An early change of plans occurred due to a morning free of the forecasted rain and wind. We pulled into Lock 9 of the Chambly Canal and prepared for our passage north. This lock is much different than the ones on the Champlain Canal as it is a one boat chamber. Crossroads, being a rather large girl and protected all around with fenders, occupied almost every bit of the space allowed. We were lowered about two feet and were on our way. For the first part of our short trip, we marveled at the gorgeous stone houses along the shoreline.
For most of this section of canal, the channel was about 25 feet wide and 8 feet deep. That's just enough room for us, but definitely not room enough for boats to pass. The lock- and bridge-masters regulate traffic to prevent bottlenecks. At one point we had to idle for 20 minutes in a wider portion of the canal to allow a south-bound boat time to clear us. We passed through a total of three bridges today, two of which had to open. We pulled off and tied up to a floating dock just past our final bridge of the day (Bridge 7). We really are in the middle of nowhere and it is very peaceful. A very nice local couple came by to say hello and it was refreshing to visit with them. There is a large population of red-winged blackbirds here and they flew in and out all afternoon. I also spotted a young beaver swimming between our floating dock and the shore.
Taking advantage of the floating dock, no waves, overcast sky, and moderate temperatures, I broke out the waxing supplies and showed Crossroads a little TLC. I waxed about 3/4 of the port side -- the final spot, from the forward port to the bow, cannot be reached from a floating dock and will have to remain unwaxed. Unfortunately there will always be a start/finish line with the chalkiness of the unwaxed section contrasting with the shiny gray waxed portion. A shout out to the Parks Canada staff and facilities. In our two days, everyone we've met has been friendly and helpful. The docks are spotless, secure and their personalized cleats are nice touch.
Tomorrow we will pass through two more bridges and five locks. Three of the locks are back-to-back-to-back, called a flight. We will tie up, possibly on the starboard side in order to wax the other side, and leave one last flight of locks for Saturday morning. Sunday, July 1, is Canada Day (like our Independence Day on July 4) and we're trying to stage ourselves to be comfortably out of the mayhem but close enough to enjoy the fireworks.
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