Oh Canada!

We left Burlington, VT yesterday having waited an extra day so we could travel with Stephen and Charlotte, Jackets II and Craig and Barb, Blue Heron.  Our destination - Canada!  It was a beautiful morning as we cruised out past the lighthouse at the entrance to the Burlington marina.

Lake Champlain is really a gorgeous cruising ground with mountains and lush green shores!  Our day was uneventful on the water and we thoroughly enjoyed the top of Lake Champlain.  Just under the bridge below is the Canadian Border!  We had done our homework so we knew that once across the border, raise the yellow quarantine flag and call the 888# and Customs Border Services Agency (CBSA) would either clear us through or have us stop at the customs dock just ahead!

The evening before we had inventoried our liquor and gathered our Passports and boat papers so we would be ready with all the answers asked by the customs officers.  Ken even called the 888# to ask about the procedure when entering Canada.  “Once you cross the border, just call this number we were told”.  Got it!!!

We crossed the border put the boat in neutral, raised the yellow quarantine flag and called the infamous 888#!  Ken answered all the questions and the customs officer gave us a “cleared for passage” number!  We were cleared to go!  We lowered the quarantine flag and as a courtesy raised the Canadian flag above the US flag and we headed north.  

Blue Heron chose to stay at a marina on the US side of the border for the night but Jackets II was, as you can see, requested to come to the customs dock!  We were glad we had been cleared so we could avoid further scrutiny. 

Not to be!!  Soon Charlotte hailed us on the radio and said we were to report to the customs dock! 

We waited for Jackets II to clear the dock and then it was our turn.  Ken gathered our pertinent papers and headed into the customs office.  Only the Captain is allowed to get off the boat so I waited patiently.  “Didn’t you see our sign?” asked the customs officer.  There is a floating sign at the border that instructs boaters to come to the customs dock.  It is very small and to read it you have to about hit it.  Well we read it but we knew what we had been told by our guidebooks and the night before by that wonderful  888#! 

Ken explained all this and gave the officers the clearance number we had been given.  All was well and we were once again back on the water.  We are now in Canada!

We were heading 8 miles up the Richilieu River to what the guidebook says is a “stone wall” or a new in 2006 floating dock at Fort Lennox.  Jackets II was in the lead and said that there was not a floating dock and only room for them at the wall so we could raft to them.  Fine with us!  Charlotte called back and said, “one more thing, the stone dock is missing its deck!”  No worries we will be fine.  Here we are rafted with Jackets II and here is the dock that isn’t a dock!

 We were reluctant to do much exploring around the fort as this sign was posted on the wall! 

So we dropped the dinghy instead and headed for a ride up a creek across the river.

It was a beautiful end to an eventful day!  Today we will proceed up the Richilieu River to the Chamblay canal and hope to transit its 9 locks before ending our day at a mooring in Chamblay.  Stay tuned!  Should be a good one!!!!

Pat