Up at sunrise -  Friday 16th August.

A stunning calm day again still with glassy seas no wind and 17c under the dodger.  I kept my eyes on the water for hours and spotted a few more seals and porpoises but none swam very near to us. 

Around 10am we saw some whales blowing closer into shore than the track we were taking so we changed our course and headed inland.

They were ginormous even from a distance of a couple of miles back,  we could see them coming up and out of the water, we think they must have been humpbacks.  Through the binoculars Craig spotted a hump and these whales are known for diving deep and showing their tails as they go down, and that's what we saw a huge tail out of the water we both let out a huge  "wow" at the same time when we saw it.  There were 3 of them and they seemed to be travelling parallel with the shore, miles off from where we were. We could also hear them when they breathed out, we waited for a while but eventually we had to keep moving, they must have dived a long way down, I believe they can hold their breath up to 45 minutes but the average is 15 minutes.

It was a surreal day again, motoring through these calm waters

At one point around lunchtime the wind picked up so we hoisted the sails and turned off the engine, it was only a light breeze probably the channeled air coming down the river valley we were just passing. But in the quiet we could hear whales blowing way way off in the distance behind us, we could only just see the flumes of water on the horizon, but the sound had travelled so clearly it was wonderful to know they were there.

We are now heading towards the Gaspésie Peninsula and all our stops are now on the right hand  side where as Montreal and Quebec and all the stops in between and after up until Point Mitis had been on the left hand side.

We had to buy propane before we ventured further to more remote locations, so that night we pulled in to Marina St Anne Des Mont's.  A lovely little harbour with a huge church dominating the entrance.  $1.25 per foot plus taxes $70.42. for the night. 

The Church and harbour from a distance

Behind the Break wall

The lovely guy who helped us dock and took our money hardly spoke a work of English but we managed to communicate that we needed propane, he said in broken English that there was a garage about 15 minutes walk away.  So off we went propane tank in hand (its rather heavy).  We passed the supermarket and a few cafes, we probably walked about 7 km and eventually came to the petrol station.  They had to call the boss in to use the machine, he arrived in a   couple of minutes, then off we set back to the boat.  It started to rain and we were passing a take away place that had good reviews for its roast chicken.  So in we went,  Craig ordered a Pizza and a "whole roast chicken please" - pointing at the menu board.
Here is his FB post he tells the story better than I do.

He was so disappointed if you know Craig you would know he loves his roast chicken.

Our next port of refuge is Riviere De Madeline we motored on with still no wind and calmer than calm water with Adriana's wake being the only ripple on the water, we are now passing chunks of seaweed which is exciting to see.  

The hours passed quickly as we travelled along,  still keeping a watch out for whales.

We had emailed and tried to telephone the Marina to confirm a booking but had had no response, we had read on active captain that this was normal so we were not too concerned,  we headed on in.  We had also read that this was a tiny harbour !!
That was an understatement there were buoys inside the harbour indicating to be aware of the rocks, there was literally no room to manoeuvre anywhere but into our slip.  

Once we were in the harbour we could see why we had had no response it was very rural the lady that took our money spoke no English and had no teeth.

But there was a little restaurant called Captique that had been built in the last few years and it looked rather nice.

Looking down at de la Riviere  Madeline

There is always a statue or cross overlooking the harbours 

Our concern with this Marina was the depth. These places are designed for the fishing boats and there is usually a boat ramp and the docks for pleasure craft have been built as an afterthought so not set out like an actual marina.

There were at least 3 people on the dock to guide us in and catch the lines, it was a tight squeeze.

After a quick shower we stepped off to go for a walk up the hill to look down at the harbour.  We stopped for a chat with Edwardo, on Woloomoloo who was tied up next to us, he was so helpful answering all Craigs questions about tides, prevailing winds, anchorages etc,  Margot and Edwardo were returning from their summer vacation time on the water, they usually travel for the summer months on Woolloomooloo. 

We ended up having dinner with them the meal was ok Craig had Cod and Chips and I had Roast BBQ Chicken, nice homely meals.  But Craig nearly fell off his chair when the couple next to us were served a platter of mussels and grilled fish topped with huge Crabs Legs I think he would have preferred the fresh seafood platter.
We enjoyed Margot and Edwardo's company very much, it was nice to have new people to talk to, they are both in their 70's very well travelled and have been to Australia twice.

When we returned from dinner the tide was at its lowest and Adriana was actually sitting on the seabed she was sitting on mud/sand so no damage but we were really aware that we had to leave on a high tide.

Getting up at 5.45am we were out and on our way by 6.10am we had 1.3mt under the hull and the tide was going out so we could not muck around.

The water and scenery was just stunning

Crossing the 49th Parallel this is as far north as we will go

Still no wind and the weather is really mild for this part of the world - In Winter it is normal to get as low as -30c, the landscape is so rugger and raw.  All the harbours have HUGE protective walls, so yes we are blessed so far - no wind means we have to motor which costs money is noisy and smelly - sailing is free quiet and if there is not too much wind very relaxing. For this rugged part of the world I'm happy to be motoring for now.

So the best laid plans !!

We motored into Riviere Au Renard outer harbour, after a nice quiet uneventful passage we were not sure whether we were going to anchor in the outer harbour or take a spot on
the dock so we came in with anchor ready to drop and fenders out ready to tie up.  The entrance was a bit windy and choppy I may have jinxed us by talking about the beautiful weather and lack of wind but I think we are turning the corner on the peninsula and facing a new direction and the weather is about to change.

The outer harbour seemed nice and sheltered as there were some strong winds forecasted and the harbour was surrounded by huge rocks and man made concrete rocks, nice and protected so we dropped the anchor , I had gone out and put down the anchor and 20mt of chain but when Craig went out to put the snubber on and drop another 10mt the windlass or anchor winch stopped working.  

Luckily we had set the anchor and dropped enough chain so we were secure but we knew we could not use the winch to pull the anchor back up and if the anchor dragged we would be in trouble.  and looking at the huge rock walls we could see it was an extreme weather location.  Craig went forward and pulled the windlass out then worked on it for a couple of hours pulling it apart. 

After we had trouble with the winch in Little Current we knew it was not working 100%. 

On inspection the cogs were wrecked/stripped the whole thing looked like it had not seen new oil or a service ever.

working on the windlass motor

Being Sunday afternoon there was nothing we could do until the next day. We txt Eduardo who had just arrived at the marina and told them of our predicament Eduardo spoke to the Harbourmaster and promised to help us in the morning. Remember we are still in a 99% French speaking province so it was a godsend we had met Eduardo and Margot and they could translate for us.  

These harbour walls are huge maybe 20 feet high !!

Probably not very informative without something as a reference for size

We were safe for the night but if the anchor lost hold we would be in trouble. We did swing around a lot and there was a big swell even though there was no wind, so it was not the most comfortable location.

Just a photo of the rock wall at the entrance to the harbour, see the man made rocks

This one is from inside when we were tied to the dock

Next morning Craig jumped in the dingy and met Eduardo, they walked to two different

mechanic shops this is a big bustling fishing harbour with whole fleets of fishing boats coming and going, so not a bad place to break down, but it was as Craig already knew we would have to order a whole new motor. So on the phone to Binnacle in Halifax they sourced the motor, it was going to be sent to them,  then on to us "it should be there by Friday" they said. We are in a fairly remote location so nothing is going to be delivered here quicky !!

Back  on Adrianna that afternoon  Craig hand winched up 30mt of chain and our 85lb anchor.  I had to stand at the wheel and keep the boat to the wind following Craig's hand signals so we were above the anchor. That was a huge physical work out !!
It all went really well and we limped into the harbour with our anchor dangling just above the waterline.  

Riviere Renard was going to be our stop for a few days at least.  We had Eduardo and Margot for company then we were joined by Belinda and Kitt, an English couple
who have been cruising for 13 years. 
We have now passed the 49th Parallel

and our direction from here on will be South.

A Beluga Swam Under Our Boat !!

After a rocky night where we about turned a couple of times with the change of tide and we swung wide constantly. Leaving our anchorage the first night after Quebec City, we were up early and treated to a stunning sunrise

.  
There is a strong current pushing us along as the St Lawrence and all the lakes empty out into the sea.
But as we get closer to the sea there is an incoming tide that we now have to take into consideration when we plan, so leaving and arriving anywhere has to be at the best time which is usually the turn or slack tide.

Today we are heading to Port De Refuge De Cap-A-Laigle and we have left at 5am so we expect to arrive at 2pm, we don't want to be any earlier or later.

The marinas now cost less, we are away from larger towns and cities but like this one is named  they are literally ports of refuge, there is no where else to stop.

Each town has a silver spiralled church

Skr Resorts 

On our way down the river we passed so many pretty towns that look sooo French.

Each town has a silver spiralled church and there is usually a sister church on the opposite bank.  A few of the towns had their own ski runs, some were just a couple of runs. but some were huge resorts with lots of runs clearly visible on the mountainside.  The scenery is changing becoming more mountainous and rocky.

At one point we passed a river mouth where two huge mountains formed a funnel and the wind howled down almost knocking us over, the seas became like a washing machine, huge, choppy and confused.
Craig had to take control of the wheel and steer a course through the waves, once we were out of the river mouth the winds abated and the sea calmed down again.

I wouldn't like to live in that village beside that river.

For the first time we are in salt water, we had to taste it to check.  No more washing my smalls in the River.

At De Cap-A-Laigle we docked quite easily there was a local there who grabbed the lines for us.  Once we had secured Adriana and paid our fees to the lady who ran the marina (who did not speak English but she had a young boy working with her who did)  we took ourselves off for a walk to stretch our legs, its just a tiny marina with a small café.
The road out was very steep and there was nothing much to see, so we headed back down grabbed a couple of beers and people watched from the public space that had chairs positioned looking out to sea, it seemed to be popular with the locals.

We sat in the sun and watched the ships pass by.  Its whale season and still school summer holidays so lots of people were out and about.

Another beautiful sunrise as we head to Tadussac

We had a beautiful day heading down to Tadussac, the water was so still and flat.  I spent just about the whole time scanning the water, I'd say using the binoculars at least half the time, If there were any whales, mammals or interesting fish popping their heads out of the water I surely would have seen them.

But we saw nothing, our friends Sharon and Brian who had done the same route 2 months earlier had seen lots so we were very excited to be there looking.

A harbour or common seal did pop its head out of the water, then another a bit further on. Their heads look like staffys and they pop up as if to check you out and say hello then off they go again, they are quite comical.   

We arrived at the entrance to the Saguenay River slightly early so we sat and drifted towards the entrance slowly to pass some time before making our way up stream.

This is what all the planning was for we had to time the slack tide so that we didn't get rushed past the entrance. We made it in without incident.  

I'm sure that the planning would have been necessary if we didn't have such good weather.

Sharon and Brian had told us that there were mooring balls at Tadussac that belonged to the Marina, so after a quick squiz around to see which ones we could use. I hooked our chosen one on my first attempt whew.  We quickly tied off, tidied up and dropped the dingy. 

We keep the dingy up on davits hanging off the back of the boat and the engine secured to Adriana while we are moving long distances so its a bit of a process getting it ready to go ashore and putting it back when we are done.

Tadoussac is all about the whales, they have 13 species that visit and we are here at the right time of year !! Sperm, Blue, Mink and Belugas to name a few plus seals and dolphins.
The Saguenay River flows out into the sea and this seems to be where the whales find an abundance of food.
There was a constant stream of whale spotting boats loaded with tourists coming in and out of the harbour. Fast open boats carrying 30-40 people at a time and some larger enclosed ones that were on a more leisurely schedule.

First stop was the marina to pay for the mooring ball, $30 is a lot better than the $105 at the previous marina we don't need power or water supplied but wifi is always good.

Outside the whale information Centre -  Craig Belga Whispering

Tadoussac is so pretty, all the houses are painted different colours 

Then we were ready to have a look around, we walked past the marina back towards the river as we had spotted a crowd on the rocks and wondered if they had sighted whales ?

But no one was jumping up and down in excitement or even pointing towards the water.  A short stroll along the boardwalk brought us to the whale visitors centre we had a quick look inside.  

Off up the hill we passed a number of pretty painted homes then some café and ice cream shops until we found a microbrewery/pizza establishment.  It was very busy and as much as we would have liked to sit outside there were no outside tables available - but we were ok to sit inside we commented that we have incredible views all the time anyway and we could people watch, the pizza was delicious served with a pot of warm olives.  Craig chose a stout not realising it was 8.5% alcohol.  It was served with a small dark chocolate to compliment the tastes.  He was on his ear when he finished.

The whole Tadoussac village surrounds the bay and the scene is dominated by the red roofed hotel, we stuck our head inside to have a look it was so quaint and old fashioned like stepping back into another era it was built in the 1920's and is still a functioning

hotel with a huge sitting room looking out over the harbour and a grand old dining room.   

Looking back at the old red roofed hotel from Adriana

On up the hill past the ancient church with its interesting old graveyard to the only supermarket in town.

We only needed butter and some ham for lunch but walked out with some  baguettes and choc biscuits as well, as you can imagine it was quite expensive being the only supermarket in such a tourist town.
We bought what we thought to be inexpensive beer 12 for $19.95.  Yes so cheap because the alcohol content was 0.05 - lolly water.  But we were back at the boat before we realised and could not face the dingy ride or the walk back up the hill to change them, ah well they will get drunk sometime.
Back to Adriana and we had a lovely couple of hours sitting on the bow with a beer and chips soaking in the beautiful sunshine watching the passing parade of whale watching tourist boats.

It is getting colder the overnight low is forecast to be 9c almost time to get the winter pjs out.

The next morning we were up and away by first light out of the bay and on our way down the river... I was on high alert scanning the horizon all around us.
I have mastered how to stand in a rocking boat looking through binoculars, without  giving myself a black eye.
Here it comes
First of all we saw fins rising out of the water a long way off - actually in the direction of our planned route - then we saw huge sprays of water coming straight up so very high for being so far off in the distance ..
Then Craig yells its Belugas,  these are different whales to what we were looking at in the distance these ones were right next to us and pure white.  They swam past us - there were maybe 8 of them, then 2 turned around and swam back right under our boat !!

I think we were crying we were so excited we were jumping from one side of the cockpit to the other.  Pinching ourselves that we were here doing this !!

We had turned the engine off and we could hear the whales in the distance when they blew and see their huge bodies rising out of the water as they swam on a parallel path to us. 

We still cant believe we were there and we saw Beluga whales so close like that, we still cant believe we bought a boat in Canada.

There were dolphins and porpoise swimming past and lots of seals popping their heads up to say hello, the huge whales in the distance and the Belugas that had swam past, it was surreal.  We waited another 20 minutes or so but the moment had gone and it was time for us to keep going.  So back on went the engine.  Around 9am we realised we had a bit of wind so up went the sails and with the current helping we cruised along doing 7 knots.  It is so nice to sail and not have the noisy smelly engine running.  This was our first sail since that hideous night coming into Kingston Harbour.  We had tried to sail a couple of times coming down the river but either there was not enough wind or there were too many motor boats or big freighters.

We did sight another pod of  Belugas a bit later that morning.  

Still more whales blowing too far away to get to on our timeline but we were happy having seen so many Belugas and all the other unidentified whales. 

The red roofed hotel is still in sight when we were visited by Belugas

They swam under our boat 

Not sure what its doing but its a Beluga 

Many hours later there were still seals popping up their staffy type heads to say hello.

A huge leopard seal swam so close we could see its spots.  Harbour Porpoises were around all day they are really shy and all you see is their fin come out of the water as they come up for air, they mostly travelled in pairs.  

The water was so still

We were still passing silver spiralled churches

We had planned to stop and anchor at Parc National Du Bic but we made it there around lunchtime and decided to keep going.

Its hard when you change your plans and don't have a plan B in place we were scouring Navionics looking for the next suitable place to stop.
We still have a strong current and prevailing and forecasted winds have to be taken into account. 
The afternoon had been as surreal as the morning, we had motored most of the afternoon as the wind dropped out completely

Leaving stunning flat seas with he clouds reflecting on the water it was hard to distinguish the horizon.

It had been a big day

Moving through the water Adriana's wake was the only ripple, if there were more whales I would have seen them.  I was exhausted from being on whale watch all day.

We did find a beautiful anchorage just off the river flow called Pointe Mitis we dropped the anchor in a pretty little bay with a huge red and white lighthouse on the point.
We kept hearing these strange guttural noises and we eventually worked out it was seals on the rocks close by.
The propane gas ran out as we were cooking dinner we thought we had half a tank in the second bottle but maybe it has a leak.
But that was ok we only had to make some rice and reheat a frozen curry
The sun was setting as we were going to bed and we witnessed the most stunning sunset, there was not a breath of wind so an easy quiet night.

Quebec City 

The next day way kept on heading down the St Lawrence past Trois Rivieres this was one of the main names we had as a landmark for our progress all these places and names are new and unfamiliar but every so often one will stick in your head.  

The Three Rivers

Our next stop was again a little tributary off the main river we had to get out off the current to drop the anchor, this little spot has a yacht club we headed up towards it but the water got really shallow closer the docks. We were happy to anchor anyway.  We ended up spending 2 nights anchored in this spot as we had to work out our approach to Quebec, tides and currents need to be taken into consideration on the approach and entering the Marinas Harbour.  On the second morning we thought we would take the dingy and go and visit the yacht club it rained heavily as we jumped in… we or I should say Craig rowed through the rain up to the dock we could see the gate was locked and we didn’t fancy walking in through the muddy bank, then we realised neither of us had picked up Craig’s wallet so we had no money to go in with anyway and yes as soon as we got back on the boat the rain stopped and the sun came out.

Our arrival in Quebec had to be at a high tide so we left at 5.30am to get the timing right, we flew down the river using the strong current and arrived at the entrance to Marina De Quebec around 11am.

There is a lock that controls the water level inside the marina that we had to go through before we entered the actual Marina.  There were 2 boys on the dock to catch the lines so an easy tie up.
Once we visited the office and got our marina keys sorted we were ready to explore the city by 1pm.  
Quebec is a beautiful city with the Citadel set high on the hill looking down over everyone there are still many cannons on the walls and streets, relics of its turbulent past.  

The original Catholic Church built in 1688

There are Churches and buildings still standing that were built in 1600’s So many wars, fighting the English and the Americans so the French could hold on to their piece of Canada.  
We walked through the quaint cobblestone streets looking for somewhere to have a French influenced lunch and we found the perfect restaurant Le Lapin Sauté sitting outside in the courtyard we had a chartreuse plate, a Roast Duck and a Rabbit Terrine, assorted breads, Local cheese and olives to name a few of the delicacies accompanied by a local crisp white wine.  
We were not sure if living on a boat mostly easting mince and sausages made the food taste so good but it was delicious, then we really splurged- I had a chocolate fondue and Craig had a local speciality of honey tart with coffee.  

Better  than mince and sausages

Then we were ready to explore - we passed Chateau Frontenac, the most photographed hotel in the world apparently,  along the esplanade and up to the Citadel and the Plains of Abraham, and back down through the old streets. There was a brief rain shower so we sought shelter in an old little pub and people watched for a while. 
Our choice for dinner was a tiny little bistro, Chez Temporal it was quaint and owned by the same family since the 70’s I liked it but Craig not so much, but on the plus side it was inexpensive.  

Typical narrow streets

Chez Temporal

We trudged home to Adriana very happy to be home and to put our feet up.  

Our second day we wanted to make the most of our time so we were up and out exploring early, we decided to find the fresh produce market it was originally located right next to the Marina but the Mayor of Quebec had commissioned a new building and it had only recently been relocated.  It was a 4.5km walk, mostly on pretty paths along the river and there were no hills so an easy walk  but we were lucky google maps was not in French.

The new market building was custom built and there were a good number of local producers selling their wares and most were very happy to give you  a sample we couldn’t buy much as we had to carry it back !!  it was a sunny day of around 25c so not too good for meat or cheese. we picked up a spicy salami, some great veggies including fresh local garlic and sweet corn.  The patisserie was the best, we had baguettes and croissants for lunch then a taste test of the local donuts – made with mashed potato.  
We could have bought so much food..  We had no idea how to get back to the Marina but we asked and found out it was a 10 minute walk to a main road where a bus could take us back to the old city, then a second bus would take us back to the Marina not bad for $3.50 each.  
The plan was to drop off the food and head back out  - but we didn’t make it our legs were too tired but that’s ok we had our favourite sweet corn with butter and chilli sauce done on the BBQ and bruschetta with the fresh pain, local garlic and amazing tomatoes.

The View to the City from Adriana 

Our night time view

Getting in and out of locks, marinas, fuel docks is always stressful, when you pay for a marina there is nearly always someone there to catch your lines so the pressure is off me but being such a big boat the wind can catch her and we need propulsion to keep control.  We also have bow thrusters on both sides which really helps.  We are getting better and less stressed each time we move as we get more used to her.    

We were up early purchased some fuel and out of the Marina by 10am only a short trip today as we have to use the tides and plan tomorrows arrival at Port De Refuge De Cap A Laigle  (this is another name that stuck in our heads) 
So we anchored 6.5nm from Quebec City at the side of the River between a bridge and huge power lines just after the Montmorency Falls,  

Montmorency Falls 

Its not the prettiest of spots its really open and we have swung around once already with the change of tide direction  and its really choppy we have been very spoilt, up until now the river has always calmed down and been very still in the evenings but its now tidal and running a fast current.  The weather has changed its cooler and we have had lots of rain it is only going to get colder from here on as we are heading further North.  

Up and away early again !! 

its actually a sunset but very pretty 

Today we had to conquer another 3 locks Beuharnois, Cote Ste Catherine and St Lambert.  The day started badly -  When we pull up the anchor Craig stands at the bow giving me hand signals – run the engine or idle, move forward or reverse, and also whether to steer right or left.  He does this so we move directly over the anchor and he uses the windlass and pulls it up, this morning I missed seeing one of his hand signals and kept the boat in reverse a bit too long... After righting my mistake we managed to get underway motoring along canal like rivers, again passing huge freighters motor boats and more river cruise ships.  

The next disaster was Valleyfield Bridge we had to radio through to the bridge master but we had no response so we decided to tie up to a convenient dock we turned around then realised our fenders were not low enough and a quick scramble to lower them still wasn’t quite enough.. we managed to tie up without wrecking Adriana but we did burst a fender on the wire mesh covering the deck, we were only tied up for a minute or two then the bridge started its  lifting process. 

We reached the Beauharnois  lock and we were the only boat waiting - we could see on AIS there was a freighter ship about to enter the other end so we knew we only had a 15- 20 minute wait so we decided to hover in the water - we stopped the motor and drifted towards the lock then we started it up again went back upstream and did it again we did this a few times I think we were traumatised after the anchor and docking incidents.   
We made it through this lock without incident, we were back to two lines just like the Welland Locks and using our boat hook and Bills stick to hold her off the wall.

The walls 

Keeping Adriana off the wall as we descend 

On approaching Cote Ste Catherine we actually had a green light as we were approaching and we were happy with that until we got in there and the lock was full of pleasure craft. 

We nearly turned back when we saw all the other boats waiting for us we thought the other locks where we were on our own or with another one boat had been stressful this was a whole new experience 

There were about 8 boats in front of us rafted in three lots.  We had to raft up to another yacht, so we quickly had to lift the wooden boards away so that it was just our fenders touching the other boat. 

You can see all the other boats around us 

We have two thick planks of wood, one for each side, that are used on the outside of the fenders to protect them from the walls rough surface. 

This was when we really started noticing we were getting into Quebec territory the people around us were all speaking French.  
The yacht we were tied up to was slightly smaller than Adriana which was a bit unfair that they were against the wall, Craig went onboard and helped keep their boat away from the wall.  
Things were reversed at St lamberts and we were on the inside with the other yacht rafted to the outside and the man from the other yacht jumped on board with us to help.  
The couple spoke French with only a little English and the man in the boat in front was the same.

The scenery started to look more French somehow!!

Once through we motored on until we reached Montreal around 7pm, oh we had to traverse down the canal type waterway again as the open waterway had rapids dropping into Montreal and causing huge currents. 

The guy from the yacht we were rafted to suggested we go to an anchorage outside of a marina closer to the old city than the one we had chosen… BIG MISTAKE the current was so strong we could not get across the river and we were running out of daylight.  Eventually we gave up  and headed back the way we came, we found all these yachts on mooring balls outside of a yacht club, so we thought it was as good a place as any to stop.  It was getting darker and darker and we didn’t like the spot we had dropped the anchor so we brought it up and moved forward away from the other boats. Once down the anchor held us secure the yacht club was off to the side slightly and well out of the huge current.  By this time it was about 9pm we had salt and vinegar chips for dinner a shot of tequila and a beer before we collapsed exhausted into bed.  We had started our day at 6am and finished at 9pm we had passed through 4 locks and 2 lift bridges and travelled 61 nm a huge stressful day.

Back into civilisation the approach to Montreal 

Our night time view 

Montreal

From where we were anchored, we could see the Jacques Cartier Bridge and the Olympic Stadium it was a really cool spot a bit industrial but close to the Old City.  Our plan was to spend a day at anchor and visit the Old City to have a look around.  I worked out we could dingy across to the Marina that is where we had originally planned to stay, that was until we decided just to anchor.  One of the kids working said it was ok to leave the dingy tied up for the day and to make things even better this was right next door to where the ferry departed -that would take us over to the Old City.  

On the ferry

The Old Port of Montreal is a beautiful old city very European with cobbled streets and a huge French influence, there is even a replica of the Church of Notre Dame that was built in 1824.  

We had a wander round the streets found a nice little café for baguettes and coffee.  The streets were very busy it is the middle of the Canadian Summer holidays and about 30c. 
All the street signs are in French everyone speaks French, we have been told the trick is to try and speak in French then because it sounds so bad the French speaking person will reply in English. 


It was way over 30c and were too hot to do any more walking we caught the ferry back to the suburban side of the river, checking Adriana as we went past. 

We needed to buy a snorkel so Craig could dive under the boat and check our propeller.  Coming down the river on the "stressful day" the engine had been revving really high and the oil pressure was up.  We had grasses wrapped around the propeller Craig put the boat into hard reverse a couple of times this seemed to get rid of it but he wanted to visually check it as well.  
We also needed a couple of bits and pieces and some groceries.  Google maps told us it was an hours walk to the closest Canadian Tire store but after about 10 minutes of walking in the heat we called an Uber it was way too hot for walking along highways. 
Canadian Tire and SuperC done and an Uber back to where the dingy is tied up.  I cant believe Google said it was an hours walk it seemed to take so long to drive there.  Dinner back on board and I think we were in bed asleep before 9pm again.

Up early and motoring away from Montreal we thought we should put up our Fleur De Lis flag now that we were in French speaking territory. 

The Captain putting up our Fleur De Lis flag 

On our way down the ST Lawrence Seaway after Montreal it is very industrial we are now passing huge international freighters loaded with shipping containers with home ports of Panama and Hong Kong.  All the made in china stuff landing in Canada  there was one terminals with 3 winches working unloading these huge ships.  

Its a sugar refinery 

So many shipping containers 

The river opened out but we still had to stick to the red and green markers showing the deep channel.   
Our excitement for the day was when were overtaken by a Lake Freighter we knew she was behind us doing 16 knots and we were doing around 6 - Craig was busy playing with google translate and forgot it was behind us until the pilot sounded its very loud horn warning us to get out of its way as it was quickly coming up behind us.  “oh shit” says Craig and we had to speed up and get out of the deeper channel off to the side to let it pass.
We pulled into an off shoot of the St Lawrence up a little channel  close to Isle La Pierre and close to Sorel.  We were surrounded by empty cottages and it was the most beautiful spot !! 

There were huge fish jumping out of the water all around us, I'm thinking they were trout and if you were a fisherman who used flies you would have caught yourself a beauty.  We just sat memsmerised waiting  to catch glimpses of them as they jumped.

One of the prettiest locations just off the main river