Expect the Unexpected
Monday dawns bright again - and very early. We are in no real hurry to leave as we have to wait until 2 hours after low tide at Pointe au Pere for the most comfortable tide and current conditions.
We have a little chat with the couple delivering their Nonsuch from Gaspe. This is now day 15 of what should have been a much shorter delivery. They are waiting for a new alternator and eventually a mechanic to install it. We privately cheer over our decision to bring a spare one with us. (It’s a gamble: spend the money ahead on the off chance you might need spare parts or pay for weeks in a marina while you wait for a part to be delivered.)
Today we travel 22 nautical miles from Tadoussac up the twisty Saguenay River and into the fjord, with our destination being Club Nautique Anse St. Jean.
After holding off to allow the two car ferries to pass ahead and to give way to one freighter, we leave the busyness of Tadoussac behind and marvel at the 300 metre granite cliffs, knowing they drop almost as deep below the surface of the river.
We were told we can cruise as close to the shore as we’d like: “your bow will hit the shore before your keel.”
According to Capt. Cheryl Barr in her “Down East Circle Route”, it is so deep here that imagining “the St. Lawrence River running dry…the Saguenay would still contain water to a depth of 180 metres.”
Always on the look out for belugas, we are a bit disappointed at just 1/2 dozen at Bay St. Marguerite but we know this is the protected area where they birth and raise their young, so had hoped for more action there! The area is restricted so we are on the west shore, but their distinct shining white backs are clearly visible even at this distance.
We are unable to sail with light wind coming straight at the bow, so again we find ourselves motoring but this gives us ample opportunity to see the view unfolding before us. With some haze (possibly from Ontario wildfires), the mountains ahead appear purple. (photos don’t do the scene justice)
With just another hour to travel we are now in 20 knot winds and are scrambling to get fenders and lines on before entering the harbour. I called in and had the slip confirmed as the same we’d been given the night before and the staff advised they would be standing at the slip waiting to take our lines.
Fortunately Harald is excellent at maneuvering the boat in tight spaces because as we approached the provided slip, we discovered a boat already tied up and nobody there to assist us. Finally someone appeared pointing at another slip and later explained “I thought you were going to call in again”. (The slip assignment changed. Why wouldn’t you call me?)
If you’ve never docked a boat, perhaps this will help you understand what is involved in the final moments before arriving at the dock:
A strange harbour
Not aware of the actual layout of marina docks
Port or starboard (need to know which side to place fenders and lines)
What is beside us?
What is behind and in front of us?
Is there enough room to turn if needed?
How high are the docks?
Call in one mile out for final instructions (with a better handle on the language we would typically ask more questions)
Attach 6 fenders and 5 lines to coordinate with the slip assignment
Make a plan in case there is nobody to help
All of this is happening in 25 knots of wind blowing us into the docks and a few dozen other very large boats
After registering, our first question is about the proximity to a grocery store. We had heard one of the stores provided free delivery to the marina but this is news to the marina staff. “The store is just a 20 minute walk away.” There is only one main road so after a cold drink and a snack, we head out with our trusty grocery bag on wheels.
Did I mention how hot it was that day?
The store is actually 3 km away - 40 minute walk - where in my limited French we learn there is no delivery, no taxis and no English. So we limit our shopping and with a cold drink in hand, walk the 3km back to the boat.
The walk is actually very lovely. There are wild roses and lovely gardens everywhere, and very old homes some with name plates and historical details posted. Some are designated tourist homes. All are beautifully preserved and cared for
Some have outdoor bread ovens set some distance from the homes. Some very old and looking in bad repair but all constructed the same with a little wooden shelter “A-frame” roof covering the clay oven.
I would like to walk here again, without groceries, to visit the covered bridge and to capture some photos.
Needless to say, dinner was very late but we enjoyed our steak, salad and fresh beans in a calmer marina with the sun setting and the wind abated.
The next morning I do get my second walk and find the covered bridge over the Rivière Saint Jean is a actually also an art gallery! The bridge built in 1929 was featured on the back of the 1954 Canadian $1000 bill. This is not the original bridge(s) as it was carried away, not once, but twice by the river.
The paintings through the interior of the bridge are by local artists, depicting historic scenes from the area. What a lovely treasure I stumbled upon! I’m glad I did because we never did find the fresh water spring and it was only after I returned to the boat that I learned where the traditional bakery is located. (Thanks Jayne and Mike for the inspiration to keep searching!)
Watching the time, I head back to the boat as we are to depart at 1:00 to return to Tadoussac. Upon arriving at the boat, I find Harald with “Serge” and “Jack” working on the reverse problem - engine stalls when we put it in reverse for the first time each day. Jack called a mechanic friend who directed him to adjust the governor. It is working much better when we back out of our slip. (Many thanks to friendly boaters in marinas who we now know also have engine issues and are willing to help when they can.)
The down river trip is in calmer seas, with wind on our nose, so again we are not sailing. We aren’t alone on our beluga watch, as the Coast Guard helicopter flies over twice, stopping at various landing platforms hanging on the edge of the rock, somewhat hidden by the thick coniferous forest. (Nice to know they are protecting the belugas, but also there for us if we need them.)
Bergebulk’s “Berge Tronador” from Monrovia passes quite close and we get waves from the crew (the first from all the freighters we have passed in the last 4 weeks)
Arriving back at Tadoussac basin about 4:00 we take some time to anchor as the water is far deeper than we are used to for anchoring. We settle in 40ft of water, ever mindful of the tide dropping, and the empty mooring ball behind, (the marina advised none were available when I called this morning so we are still expecting another boat before end of day.)
Just as we are setting the anchor, the boat ahead of us is visited by a minke whale which appeared to dive under their boat. This species can grow to 30 feet in length and can weigh up to 10,000 kilos. Seabiscuit weighs about 7,200 kilos so we aren’t looking for any closer encounters.
We are entertained though until dark by this magnificent, sleek whale as he dives for up to 20 minutes and then surfaces, surprising us with its blow and reappearance, slipping back into the water with its characteristic dorsal fin disappearing, until it surfaces again, at a surprise location.
