Sorel

Sorel: We left Montreal bright and early today to get to St. Catherine's lock by the specified 10:00 a.m. for pleasure boats. With a required 6 knots over ground speed, we thought we'd never get there and started to worry that we would get there by the designated time.  Missing the 10:00 slot might mean hours of waiting for an opportunity to lock through as commercial traffic takes priority.  We managed to get to the lock at 10:05 and had the green light to proceed into the lock.  One other boat was locking through at the same time and it was Morning Star who we have criss-crossed paths with all through the Rideau.

To butcher a quote from Forrest Gump, let me say "locks are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get".  At St Catherine's lock, the lock attendants threw us very long lines when we entered the lock for us to use as the boat lowered.  In the following lock, St. Lambert, the lock attendants required us to "raft up" / tie to Morning Star.  We had a friendly chat with the Morning Star crew as the water dropped since there was nothing else required of the captain and myself.

We arrived at Sorel just around 3:00 and by the time we got settled and checked in, etc. it was going on for 4:15.  The captain decided that we should jump on our bikes and go into town before the marine store closed at 5:00, so we grabbed our bikes and our helmets and set off to see what Sorel had to offer.  We found a "Metro" super market which was a "real" food store - not a convenience store, and planned to stop after exploring town to buy some goodies. 

We visited the marine store which did not have what the captain needed and then cruised around town stopping at the various restaurants to see what the menus had to offer.  Along our explorations we stumbled across a vendor selling fresh, home-grown fruits and vegetables.  We filled up our backpack and decided that eating the fresh veggies for dinner sounded like the best option, so we headed back to the boat for a home-cooked meal eaten on the very pleasant upper deck of our boat. 

At an intersection along the way we stopped to study our map to determine the best way back to the marina, and a passing motorist stopped his car and came over to ask if we needed help finding our way.   We had a short, friendly chat with this local who was excited that we were from NJ and had come by boat.  He shook our hands and welcomed us to Quebec!  I have to say that on this vacation in Canada I have been repeatedly surprised by the friendliness of the people we have met along the way. 

I had asked one other local if there was a Bank of Montreal in Sorel.  The bottom line answer was no, but we had a pleasant conversation and at the end of it she thanked me for providing her with an opportunity to practice her English skills.  Many people we have encountered speak only French.  When this is the situation, I have no hope of a conversation.  My French is too rusty and was never good enough for full-speed conversation even when I was at my best.

We are expecting to meet up with one of the Captain's "internet" friends - they have never met in person before.  Tonight in preparation, the captain cleaned the boat inside and out and I tidied up some of the clutter.  We must look our very best for our visitor!  

Our next chapter of the trip will be the Richelieu Canal aka Chambly Canal as we turn the boat due South and homewards via Lake Champlain in the good ole USofA.  We are counting the days we have left for vacation travel and find we are rapidly running out of time.  Sigh!