Sainte Ann de Bellevue, QC to St Andrews East, QC

Miles Traveled 26.0

Total Miles Traveled 4951

Day 289

In addition to “Moni Jean”, there were 3 loopers on the lock wall this morning, “Livin the Dream”, “Miss My Money” and “Chinock”, and our friends “Gypsea”.   We have had a great time at Sainte Ann de Bellevue and this morning we went to the farmers market.

We also walked to Main Street and visited a retail store over 100 years old.  This is an old time clock; I used to have to “punch” a timecard back in the day, but didn’t know where the name came from.  This 1917 IBM machine has a dial on the front.  You select your employee number and punch the lever into the hole by the number.  A clock records the time, and a drum rotates inside the machine to your employee number and records the time by your name. 

Now the fun begins, this is a holiday weekend and we are going to go through the lock.  When the lock chamber doors opened, a line of boats came out and boats wanting to lock through started moving toward the lock.  We had a good plan…we thought…I untied “Miss My Money” and “Gypsea” and was going to follow them in when we had the opportunity.   Somehow I get ahead of both of them in a mass of boats funneling into the lock.  As it turned out, we were one of the last boats in the lock and “Miss My Money” and “Gypsea” were left behind.

The lakes and rivers were a busy place today; the temperature was in the upper 80’s with a light wind.

After cruising about 25 miles, we arrived at our next lock, the Carillon Lock and Dam.  The Carillon Lock is the highest Lock in Canada lifting boats 65 feet.  Instead of doors on the lower level, this lock has a 200 ton gate that is lowered to seal the lock chamber.  A 185 ton counterweight is attached to the gate only requiring a 40 horsepower motor to open and close it.  It takes about 20 minutes to raise or lower the level inside the lock chamber.

“Miss My Money” caught up with us, but “Gypsea” did not make it in time to lock through with us.  We are waiting on a wall on the top side and “Gypsea” will join us with the first lock through tomorrow morning.  

“Gypsea” is the first boat in line at the dock.