Author Archives: contessanada
Matane to Bas-Caraquet, NB
It is Thursday morning and it is a bright and sunny day with blue skies and crisp air announcing a perfect day for our trip going further east towards our next destination Bas-Caraquet in New Brunswick.
Our issue with the internet still has not been resolved so we have to wait till we reach our marina in order to do anything in relation to our internet connections.
As we are driving along this rugged coast of Gaspe Bay we have a couple encounters with a dolphin and a gray whale possibly a humpback as well as a sea otter peaking its head out of the water being nosy about who has entered it’s territory.
Before you know it we have the famous Perce Island and Bonaventure island in sight. And what a sight that is! As we get up close and personal we could easily examine and almost touch this ancient rock formation that at some point and by the power of mother nature created this phenomenon. There are two parts to this island of which the larger one has a window, an opening carved right through it.
The detail in the rock and the precision of the carving is simply a master piece. What a privilege it is to been able to come here on our beautiful Contessa and almost touch it.
Drifting along and around this magnificent creation and being able to take thousands of pictures of one od the most photographed rock formations in the world is quite something indeed.
Right next to it there lies the island of Bonaventure which is a bird sanctuary to the … seagulls that so majestically and usually in a squadron formation glide through the sky in many instances barely skimming the surface of the water. The north-western side of the island has these layers of rock so perfectly chiseled with ledges so much favored by these birds as well as the caves that are formed on this side of the island. The top of the rocks are covered by bird debris appearing as white snow as are the birds themselves all white with golden colored tips of their wings.
On the opposite side of the Bonaventure island the land is covered with meadows and evergreen trees amidst which there are fields of purple flowers crowning the sight. We see a few cottages on that side and have witnessed hiking trails along and above the colonies of birds in the cliffs of the north eastern side as well. It is National Geographic as alive and up close and personal as it can get.
As we leave this natural beauty behind and venture deeper into the Bay of Chagrin we slowly move to the more eastern side of this seemingly endless bay till we reach our marina at Bas-Caraquet. Here we encounter an unusual marina entrance that almost looks like an entrance to a labyrinth, just made of rock walls. The agile and elegant Contessa makes it into this small but well protected harbor. The next challenge is fuel. In order to accomplish this mission we have to back the boat into the fuel dock which lies directly at the boat launching ramp and in depth vise questionable water. Here, as in some other marinas the dock master is a woman Lou Divine and her young assistant who is maybe 14 or 15 years of age very accommodating and as helpful as can be. In order to assure us and themselves she comes running with a depth measuring pole in order to determine if we will be ok going that close to the ramp for our fuel. We make it and all is well! Thank God for that favor! 
This is a small town and no stores or restaurants in sight but the Contessa is an attraction for the locals who come to see her and take pictures.
Matane to Gaspe
It was a rainy night last night and the morning is a gray and foggy one. There is that damp chill in the air and we are ready for departure. Our run today is a short one but it takes us out into more of open water now fully influenced and fed by the northern Atlantic ocean. We have reached the point where the river ceases to be and the vastness of the ocean begins.
As we enter into the open waters we are greeted by big and long ground swells that are swaying the boat left and right till we turn and find ourselves more into the oncoming swells. This scenario is not a favorable one for me and definitely not one to go below at all. Looking out at the horizon and the beautiful shore lined with incredible master pieces of cliffs chiseled into forms and shapes of various nature, while revealing the exposed layers of millions of years into their creation, is a bit distracting for me.
As we move along this breath taking shore line so rugged revealing it’s true nature the skies are turning blue and the sun is coming through. If only the seas were not so rough we could go closer to investigate the crevices, caves and have an up-close picture of the majestic light house crowning the top of the turning point into the Bay of Gaspe. Nevertheless, the sights are spectacular and memorable. The other side of that rugged terrain presents itself as soft green rolling hills with meadows of purple flowers blooming and small towns emerging. As we move further into the Bay towards our resting point for tonight the swells give in and the calm waters begin. The view is just as spectacular and forever reaching. Here we even encounter an otter basking himself in the clear waters of the bay while observing the newcomers to it’s territory.
As we arrive at the marina and settle in for the night we also notice that our Canadian wifi has stopped working for us and it is very frustrating for now we only depend upon the wifi at each marina and those are very weak and you have to go to the marina building in order to connect. Keep that in mind for my blogs will be not timely any more till we have either resolved this issue or gotten to the US territory where we can connect again to the original wifi.
Since I am unable to add media at this point I promise to do so at a later date.
Till than greetings from Bay of Gaspe and than Bay de Chagrine, the Madlene islands and than Prince Edwrd island.
Matane to Rivere-Au-Renard
Our day starts early as indicated in the previous post. It is crucial to be able to exit the marina at high tide for at low tide there is absolutely no water at the entrance to the marina basin.
It is a bright and sunny day even at the early hours of 4:30 am. Engine check, oil check and of we go into a new day of adventure going east towards the Canadian Maritimes.
As we ride we pass by quaint little towns and large farms of windmills. As we learned they are about 1.5 mil each and locally produced. May the future of our planet be of more such items that generate clean energy utilizing natural resources that are available to all and should be free for all.
As the day progresses and we continue our journey going east, north-east we encounter the already witnessed catatonic winds coming down from the mountains and gusting through the valleys and on to the surface of the water beneath it at sudden gusts up to 30 – 40 knots creating confused seas and sudden drops in temperature. Thank God we are not on a sailboat through this encounter!
The coast line is beautiful and not very populated yet lined with mountain ranges in the background that gently slope down into each other while being covered with pine trees primarily, and yet showing quite a bit of erosion towards the coast line. It is impressive to see the different layers of soil and rock formed and layered on top of each other and finally topped with a rich dark coat of very fertile soil on which in lower areas dairy farms seem to exists amidst fishing villages.
Riviere-au-Renard (Fox River) has a major fishing fleet in their marina and their primary catch are Nordic shrimp which are small in size yet ah so sweet and tasty.
Riviere au Renard is a small town with a great marina thanks to the great shrimp fishing fleet that calls it their home base. A big part of the industry is fishing and processing. We took full advantage of that and delighted our taste buds on some fresh northern shrimp, muscles and local lobster. There is nothing better than real fresh seafood!
I hope I have intrigued your flavors for seafood and encourage you to come and taste it right here at it’s source! Bon nuit! Sweet dreams!
St Lawrence river and going east
Now a new chapter of our journey begins going further east towards the northern Atlantic and into the Canadian Maritimes. There are a few stops that we will make for it is a great distance that we have to cross. As we learned from some local mariners there are some lovely spots and areas with small towns to see and experience. This area will require very detailed planning for fuel is not readily available in most of these remote marinas that we are planning to stop in.
A new adventure is about to begin and may it be a great and safe one too!
It has been a long day on the water and not much of excitement for which I would say, thank you!
Most of our run was fighting the oncoming current of the incoming tide. The water has changed in consistency. It seems and reminds me more of ocean water from the residue of the spray which contains lots of salt. Nevertheless, as the day progressed it got warmer and it was actually pleasant to sit on the bow and enjoy the sun and the ride. I even got some yoga in which has not happened in a while. Contemplation, meditation and prayer is the task of the day.
A lovely lunch on the go and before you know it we have arrived at our destination for today, Matane. The area is known for windmill production and there is a whole valley full of them all along the river going towards Matane our resting place for tonight.
The entrance to the marina is amidst these two huge stone formed walls that guide and protect the channel going into the marina. Just before the bridge we make a hard turn to port side and enter the marina sitting in a well protected basin.
Once we arrived we could physically witness the incredible drop of the tide in the basin and later on at the beach itself. Climbing up the walkway from the marina became almost a rock climb or a slide going down. The beach broadened by the hour whereby at 8 pm at it’s lowest, the water had moved so far out to sea exposing a great deal of land with rocks, debris and grass all to the delight of the seagulls and children playing with the mineral laden rocks.
What a fabulous setting for a majestic sunset and that it was. A sunset and sunrise over water are spectacular and we had the privilege to witness both at Matane.
At the marina they have a replica of an original Viking boat that was built for a recent anniversary celebration held at Bay of Gaspe. Now it sits on land and is a nice addition to the marina’s display. Our dinner at the local restaurant Resto was lovely and the muscles as well as the north sea shrimp, which are of small size yet very sweet and tasty were our preferred choice of food tonight.
We also met Curtis a lonesome sailor that sail by himself all the way from the far end of Minnesota through the lakes and is heading to Maine. Quite impressive and courageous he is I must say. 
Since our marina and the area are so connected to the extreme tides we have to plan an early departure, therefore an early evening of rest too.
As we go to rest our Contessa is literally sitting in mud till the water returns and she can easily float away at 4:30 am.
Bay Eternite
It is a crisp and sunny morning just about 56 F and water temp on surface showing as 57.8 F a bit windy and the surface of the river looks choppy.
There is a phenomenon that we experienced here late yesterday afternoon and its called the Katabatic wind and coastal effect. It is a wind that initially is a land breeze that at night blows down a valley and out through it’s mouth. The deeper and broader the valley the more violent the wind will be. Last evening we experienced gusts up to 40 nm. All the boats in the marina were rocking substantially. Our Contessa seemed to take it the best but the others were primarily sailboats which are prone to lots of rocking anyway.
We all met early this morning and went to experience crepes for breakfast at a newly opened creperie run by a young man from Bretagne, France. The crepes are made of bulgar wheat and taste deliciously.
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After breakfast we slowly make our way through a narrow passage in the marina at low tide and a strong west north/west wind pushing us but by the grace of God and with our admiral at the helm and all hands on deck we made it through safely and soundly. From here on we drove further up the Saguenay river deeper into the fjord of Saguenay while measuring depth of 800 and 900 feet below our boat while passing by cliffs and mountains measuring up to 1000 or more feet into the sky.
Each turn in the river exposed more beautiful sights than the previous. The culmination was when we reached the point of the Bay de Eternite where the river broadens and cuts into an oncoming valley on the western side gently rolling into the deep cold waters creating an valley of peace and pure untouched beauty. There is a camping site in the bay welcoming souls that seek such peace and solitude while kayaking through the deep waters of the bay and possibly encountering some moose that love to come to drink of this nutrient rich waters and the green grass covering it’s shore. 
In the mid 1800 a businessman traveling in the fjord got caught in the icy waters and he claims that Mother Mary saved him from drowning and freezing to death. Out of gratitude he erected in her honor a large statue of the beautiful Madonna to whom so feverishly he prayed and who saved him from certain death. I must say she has a beautiful spot high up there on these incredible rocky mountain from where she with her arms spread out reaches to all the travelers crossing these ancient waters of the Canadian fjord.
We crossed in front of her today and most certainly felt her blessing coming upon us from far above and yet so close.
Quickly we returned back to the delta at Tadoussac where we encountered several beluga sightings but no close encounters like yesterday and so we returned to our marina at Tadoussac where after a nice lunch on the boat our friends Sabrina and Stephan left us to return back to Montreal and prepare for a new week at work. It was a pleasure having them with us again and we wish them a safe drive home while we prepare for our crossing to the Sothern side of the St Laurence river and move further east towards Matane and onward towards the delta of the great St. Lawrence river.
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Saguenay River to L’Anse-Saint-Jean
The morning started of in perfect condition as most of our mornings have so far. Skies are blue, sun is shining, waters are calm and the winds are fair. Our friends Sabrina and Stephan have driven all the way from Montreal to spend the weekend with us on this special leg of our journey going up the Saguenay river and experience some special encounters with our ancient yet so magnificent beings, lovingly called ‘gentle giants’, the whales.
Just as we slip out of our marina in Tadoussac there they are, the beluga whales. The white coated bubbly, always smiling faces full of curiosity are in sight. As we spot them, they also spot us and gently but eagerly swim over to great and investigate us. Wow, what a delight to have them so close by our boat that we could almost touch them and they came as a family of four or more. We heard their song which gave others the ok to come to and join the crowd. Yet when we saw them depart and wanted to follow while engaging the engines they got spooked and departed for good. It was time for us to move on too and ride upstream of the beautiful Saguenay river to our next resting place L’Anse-Saint-Jean.
The ride through the fjord was simply breathtaking at every turn the river made we were in awe and to make it even more exciting there was our next encounter. This time it was a small humpback whale. It played and rolled making figure eights right in front of our boat. We were delighted and so blessed.
Than we reached the sanctuary where the belugas mate and give birth hoping to be greeted by more of these beautiful beings of ancient decent but we were not allowed to go deeper into the sanctuary with our big boat and a canoe was not available. Ah well, we had our most personal encounter earlier on for which we are very grateful nevertheless.
Than finally we reached our destination for today L’Anse Saint Jean. It is a small but nice marina with sufficient power needed and other amenities. A nice restaurant right across the street, another up street, a café with first class crepes with a Belgian crepe maker and a bakery where they make wild blueberry and raspberry pies. Than further up is a wood boat builder quite famous for his skills in this end of the woods.
As we settle in and go for some local lunch a sudden onset of weather change approaches. Sheets of rain with wind gusts up to 40 mph came rushing in. 10 minutes later it changed again to blue skies and sunrays and so on. There is an extreme tide of 15 feet and as it is falling rocks and land is getting exposed right in front of our eyes. The water surface is shrinking dramatically exposing a sailboat completely to the shore but as we later learned it was done purposely for some repair to be done while out of water.
Sabrina, Stephan and Tom went for a hike and brought some interesting pictures back from the other side of town where they encountered a covered bridge filled with old paintings and a collection of wood boats built by a local builder.
Tadoussac and more
A full day and two nights in this beautiful place and natural treasure is definitely the highlight of this trip, or at least one of them for sure.
Our first day ended with a rainy night and some cool air that lowered the temperature down to 48 F. Very pleasant to sleep in such cool settings, especially coming from 94 F the previous days.
After breakfast which was partially complimentary to our dockage at this marina we took a walk visiting with some captains that were readily loading their boats with visitors that went out to see the wales. The morning is cool, rainy and the fog is slowly rolling in from the big river. Quite a sight to see. A blanket of gentle smoky substance is wrapping itself around anchored boats, covering the now exposed beach at low tide, and than finally reaching up into town and the neighboring hills secluding them all from our view. There is something magical in that occurrence and my thoughts carry me off into ferry land of things unseen yet present, and I decide to take a walk along the rainy path and around the peninsula along the rocky shore.
As the day progressed and the fog lifted blue skies emerged and after tiding up the boat and doing some laundry we decided to explore the town, see the museum and whatever else there is to see of Tadoussac.
The little chapel by the cemetery originates in it’s early stages from mid 1600 and has been established by the so called ‘black coats’ as the Innu Indians named them. The Innu were a nomadic tribe that inhabited this area and they were highly spiritual people that lived by Spirit and saw Spirit in all things. They did not take on to Christianity till they were divested by plagues that the white people brought with them. Than their lives changed and the old traditions gave way to newly acquired ones.
Our visit to the Maritime Museum was a very educational one indeed and brought the awareness of pollution that is affecting the existence of these ancient giants but particularly the beluga whales that live in the area of the St. Laurence river all year around. Their friendly faces and the white skin enamors us a great deal and we feel compelled to do what we can in order to contribute to their preservation. What a special gift these ancient and so loving beings are to humanity and what a beautiful smile they bring upon each face that has an encounter with them if only by sight. Thank you God for this beautiful and so peaceful and refreshing day!
Quebec City to Tadoussac
Here we are on the go again. What a perfect morning this is, clear skies, cool and almost no wind. We rush to get ourselves into the first opening of the lock of the marina and be on the way to catch the tide going east to our next destination Tadoussac. As we enter the great river of St. Lawrence we are greeted by a mirror like surface of the water. What a sight to see! The river splits around the island and we are choosing the big ship channel. By doing so we are passing by a few early moving giants of the commercial oceanic transport ships. They look so out of place in this tranquil waters of a river yet very colorful within themselves. 
When choosing the big ship channel we have bypassed the scenic way of a great waterfall which we so wanted to see and experience. That we did not know at the time given and in the eagerness of the morning rush. ah well, I am sure we will see some other waterfall along the way.
As the morning is winding on and mid day is approaching we are slowly but surely moving along this incredibly large body of water that they say is the St. Laurence river. The day is simply stunning and has not changed much, yet the temperature remains in the lower sixties. The mountain ranges, peaks and valleys as well as the occasional small towns remind me of Switzerland with it’s ski slopes readily awaiting their turn of the year. The air is fresh and clear and the water has that deep green color yet clean and clear. The further east we go the more pristine the environment is getting. The proof of that is our first siting of a while beluga whale. It swam way ahead of us and kept on coming up for air simply announcing his presence. What a blessing and a confirmation to my prayers this is!
I asked and I did receive a sign of good things to come. A sign from heaven manifested here on earth. Thank you God for your constant and watchful presence in our lives and on our journeys!
Beautiful lighthouses along the shore and now rare encounters with boats of any size or any sorts. Change in current while the expansion of the waterway turns more and more into a big sea.
Mid afternoon we have reached our destination of Tadoussac town and marina. It is a quaint small marina but fully supplied with fuel (diesel) power, facilities and food (restaurant).
It is well protected and the most of the dock masters are speaking English which makes things much easier. The French spoken here and in the entire region of Quebec is a dialect of the original French language and not easy to understand, at least not for me since I haven’t had much of contact with that language in the passed 30 years. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant experience and we are looking forward to some up-close encounters with the beluga and other wales visiting this area at this time of the year.
An interesting fact to this area are the tides which average 14 feet. Yet twice a month there are extreme highs and lows which I would think are connected to the full moon scenario and can add a couple of feet to that average for sure. The main source of income is from tourism and as proudly displayed has been for the past 100 years.
The city of Tadoussac has a beautiful hotel, Hotel de Ville right in the center of town and as all the towns along this region, a beautiful richly decorated church also situated in center of town.
Trois Rivieres to Quebec City
A new day has begun and it is an overcast one which I am sure will change as the day goes along.
Our day starts at 7 am right on the dot for we want to catch the tide since our trip is taking us further east across an area called the rapids and into Quebec city where the tide difference is 15 feet.
Going through the rapids was an interesting feeling of confused current that still was pushing us rapidly through the area. All around us were exposed large rocks and occasional hills shaven of trees and vegetation, seemingly through mudslides, that is covering the rest of the shoreline. The current is strong and fast and the tides are extreme giving us a taste of things to come.
“Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul.” — Napoleon Hill
Just came across this beautiful picture and quote on Facebook and needed to incorporate it into our blog for this is where we are at this point and stage on our passage through life!
We arrived at the Quebec City Marina at the peak of the day. The temperature was in the 90-ties and there was this haze over the city indicating the heat factor. Definitely not the right conditions to go sightseeing or even have the desire to be outside but there was this sense of something to come in the air. Most certainly it did come and brought thunder, lightening and lots of rain with it. Tom went to explore and send out our oil samples but returned soaking wet and no mission accomplished. Oil sample is considered hazardous material and can not be shipped! Ah well, it’s not the end of the world!
Our intention was to go and explore the city and have a nice dinner at a good restaurant but our plans got canceled and we had dinner at our own 5 star restaurant on the boat. 
Eventually the rain subsided and a peace filled night with much cooler air emerged. Ah what a relief! Let’s take a walk and see the city at night! Well, just across the lock to our marina and right at the part by the river there was a free Cirque du Solei live performance. What a treat! I video taped it till my arms got tired of holding the mini up in still position. What a show! Just as that ended and we started our way back to the marina a moving picture presentation emerged on the walls of the silos bordering our marina on the east side. What a treat after all! Great night and unexpected gifts blessed our almost disappointing visit to Quebec city. 
We need to rest now in preparation for an early departure to catch the tide and the first opening of the lock of the marina at 7 am.
Montreal – Trois Riviere, Quebec
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We spent a couple wonderful days in Montreal and in preparation to our next leg on this journey we commissioned Stephan to come out with his dive gear to check the bottom of the boat as well as the propellers, rudders and anything that possibly could have been affected by any encounters along the way. Stephan came fully equipped and ready to go. With our GoPro camera and his detailed visual checking he was successful in discovering a minor chip on the port propeller. Capt. Tom reviewed the detailed video Stephan took and just as we were hoping all was well he discovered a dislocated spur cutter at the same slightly injured propeller. Now since we had this info it was necessary to attempt and fix it right then and there. Before you know it Capt.Tom joined the well equipped diver with only a mask and snorkel and one bag of weights but all the tools necessary in order to fix what was fixable. It was a sight to see but they as a team sharing Stephan’s oxygen got it done and the mission was accomplished. Thank you to both for their effort and dedication.
The same morning we moved from our marina of two nights, La Ronde to the Montreal Yacht Club, a clean, deep water marina filled with big boats, we were stopped right in our tracks. La Ronde was shallow and full of sea grass reaching the top of the surface which as we discovered affected our water intake for the generator. The filter was completely clogged with that same grass that we could easily reach by hand. It did not just clog our filter but also totally destroyed the r/impeller for the generator. Thank God for Capt. Tom who tediously but successfully cleaned out the remnants of that same impeller from the tubes feeding the generator.
These were two major technical setbacks but by the grace of God and the two capable men were successfully removed and we are able to move on to our next stop along our journey now going east towards Quebec and Saginaw River.
It is very peaceful here in this marina. As the sun is setting the peace of the evening and the night is moving in bringing rest and recuperation with it.
May the spirits of sky and sea bless us with a glorious day tomorrow as we move forward into Quebec City!
contessagoesnorth 
