At 7:45 this morning we left Montreal heading south now on the St. Lawrence Seaway.  We experienced our first commercial lock at St. Lambert.  We had to wait about an hour for a scheduled northbound ship to come through first.  We met a family from Montreal on Blue Diamond.  They helped us tie up at the waiting dock then translated everything the lockmaster "barked" to us in French.  We also met Simon, on Sedna, a 28' sailboat that he singlehandedly sailed around the world.  He is just now returning home to Gattaneau after being away 3 years.  The three of us tied up together inside the lock, with us in the middle and Blue Diamond on the wall.  The lockmaster throws very long lines down onto the boats on the wall, who fasten them fore and aft.  If you're not the boat along the lock wall, you just hang on for the ride.


The next commercial lock, Cote St. Catherine, was about 45 minutes  away.  A huge ship was scheduled to go through first.  It was a 225 meter long tanker which was 24 meters wide -- barely passing through.   We rafted up again with the crew of Blue Diamond and Simon on the sailboat.  6 other boats joined us in the lock all rafted up behind us.  That was quite an experience. 

We continued into the Lake of Two Mountains which was full of boats today, lots of sailboats flying spinnakers, water skiers, jet skis -- everyone enjoying the St. Jean Baptiste holiday.  We arrived at our destination, St. Anne de Bellevue in the late  afternoon and miraculously tied up on the city dock near all the holiday festivities -- many tents with items for sale, food concessions and everyone was having a wonderful time.  The rain arrived around 6:00 PM and the tents folded and left the city promenade, but music began  in our "back yard" -- all different types of music and dancing and we had a front row seat. 

The internet connectivity is intermittent -- difficult to post much.  I will post the photos tomorrow morning.  We're having a wonderful time and will be staying here again tomorrow night.