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Cruising America's Great Loop and other inland routes

St. Lawrence River current around Montreal

Jim Healy

Wed, Mar 14, 2012 2:28 PM

Ralph,

Skipper Bob tended to be very cautious in his advice, and I don't know if he described it quite that way. Let me say, his observation might bother a kayak, but it will not bother your trawler. The stretch of the St. Lawrence River in the immediate proximity of Montreal excepted, the currents in the St. Lawrence are no worse than the tidal currents in the ICW in Georgia and South Carolina when you're going against them. The St. Lawrence River currents do not rise linearly between Sorel and Montreal. They rise rather slowly for 80% of the distance from Sorel to Montreal, and then rise rather more sharply as the river narrows approaching Montreal.

Our experience was that at Sorel, the current was 3/4 kt or so; less than 1 kt. The current rises slowly for the first 35-40 miles southwest of Sorel, to about 1-1/2 kt. Then, as you near the modern Port of Montreal at East Montreal, in the vicinity of Varennes, QC, the channel current rises sharply to a peak of 4- 5 kts. This is where the river narrows approaching the old city of Montreal, and funnels huge volumes of water through the channel's relatively narrow (geologically-speaking) land cut. The current is only at it's peak for 3 - 4 miles or so. Departing Montreal (Yacht Club of Montreal) westbound, you immediately enter the St. Lawrence seaway canal (Canal de la Rive Sud) between the big locks at Ste. Lambert and Cote Ste. Catherine. That Canal is 8 miles or so, bypassing the Lachine Rapids. In it, there is no appreciable current. When you exit the canal below Cote Ste. Catherine, you're in a large lake (Lac Ste. Louis) where the Ottawa River merges into the St. Lawrence across an enormous and shallow flood plain. There may be a current there, but we never appreciated it. There is a lock at Ste. Anne de Bellevue and another at Carillon. Again, yes, the Ottawa River is a river, so it probably does have a current, but not much. There are no significant effects to cruising boats of that current in the Lac des Deux Montagnes or the Ottawa River from Ste. Anne de Bellevue to Ottawa. There is no significant current in the Rideau Canal. There are no significant currents on the loop from Montreal until you reach the Mississippi, and you'll be going with that current. The first significant opposing current you'll encounter after Montreal is when you turn Northeast at the Ohio River, towards Paducah. That current lasts around 80 - 100 miles. It's about 2 kts, maybe slightly less.

THE CURRENT IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER IN NOT A REASON TO SKIP LAKE CHAMPLAIN, MONTREAL, AND THE RIDEAU! IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY SPECIAL TRANSIT TIME PLANNING. THE ANXIETY OF ANTICIPATION IS FAR WORSE THAN THE REALITY.

Jim

Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary
Currently at Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL
Monk 36 Hull #132
MMSI #367042570
AGLCA #3767
MTOA #3436

Ralph wrote: "Skipper Bob says if I choose the Lake Champlain and Richeleau route I will be against the current for the St Lawrence for 67 miles between Sorel and St Anne De Bellevue. He says the current is 1-3 kts against you on the St Lawrence. Then against the current again for 97 miles up the Ottawa River. No mention of expected current strength on the Ottawa river. Does anyone here know?" Ralph, Skipper Bob tended to be very cautious in his advice, and I don't know if he described it quite that way. Let me say, his observation might bother a kayak, but it will not bother your trawler. The stretch of the St. Lawrence River in the immediate proximity of Montreal excepted, the currents in the St. Lawrence are no worse than the tidal currents in the ICW in Georgia and South Carolina when you're going against them. The St. Lawrence River currents **do not** rise linearly between Sorel and Montreal. They rise rather slowly for 80% of the distance from Sorel to Montreal, and then rise rather more sharply as the river narrows approaching Montreal. Our experience was that at Sorel, the current was 3/4 kt or so; less than 1 kt. The current rises slowly for the first 35-40 miles southwest of Sorel, to about 1-1/2 kt. Then, as you near the modern Port of Montreal at East Montreal, in the vicinity of Varennes, QC, the channel current rises sharply to a peak of 4- 5 kts. This is where the river narrows approaching the old city of Montreal, and funnels huge volumes of water through the channel's relatively narrow (geologically-speaking) land cut. The current is only at it's peak for 3 - 4 miles or so. Departing Montreal (Yacht Club of Montreal) westbound, you immediately enter the St. Lawrence seaway canal (Canal de la Rive Sud) between the big locks at Ste. Lambert and Cote Ste. Catherine. That Canal is 8 miles or so, bypassing the Lachine Rapids. In it, there is no appreciable current. When you exit the canal below Cote Ste. Catherine, you're in a large lake (Lac Ste. Louis) where the Ottawa River merges into the St. Lawrence across an enormous and shallow flood plain. There may be a current there, but we never appreciated it. There is a lock at Ste. Anne de Bellevue and another at Carillon. Again, yes, the Ottawa River is a river, so it probably does have a current, but not much. There are no significant effects to cruising boats of that current in the Lac des Deux Montagnes or the Ottawa River from Ste. Anne de Bellevue to Ottawa. There is no significant current in the Rideau Canal. There are no significant currents on the loop from Montreal until you reach the Mississippi, and you'll be going with that current. The first significant opposing current you'll encounter after Montreal is when you turn Northeast at the Ohio River, towards Paducah. That current lasts around 80 - 100 miles. It's about 2 kts, maybe slightly less. THE CURRENT IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER IN NOT A REASON TO SKIP LAKE CHAMPLAIN, MONTREAL, AND THE RIDEAU! IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY SPECIAL TRANSIT TIME PLANNING. THE ANXIETY OF ANTICIPATION IS FAR WORSE THAN THE REALITY. Jim Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary Currently at Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL Monk 36 Hull #132 MMSI #367042570 AGLCA #3767 MTOA #3436

Paige Caldwell

Wed, Mar 14, 2012 3:09 PM

Ditto for heading up the Ottawa; while we've always done the Ottawa
downbound, there was almost no current to speak of.

Paige Caldwell
Email: MPonGolden@gmail.com
Website: www.GoldenTrawler.com
-----Original Message-----
From: great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com
[mailto:great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com] On Behalf Of Jim Healy
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 10:28 AM
To: ralph@alphacompservices.com
Cc: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: GL: St. Lawrence River current around Montreal

Ralph,

Skipper Bob tended to be very cautious in his advice, and I don't know if he
described it quite that way. Let me say, his observation might bother a
kayak, but it will not bother your trawler. The stretch of the St. Lawrence
River in the immediate proximity of Montreal excepted, the currents in the
St. Lawrence are no worse than the tidal currents in the ICW in Georgia and
South Carolina when you're going against them. The St. Lawrence River
currents do not rise linearly between Sorel and Montreal. They rise
rather slowly for 80% of the distance from Sorel to Montreal, and then rise
rather more sharply as the river narrows approaching Montreal.

Our experience was that at Sorel, the current was 3/4 kt or so; less than 1
kt. The current rises slowly for the first 35-40 miles southwest of Sorel,
to about 1-1/2 kt. Then, as you near the modern Port of Montreal at East
Montreal, in the vicinity of Varennes, QC, the channel current rises sharply
to a peak of 4- 5 kts. This is where the river narrows approaching the old
city of Montreal, and funnels huge volumes of water through the channel's
relatively narrow (geologically-speaking) land cut. The current is only at
it's peak for 3 - 4 miles or so. Departing Montreal (Yacht Club of
Montreal) westbound, you immediately enter the St. Lawrence seaway canal
(Canal de la Rive Sud) between the big locks at Ste. Lambert and Cote Ste.
Catherine. That Canal is 8 miles or so, bypassing the Lachine Rapids. In
it, there is no appreciable current. When you exit the canal below Cote
Ste. Catherine, you're in a large lake (Lac Ste. Louis) where the Ottawa
River merges into the St. Lawrence across an enormous and shallow flood
plain. There may be a current there, but we never appreciated it. There is
a lock at Ste. Anne de Bellevue and another at Carillon. Again, yes, the
Ottawa River is a river, so it probably does have a current, but not much.
There are no significant effects to cruising boats of that current in the
Lac des Deux Montagnes or the Ottawa River from Ste. Anne de Bellevue to
Ottawa. There is no significant current in the Rideau Canal. There are no
significant currents on the loop from Montreal until you reach the
Mississippi, and you'll be going with that current. The first significant
opposing current you'll encounter after Montreal is when you turn Northeast
at the Ohio River, towards Paducah. That current lasts around 80 - 100
miles. It's about 2 kts, maybe slightly less.

THE CURRENT IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER IN NOT A REASON TO SKIP LAKE
CHAMPLAIN, MONTREAL, AND THE RIDEAU! IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY SPECIAL
TRANSIT TIME PLANNING. THE ANXIETY OF ANTICIPATION IS FAR WORSE THAN THE
REALITY.

Jim

Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary
Currently at Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL
Monk 36 Hull #132
MMSI #367042570
AGLCA #3767
MTOA #3436

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We were home ported on Lake Champlain for 15+ years and have many trips from the lake up to Montreal and I can second what Jim wrote below. He's right on the money. The current from Sorel up to Montreal isn't a big deal, with the exception of the short stretch heading into the Old Port. And that section is fun! Don't skip staying right downtown at Port d'Escale in Old Montreal just because of the current - staying right on the Old Port opens up a lot of interesting things to do and see. Ditto for heading up the Ottawa; while we've always done the Ottawa downbound, there was almost no current to speak of. Paige Caldwell Email: MPonGolden@gmail.com Website: www.GoldenTrawler.com -----Original Message----- From: great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com [mailto:great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com] On Behalf Of Jim Healy Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 10:28 AM To: ralph@alphacompservices.com Cc: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com Subject: GL: St. Lawrence River current around Montreal Ralph wrote: "Skipper Bob says if I choose the Lake Champlain and Richeleau route I will be against the current for the St Lawrence for 67 miles between Sorel and St Anne De Bellevue. He says the current is 1-3 kts against you on the St Lawrence. Then against the current again for 97 miles up the Ottawa River. No mention of expected current strength on the Ottawa river. Does anyone here know?" Ralph, Skipper Bob tended to be very cautious in his advice, and I don't know if he described it quite that way. Let me say, his observation might bother a kayak, but it will not bother your trawler. The stretch of the St. Lawrence River in the immediate proximity of Montreal excepted, the currents in the St. Lawrence are no worse than the tidal currents in the ICW in Georgia and South Carolina when you're going against them. The St. Lawrence River currents **do not** rise linearly between Sorel and Montreal. They rise rather slowly for 80% of the distance from Sorel to Montreal, and then rise rather more sharply as the river narrows approaching Montreal. Our experience was that at Sorel, the current was 3/4 kt or so; less than 1 kt. The current rises slowly for the first 35-40 miles southwest of Sorel, to about 1-1/2 kt. Then, as you near the modern Port of Montreal at East Montreal, in the vicinity of Varennes, QC, the channel current rises sharply to a peak of 4- 5 kts. This is where the river narrows approaching the old city of Montreal, and funnels huge volumes of water through the channel's relatively narrow (geologically-speaking) land cut. The current is only at it's peak for 3 - 4 miles or so. Departing Montreal (Yacht Club of Montreal) westbound, you immediately enter the St. Lawrence seaway canal (Canal de la Rive Sud) between the big locks at Ste. Lambert and Cote Ste. Catherine. That Canal is 8 miles or so, bypassing the Lachine Rapids. In it, there is no appreciable current. When you exit the canal below Cote Ste. Catherine, you're in a large lake (Lac Ste. Louis) where the Ottawa River merges into the St. Lawrence across an enormous and shallow flood plain. There may be a current there, but we never appreciated it. There is a lock at Ste. Anne de Bellevue and another at Carillon. Again, yes, the Ottawa River is a river, so it probably does have a current, but not much. There are no significant effects to cruising boats of that current in the Lac des Deux Montagnes or the Ottawa River from Ste. Anne de Bellevue to Ottawa. There is no significant current in the Rideau Canal. There are no significant currents on the loop from Montreal until you reach the Mississippi, and you'll be going with that current. The first significant opposing current you'll encounter after Montreal is when you turn Northeast at the Ohio River, towards Paducah. That current lasts around 80 - 100 miles. It's about 2 kts, maybe slightly less. THE CURRENT IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER IN NOT A REASON TO SKIP LAKE CHAMPLAIN, MONTREAL, AND THE RIDEAU! IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY SPECIAL TRANSIT TIME PLANNING. THE ANXIETY OF ANTICIPATION IS FAR WORSE THAN THE REALITY. Jim Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary Currently at Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, FL Monk 36 Hull #132 MMSI #367042570 AGLCA #3767 MTOA #3436 _______________________________________________ http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.) go to: http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com