Montreal here we come!

Hi F and F,

What yet another sunny day! This was just a 3 hour trip today.We passed more industrial docks and also saw the MSC Nora docked just before we reached Montreal.

Current was a bit fierce at times!

Just before the Old Port of Montreal we tried to get fuel at Longueuil .(The Yacht Club Montreal Marina doesn't do fuel.) But we found out as did many other boats , it was closed due to a spillage. Graeme attaches a specially designed plastic bottle over the overflow on the side of the boat to catch any diesel before it hits the water. I guess someone had overfilled his tank and caused the problem.

We headed back out and encountered a strong current which was at least 6  knots . We then had some interesting moments trying to find the entrance to the Marina which was a small opening in a low breakwater and battle the current at the same time.Graeme did a great job steering and once inside , it was nice and calm and we soon tied up at a lovely slip. This Marina also has a nice set up and I suspect there may be some live aboards here also. Just like Quebec.

We have decided to stay here for 4 nights .Lynne and John will be here for 2 nights before they head back home.

We all took a walk into Old Montreal after we had checked in .This city doesn't have the steep hills Quebec has and the old section is very close to the Marina. Seemed to be lots of activity and people wandering about.Back for cocktails and after checking with the Marina staff , we opted to go out to an Italian restaurant called Bevo for dinner and wine .We had no fish for a change , I chose veal and Graeme pork..John and Graeme insisted they needed a Dairy Queen Icecream experience after the meal,and then we wandered back in the light of the full moon to the boat.

Over and Out 

S and S 

Sorel Tracy (the entrance also to the Richelieu River which takes you to Lake Champlain and New York

Hi F and F, 

We left this morning on our five hour journey south .Again beautiful sunny weather and little wind.Current to bad at all and later the Lake was pretty calm.

Just before we left ,a large tanker ship called MSC  Nora passed by so we knew at some point we would be overtaking this large vessel further down the line! This passing required some finesse , but Graeme had been taught well how to do it for John our Aussie mate!

This was the beacon at the entrance to Portneuf!

Also several industrial plants along the way before reaching Lac St Pierre.

Plus our dock mates from last night in this cute boat!

Also of course being a Saturday lots of fishermen out trying their luck!

With our wake we as you know have to be careful not to tip these guys out of their boats!

Arrived in about 4 pm to the Marina and the treasurer of the YC guided us in to a nice quiet slip, then offered to drive us to the supermarket to get our baguette to have with our Cassoulet for diner tonight.

We offered him a drink at cocktail hour but he was too busy.

Graeme made up some white Sangrias  ,which soon had us all in a happy mood!

 Lovely evening passing time in the cockpit.

Over and Out, 

S and S 

Portneuf, heading south again.

Hi Fand F, 

Well so far we have had 10 days of nonstop sunshine and good weather!

Today was no different and we checked out the currents and found a favorable time to depart so we had the currents going with us.

 This meant we left just before 2 pm . So Lynne and I decided to check out the baby and children's store called Benjo we had seen while riding on the bus tour. It was a short walk away.

Indeed this store proved to be amazing.We could have spent hours in there now we are both grandmothers and have a feel for these things! They had items from all over the world for sale.

 Picked up fresh baguettes. (are so good here ) and back to the boat for lunch and to get ready for our 2 pm departure .We entered back through the lock system and onto the St Lawrence Seaway and arrived at the little Harbour of Portneuf just over 2 hours later It was an easy run.When we arrived no one was around so we just picked a slip we thought looked suitable and docked.

Later two guys turned up, apologized for not being there , they had been out sailing.

Got the necessary wifi code , keys for the facilities and gate. The office lady was due in at 5 pm to take our money for the slip charge for the night.

Later we went for an early evening walk and saw a very pretty sunset. The Marina restaurant had been given big recommendations, so we booked there for dinner and indeed had a very good meal before turning in for the night.

Over and Out, 

S and S.

Quebec City

Hi F and F, 

Well we have had a fabulous time in Quebec, joined by our friends Lynne and John .

We did have one full day on our own first and were able to check out the city.We walked up the steep hills into the old city and also managed a visit to the Beaux Art Museum which was wonderful.They had an special exhibition of Japan inspiration ,looking at East and Western  Artists And the Allure of Japan.

Monet  and Van Gogh were particularly fond of Japanese art and it was the art blocking and the Japanese themes of family and nature which drew many artists in the west to copy Japanese styles. Back to the boat for lunch and decided we were very impressed with the marina of the old port.Amazing floating fock system and everything well organised..In fact many people spend the whole summer here on their  boats .Cost about $3,000 dollars for five months Not bad  when you have the backdrop of this beautiful city and all the amenities  they offer.

We walked so much today I recorded 18,000 steps on the Fitbit Blair gave me!

Next day  , after Lynne and John had arrived we explored the city via the Funnicular that went up the side of the city wall near the Frontenac Hotel , then headed off to try the L'Entrecote restaurant for dinner.This is one of our favorite restaurants in Paris, France.A set formula of salad, steak and frites followed by profiteroles .

Sadly  not quite the same as we were used to ,but pretty good. Many restaurants try to copy the style often missing the mark

Following day we took the hop on hop off bus and had a wonderful time touring the whole city.

Later having  gone back to the boat for lunch , we decided to venture out again and head back on the bus , one of the stops was close by the Marina.We stopped at the Ceil Revolving Restaurant, and got out on the 27 th floor .We had afternoon tea and took in some great views of the city. Dinner later was onboard with the last of our Lets Dish meals.

Last full day, after a leisurely breakfast  we again went off to explore the city and particularly the 

Museum of the Ursulines of Quebec.This  convent is the oldest thing order in the country. Started in1639,by three French nuns who came over from France. It was a place for nuns to take the order and then become teachers . The programmes they offered were  ahead of the times and they still exist today providing a sound educational system for children from pre K to 6 th Grade. We were very impressed with the way it was run and the museum as well.

Later in the evening we headed off to a restaurant Graeme and I had spied on our walk on the first day, called Bistro du Cap. It was a small and cosy place and the food was excellent.It was one of our best meals on the trip and the owner was friendly and efficient .Even the other dining guests started up conversations with us. A short walk back to the Marina past the lock system was an added bonus. The grain silos which sit at the edge of the Marina were  lit in a green color .Each night we have had a different color scheme. It sort of softens the look and provided us with something interesting to look at.Of course the views of the city at night on the other side were spectacular . We never got sick of that!

Over and Out, 

S and S.

Time off for four days in Quebec with Lynne and John

Hi F and F, 

So now I get a break from blogging! Time to welcome our friends Lynne and John onboard.They will be with us for  a week leaving after we visit Montreal together.

But here ar a couple of photos to keep you going!

Over and Out, 

S and S

Onto Quebec City

Hi F and F, 

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

Cap L 'Aigue ( Eagle Cape)

hi F and F, 

Yet another sunny day here on the St Lawrence !

We left early so we could get some time in Charlevoix today.I had a hankering to go back to the Hotel Richlelieu we had been to with Barbara and Stephen.some years ago.

 Started with a 2 to 3  ft chop and then it would be smooth waters at other times, currents and wind have that effect here. About an hour into our trip Graeme spotted two whales We think they were Minke whales , grey with white under bellies.I was  reading at the time so missed the whole thing!

But a hour after that we were rewarded with the sighting of several pods of the endangered White

Beluga whales. As there was a few white caps around you could almost mistake them for not being whales.But we slowed way down and I was able to get a few distant photos Some were traveling with their young ,they are usually grey in color. Very exciting to finally see some whales.

Easy docking at Cap L 'Aigue  although the entry was a bit hard to see at first.We needed to be careful with the large rock breakwater and the narrow entrance. Wisely Graemeis always cautious going into new harbours. 

The dock master was very helpful and arranged a bus to pick us up and take us through the local towns and then onto the Hotel Richelieu at 2.30 pm and the pick us up again at 5.30 pm the deal was $5 each thee and back! A real deal.

Perfect! Also he recommended the Swiss style restaurant here at the Port de Refuge de Cap a L 'Ailge Marna for dinner tonight. Bistro de Refuge.

Also Graeme had met a couple when checking in and they were very keen for us to join their table at 

6 pm .When we got to the Hotel I suggested to check out the Casino and put a $20 down on he roulette wheel.Graeme picked number 5 and won so we cashed in with $44 .That would pay for the afternoon tea!

Walked around the hotel and  the wonderful views on this now gorgeous calm sunny day.

I got to have my afternoon tea with five little cakes and Graeme some Rose wine out on the outside terrace. We checked out the little boutiques afterwards and did a bit of people watching while waiting for the bus.

Back to the Marina then off to the restaurant..We four had a prime table by the window and the food was excellent. Teresa spoke no English , but Bruno did speak some.Most of the evening was in French. It was a very fun evening. We plan to go together down to Quebec tomorrow  and will leave depending on he usual wind and currents,

.Off to bed after another lovely day.

Over and Out, 

S and S

Castine our next spot 

Hi F and F

Well Mt Desert was wonderful , I could easily have spent several more days here!

But time to move on or in this case back down the coast, to Castine.

Slight hiccup to start as Graeme started the engines to warm them up I noticed  out the back a lobster pod line which seemed attached to our boat! 

Engines were stopped and we tried to figure out how to loosen the line and the big yellow ball which had gone under the boat.We feared it had caught around the prop as it didn't want to come loose.However help was at hand and a nice young man came out from Hinckley's Marina in a dingy and unhooked it.Seems it was caught in the freedom lift. What a relief that was!

I pulled up the mooring ball and we were off at 9.30 am.Graeme took the lead as Roger had his turn last time. The benefit of being behind the lead boat is you don't have to be so vigilant about the lobster pots , the person in front does the work for you.Once we got to the Eggenmoggin Reach we saw less pots and in the end it was a breeze especially as we had following seas and it was fairly sheltered being on an inside passage.We passed lots of lovely big homes perched on the cliffs overlooking the water. Wonder who buys these homes and if they are there only in the  summertime. We went under one tall bridge , the first one we have encountered since leaving New York.We arrived at Eaton's Boat Yard to find our new friends Susan and Chris from Boston tied up with their 48 Sabre on the long dock.With a bit of juggling ,we got our two boats parked in front of  them.Originally we had been told we would be rafting up .

So that was perfect , and side ties are  my favorite dock setting! Rain had started to settle in and continued throughout the afternoon .Graeme and I decide to set off to explore the town and made a lovely walk up the hill visiting the Maine Maritime Academy buildings.Ths academy offers undergraduate and graduate degrees , and has a large 500 ft long  ship they use for training purposes in the harbor. Makes sense for kids to go here with so much water based activity in the region. We also checked out the few little stores including the T and C Grocery store, and also the lovely old homes , churches and school buildings. Th rain was persistent and feeling rather damp we decided to call it quits and headed back for the boat.

At 7 pm we rallied Linda and Roger for the short walk to the nearby restaurant called Dennett's Wharf.

As you can imagine lots of fresh seafood is served here.

Back to the boats and fortunately the ramp leading to our boat was now level .There is a 10 ft tidal difference .It had been a steep climb up the ramp earlier in the day.

Still rain and wind so nice to go back to our cosy boats for the rest of the evening.

Over and Out, 

S and S