ADVENTURE 2016 – The ROUTE

ADVENTURE 2016 – The ROUTE

It’s almost time for us to depart on yet another adventure.  This time we’ll be travelling virgin territory  since buying R.E.D. almost four years ago.  It will also mean not only new geographic ground covered but new skills required.  We will be entering areas where weather will be a challenge, tides and currents will need to be calculated, fog will be a factor.  We are confident with our knowledge of weather, navigation and tides and currents learned from Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons courses.  We have added a new-to-us-yet-to-be-named dinghy to our little fleet (story here).  We have fixed a lot of the electrical issues (new battery, improved wiring etc.).  For greater autonomy we now have solar (story here, here and here) and a generator (story here).  Because of conditions we will face, a radar will be necessary.  Finishing touches for its installation are almost complete.  Will post that story soon.

So here you have it, our wish list.  If we get to complete the list, we will be very happy and very proud of ourselves.  If we get to complete only one, then it will be forever a part of our treasured memories…

1. To see the Norwegian tall ship, Draken Harald as she makes her way along the Saint-Lawrence for the 2016 Tall Ship Challenge

2. To reach Quebec City for the start of the Transat Quebec/Saint Malo

3. To experience the magnificent Fijords of the Saguenay,

4. To catch site of whales.

5. To visit the sea sculptures of Sainte-Flavie.

6.Maybe visit the  Tiny House Eco Lodge, near Rimouski. Friends have already mentioned considering joining us there.  Wouldn’t that be a great reunion?

7. A photo op of R.E.D. in front of Percé Rock.

8. And finally to reach the Baie-des Chaleur.  On a recent train adventure with my son (story here) we passed by its beautiful waters.  We have GPS and paper charts up to that point so would like to give it a try.

Chaleur Bay

Chaleur Bay

It’s a fairly ambitious voyage but we are both up for the adventure.  One of the great things about our little boat is that whenever we feel we have had enough, whenever we feel we don’t want to battle the tides, currents and prevailing winds back up the Saint-Lawrence, we can find a safe harbour, take train, bus or air back, collect our tow beast and the trailer and bring R.E.D. back home.

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ROAD TRIP EAST

ROAD TRIP EAST

I wasn’t really sure how to categorize this post.  It involves a personal road trip to visit my kids on the East Coast but it also brought us along part of the path we will take on this year’s adventure…

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…so I split the difference and am calling it part ‘Road Trip’ and part ‘Adventure 2016’

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St-Lawrence River

 

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Adventure 2016

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Windmill Farm, Tantramar, NB

We had an all too brief visit to welcome the newest member of the family…

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…and catch up with the grandkids.

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…even the mundane was special for us.

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…how quickly they grow.

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…a little farther East for the rest of the visit…

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…more grandbaby time and walking lessons.

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…and a little reno help and a drive along the shore.

Could this be part of our future?

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Beautiful St-Margaret’s Bay, NS

We returned with great memories…

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East Coast Pirate Treat

…and a bottle of our fave rum for those Dark ‘n Stormy nights onboard R.E.D.