IN SEARCH OF THE DRAGON

IN SEARCH OF THE DRAGON

Today was the day we were able to cross one thing off our wish list…

…catching site of the Draken Harald

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Pont de Quebec, Pont Laporte

 

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Reaching Quebec City

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Chateau Frontenac

…we found her in all her glory in the Bassin Louise.

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…for tall ship standards she’s not that big but she is magnificent in what she and the crew have accomplished.

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The crew was busy provisioning for the next leg of her trip up the Saint Lawrence.

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Once out of the busy port of Quebec we set sail, wind at our back.

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…now safe at anchor for the night at Anse de Vencennes.

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TIDES and CURRENTS

TIDES and CURRENTS

We are now in an area of the Saint Lawrence where tides and currents will be a major factor.  Each day we calculate times of high and low tides, and pick at least three possible locations to stop if and when needed including optimal anchorages.

Just to give you an example, we departed at 09:00 at the calculated high tide to give us the maximum push.  We covered 39 nautical miles.  Our usual travelling speed, sail and/or motor, depending on the wind conditions, is 6 knots.  But because of that ‘push’ of the retreating tide water we travelled (actually surfed) at times 11 knots and arrived 1.5 hours in advance of our usual travelling time.

The force of the water is impressive.

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…and even when very little wind exists the water swirls as if boiling.

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We face 10′ – 11 ‘ rise in tidal waters now but will be dealing with a full moon soon.

Imagine that!

ÎLE aux COCHONS

ÎLE aux COCHONS

Our anchorage at Île aux Cochons (Island of the Pigs)

deserves it’s own blog post.

One of the Lake Saint-Pierre archipelago (near Sorel, Quebec)

it proved a secure place to stop for the day.

Our anchor held well in the mud bottom.

With our dagger board lowered one foot,

and port rudder down

there was no typical MacGregor dance.

We held fast all night.

 
Here we prepared R.E.D. for the trip down the Richelieu,
 
unstepping the mast, wrapping and strapping her
to fit under some low-lying bridges ahead.


By the end of the afternoon we had the shallow bay to ourselves.
 
 
Our reward – the sunset a wash of watercolour.
 
 
This is my ‘just because’ picture for the day…
because at sunset sometimes
even factories which may be polluting our environment
can be exquisitely beautiful.