We started thinking about this trip when we purchased a series of charts from some friends who had sailed an Atlantic circle, so it seemed like years in the planning. Since buying the charts we’ve also upgraded our Niagara 35 for this type of coastal cruising with an Espar heater, hydraulic auto-pilot, Monitor windvane, a new 95% jib, furling staysail and now a liferaft.
August-September 2006 out the St. Lawrence Seaway to Gaspé, Quebec
August 10, 1:00am we leave our dock in Cobourg for an overnight past Prince Edward county towards the Thousand Islands and the St Lawrence River.
We make our first anchorage at Button Bay on Wolf Island having discovered that the starter battery won’t function requiring us to jump start from the house batteries (we carry jumper cables in our spares. After day one we already have a shopping list. On board we have Mike’s dad, Peter Evans who will travel with us a sfar as Quebec City.
After passing under the Thousand Island bridge we’re in the mighty St. Lawrence and pass the Prescott Coast Guard station.
We followed the chart, checking each bouy as we passed taking note of the shipping channel so as to avoid freighter traffic. This area is heavily traveled by pleasure boats as well. Our second night we anchored off of the town of Brockville with good holding but a bit rolly.
The next two days take us through the locks; Iroquois followed by Eisenhower and anchorage at Isle St. Regis. Beauharnois Lock leads to the Lachine Rapids where the current gives a boost of 5-6 knots. As we approch Montreal we pass through locks St Lambert and St Catherine. The locks on this section of the seaway have auto-payment by credit card.
Rather than go against the current to the downtown Montreal we tie up at Club Nautique Longueille where we can get fuel and a new starter battery. The old village of Longueille is only a short walk from the marina and very charming, we enjoy one of the best dinners of the trip.
Down river we stop at Sorel for fuel, and meet a couple from Belgium and France on their Alubat 40 (seen in photo above). We anchor together in Baie de Isle de Grace.
August 18 – We pass Trois Rivieres as the current builds to a constant 3 knots. Although our guide lists Battiscan as a harbour we hit bottom twice in the entrance and make an anchorage at the edge of the river which is quite wide and shallow here. Next morning we transit the Richelieu Rapids, reaching speeds of more than 10 knots over the ground! Tide begins to become apparant and the rapids are best entered at high tide. Pont Pierre La Porte just ahead…and Quebec City!
The approach to Quebec must be one of the most oustanding sailing experiences. Coming from up river first the Plains of Abraham and Citadel come into view. There is a buzz of river traffic: ferries, freighters and pleasure boats. Coast Guard cutters are tied up just below the Chateau Frontenac, outstanding in its gothic grandeur.
Buildings of the historic old town crowd right up to the dock. This is the stop I have been looking forward to for years.
To enter the marina you must first wait in a “holding” area for the green light to enter the small lock that separates the marina from the river. This reduces the effect of the 18′ tide here. At slack the gates remain open. The marina is popular and it is advisable to call in advance.
The history, architecture, restaurants, shopping, all make the city special. The Marché du Vieux Port right near the marina is fabulous for provisioning. We found the Quebecers at the marina very friendly and helpful.
We spent 3 days in Quebec City enjoying the ambiance and waiting for the 25 kn eastelies to abate. Because of tide and current departure timing becomes very important and we refered frequently to the Cruising Guide. We left QC at 3:30am enroute to Cap l’Aigle.
This is part of the voyage takes us past beautiful Charlevoix farms, windmills and the building Laurentians. The narrow channel past Isle au Coudres causes the current to accelerate and would be very difficult going against the tide.
The marina at Cap l’Aigle (the eagle) is well protected and we are made welcome. There is a charming restaurant above the marina office serving fish and Charlevoix specialties.
Our next destination, the Sagueanay River and Tadoussac also requires close timing since it is almost impossible to enter without the aid of the tide, the current coming out the narrow Sagueanay River channel can reach 7 knots, we depart at 7:00 am. When we get to the Sagueanay we face a 25 knot head wind coming down the river and abandon plans to go upstream to Bay Eternity and instead tie up at the marina in Tadoussac.
The 400-yead-old village is dominated by the historic red-roofed Hotel Tadoussac resort and is a short walk from the marina.
Next morning, August 24, we dapart at day-break for Parc du Bic, below. As the sun rises we notice some unusual puffs hanging over the water, mid-river. We realize that we are seeing whales blowing, the spouts being back-lit by the sun. There appears to be 3 groups with a couple of whales in each and judging by the height of the blows they must be large. A fin whale suddenly breaches heading across our bow and we watch in fascination as the sickle shaped fin appears again and again. A short time later we have belugas on starboard.
We have a great reach across the river to Bic and anchor on the east side of the point, in Anse l’Orignal, Moose Cove, in fair protection in 20-25 knots.
We put out lots of chain and use the riding sail.
The bay, surrounded by steep cliffs, entices us to spend an extra day for some dinghy exploring, hiking and relaxing after several days of early mornings and constant travel. We see numerous seals and water birds, including razorbills and gannets. Time to do some painting.
Stops in Matane, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and Grand Valleé. Refueled twice by taking jerry cans to service stations. Along this stretch the coast gets wilder, towns smaller, logging trucks and fishing boats have replaced farms.
The Cruising Guide to the Down East Circle suggests that Rivierre au Renard (Fox River) has limited facilities for yachts so we are pleasantly surprised to find the recently opened, and almost completed, Club Nautique de Forillon.
The town itself has basic facilities, an ATM but no bank, groceries, hardware, excellent chandlery and a restaurant at the Caribou Inn. Rivierre au Renard is home a large, deep-water, fishing fleet whose main catch seems to be shrimp and crab. There are 2 poisonneries on the dock and you can even buy a paper cup of fresh cooked shrimp for $1. Rain keeps us stationary for a couple of days as we wait for perfect weather to round Cap Gaspé, it gives us plenty of time to relax and explore this lovely town.
The cape is a crooked, gnarled finger pointing out in the Gulf and to Newfoundland with steep folded cliffs crowned by a beautiful red-roofed lighthouse. We enjoy the best sail of the entire voyage under spinnaker and the “twins”, our 100% jib and staysail.
We tack back and forth along land’s end, around the cape and down into Gaspé Bay trying to make this day last as long as possible.
It’s a Friday evening when we set anchor behind Sandy Point, enjoy a glass of wine and watch the local sailors going for an evening sail.
We spend our last couple of days exploring the bay by dinghy and Gaspe town on foot.
The bay was a whaling station in the mid-19th century and home to a naval base during WW2 when the entrance was curtained by anti-sub material.
September 6 at almost high-tide Phantasia is hauled out by the marina’s interesting, locally built travel-lift and gently positioned on a custom cradle the dock-master and assistant build from spruce 6×6 lumber.