We pulled out of the marina at 8:00 and made our way to the Pleasure Craft waiting dock just outside of the Beauharnois Lock. Along the way, we were joined by two other sailboats and then turned the corner to see one additional sailboat already waiting. Barry went over to the courtesy phone and made the check-in call to the lockmaster. He was told there would be three lock cycles before us and our entry time would be around noon. The first boat exited at 9:30. We then watched as the second boat entered the chamber, going the other way, around 10:00. I grabbed my book and went to the flybridge to pass the time.
The third boat, carrying an eclectic mix of containers, tugs, wood and vehicles, exited and we were cleared for entry. We were instructed to pull up to the front of the line and raft up to a boat similar in length to us, but much lighter. A daunting concrete sill loomed just off our bow. A total of seven boats loaded into the chamber, the doors closed and water poured in to raise us up 41 feet (making the sill a non-factor). A short distance later, we entered the second Beauharnois Lock. This time we were the boat against the wall ... which actually made more sense, but was more work for us. Another lift of 41 feet brought us out. Our little group then made way to a low bridge, where we (again) had to wait for it to open.
Everyone cleared that bridge and raced ahead to the second, only to find a large cargo ship coming our way. We waited for it to pass, enjoying the cooler temperatures, blue sky and white clouds. I'm sure tiredness was setting in as I thought the colors of the ship in the late afternoon sun were very striking.
We identified an anchorage with a mud bottom and made a beeline for it. We dropped the anchor, set the bridle, turned on the anchor monitor, and then both took a nap. Although the engine only ran 4.5 hours today, it had been a long 8 hour day with all the waiting. As I was preparing chicken pie for dinner, I looked out the window and saw this guy pass by. Blue Moon is impressive in her own right, but even more so is all of the wind turbines on the hillside.
Tomorrow will be another long day as we are trying to push through the commercial locks of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. This will enable us to get back on schedule and arrive in Gananoque on Tuesday. There we plan to take a few days off and enjoy the area with a couple of sidetrips.
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