The WakaNahannis at Sea: Sailing (or Motoring) Down the St. Lawrence Seaway

In Brockville, we prepared for the next leg of the voyage through the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway. John and the kids found an old piece of lumber on the street and drilled holes in it to to use as a fender board. This board is placed on the outside of our fenders to protect the boat as it slides down the lock walls in the chamber. In the the last week of August we continued on past Brockville (even got to sail!) and transited our first lock at Iroquois, Ontario.

There is a bit to do when transiting a lock. First, you approach and observe the lights which indicate if the lock is in operation or is ready for you. Most of the time, you have to tie up at docks provided for pleasure boats. You walk up a gangway to a phone to speak to the lock staff to get your instructions. For example, they will tell you if there are going to be other boats in the lock with you and how long you have to wait. There is a little ticket booth where you pay $30 for the pleasure of transiting each lock (or you can go online for $25) a lock. Our first downstream lock took us a mere 18 inches down.

Waiting at Iroquois Lock

Check in booth

Waiting for freighter to exit lock

This is as close as we ever want to be to one of these ships

Wavey handing the official our ticket and scoring some literature about the Seaway

Exiting the lock

We arrived at Crysler Park Marina just past Morrisburg and docked for a few days while we visited Upper Canada Village. The Village is a 2 km walk from the marina. First thing in the morning, we trekked off into the year 1865.

Getting into character

Practicing sewing skills

Trying out 19th Century toys

Kids kept busy while John and I had a rip-roaring game of Crokinole (sadly, not shown here)

The Village is very well-run and operates as its own small Upper Canadian entity. The experience is authentic and awe-inspiring. The setting helped us to understand a book we are currently reading from this period and highlighted all of the skills required to survive as an early settler. Some of the staff mentioned that it is hard to return to the "real world" after a day living and working here.

Walking back after a long day (don't worry the trains had stopped for the day)

After coming back to 2016, we continued on to Cornwall passing through the two American locks. This video was taken in one of the American locks.

In Cornwall, we geared up for the first day of school Monday, August 29 (more on THAT in another post).

We had our second day of school afloat while motoring into the province of Quebec and wandering around the pretty town of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. The kids did not balk when we announced that the third day of school was postponed due to a long travel day covering the last 4 locks. I guess you could call this physical education?