Some forbidden fruit and a weekend when the fish should be afraid. Very afraid.

Sunday evening (June 10) and we dine at a funky bistro in St. Jean-sur-Richelieu and enjoy a pleasant walk back to the boat as the evening draws in.

On Monday, June 11, Day 18, and a perfect day for sailing, we leave Quebec and enter the United States at Rouse’s Point as Lake Champlain opens up to us.

We dock at the US Customs and Border Patrol facility – surprisingly, housed in a trailer – staffed by two pleasant, helpful people in uniforms, one of whom (she) checks our paperwork and passports, while the other (he) checks out the boat for any unwelcome fruits, vegetables, plants and/or alcohol, etc.  Michel guiltily hands over two lemons, both of which are arrested on the spot and taken away to be euthanized. Ironically, they probably came from Florida in the first place, but are on the list of forbidden fruit.

After only 15 minutes, we are on our way again, heading for Pelot’s Bay, where we anchor without drama, and a very nice anchorage it is, too. We are joined by several other boats as the afternoon wanes, at least one of them being Canadian. Again, while beautiful, the weather is still on the cool side, and the water does not invite the notion of swimming in it, as yet.

Lake Champlain is the next largest freshwater lake to the five Great Lakes, 120 miles long and up to 10 miles wide, bounded by the Green Mountains of Vermont to the east and the Adirondack Mountains of New York to the west. It is clear and deep, with many parks and wildlife preserves on its shoreline, and is a marvellous playground for boaters of all types, though, as at any time, an eye must always be kept on the weather, especially the winds which can frequently switch from south to north.

“Discovered” by Samuel de Champlain in 1609, the name of “The Father of New France” is plastered all over these American states.

The weather forecast is a bit dodgy, so we up anchor and head for Burton Island State Park in Vermont, in a protected body of water, and are delighted by the place. All – or most – of the conveniences of a marina, including dockage, power and water, but in a park setting on its own substantial island, complete with wildlife, camp sites and cabins, trails and hikes, healthy, bouncy, helpful and cheery young park attendants in green uniforms, and even a bistro/shop, where we bought 3 lemons to replace the ones confiscated by the CBP – in fact, the owner of the shop brought them over from the mainland just for us.

The only other boat in the inner marina was a research vessel, the David Folger, owned by Middlebury College for use by the Marine Geology faculty, and custom designed and skippered by Rich, a friendly and informative mariner who showed us around the ship, which was like a destroyer inside, laden with banks of humming computers and softly glowing electronics screens and panels.

At the coming weekend, a 3-day fishing derby was to start, with an influx of camouflage- and plaid-clad fishermen in their fast boats competing in the annual Lake Champlain International for $100,000 in prizes. The bass, pike and walleye were getting to be afraid; very afraid.

Friday night and there was a much heralded music event in the bistro pavilion, featuring Big John, who has been coming to the fishing weekend for 20 years or more and gives a performance every time, this year with the ferry boat captain on keyboard.

We had four days here, walking long trails, with some rain, some sun, and our first dinghy ride of the summer, round the Island.

On Saturday, we left the fish of Burton Island to their uncertain future and arrived at a large and beautiful bay where we put down the anchor surrounded by like-minded boaters who were enjoying one of the first really nice weekends of the season, with the temperature starting to rise at last. In fact, Michel went for her first (very short) swim of the season.

A great anchorage at Thayer Beach, near Burlington, Vermont

Weather was looming again, and we needed the attention of a mechanic on a small but mysterious oil leak, so we booked in for 3 nights at Champlain Marina, where we would pause and let the thunderstorms pass, and perhaps go into Burlington itself for a day. Docking was a challenge – a 45 foot boat in a 25 foot dock, with pilings aft – but the marina is friendly and clean and welcoming.

It being Father’s Day, and with me here and Stuart in Montreal for the weekend, Michel took me out for dinner at Rozzi’s Lakeshore Tavern next door to the marina, which being as loud and boisterous and serving the huge portions it does, which you could not mistake for being anything other than American. Very. Tomorrow we will see what storms arrive.

Good night moon.