Changing plans

July 16  Best laid plans of mice and crew:

A good part of every day is sunny and almost every day we also get clouds and a rainstorm. Coastal flood conditions are not supposed to abate until after the summer and a measureable amount of rain falls almost daily.  As a result, the dams on the Seaway open to let water flush out to the Bay of Fundy on a continual basis and are causing very swift currents in the already fast moving water of the navigation channel.  It is quite a ride and certainly conserves fuel! 

Past Montreal we will leave behind fresh water for even faster current and carefully timing the fifteen-foot tidal swing – a real issue if current and tide is opposing!  Additionally, the unpredictability of the weather and daily check of wind and wave forecast for the North Atlantic -- waves usually 2-4’ or 4-6’, and wind gusts of 25 or stronger -- resulted in us reassessing our plan.  We decided that after Montreal, we will go as far on the Seaway as Sorel, Quebec and then down the Richelieu River and Chambly Canal to Lake Champlain.  This route will take us back to the US through Canadian canals to Lake Champlain, Vermont and New York State, through the Champlain canal and back to the Hudson River at Troy, NY.

Everyone we meet, mentions this is an unusual weather season.  Reading other blogs from 2015, it seems that was an unusual weather season.  This begs a question, is there ever such a thing as a usual or average weather season???