TEXAS RANGER: Burlington, VT to Chambly, Quebec July 2--5

Departure from Burlington was preceded by a thorough pump-out of our holding tank, and then we were on our way. The marina was anxious to clear out due to the expected huge influx of boats scheduled to view the July 4^th fireworks display on the evening of July 3. Despite some forecasted thunderstorms, we crossed upper Lake Champlain with good weather and mild tailwinds, navigated up around various island, and anchored around the north side of Ile La Motte, a large island about five miles south of the Canadian border. Higher winds and thunderstorms were forecasted from the south and west, and this area provided some protection. We anchored in clear water and let out over 100 feet of chain. The storms did not materialize as far north as we were, and we had a pleasant evening. This entire end of the world is, however, bug city, with literally tens of thousands of microscopic mosquitoes (non-aggressive) and other types of bugs gathered on the outside of the boat.
The next morning we were underway early, and crossed into Canada about 0815. We stopped at the Canadian customs pier, cleared into the country with a few perfunctory questions and documents presented, and were on our way in about ten minutes. Over the course of the day, which was mostly overcast with only occasional brief sprinkles, we navigated through nine swing bridges and six locks on the Chambly Canal. A number of these locks are totally hand-operated, with young people who crank the large wooden lock doors open with a hand crank, then crank them closed. To change levels, floodgate doors in the main lock doors are opened by turning another crank. The gangplank which allows lock tenders to walk from one side of the canal to the other is also operated with a similar hand crank. Finally, the large doors are cranked open and the vessel can depart. Facility with English varies with the individual lock or bridge tender, but by and large their English was far better than our French. This is Quebec, however, and we’ve noted that they appreciate our attempts to speak their language. After arriving in Chambly, we tied up to a wall just upstream of the last three locks which are contiguous…the doors that open from the first also open into the second, and so forth. This stair step continuum of three locks will lower us 35 feet when we depart Chambly. We will spend a day touring the town, however, before that departure.
Chambly is a quaint small town, with beautiful old churches and Fort Chambly, one of the earliest French defenses against English and American invasion from the south. We ate in a restaurant, bought a few things at a very large supermarket a block from the canal, and used free wi-fi at the local library…sometimes outside on the bench, and sometimes inside (open 1 p.m.—9p.m.).