Surprising quiet place. It is right beside a dam and generating station so I thought it would be very noisy. However, the lower dock where we tied up is 70 feet below the top of the dam and separated from the outflow channel by a ridge of land.
The way in is a little tight and there can be a strong current.
We were welcomed to the lock wall by JP. Heading to the casino in Gatineau he encouraged us to snug up tight to his stern in case other boats needed wall space. He was used to travelling in and around Montreal where the volume of boaters necessitates really tight mooring and rafting in the locks is a regular occurrence. He proved to be a fount of information and was a great help when next we ran into him.
The lock master recognized Moon Dance. He is a real fan of Mainship 390s and had seen our boat listed. He had called the listing broker when she first came up for sale in August but was told that an offer was being considered. Nice to know that others thought it was a good boat.
With the decision of Quebec Hydro, in the 1950s, to build a power dam at Carillon, is was decided to raise the River’s level. The dam now incorporates a single lock, with a vertically (!) opening gate. This now is the only lock between Ottawa and Lake of Two Mountains.
Part of an earlier lock from the 1880s canal can still be seen on the Quebec shore, in Carillon Park. The entry locks at Grenville, upstream of the road bridge, can also be seen – without their gates, of course. All the other locks are submerged.
Moon Dance IV 