The Chambly Canal

Lake Champlain is connected to the St. Lawrence River by the Richelieu River.  Because it is shallow and has many rapids, the Chambly Canal was built to allow transportation of goods, opening trade between Canada and the United States.  Opening to commercial navigation in 1843, it is operated today in the same manner as it was then; the doors and sluice valves are all operated by hand.  The lock chambers are 21 feet wide and 100 feet long.  We locked through with another boat of similar size to ours, it seemed a tight fit!  There are 9 locks in the system which allows the boats to descend a total of 80 feet.  We had arranged with the lock tender for the bridge at St. Jean to open at 9:00 to allow us to access the first lock (lock 9).  Precisely at 9AM we were contacted and the bridge opened. 

The Bridge Opened at 9:00

Entering Lock 9

Tight Fit

We entered lock 9 at St. Jean.  There is a narrow and twisting channel from St. Jean through some scenic residential areas and gorgeous open countryside.  The canal follows the wide Richelieu River where we could occasionally glimpse the rapids that this canal was built to avoid.  The old tow path is still visible on the edge of the canal, now used for bicyclists and joggers.  

Notice the Tow Path and the Wide Richelieu River

Eight miles from the first lock we arrived at our second lock for the day.  In the next 1.2 miles we passed through the canal’s next 8 locks and two swing bridges.  It was very busy but thoroughly enjoyable! 

Cranking Open the Sluice Valves

The Next Lock is Visible in the Distance

Opposing Traffic in the Narrow Channel

Once through the final three locks, a series of step locks in which we depart one lock and immediately enter the next, we were in Chambly Basin and proceeded on our way, now back on the Richelieu River.  

A Bridge Opened to Allow Access to the Step Locks at Chambly

The First of the Step Locks, We Descended 35 Feet in the Three Locks

 

 

Departing One Lock and Entering the Next

Notice the Water Pressure on the Doors

Departing the Step Locks, Entering Chambly Basin

Fort Chambly

Notice the Rapids That the Chambly Canal Was Built to Avoid

It was a Saturday and the locals were enjoying the water.  There were boats of all descriptions going in all directions!  It was a beautiful day and everyone was having fun.  We thoroughly enjoyed the ride and the sights as we continued along this beautiful river.  The current was running fast because of the copious amounts of rain we have experienced and the high water in Lake Champlain which drains through the Richelieu River to the St. Lawrence.  

Notice the Current Running Near the Abutments

Each Village Has its own Cathedral, This is the Village of Boliel

28 miles from Chambly we entered the last lock on this river at St. Ours.  This lock had been enlarged in the 1930’s to accommodate the larger ships of the time.  At over 300 feet in length it felt quite spacious.  

Entering St. Ours Lock

Yes, It Rained Again

Hali, Soaking Wet, Loved Biting at the Rain Drops!

We tied up at the dock on the north end of the lock and spent a peaceful night at St. Ours.

Lake Champlain

Departing lock 12 of the Champlain Canal one enters Lake Champlain. 

Departing Lock 12, Entering Lake Champlain

The Narrow Portion of the Lake

For the first 35 miles it is very narrow and seems more like a river twisting and turning with rocky outcroppings on both shores. It is a very scenic area with the Adirondacks on the west side and the Green Mountains on the east, we enjoyed it immensely.  We spotted a machine harvesting water chestnuts as we passed Benson Point.   

Harvesting Water Chestnuts

Our plan was to anchor near Fort Ticonderoga and dinghy to shore where we had read there was a path leading to the Fort.  By the time we reached our proposed anchorage it was raining yet again but, despite that, we cruised back and forth looking with binoculars for access from the river.  It must have overgrown with all of the rain we have had and we decided to pass it by.  We were advised later that there is a lot of poison oak in the area so it was a good decision.  The Fort stood atop a hill; we understand it has been well preserved.   

The rain began to fall again as we headed on our way.  The lake began to widen as we approached the monument celebrating the 300^th anniversary of Samuel Champlain’s discovery of Lake Champlain and passed under the Champlain Bridge.   

Monument to the Discovery of Lake Champlain

Champlain Bridge

We anchored in Cole Bay, a beautiful spot where we spent hours exploring by dinghy.  

 

Cole Bay

Our next stop was in Westport, NY, a lovely spot.  The small town  has been carefully preserved.  The marina had mostly floating docks which was fortunate because the lake was near record level for this time of year and their non-floating docks were completely submerged.  Only the tops of the power pedestals were visible.  Once we started looking, we realized how much was under water!  We spent two days there, just as the water began to subside more rains came to increase the levels yet again.

Westport Marina

Notice the Partially Submerged Power Pedestals

Hoisington Brook at Lee Park

Former Baptist Church, Now Heritage Museum

The Inn at Westport, a Great Place for Breakfast

Heading north again we passed Split Rock Point on our way to Valcour Island site of a major naval battle in the revolutionary war. 

Split Rock Light

Valcour Island Light

Being a holiday weekend the anchorages were quite full and so we went on to Plattsburgh where we took a mooring ball in the harbor.  As we proceeded north the shores flattened out into farmland with cottages lining the shore.  Heading through an opening in a trestle bridge we proceeded into Rouse’s Point for fuel before entering into Canada.   

The Channel Went Through the Break in the Railroad Trestle

Fort Montgomery

Oh Canada!

Just after passing Fort Montgomery we spotted a small sign indicating we had entered Canada and looked on shore for the customs dock.  Harry took the passports for us and papers for Hali into the Customs Office as only one person is allowed off of the bat until cleared by customs. Leslie placed the Canadian Flag on the flagpole on the bow of the boat, considered a courtesy to the country you are visiting.  It is holiday time in Quebec and the boaters were out in great numbers enjoying the water on one of the first good weather days of the summer.  We arrived in St. Jean too late to begin the Chambly Canal so tied up for the night.

Dock at St. Jean Sur Richelieu

The Champlain Canal

Preparing to Lock Down

Heading Off of the Erie Canal

On Wednesday the 26^th of June we descended back down Lock 2 on the Erie Canal and headed north on the Champlain Canal entering what is known as the Lakes to Locks Passage or the “Great Northeast Journey”.   Tracing what was the nation’s first “superhighway”, this historic waterway connects the Hudson River, the Champlain Canal and Lake Champlain with the Richelieu River, the Chambly Canal and the St. Lawrence River of Quebec opening routes for trade and commerce.  It was drizzling again as we turned onto the Champlain Canal and headed north through gorgeous countryside of rural areas with small villages and large farms.  

 

The Beginning of the Champlain Canal

The height restriction on the Champlain Canal is 17’; many of the bridges seemed lower than that as we passed through.  The area is saturated from the rainfall of recent weeks and the spillways and streams were running fast.  

Lock C-1, the First Lock on the Champlain Canal

With So Much Rain, the Spillways Were Running Muddy

A Guillotine Bridge Along the Way

Heading north on the Champlain Canal we were happy to be on our way again. We passed the Saratoga Battlefield which we had visited a few days earlier and spotted the location of Burgoyne’s Headquarters with a cannon visible from the river.   

Look Closely For the Cannon on the Hill

When we locked through C5 (the fifth lock on the Champlain Canal), we were advised there was a dredging project ahead and we would encounter many barges and work boats.  This is an ongoing project that we encountered in 2009 when we passed this way, clean up from an industrial site.  This time the work was in full swing and we had a delay at C6 waiting for a barge to lock through.  We stopped for the day at Fort Edward, a small town which, like so many on this route, was thriving during the heyday of train and barge transportation but which time seems to have forgotten since.  Many of the beautiful old buildings have fallen into disrepair.  The townspeople are proud of their towns and anxious to share their history with those who travel their way.  Fort Edward offered a very nice dock for boaters passing by complete with power and water in a lovely park setting. 

Fort Edward

We Had a Beautiful View!

We happened to arrive on the weekend the town had a carnival to celebrate “Heritage Days”, the carnival was in the area adjacent to the town dock!  We planned to stay two days and would have been gone before the festivities began.  Due to heavy rain we stayed an extra day, more rain is just what this area didn’t need!  Thankfully for the townspeople, the rains abated in time for the carnival to kick off right on time at 3PM.  It looked like everyone enjoyed themselves and we had a front row seat for the fireworks.  

The Carnival Site

We Had a Front Row Seat For 'People Watching'

And the Fireworks!

By morning the rain of the previous day had raised the river by nearly three feet and we wondered if we had clearance to get under the two fixed bridges leading back out to the Canal.   After careful study we determined we would clear and departed Fort Edward, heading back to the Canal where we waited for two barges to lock through before we were able to enter the lock and get underway. 

Fixed Bridges Leading to Fort Edward

Awaiting Barge Traffic

The locks themselves are an adventure, each one different.   The countryside is beautiful!  The canal follows the Hudson River until just before lock 7 and Fort Edward where the Hudson turns to the west and the canal continues along a 24 mile dug channel with 5 more locks ending in Whitehall.  The first 8 locks on the Champlain Canal lift ones boat to the summit of 139 feet above sea level; from this point the remaining locks lower the vessels to the level of Lake Champlain at 95.6 feet. 

It is Important to Pay Attention, the Lock is on the Left, the Spillway is on the Right!

We ended our day at Whitehall; called the “Birthplace of the U.S. Navy” because it was in Whitehall (then called Skenesborough) that Benedict Arnold built a fleet of ships in the summer of 1776.  This fleet took part in the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain and although he didn’t win the battle, he is credited with delaying the British long enough that fortifications were prepared in Saratoga allowing the Americans to win a much needed victory, changing the course of the Revolutionary War.  Like Fort Edward, Whitehall offers a nice wall to which to tie allowing visiting boaters an opportunity to enjoy what this historic town has to offer. 

We celebrated Harry’s birthday with our friends Paul and Jan Sahler with dinner at Finch and Chubb.   One of the delights of a trip like this is meeting new friends along the way.  We walked up the hill to the Skene Manor which sits majestically overlooking the Canal.  Built between 1872 and 1874, this beautiful old home has a storied past, it was saved from destruction by a group of concerned citizens in Whitehall and is being restored to its former glory.   

Skene Manor

On July 1^st we locked through Lock 12, the final lock on the Champlain Canal and entered Lake Champlain.  

Lock 12 and Historic Whitelhall

Departing Lock 12, Entering Lake Champlain