04:00. Awake. No alarm set. Shear excitement!
We cast off our lines on 3 July, 2019, at 6:15 a.m. to begin Phase II of our Great Loop Adventure. The weather was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky and virtually no wind.
The first two hours got us back up north to Plattsburgh, our winter storage site. We motored on by with glee. Our goal was to clear Canadian customs by noon and make it to the city dock at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu by 3:00 p.m.
All the angst we’d had was for naught. The process was a breeze. We noted two locations for boater check in. Those traveling south were to stop at the United States, Rouse’s Point, Customs and Border Patrol Office. Northbound boaters were to use a separate Canadian office on the west side of the Richelieu River, about a mile upstream. Only the Captain of the boat was allowed to disembark and approach the CBP Office. Pete took our boat folder with the necessary boat registrations. (Both Reverie and the dinghy required documentation.) He had both our passports, but I was summoned to the office anyway. After stating the purpose for our visit and length of stay, we were asked about firearms and any other contraband. Having none, we were dismissed.
That was it. Welcome to Canada!
We arrived to the St.-Jean city dock on schedule. As we were tying up, a couple of Americans hailed us, asking if we were currently doing “the Loop.” They had seen our distinctive AGLCA burgee on our bow. Mark and Denise Gillespie had already completed their loop and were now on a different journey called the Down East Circle Route. Their travels would take them down the Saint Lawrence Seaway to New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, before returning to the US coastline.
We traveled the length of the Chambly Canal and locks with them on 4 July, but they stopped at the village of Chambly, a hamlet that we had seen last year. We continued on to the very last lock on the Richelieu River at Saint-Ours. We locked through and took the public dock on the northwest side, setting us up for a smooth ride to Montreal the next day.
We’ve had two outstanding days! Life is good.
Clearing customs entering Canada is not quite so simple. You have to write down a long number and keep it pasted inside the starboard window. At subsequent stops on the Loop in Canada you may be searched by Canadian officers. In our case we cleared in Kingston and then were searched in Little Current on Manitoulin Island. The officer began by opening drawers (there are 111 in a Grand Banks 35). After a while I pointed that out to him and the search was over long before he finished. He left the boat.
So exciting! Safe sailing! 😘