Day of Penance -- back to Bainsville, Ontario

Friday, July 28 -- Dorval, Quebec back to Bainsville, Ontario -- 47 miles and two locks and two lift bridges (again)

This was not a good day. We got up early in anticipation of doing the last two locks required to get to Montreal, and then the First Mate reminded the Captain that we had not checked into Canadian Customs. This was definitely a serious problem. The Captain nervously called the number for checking into customs by phone (which is standard procedure) and when he explained to the young officer that we were calling after having already spent two nights in Canada this generated multiple long intervals on hold while the young officer consulted with the officer in charge on how to handle these scofflaw Americans. The punishment meted out to us was to go back to the Creg Quay Marina in Bainsville, Ontario to report into customs. There was a certain logic to this, as it was the nearest official customs station tracing back the route we had taken, and it was better than having been ordered to go back to Cornwall, where we should have reported ourselves in the first place. But it still was not a happy prospect. When it was clear that there were no other options (we tried, but not too hard, because one doesn't want to piss off the official who is acting as prosecutor, judge and jury) we told the officer that we would, as instructed, be back at the Creg Quay Marina before day's end and would call in as soon as we arrived. 

We got underway and headed for the Lower Beauharnois Lock for the posted 10am upbound lockage. Our reservations were for the Ste. Catherine and St. Lamber locks downbound, but we hoped the lockhands would have mercy and accept those reservations for going back up through the two Beauharnois Locks. Fortunately, one of the lockhands had been on duty yesterday and he recognized us and took pity on our plight and waved us through. (But as a practical matter, what else was he going to do when there were many other boats locking through. Besides, they got their $50 from us from the other reservation.) In locking through the Beauharnois Locks we were again placed against the wall with someone rafted off us, and we had a nice chat with the skipper of the boat that rafted against us. 

Our passage through the Beauharnois Locks was on time and uneventful, but the two lift bridges afterward were a pain in the neck. The first bridge didn't open until almost two even though all of the boats from the lock were there at one, and the second bridge didn't open for almost half an hour after all of the boats had arrived -- and a full fifteen minutes after the published regular 3pm opening time. Very frustrating. 

To complete a trying day, we found ourselves heading into a stiff chop once we exited the Beauharnois Canal and headed southwest down Lac St. Francois towards the Creg Quay Marina. We passed a downbound freighter on the way (the Spruceglen of the Canadian Steamship Lines -- but this one without a nice mural) and this picture shows how the weather had changed. 

After an hour's rough ride, it started to drizzle as we approached the marina fuel dock, and of course that was when a Canadian Customs officer finally answered the phone after our being on hold for 20 minutes. Janet managed the fueling and pumpout while John dealt with this call with customs -- again with multiple long pauses while the young officer consulted with her superior on what to do with us. After about 15 minutes the young lady simply gave us our entry number and that was that, we were welcome to Canada and free to proceed. This was a great relief, as we were afraid that we might to have to wait in the morning for an in-person inspection, which would have really complicated things. 

The Creg Quay Marina was nice enough, but there was no town nearby. The marina folks recommended a restaurant that delivers right to your dock, and we called them up. We awaited our delivery with a couple stiff drinks. It was very trying day. 

P.S. There are very few pictures for today's post because we were just too nervous and frazzled to take many. The only other offering we have is this nice picture of the tug/barge combo Everlast and Norman McLeod tied up at the McAsphalt terminal at the Port of Valleyfield, which shows how the aft end of the barge is shaped so that the tug fits right in. Such tug/barge combos became common late in the previous century because they result somehow in reduced crew requirements under maritime regulations, which reduces costs.