This entry is being posted the evening of Pierre's departure. If you squint your eyes tightly and look just above the most forward of the plastic fenders on the boat behind us, in the shot below, then you will see him back to the camera walking down the dock on his way to catch an early morning bus.
Still can't see him? Check just to the left of the bottom red bar in the Canadian Flag in the picture below...
The Admiral is a very generous man with his time. We estimated that it had been a little over three weeks since we first became shipmates, sailing out of Kingston, Ontario regular readers may recall.
We sailed together through the Thousand Islands of Lake Ontario and through the St. Lawrence Seaway and her locking system, then onward to Montreal and Quebec city where Pierre eventually signed off. He had committed himself as far as Quebec city and stood by his word in that regard.
There were many special moments of that passage. Below is a wonderful clip put together by a crewmate on the HobieOne, Dewald, which may explain what drives us to do what we do in the first place. Those moments which makes it worth it.
Convoy Clip of sailing with the wind at our backs.
Makina is the yellow sailboat in the clip above.
The Makina continued on with Mr. Fish doing the best he could to fill the gap which Pierre's departure had left; that being of planning out the course of the passage. Pierre's Captaining skills fell to me; granted at a diminished level.
The river can be very challenging from Quebec city down as far as Rimouski. Tides must be meticulously tracked as entries and exits from sheltered Marina's along the way are tide dependent. Regular readers might remember the Makina being solidly stuck in the mud at Matane at low tide...
Yes that is mud in which Makina is sitting, not water!
One needed to choose their destination ports wisely so as to coincide with the tide and daylight. That was to change after the Saint Anne des Monts to Gaspe's overnight passage, though let's put a pin in that for now.
Anyway, Mr. Fish and myself soldiered on yet because of our late start we had to fall back upon Plan B which was Saint Michel de Bellechasse. Kudos must be given to Mr. Fish for being ready for the tides and currents to have wrecked his calculations and having a fall back where we could take shelter much earlier than we had anticipated. Arriving just before sunset and out again before sunrise.
We were gone before having a chance to speak with the Marina's manager. A hand written note was left with the facility's key. We called later in the day and left a message how we could be contacted to pay by credit card for the slip from the night previously. We began preparing for departure before sunrise.
Our next day's passage was probably the hardest the river had to offer me on the passage. It feels safe saying that, here, at Gaspe; now on the threshold of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Regular readers will know that the next day out had some challanges to say the least. It seems the challenges were enough to give Mr. Fish pause. The St. Lawrence surprised me and my feeling is that it has caught Mr. Fish; as well as Pierre; off guard also. Pierre later confirmed that on the last night before his departure in Gaspe.
After the challenges had passed and safe harbor was found in Saint Jean Port Joli, Mr. Fish explained that he had had enough and he was planning on taking the train back across the country to his waiting wife in BC.
We parted on affable terms considering the head butting we had had during the trip. There was the matter of his damage to the swimming platform while at the helm during docking as well, yet perhaps that tale can be saved for another time; perhaps while documenting its repair.
So there Makina sat, in Saint Jean Port Joli, crewless and without a plan. Yet there is probably no finer a port to be in such a pickle.
Regular readers will know that there has been many times when it felt like what was needed was patience to see what life would present to me as options to move the project of the passage to Halifax forward.
The long wait while on the hard in Scarborough or the two week lay over in Kingston for repairs are two that come to mind. Each time life seemed to offer lemonade with the lemons it served. And so it was in this short stop over for on the very night of Mr. Fish's departure Pierre texted me saying that he was planning to visit me in Saint Jean Port Joli with the possible intention of continuing on with the passage to at least Gaspe if not Perce.
This was glad tidings and we waisted little time. He arrived by car on Sept. 19th and we were underway the following morning bright and early for Riviere de Loop.
The river threw one last challenge at us; well two actually. What little wind there was was coming directly at us and a fog settled in around us making visibility very restrictive.
The next day found what little wind there was blowing from the NE, yet we did put up the sails for an attempt to grab a gust or two, yet we had to face facts and put them away not long after and motor on.
Departure from Riviere-du-Loup at sunrise
We made Ramouski by day's end and stayed there for a little rest up and to bring on supplies. On Sept. 24rd we pressed on to Matane where we managed to get in a little sailing.
The next day had us jump ahead to Sainte Anne des Monts. There we bought 4 more diesel jugs bringing our capacity up to 160L plus what is carried in the tank; which without a gauge is estimated to be 50-80L.
This allowed us to embrace the thought of pushing through the night to Gaspe which covered some 122NM.
Pierre had never done night sailing so that was a new experience for him. It had been many years since experiencing it myself; yet it brought back memories of the cozy feeling it had given me in my youth and continued to do so to this day it seems.
It was a nice passage with a beautiful sunrise.
Sunrise on route to Gaspe, PQ.
Gaspe Lighthouse
Gaspe Coastline
This morning Pierre caught the bus to a previous commitment. It was sad to see him go, yet a privilege to have shared our passage together.
Crewless, yet with a plan this time, in Gaspe, PQ. With the ability to store 120L of diesel on board an overnight run to PEI is not out of the question. We shall have to see what life has in store for the project of my passage to Halifax.
May the wind be at your back!
A chronological listing of my sailing posts:
https://hive.blog/sailing/@novacadian/novacadian-s-blog-index-sailing