Perce Rock & Ile de Bonneventure

July 12, 2008 Perce Rock & Ile de Bonneventure


Riviere de Madeleine is a quaint commercial fishing village. This morning we dinghied ashore, walked the village and purchased some lobster and mussels from the local seafood outlet.

Returning from the seafood outlet

There was a sailing flotilla in harbour, which was sailing from France to Quebec City for the 400th anniversary celebrations, and the returning home.

After returning to our boats, we watched the flotilla depart, and were glad we weren’t with them since conditions offshore were less than ideal. We weighed anchor and followed the flotilla out of the harbour. Our destination was Perce Rock.

Today is a special day. We are travelling to Perce Rock, one of Canada's most photographed land marks. It is time for Susann to get a check mark on on her “bucket list” – to see Perce Rock up close and personal!

That is "Lionheart" peeking through the hole in the rock.
 We toured both the front and back side of this awe inspiring hunk of rock located just offshore from the town of Perce. In fact, one can walk out to the rock from the beach at low tide. It is the size of several large city blocks.

After viewing Perce Rock, we circumnavigated Ile de Bonneventure, a nesting sanctuary for the white northern gannets, located just offshore from the town of Perce.  Mid July means that many of the chicks have hatched and are being protected in the nests by the female birds, while the male birds are busy searching the sea for seaweed or fish to feed the family. Once the male returns with a beak full of food, the colony bursts into a loud uproar.

Beyond the gannets there are common murres, razorbills, and puffins, which brings the total number of nesting birds on Bonaventure to about 250,000.

One can visit the island by ferry and take a two-mile to the gannet nesting site. The gannet nesting site is well staffed with park rangers who supply information and make sure that the close human/bird interaction is not stressful to the birds. It is amazing how little fear the birds have of humans, who are seen as a non-threatening presence.
The sea at the eastern edge of the Gaspe Peninsula is a whale-rich environment, where the land drifts off to a substantial open ocean. In fact, the word Gaspe comes from the language of the local Amerindian tribe, the Micmacs. Their word "gespeg" meant "land's end." We did not encounter any whales today, but one of our buddy boats spotted a "basking shark" on the water

“Kaos” & “Lionheart” opted to spend the night at anchor in the Chandler Harbor. Once inside, it was quite rolly, but we hoped that as the evening progressed the wind and swell would subside. Susann was cooking up the two lobsters purchased that morning, and since it can be a messy meal, we decided to dine up on the fly bridge where we could enjoy the view and fresh air. The rolling continued and every so often, we would have to grab our wine glasses and hold on to them, which made it more difficult to crack the lobsters and certainly made dining a lot less enjoyable. It was the last straw as Alan’s wine glass toppled, throwing white wine all over him; he hoisted the anchor and tried to move closer to the breakwater without success, so we headed into the marina. Once docked, we learned that you cannot anchor in the harbor on Saturday evenings since a large cruise ship arrives at about 10:00pm. With that information, we called “Lionheart” and they too moved into the marina. It is a nice marina, reasonably priced at $1.00 per foot. There is 30 amp power at some docks and others with 15 amps. There is also a seafood restaurant on site.

Tadoussac to Riviere de Madleleine

July 11, 2008

Early breakfast aboard “Lionheart” (Richard’s blueberry pancakes and corned beef hash) to discuss possible travel plans. The winds were strong from the west and veering to northwest. The collective decision was to remain in port. Following breakfast, the winds started to abate, and two smaller sail boats departed the dock. After studying the satellite weather and determining that winds were diminishing and seas starting to lay down, Captain “Kaos” decided we would cast off our lines and go out and give it a try, with Riviere Madeline as our destination, about a 55 mile run.

Once out of the harbor and the bay, seas settled to less than two feet, coming from the northwest, winds were light and the sun was shining. Once under way, we received up to a three knot push from the currant, which increased our speed without increasing our fuel consumption, so all in all it was a great day to travel.

We anchored inside the rock break wall and spent a quiet evening.



July 10, 2008 Ste. Anne des Monts

Great cooked breakfast in town, and very reasonably priced. Grocery stores are about a three block walk and internet is available in the building housing the cinema, just next door to the SAQ (Quebec liquor store). Unfortunately internet service is only available from 3:00 – 8:00pm.
After that substantial breakfast, we walked the waterfront and admired some of the unique driftwood carvings along the route.

Weather day spent in St. Anne des Monts. Winds gusting to 40 knots. Strong winds overnight as cold front passed.



July 9, 2008

In the company of “Lionheart” and “Pacific Pixie” we departed Rimouski at 4:30am for the 103 mile trip to Saint Anne des Monts. Although slightly warmer than yesterday, it was another cool, misty day. The cruise guides indicated that regardless of departure time, we should experience up to a two knot push from the rear. The winds were forecast to be from the south west and combined with the anticipated push from currant, we expected a good cruising day. Once out of the harbor we found the wind blowing from the north east and a head currant – not what we wanted. We encountered a lot of large swell which later developed into chop causing a lot of pitching and making for a less than comfortable ride. Pacific Pixie decided to pull into Matane, while “Kaos” and “Lionheart” elected to continue, hoping conditions would become more favorable, which they did for some of the trip. After an eleven hour run, expending more fuel than usual; we arrived at the St. Anne des Monts harbor of refuge, where we tied up for an early night and some much needed sleep.
Showers and laundry facilities are available at the marina, but no fuel or pump-out. Dockage was ninety cents per foot.


July 8, 2008

This morning was cool and cloudy as we departed Tadoussac Harbor, heading for Rimouski on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. As we crossed the bay, we saw the back and dorsal fin on a couple of whales, most likely minke or fin whales. It appeared that they were feeding and just surfacing occasionally for air. There were no spectacular breaches today.

The St. Lawrence is a large body of water, and is very deep and cold, likely about 50 – 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Without the sun, the air temperature continued to drop as we headed further from land. As the rain started, we began adding layers of sweaters and jackets to stay warm. Amidst the mist and rain, we have seen numerous seals pop their head above the water to look and see what we were all about. Unfortunately the weather was not conducive for taking photos.
Rimouski Harbor was a welcome sight, and upon arrival, we found the locals to be friendly and helpful, despite our limited use of the French language. A female dock hand spoke English and was helpful. The local high school english teacher welcomed the opportunity to converse in English and was happy to drive the captains into town for some needed parts.
We had an excellent seafood dinner in the marina restaurant.

July 4, 2008

Cast off lines at 5:30 am for departure to Tadoussac, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, at the mouth of the Saguenay River. It was a beautiful sunny morning as we departed Basin Louise; a fitting farewell with the sun shining on the Chateau Frontenac and the old town as a back drop to the tall ships - Bluenose II and the Beleem.
The seas were calm and we were treated to some stunning scenery along the route

 By mid afternoon, the wind strengthened to about 10 knots from the southwest, creating wind against tide, which is never a good scenario. As we approached the entrance channel into Tadoussac, the situation was intensified with the wind funneling straight down the Saguenay Fjord, causing a boiling effect on the sea and strong rip currents.

The winds continued to freshen to about 30 knots from the south west giving us a rough ride coming into the harbour. As we fought our way into the entrance to Tadoussac Harbor, a whale (likely a minke or fin) jumped completely out of the water alongside of us and did a three quarter twist before re-entering the water. It happened so suddenly, it took a second or so to register. We could clearly see the pointed head, black back and white belly, and guessed that it might be about fifteen to twenty feet in length (about the size of a small boat). Two others then jumped around the boat but conditions were not suitable to quickly get the camera.

Since the weather was not great and we were all tired from the challenge of the last two hours of travel, it was decided that the annual Fourth of July hamburgers aboard “Lionheart” would be postponed. A quiet night was spent aboard.

July 5, 2008
Tadoussac is a charming village of about1000 inhabitants, but the population grows significantly during the summer when tourists flock to see the whales and visit the Saguenay Fjord. Tadoussac Bay is known as one of the worlds thirty most beautiful bays.

Tides range between twelve and eighteen feet so be sure to anchor well off shore or you will find your boat high and dry at low tide.

 We dinghied into town to find the post office and visit the whale interpretive center. Here we learned that the beluga whale is the only whale able to turn its head. They feed just outside of the harbour at the mouth of the Saguenay River. Boats are not permitted to come within 1200 feet of the belugas, and if they approach a boat, it must stop until the whale dives or moves away. Apparently studies have concluded that if boats come close to the whales, they shorten their dive time and consequently receive less nourishment, which may impact their winter survival when they migrate south.

We departed Tadoussac shortly after noon, heading up the Saguenay to Baie Eternitie, about thirty miles away. Once in the mouth of the Saguenay, we spotted several belugas. The adults are white and are easy to see on the surface, even at a distance when the waters are calm.
As we progressed past the mouth, and up into the Saguenay River, we did not see any more whales. The scenery up the fjord was magnificent. The river was wide with huge granite mountains on either side.

Cap Eternitie  and Cap Trinitie guard the entrance to Baie Eternitie, the most beautiful spot on the fjord. We arrived shortly before five in the afternoon, and were able to pick up a mooring ball for two nights (it is to deep to anchor).

Wow! What a beautiful place.
We were invited aboard Lionheart for cocktails with Sue, Richard,  Ed  and Barbara (Pacific Pixie).
It was time to kick back and absorb this gorgeous scenery while we celebrated a belated Fourth of July with a cocktail and Richard’s burgers.



July 6, 2008

Today the skies were clear and the sun was shining. It was a perfect day for a little exploration of the bay by dinghy. We picked up Sue and Richard and headed to the park dock to register and pay our mooring fee and took this opportunity to dispose of our garbage. A picnic lunch had been prepared and enjoyed at the base of one of the many waterfalls cascading down the base of the mountains and into the bay.

The black flies were out in abundance today, and despite being covered with repellent, they were pesky and biting. Perhaps they too appreciated some warmer temperatures and sunshine. After lunch we continued our exploration by water.

July 7, 2008
As usual, all good things must end. It was time to depart Baie Eternitie and head south, back to Tadoussac. There was a weather warning for strong south westerly winds until midnight. That said, we wanted to be anchored back in Tadoussac Bay before the wind funneled down the Saguenay fjord. Once at anchor, we dinghied ashore to find the grocery store and later enjoyed dinner aboard Lionheart with good friends.

Touring Quebec City & Area

July 3, 2008 Quebec City Celebrates it's 400th Anniversary

Today is the big day, Quebec's 400th birthday. We awoke to torrential rain, which continued all morning. As a result, we passed on attending the official opening ceremonies with the politicians and dignitaries. The weather kept some of us away but did not dampen the city's enthusiasm. The rain subsided late afternoon and by evening the skies cleared in time for the fireworks extravaganza; the largest display in Canada's history. Spectacular it was. and for us a fitting end to a fabulous few days in this magnificent city.

C'est une bonne soiree!

Bonne Fete Quebec

July 2, 2008

We  spent today playing tourist in this majestic city, steeped in history, and now celebrating its 400th anniversary. The day started with a bus tour through both the old city and Le Vieux Port (old sea port) to view the visiting Tall Ships. 

Quebec City has done a superb job of maintaining it's history and culture, and at times it was hard to believe that this is North America and not an old, quaint town in Europe. Our driver/tour guide was extremely knowledgeable   and kept us on schedule. During the afternoon we took a mini bus tour of the countryside north of Quebec City, where our stops included a walk about at Montmorency Falls, which overlook the St. Lawrence Seaway. At 250', the falls are higher than Niagara Falls, which are much wider and appear more grandiose.

Our ride took us on a rather eclectic tour into the farm country and a series of stops which included a chocolate factory, an old country bakery, some farms, fruit stands.
The final stop was a visit to St.-Anne-de-Beaupre Basillica. A magnificent and very large Catholic Cathederal, where many infirm claim to have been healed by a miracle.

This is evidenced by the large display of crutches and canes etc., left by the recipients of the miracle.

Canada Day in Quebec City

July 1, 2008 “Canada Day”


Today is Canada Day and after two busy days of sightseeing, we opted to spend a quiet day aboard the boat. Susann & Sue walked to Metro grocery store (about a fifteen minute walk from the marina) to re-provision. Laden with provisions, we took taxi back to marina, a good deal at just $5.50.

To celebrate Canada Day, we invited fellow “Loopers” – “Lionheart”, “Gandalf”, “Tortola”, “Pacific Pixie” and fellow AGLCA member Al Levesque, the Commodore for Club Nautique Le Vieux Port (local yacht club) and his wife France for happy hour aboard “Kaos”. As usual, this became an extended happy hour with a great exchange of information taking place. Vivre le Canada! A great time was had by all. We were all tired and did not make it to see the fireworks, which didn’t begin until after 11:30pm.

Quebec City

June 30, 2008


Today is our eldest son, Adrian’s 40th birthday. We thought of him and had a birthday toast at happy hour. He was vacationing and celebrating at a friend’s private island in the Abacos, Bahamas.
The sun was shining and it was a wonderful warm day. We walked this great city and took a calesh (horse and carriage) guided tour ride through the old city, Battlefield Park and Plains of Abraham.

Prior to our guided tour of the Chateau Frontenac, we enjoyed a cool beverage out on the hotel's terrace, where we enjoyed the breeze, some shade and the outstanding view of the St. Lawrence River and the mountains in the distance.

Towering above the St. Lawrence Rivers, the historic Chateau Frontenac is part of Québec City's history and culture, and serves as the city’s most notable landmark. The hotel was built to provide early rail travelers with a comfortable place to overnight and enjoy a good meal before continuing their journey the following day.

The tour lasted a little over an hour and was most interesting. There are many wonderful rooms; that if walls could talk, would surely have some interesting tales to tell. The ballroom was magnificent with its painted dome ceiling and glistening chandeliers. The most noted room in the hotel is the “Pink Room”, smaller than the ballroom; it housed a meeting between President Roosevelt & Britain’s Prime Minister Churchill during WWII. The entire hotel was shut down and taken over for these high level historic meetings.
Most of the public rooms have a commanding view of the river. The name Quebec comes from the a word from an Amerindian language (Kebak) and means “narrowing of the river”. The narrowest part of the St. Lawrence is in front of the hotel Chateau Frontenac.

Fatigued from a busy day of sightseeing, these weary travelers stumbled down the hill to the old port. Hot and thirsty, we needed some cool refreshment and found the Moss hotel on Rue St. Paul, not far from the marina. We decided it was time to stop and rest on the outdoors patio. After ordering some cold Belgian beers, we learned that their specialty was mussels, cooked fourteen different ways. This was too good to pass up so we opted to share two orders, and call it dinner, Mmmmm, they were scrumptious!

Porte Neuf to Quebec City

June 29, 2008


Shortly after departing Porte Neuf, we passed the sailing vessel “Lois McClure”. She is a replica of an 1860’s canal type of boat that once sailed the Lake Champlain area, and was re-created by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. She was on her way to Quebec City as part of the Tall Ships display, celebrating the city’s 400th anniversary.

It was a rough travel day with rain, forty knot winds from the north east creating wind against current, and a rough ride for everyone. Weather was not conducive for the Lois McClure to sail, so as we passed her, they were setting up a tow bridle and their tug would tow her into Quebec City.

We arrived in Quebec City about noon. After transiting through the lock into the marina, we were given our slip assignment, and after tying up we set off to explore the old city. We walked much of the old port and city, stopped for refreshments at a terrasse and took the funicular railway up to the Chateau Frontenac and the upper town.

We dined in one of the many bistro style restaurants and had foie gras (goose liver) which we expected to be pate, but was in fact just the liver. At $22.00, it was a tasty morsel shared amongst the four of us. Cheese fondue was a specialty of the house so we opted for that as main course. It was something different, not my favorite, however it was enjoyable and fun. Wine, company and ambiance made the evening.

Trois Rivieres to Porte Neuf

June 28, 2008


At just before 06:00, we cast off the lines to heading 32 miles from Trois Rivieres to Porte Neuf. The early departure was to allow us travel with a favorable current, which warranted our departure six hours prior to low tide in Quebec City for a vessel traveling at speeds of 8 – 9 knots. It was a cool, cloudy and breezy start to the day. Initially we had a tail current of two knots which later increased to a 5 knot push as we approached the Richelieu Rapids, with our instrumentation showing a top speed of 16.3 knots. Our usual cruise speed is between 7 & 8 knots, so for a short while, we were really flying. With the price of diesel fuel at $6.00 per gallon, any push from a favorable current was greatly appreciated.

Today we also had a strong head wind from the north east, pushing against the current and creating some significant waves and spray in certain parts of the river.

In this segment of the St. Lawrence Seaway, you will encounter a significant number of large commercial and ocean going vessels, which travel faster than most trawlers, so always be mindful and watchful of large vessels rapidly approaching from behind.

Once we were securely tied to the dock at Porte Neuf, Susann & Sue walked into the village looking for a mailbox, and Alan and Richard set off on marina bikes in search of freshly baked baguette. We both met with success, and returned to the boats for a quiet afternoon. Susann did some laundry at the marina and met a couple of ladies who were sailing aboard the tall ship “Lois McClure” and bound for Quebec City.

We had planned to dine at La Littoral, the marina restaurant (highly recommended in the cruising guides), but did not make a reservation and were told they were totally booked up when we arrived (even though all the tables were empty at 5:30). They made no effort to accommodate us at a later hour. We returned to the boats and enjoyed an impromptu meal of very tasty appetizers and wine aboard “Kaos”. All in all, it was a fun evening despite the heavy rain.

Trois Rivieres to Porte Neuf

June 27, 2008


Today was a fairly short travel day with a 30 mile run to Trois Rivieres, where we again met up with our friends aboard “Lionheart”. Once safely docked at the marina; pizza, salad & sunset were enjoyed on the back deck of “Lionheart”.

Jacques Cartier and Samuel Champlain both stopped here during their early voyages of discovery. The town was originally known for the manufacture of birch canoes during the time of the voyageurs, and later was world renown for its iron works, which included cannons and cannon balls. In the 1930’s Trois Rivieres was the largest paper producing region of the world, and one can still smell the pungent aroma of the paper mill adjacent to the marina. Thankfully, environmental controls etc. have substantially improved modern day paper mills and the odors they emit.

The marina was large and offered laundry facilities (one washer and dryer), showers, beach and pool. The employees were most helpful and attentive.

Down East Loop 2008 (New York to New York)

June 22, 2008
We cleared Canadian Customs at Lacolle QC, just outside of Rousse’s Point NY. Clearance was simple and fast. We pulled up to the Customs dock and took our passports, Nexus cards and boat documents inside. We were back underway in less than five minutes.
Our destination was the town dock at St. Jean sur Richelieu. We stopped at the marina before tying up to the wall since we were in need of having our holding tank pumped out. It was Sunday, mid morning and the marina was closed. This seemed strange. The pump out hose was on the dock along with a gas operated pump. Alan fired up the pump, primed it and proceeded to pump out our tank. Thankfully, everything worked and we were good to go for a few more days.
After tying up to the town wall, we went for a walking tour through town and came upon a local drumming band giving a free performance in the waterfront park. Quite a good crowd had gathered, but was quickly scattered as torrential rain started to fall.
We took refuge in one of the restaurants across the street where we had a snack and glass of wine since we had missed lunch. We met two delightfully friendly and helpful local women, one of whom spoke English and gave us lots of information and restaurant recommendations.
The next morning we departed St. Jean on the first north bound lock through at 8:30am. We were bound for Chambly, but first had six locks and numerous low swing bridges to go through. The ChamblyCanal was very pretty, but extremely narrow and shallow for the first nine miles between lock 9 and lock 8.

We discovered that it was not necessary to radio each bridge since the bridge tenders advised the next one of our impending arrival, and as we approached each bridge, it would open for us,

It rained on and off for a good part of the day. We arrived at the Chambly town dock around noon and had to mop up water off the galley floor after a water hose clamp came off. Thankfully Susann noticed it and was able to turn off the fresh water pump, which cut off the water supply. Unfortunately she noticed the problem just as we were entering the first of five consecutive locks, which meant we were committed to locking through and cleanup would have to wait. Just another fun day of boating!

We docked at the town wall in Chambly and after cleaning up our flood, we walked the town in search of somewhere for lunch. Several places were closed since it was Monday but we found “Les Grillades Fort” overlooking the river and just a short walk from the boat.
It is customary for many Quebecers to have their main meal of the day around noon, and most restaurants offer a table d’hote, which is a pre-set full meal, complete with appetizer, main course and dessert. Susann had the chef’s home made pate to start and Alan had escargots with basil and garlic. Both were exceptional. For the main course Susann decided to be adventurous and had rabbit stuffed with pork and sun dried tomatoes. Alan chose to be conservative and had the grilled sausages with home style French fries with house mayonnaise. Dessert was fresh fruit with yogurt. It was all delicious and enjoyed with some nice red wine. Service was professional, friendly and polished.
We joined fellow “Loopers” Joe & Arvilla aboard their boat “Our Villa” for Happy Hour and were later joined by Connie and Bernie from “Distant Shores.”
Today, June 24th is St.Jean Baptiste Day (Quebec’s national holiday). We spent the day tied to the town wall in Chambly.
It was the first day without rain in over a week. Being a Quebec holiday, cyclists were out in droves on the paths lining the canal. They ranged from the serious cyclist dressed in all the appropriate gear to young families towing their babies behind their bikes.
Whenever the bridge opened to allow boats to enter or exit the lock, traffic backed up on either side of the river, and I’m sure that without exaggeration, there could be between 100 and 125 cyclists waiting to cross the bridge, along with the cars.
We walked to Fort Chambly and enjoyed the park. Chambly is a pretty town with lots of interesting restaurants and ice cream shops (Quebecers love their soft ice cream).

Just behind the town wall, there is a large, well stocked supermarket “Maxi”. Beer and wine are available there also. It is no more than a five minute walk from the lock wall.

Happy hour was enjoyed aboard “Kaos” with “Loopers” from four other boats (Bella Luna, Segue, Distant Shores and Prime Time) all of whom we had not met before.

June 25, 2008

We departed Chambly at about 10:00am on the second down bound (north bound) lock through, and transited the flight of 3 locks down into the Richelieu River. It was a short travel day, less than 10 miles to an anchorage behind the north end of Ile de Jeannot at mile 25.8. We dinghied back seven miles south to tour the old town of Beloeil and have lunch on one of the waterfront terrasses. There is a courtesy dock for visiting boats dining at the local restaurants. This is a very picturesque and charming part of the Richelieu River, and it is rich with gourmet dining spots.