Escuminac to Summerside

We headed out of Escuminac just before 7 am to make way for Shediac New Brunswick.  We were in the Northumberland Strait and the conditions were great.  It was about 60 nm to Shediac down the New Brunswick coast.  An hour into the trip we contacted the Shediac marina and unfortunately they had no space for us.  There is the Straits Sailing Race this week and they had filled the marina.  So we made a course change and decided to head straight to PEI.

It was too bad that we did not get to see more of New Brunswick, but we were excited to be headed to our province of destination.  We set course for Summerside.  It would add an additional 20 nm to our day but we were excited to get to PEI.

The conditions were great in the Strait and we cruised at a comfortable 15 knots.  We could see the bright red sand coast line of PEI and the windmills off in the distance.  For much of the trip we were cruising alongside the island.

We passed by the Indian Point lighthouse and were on the approach to Summerside just after noon.

We arrived to a warm welcome from the staff at Silverfox Marina.  It is a great facility and we plan to spend a few days here.

Our final leg will be a 45 nm trip around the southern coast of PEI to Charlottetown.

Chandler to Escuminac

We left Chandler early in the morning at 545 am to cross the Bay de Chaleur to New Brunswick.  We were headed for Shippigan and it was an excellent morning to do the 35 nm crossing.  The water was calm and there was just a light wind so it was a smooth cruise at about 16 knots across the Bay.

The landscape of New Brunswick is so different from Quebec.  Very low lying tidal marshes and a lot of shoals.  You need to stay well out from the coast in deep water.

The crossing was great and after we arrived in New Brunswick our luck changed a bit.  First we went to Caraquet to get fuel as there are few options for fuel along this coast of New Brunswick.  We arrrived to find out that their fuel pump was broken.  (Guess we should have called first).  We had 60% fuel so that was fine, we just wanted to fill up to get to Shediac the next day.  Well, that was an hour wasted.  So we headed on to Shippigan.  As we approached Shippigan we made a wrong turn so to speak.  We thought that the marina was after the bridge so we went under the bridge to find out that we had missed the turn off to the marina (oops, not so easy to turn back).  We now found ourselves in the Shippigan Gully at possibly the worst time.  Low tide and a flooding current.  The effect was like being in a rapids of rushing water.  We made it through that (about 5 minutes of major rolling in the rough water) and were then faced with having to go on to the next port which was Escuminac about 45 nm away.  Another 3 hours.  So for a day that was supposed to be short, we were now tacking on an extra 4 hours.

Noah took it well as did the rest of the crew and we plodded on.  The upshot was that we could get fuel in Escuminac.

We were originally going to skip Escuminac as it is a fishing port with no amenities and in remote location.  So glad we did not.  What a pleasant surprise it was.  The fishermen were very welcoming, the fuel and moorage the best deal of the trip and there was a great beach there for us to explore.  We went for a 2 hour walk in the afternoon collecting shells and dipping our toes.

Gaspe to Chandler

Conditions had improved (at least there was no rain today) and the sun was trying to peek out.  So after a great breakfast at Le Cafe des Artisanes we set off for Chandler.  The conditions were good, there were light to moderate winds and we were able to cruise at 15 knots.  The waves were only 2 feet and the crew was in much better shape today.

The skies lifted and it was a sunny day as we came out of Gaspe Bay and headed toward Perce Rock and Cap d'espoir.  Perce Rock is a magnificant sight.  Regarded as one of the most photographed natural landscapes in Canada.

Today we were able to enjoy the vistas of the area.  Red sand beaches and red rock cliffs that descend straight into the sea.  Very striking.

The wind started to pick up just as we arrived at Chandler.  This is a very small marina with a very tight entrance between the breakwater and a rock shoal.  We were not even sure that we would fit here given the size of our boat.  But we had called ahead and they assured us we would.  So with some trepidation we entered the marina and we are in a great slip with 40 feet dock and lot's of space.  Upon first glance I never would have thought we would get in here.

There is a fabulous bike trail along the shore so we were able to get some exercise and Noah could ride his bike.  The marina also had a nice restaurant with good seafood and guess what there was a band playing in the bar.  Noah had a second gig and once again faithfully accompanied them.  So cute. A rockstar in the making.

Tomorrow we hope to cross the Bay de Chaleur and get as far as Shippigan, New Brunswick.

Riviere au Renard to Gaspe

After 4 1/2 long days we were finally able to leave Riviere au Renard to head to Gaspe.  While the people at the Club Nautique de Forillon marina were very nice it was a long stay in Riviere au Renard. There was not much to do in the town and the rain and wind were unrelenting.

There were 5 other boats stranded there as well so on Wednesday evening the marina organized a potluck for the boaters.  Later that evening there was a local band that played at the marina.  They have entertainment every Wednesday and Thursday night and about 50 locals attended the show.  Noah loved it and faithfully accompanied the band for every song on his ukelele.  He would have been happy to stay again Thursday night for the band but thankfully we were able to leave Thursday morning.

The conditions were not stellar, but they were good enough to get going.  There was still fog, but at least the wind had changes and the waves had calmed considerably.  (One sail boat reported 9 feet waves on Tuesday).  When we left Thursday there were 2 other boats also heading to Gaspe.  Given the fog we could only travel at 7 knots and there were about 3 foot waves.  Noah and Christine both were seasick so it was a long 4 hours to Gaspe.

The scenery in this region is quite stunning, but unfortunately due to the fog we were not able to see much nor capture any photos.  We were just happy to finally be on our way.  We arrived in Gaspe early afternoon to more rain.  Gaspe is a service town, quite large with lot's of amenities, but definitely lacking in the charm of some of the other places we have visited.  There was however a McDonald's so Noah was thrilled about that.

The crew was weary after the rough journey and we were fed up with the rain so it was early to bed for all of us.

Stuck in Riviere au Renard

Well, we knew the bad weather was coming and it is here with a vengeance.  It is raining, there is a 25 knot easterly wind, its is foggy and 8 degrees.  We've been here now for two days.  We hope to get out tomorrow but the forecast does not look that promising.  We need a 3 hour window to go the 35 nautical miles to Gaspe.  Here's hoping we get it.

In the meantime, the staff here are friendly and we found a local diner with good chowder, lobster club sandwiches and a great breakfast.  We have put on our rain gear and visited a few times.  We have been watching lot's of movies, playing games and hanging out.

The boat accommodations are very comfortable (thank goodness).  

St. Anne des Monts to Riviere au Renard

The weather forecast is not looking good for the weekend so we decided to rise very early Saturday morning (430 am) to get underway by 5 am.  Our goal was to get to Riviere au Renard before 11 am.  Wind and rain were coming and we wanted to get there and tied up before it hit.  There were several small ports before Riviere au Renard but they are all federal wharves with no power and water and we may have to tie up and wait out the weather for a few days.  So, we decided to do another 90 nautical mile day to get to Riviere au Renard.

Noah was great on the 6 hour journey, he slept for a few hours, played and watched a movie.  After we arrived though he let us know that he does not really like the long 90 nm days.  Good thing we will be staying here a few days.  It is raining, windy and cold so it looks like we will be here until Tuesday.

Riviere au Renaud is a more industrial fishing town.  There is still a very active crab and shrimp fishery here so the port has about 12 long liners tied up to the wharf.  They have built a little marina with power and nice new docks.  The marina is very sheltered so this will be a good place to stay in bad weather.  It is quite cold.  We had to turn on the heat and dig out every piece of warm clothing we have.

Expect for the fact that it is french speaking, this town is very much like Newfoundland.

Rimouski to St. Anne des Monts

After a refueling we headed out of Rimouski at 830 am north east along the coast.  At time of departure we were making way for either Matane or St. Anne des Monts.  After 3 hours, we reached Matane and decided to continue on.  The conditions were good so we decided to go all the way to St. Anne des Monts.  It was going to be a 90 nautical mile day our longest yet.

There were some light winds and we were heading into a light current, but overall it was a comfortable cruise along the coast.  The boat handles the small waves well and Noah did great.  We wondered if he would get any sea sickness, but he did really well.  Of course a 3 hour nap helped quite a bit.

For the last 40 minutes of the journey the wind picked up and it made arrival in the port a little tricky, but Sterling and Noah did a great docking.  We had her all tied up by 230 pm and could enjoy the town.

The staff at the marina are super friendly and the town is very cute we loved it.  After a long day of boating to get here, we decided to stay a day in St. Anne des Monts to enjoy the town.  There was a great park next to the marina with wooden boats to play on.  Noah loved climbing on them and playing boat captain.

We bought some amazing fish and seafood at the fish market and enjoyed lobsters, cod and salmon while we were there.  The town has an aquarium called Exploramer where we saw all the types of fish that live in the area, learned about sharks (who knew they could be found in this part of the St. Lawrence) and got to touch crabs and snails.  Since St. Anne des Monts is a pretty big town this was also good place to stock up on groceries as we are heading to more remote locations along the coast.

St.  Anne des Monts is where La Gaspesie region begins and the beginning of the Chic Choc mountain range.  The houses and towns sit high on cliffs that go straight into the ocean.  It is very scenic.

Tadoussac to Rimouski

Tadoussac was such a cute little seaside town, we were sad to say goodbye.  But the weather conditions this morning were excellent for crossing the St. Lawrence so we set off about 720 am.  After an evening of gale force winds the morning was calm.

We passed by Prince Shoal lighthouse at the fairway entry point to Tadoussac and set course for Ile de Bic some 40 nautical miles across the St. Lawrence.  We were heading in to open water and at the middle of the river there were a few miles where we would not see land.  (Most of our journey has been spent boating along the coast so this would be new for us).

We were also heading in to prime whale territory and we hoped to see some whales.  The crossing was very smooth, we had a light north westerly wind at our back, the day was sunny and we cruised at a comfortable 18 knots.  The water here is cold and we could feel a cool breeze coming off the water.  It was time to get out our jackets and pants.

We saw sooo many whales it was very exciting for all of us!  Noah was especially thrilled not long into the crossing we saw a few belugas of in the distance and then we saw a pod of several belugas.  Later on at about the middle of the crossing we had probably 7 sightings of what we think are fin whales.  You only ever see a small portion of their back and some times a fin as they move below the surface.  So between the distance, the waves and the short time to spot them, they were impossible to capture on film.  After several attempts resulting in photos of wide open ocean we gave up and just enjoyed the sightings and captured the images in our minds.  There was one whale sighting that lasted a little longer as the whale came up two times and arched his back as he swam back under water.  Noah got to see that one as it lasted longer and he loved it!  What a thrill.

We are making some great family memories on this trip!

We arrived in Rimouski around noon time and enjoyed the rest of the day riding bike and playing at a playground.  It is cool here, feels like fall and we needed to wear our jackets all day.

The Marina had a fantastic restaurant where we enjoyed fresh seafood for dinner.

Cap a L'Aigle to Tadoussac

It was an early morning rise.  We pushed off the dock at 630 am.  There were high winds coming by mid morning and we wanted to be tied up in Tadoussac before they arrived.

While the distance to Tadoussac is not far, only 40 nautical miles, it is a challenging area to navigate to due tidal currents, and shoals near the mouth of the Saguenay River.  As the current comes out the Saguenay it rushes with a force into the St. Lawrence creating currents up to 7 knots.  So you want to arrive at Tadoussac which is at the month of the Saguenay at a time when the water is changing direction (slack tide).

We arrived at Tadoussac right on schedule during slack tide at 930 am and before the winds arrived.

What a pleasant surprise this little seaside resort town is.  There is a huge beach and Noah had tons of fun playing on it.  The town is cute with little shops, B&Bs and a large resort hotel overlooking the beach.  There is a huge tour boat industry here taking people whale watching.  The zodiacs and tour boats are in and out of the water constantly.  We also discovered North America's oldest wooden church dating back to 1747.

The weather was quite hot today and we had a great time playing at the beach, visiting the whale museum and touring the town.

As we head off to bed there is a gale force wind warning in effect, with winds up to 35 knots.  We will see what kind of weather the morning brings to decide whether we leave or stay another day.

Quebec City to Cap a L'Aigle

We headed out of the marina just after 7 am when the lock opened to make way for Cap a L'Aigle.  It was a beautiful morning.  We are heading for salt water!

There was a 4 knot current and we were riding with it.  While we were only going 18 knots yet at times we were going 22 knots, you could see the speed climb at the current pushed us forward.

Noah and I spent some time learning about whales with some books we got him as we would soon be entering an area highly populated by whales.  As luck would have it we saw several beluga whales off in the distance.  We were all very excited!

We arrived in Cap a L'Aigle (Eagle Cape) at 1120 am and had the day ahead of us to explore.
It was a cute little marina.  It is known as a refuge on the St. Lawrence as it is a protected harbour.  There were some nature trails, a small beach for Noah to play on, a waterfalls and a really nice restaurant where we had lunch.

Noah got a chance to ride his bike and loved that!

In the early evening, we saw a whale fin of what we believe to be a Bluefin Whale just off of the marina wharf.  We watched for quite some time but never saw more than the fin coming out of the water several times.

The tides here are crazy.  There is a 15+ feet difference between high and low tide.  The docks are floating.  At low tide the water is down to mud flats.

Hanging out in Quebec City

I love Quebec City with its narrow cobble stone streets, european feel and so much history!   We have spent 3 days relaxing here and enjoying the sites.

Julie got me a ticket to see Keith Urban on Friday night at an outdoor concert at the Quebec Festival d'Ete right on the Plains of Abraham.  It was a great evening.

Saturday we went sight seeing in the old town.  We had pain au chocolat at Place Royale, then we took the Funiculaire up the hill and we walked Dufferin terrace up and then climbed the hill up to the Plains of Abraham.

 We took great tour of the city in a horse drawn carriage.   Noah loved the horse and mom and dad enjoyed relearning the rich history of the city.

It has been nice to be able to visit with Julie and Jean Michel while we were here.  We enjoyed having visitors at the boat.

We have had a great time here.  Off early in the morning for Cap a l'Aigle.

Trois Rivieres to Quebec City

It was an early start at 545 am Friday morning as we left Trois Rivieres for Quebec City.  The sun was just up and the sky was glorious.

The water was flat calm and it was a great morning.  We cruised at 18 knots the whole way and only saw one other pleasure craft and a Coast Guard research boat.  There is quite a current in this section of the river, probably about 4 knots.  The wave in the lower section of the picture is our wake, but closer to the green buoy you can see all the ripples in the water and how disturbed it is from the currents.  We were going with it so it was a comfortable ride.

It took us 4 hours to get to Quebec City and we arrived about 945 am at low tide.  It is a very busy port and the view of the Chateau Frontenac high on the cliffs above the water is breathtaking.

The Louise Bassin marina is located in Vieux Port just a short walk from the lower town.  It is above the St. Lawrence and you need to take a lock to up to it.  It is pretty cool to be in a marina right at the centre of this historic old city.  This is a huge marina with over 400 boats, some very large ones.  The views are great and there is a market very close to the marina so we could get some fresh fruit vegetables, and fish.

Montreal to Trois Rivieres

We left Vieux Port at 645 am, back into the crazy 5 knot current in the harbour (this time we were heading with it so we gained speed) to head east on the St. Lawrence River.  The river was flat calm and we cruised at a comfortable 20 knots (we were actually going 18 knots, but gained 2 knots from the current).

We cruised for 4 hours and arrived at Trois Rivieres at 1045 am.  Along the way, we saw more big ships, played Pirates and I spy, and watched some videos. We are finding it best to do our boating early in the morning.

We arrived in Trois Rivieres with the whole day ahead of us!  This marina was great.  It is located in L'ile Saint Quentin provincial park.  There was an awesome playground, a beach and a pool.

We had a great day and are heading off very early tomorrow morning in order to leave with the current.  We will gain speed and it will make the trip to Quebec City much easier.

Montreal hanging out

Wednesday was a day of rest and fun hanging out in Montreal.

Vieux Port has tons of great activities. A great playground for Noah, a train, quadracycles for rent and a balloon man who made him a Spiderman!  So much fun!

St. Anne de Bellevue to Montreal

It was an early 6 am start on Tuesday July 7th as we pushed off the Parks Canada wall at St. Anne de Bellevue to head for Montreal.  We crossed Lac St. Louis through a bouyed channel and entered the St. Lawrence Seaway canal.  With a speed limit of 6 knots it was slow cruise through the Seaway.  We encountered two large freighters.

Noah the photographer enjoyed taking pictures of the ships and bridges.

After 3 hours we arrived at the first of the commercial locks we needed to pass through.  St. Catherine lock.  At 7 am each morning the Seaway Corporation posts the schedule for ships and recreational boats.  The St. Catherine lock was not to open for recreational boats until 11 am (oh no, after such an early rise it looked like we would have to wait 2 hours).  But it was our lucky day and they let us enter the lock at 9:30 am.  We descended 30 feet in 8 minutes it was a huge lock, we were so tiny in it.

Another hour's cruise to the next lock on the Seaway, St. Lambert.  We arrived and entered it immediately.  Thank goodness because the skies had opened up and we were in a downpour.  Fun times, we descended that lock in the pouring rain.  As soon as we were done it, the rain stopped and we headed for sunny Montreal.  We passed le Parc Olympique, La Ronde and the Port of Montreal.  There was a crazy 5 knot current in the Port from the water coming out of the Lachine Rapids.  We pushed through fine, but it would be tough for a sailboat.  We entered Vieux Port around noon time.  It was sunny skies.  We plan to stay here for 2 days and enjoy the sites.

Montebello to St. Anne de Bellevue

We left Chateau Montebello around 830 am this morning and headed east on the Ottawa river.

We could cruise at 18 knots and arrived at the Carillon lock just before noon. A short 20 minute wait and we entered the huge hydrolic lock. It is a 70 foot drop. What was formerly 11 locks is now 1 hydrolic lock. You descend in 20 minutes.

After that it was a short 1 hour cruise to St. Anne de Bellevue. St. Anne is a bustling suburb of Montreal. Lot's of canal side restaurants and boating activity.