 |
| Brian's bike tour of Sorel |
Over breakfast we decided not to go to Montreal and spend the day shopping, laundry, and cleaning the inside cabins. Brian got one of the marina’s free-rental bicycle and with information from Google headed for a bank to exchange US dollars for Canadian. But, when he arrived he found ATMs behind the doors. Brian noticed this ATM location was near a downtown square which likely meant there may be a full-service bank nearby. Brian found the bank and exchanged for Canadian money. Next he went to search for some wine which took him on a circuitous route through Sorel from one grocery store to another. Eventually he ask for the location of the Quebec liquor store called SAQ. Fortunately Sorel is a small town and he only had to ride another two miles to the store from where he was at the time then a mile back to the marina. All-in-all it was a successful trip for Brian and good exercise for him, too. Meanwhile, Linda did laundry and cleaned the inside of Splash Down. When Brian returned Linda had finished cleaning the inside of the boat and had one more load to retrieve from the dryer. With chores done we briefly relaxed with a glass of wine. Then Brian checked the batteries’ water levels, cleaned the strainers, and checked the engine fluids. It had warmed up nicely (although the wind never let up) and we relaxed again with another glass of wine. Brian needed to return the bicycle lock key to the marina office. We returned the key then decided to check out a boat on the other side of the marina with a US flag. There we met Steve and Mickey Geran on their boat “Mutual Fun,” who happen to be on the Mini-loop. They mentioned there is another couple at the marina on the Mini-Loop, too. We invited them and the other couple over to Splash Down for a get-together. On our way back to Splash Down we where stopped by a Canadian named Clause who inquired about our voyage from the Hampton area. He happened to have navigated the Mississippi River and other waterways, but has not done the Great Loop, or any other loop for that matter. We learned he was a pilot for Canada helping ships navigating the St. Lawrence River for over 40 years. He gave us tips to minimize the impact of the strong current on the St. Lawrence River, especially near Montreal. He, too, will be heading to Montreal tomorrow. We just might follow him. When Steve and Mickie arrived at Splash Down we got to meet Dean Raffaelli and Charlotte Keer, from the “Carrie Rose.” Linda took notes as Steve, Mickey, Dean and Charlotte shared their experiences on the rivers and canals we plan to navigate soon. We had a good two hour discussion before we called it a night.
