TINY TUGS
After a quiet night on anchor we continued up stream battling a 2.5 knot current all the way to Montreal. Along the way we spied this boat in distress that had probably run aground in the darkness of night.
OOPS!
Our approach to Montreal included freight terminals, the Pont Jacques Cartier (bridge) and the amusement park-complete with an old wooden roller coaster.
THE "WORKING" SIDE OF MONTREAL
PONT JACQUES-CARTIER
AND THE PLAYING PART OF MONTREAL
WOSH!!
In Montreal we entered the canal system on the St. Lawrence Seaway and traveled through the first two locks, the St. Lambert and the Cote St. Catherine . These are designed for freighters and are considerably larger than the locks on the Richelieu River.
PLEASURE BOATS AT LEFT WAITINT TO ENTER
ST. LAMBERT LOCK
WALL AT RIGHT OF LOCK WHERE LARGE SHIPS SLIDE
DOWN TO SLOW THEIR SPEED BEFORE ENTERING THE LOCK
LONG WAY UP THERE!
Exiting the Cote St. Catherine brought us into Lake St. Louis. By time we traveled across the lake it was getting too late to enter the Beauharnois Locks. Once again, with no plans and no place to stay, this is where a magical evening began.
Around the point from the lock was the small town of Melocheville and through the binoculars we could see a launch ramp and community dock. That was all we needed. Off we went. As we approached shore several men motioned to us to proceed to the deeper water along the dock and helped us tie up. Deep is only relative as Quest spent the night in only 5.5 ft of water.
OUR DESTINATION
ALL DOCKED AND READY TO GO
Next to the launch ramp was a quaint little bar and restaurant, Chez Paul Country Pub, which turned out to be our night’s entertainment. We entered their establishment short on cash and found they did not accept credit cards. Their ATM machine did not accept our Visa debit card either. This is when the magic of the evening began as Daniel, our waiter and son of proprietor Paul Arseneault, was more than willing to let us ride for the night. Their hospitality was given with generosity of the hearts. The entire crowd welcomed us into their fold and soon we were meeting fellow diners and country line dancers. Daniel’s aunt and uncle, setting at a nearby table, offered to shuttle Dan to the bank and we were able to enjoy the evening knowing we could now pay our tab. We stayed up late singing and dancing with the patrons of Chez Paul. Thank you all for your generosity in welcoming us to your community.
DANIEL ARENEAULT, OUR NEW FRIEND AND WAITER
RENE AND PAWLETTE ARSENEAULT IN THE FOREGROUND
THEY SHUTTLED DAN TO THE BANK
DANIEL AND PROPRIETER, PAUL ARSENEAULT, MAKING MUSIC
LINE DANCING
FORE
AND AFT
EVERYONE IS DANCING AND HAVING A BALL
A GREAT NIGHT!
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