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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment