Another beautiful day today sunny but wind up quite a bit.So again made the decision to wait til wind dropped some. We decided with our new Quebec friends Theresa and Bruno to travel together as they we going to a Marina very close to the Old Port Marina . It was at a cost as the currents were less favorable at 2 pm when we headed off , but this was offset for us by the lack of wind and we had the power to get through any currents we believed.
Theresa and Bruno came on board for a quick tea and coffee , Graeme and Bruno discussed the route and then we had a look at their dear wee boat .Maybe 30 ft in length , but they could pack a lot into the space.They had also done the Down East loop but in the other direction when they had a bigger boat.
We did find some interesting currents along the journey , sometimes going with us and sometimes
( mostly ) against us , but really nothing bad at all. Sticking closer to the shore was often a good idea especially as the depth was good. We passed Petite Rivière St Francois ski fields.You could see the chairlifts and runs cut through the trees.Soon be time for locals to get kitted for their ski season.This has the highest skiable slopes in Quebec .
We were passed by two large tankers heading North and a few Dolphins .At Pointe aux Petres we passed a large bird sanctuary.This place is an important stopover for about 10, 000 snow geese on their north/ south migration to and from the Artic. We saw quite a few of the white geese and also a huge flock of black birds resting near the marsh area.
Then onto the bridge straddled across the Ile d'Orleans and mainland and our first views of the Quebec City skyline.
The sun was starting to get ready to set and it was a wonderful sight.
Just before the bridge on our right was the Montmorency Falls , I was armed and ready with my camera for that.These Falls are 78 meters high , higher than the Niagara Falls by 30 meters.
As we rounded the corner heading for the entrance to the Old Port Marina and we said goodbye to our new boating friends .They headed a little further down the river.
The entrance of the Marina was not easy to find especially as the light was fading. Just looked like a solid concrete wall.
We slowed down and found the entrance into the first of the Louise basins.There we waited on a floating dock for the lock gates to open and were given our slip assignment .Handily there was a map on the floating dock so you could see exactly where your slip was situated.
I think the water level went up 14 ft and we sailed on through to a tranquil Marina where we saw the old Quebec skyline all lit up and realized this journey was all worth it! We found our dock and fortunately there was a young guy waiting there able to help us tie up.The Marina staff had left for the day so no check in or wifi til tomorrow. It was a 5 hour trip and the last part was quite twisty, plus we had the sun in our eyes , so we were pretty tired.Decided on a Lets Dish fish dinner and then off to bed.
Over and Out,
S and S
No comments:
Post a Comment