity, showers and WiFi.  We have built it into the budget and I highly recommed it for those travelling these waters.

Valleyfield Marina is a full service one and Sallaberry de Valleyfield was the center for the first Beauharnois Canal.  This was built during the last century as a bypass to the Rapids that flow through here.  It has now been superceeded by a modern Beauharnois Canal which is just 2 nm from here.  This will be our next lock which drops us down 42' in the Upper Lock and 42' in the Lower Lock.  This gives some idea of just how swift the Lachine Rapids are running!

Last night we went to a very modern laser light show given by the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield Chamber of commerce.  It is done in a section of the old Beauharnois Canal.  Water fountains provide a mist upon which is projected laser images of the construction of the first Canal.  Mixed in with this is the wonderful French imagination of human images swimming and flickering in strange contorsions.  I'm not sure what was happening there but it gives pause to the imagination.

For the most part,the St Lawrence River has been rolling hills landscape  Today we noticed mountain ranges to the South.  The scenery is gorgeous and makes for a great day while navigating along the River at 7-9 kts.