Day 69, 8.4.18, Old Port, Montreal

The river here becomes very wide and quite shallow outside of the channel. Then it joins the St Lawrence coming down from Lake Ontario and gets even wider. The current was about half a knot in the Ottawa River jumps to 1-1.5 knots in our favor. It doesn't feel like we're going fast, but the chart plotter says we're motoring along at 7 knots. We're used to 4.5 to 5.

There are two ways to get around the rapids at Montreal – the ship canal on the south side of the St Lawrence, or our choice the LaChine canal. This is the old canal that goes through the industrial heart of old Montreal. It had been abandoned, but now Parks Canada has turned it into a linear park with bike lane, picnic areas, and the canal with five locks.

We lock through with 4-6 other boats, including one with a drinking party going on. The driver seems to be doing ok, though. With one lock to go we tie up for the night on the canal wall. We're near the Old Port of the city, and there's a poutine festival this weekend. Poutine is a quebecois specialty, generally consisting of french fries and gravy, with pieces of cheese. About twenty food trucks are in attendance, and we select one that adds bacon and sausage. Poutine is an acquired taste. Very heavy.

In the evening we find a band at the Pierrot bar, where it's almost all in french, and very loud. But good dancing.

Poutine Fest at Old Port Montreal (Poutine is French fries with melted cheese and gravy.... we got the addition of sausages too!).  Yummy hot mess

The HUGE Ferris Wheel at Old Port of Montreal

Old Port of Montreal

Lachine Canal.  Whoa!  Low Clearances.  We cleared this bridge by about a foot