Rapids

Better then 15 years ago we visited Montreal. It was only for a night and day, and I vaguely remember the inside of a large church but what I really remember is the rapids. The water in the Great Lakes has to get to the ocean and the way is out the St. Lawrence River and past Montreal. I had much less boating experience at that time, but I did have a dream of venturing out of Lake Michigan.

It was surprising how strong the current that raced before me was. How could any boat get through it? And over the years as I dreamed of cruising I would flash back on that moment.

It is Sunday morning and we are in Lachine and close to our dream of reaching Montreal. It is finally time to confront Montreal’s rapids and current. Montreal is an island sitting on the northeast back of the St. Lawrence River. Lachine, where we spent the night, is on its western end and we need to get to the Vieux (Old) Port in downtown Montreal on the east end.

Since several rapids lay between these points a canal and two large commercial locks, part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, were build to circumvent the shallow, swirling waters. So, this means traversing 26 nautical miles, beginning with Lac St. Louis, then Canal de la Rive Sud to the locks St. Catherine and St. Lamberts then pass Île Notre Dame and around the top of Île Sainte Hélène, an island covered with roller coasters.

At the tip of the previously mentioned island we turned into the teeth of the Current Sainte Marie coming off of the Rapides du Sault Normand. Though we were plowing into a head sea, there was also a following wave and this was amplified by the wakes of numerous speeding boats and ferries. It felt a bit like the Manitou Passage on a bad day.

Our destination was nearby but we were getting nowhere fast. That is when I glanced at our speed: 2.9 knots despite the fact the engine was turning 1700 RPMs. I pushed it to 2000 and we were still barely keeping pace. The chaotic waves got bigger as we passed under a large bridge. Then I remembered the advice of a fellow traveller through the locks today who said to hug the channel’s wall as the current was less there. I did and Carrie Rose picked up a half a knot.

Ahead the water looked calmer. As I read later the Pointe du Havre was constructed to protect the cities quays, one of which was our destination, Quay King Edwards, where the Vieux Port is. Our speed began to increase and I eased the throttle back. One thing was concerning though. The chart had an odd horse track shaped series of arrows with speeds attached right at the beginning of the calm region ahead of me.

I did not let my guard down as we entered the calm zone, which was good because Carrie Rose started to get pushed into the channel’s wall. I think Ulysses went through something like this in the Odyssey. More power got me into the center of the channel and that is when I heard Charlotte on the phone with the marina confirming our slip: the north side of row C in slip 199 . . . smooth as glass.