Catching up here more to follow.
Through the last lock on the Richleau (St. Ours) early on Tuesday 9th. Out past this little guy coming up river against the flow, the river is still in flood and the outgoing current carries us along at about 10 knots (well above our normal cruising speed)
Then on down the river 20 miles in 2 hours to Sorel/Tracy a fairly big port on the St. Lawrence.
Entering Sorel we start to see some industry, mostly maritime and a few reminders of how big ocean going ships are.
Shoot out into the St. Lawrence proper and are now reduced to running upstream (South) towards Montreal about 50 miles distant. Speed drops to 5 knots (charts indicate the river is running almost 2 knots against us).
Slow going from here, dodging about to try to find some slack water, I find running outside the deep water channel is optimum. After 4 hours and about 15 miles we decide to duck into a tiny creek leading to the village of Contrecour, a pleasant surprise, the creek has been deepened and widened and is now home to two marinas as well as the village.
We anchor opposite the public dock and scoot ashore in the dinghy to get some Canadian currency at the local Caisse before closing time.
After dinner and a glass of wine
A nice sunset.
Wednesday 10th , still here, very windy with some rain, supposed to clear overnight.
Next stop the St. Lambert lock on Canal de Rive Sud (big ship lock, 1000 feet by 120 feet at the start of the St. Lawrence Seaway) could almost fit three of us in SIDEWAYS.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Are you allowed even a glass of wine in Canada?
Sheona: of course, so long as the proper officials are bribed, er, proper taxes paid.
That is if you can afford it!
Double the price in restaurants in Canada compared with south of the 49th! Mostly tax.
Someone has to pay for their ‘blessed’ NHS and the immigrants!
Seeing ocean going ships up close like that reminds me of walking the dogs on Broadhaven beach in Pembrokeshire. St Brides Bay acts as the ‘roads’ for Milford Haven. No ship is allowed to enter the Haven until a berth is free and a pilot has been put on board. A few years ago there was a disaster in the Gulf and one of their largest refineries went up in flames. The Chevron Texaco refinery in Milford Haven was put on 24 shift and refining was upped to gangbuster levels. All the excess production was shipped to the USA as refined product. They formed an orderly queue in the roads and it was a favourite sport to go and count oil tankers! Our best tally was 15 in one small bay waiting their turn!!!
Never seen so much metal in one place ever! Looked more like the Japanese fleet steaming on
Pearl Harbour from a distance. One was rather glad one was on shore not trying to negotiate a way through that lot.
Howzit LW
That’s a big river with big ships!
Great post, thanks
No, THIS is a big ship: http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_M%C3%A6rsk
These Maersk container ships frighten me. I remember going past a couple, piled high with containers, on the little ferry between Gibraltar and Algeciras.
Mrs O Re wine we are fond of NZ Sauvignon Blanc from Marleborough, we buy one brand by the case in MD for $6.99 per bottle. Had the same wine the other night in a waterfront restaurant $35 per bottle.
Janus: There were two container ships loading in Montreal, one Maersk and one Haphag-Lloyd. I’ll try and find the pics.
It isn’t so much the absolute size of ships but their room to manoeuvre at close quarters that can be quite frightening. Watching the oil tankers trying to get onto their hook ups on Milford Sound when the channel is not too wide for them and there are oil refineries directly opposite each other. Then chuck in the Irish Ferry trying to get past. Plus all the local fisherman and pleasure craft!!
This is of course the reason why all big stuff has to have a pilot within the sound. Considering there are in excess of a hundred pilots down there shows the amount of boats whizzing to and fro. More like the M25 sometimes!
Interestingly when they built the new LPG terminal those ships are so large and so dangerous all the Sound is stopped whilst they bring one into dock. Nothing is allowed to move whilst they are in the Sound. There are a couple of Navy cutters on permanent station and three dedicated tugs for them. They have no intention of allowing an Ocean !! scenario!!! I used to be able to see it all from my top windows, always something to watch and suprisingly few accidents.
LW that wine sounds quite reasonable by Canadian standards. B.C. prices would have been more. Comes out to roughly $10. per glass!!! (Whatever you drink!)
Mrs O The ship canals here have turning basins between locks (in case ships change their mind?). One wonders why they are so big until a ship is turning in one, then it seems they are much to small for the job at hand.