The Gaspè and Gannets

I do not recall ever being so in awe of what I have seen in nature - 45,000 nesting pairs of gannets on the cliffs and cliff tops of Ile Bobaventure off Percè, Quebec.  The nests are almost exactly 2 1/2 feet apart, and the same pair returns to the exact same spot every year for their partnership, the last 15-20 years of their lives.

This is the largest gannet colony in North America.  The adults winter in South Carolina and start returning to Ile Bonaventure in April.  The nests are no more than a place in the dirt, and once the single egg is laid, both parents take turns keeping it warm.  There is roughly a 50% mortality, and the chicks that we saw were healthy and all born by mid-June.  They begin trying to fly in September, and once they fly successfully to the water, they will not return to land for three years.  The chicks learn to dive, swim, and catch fish.

By November all the birds have headed south, the adults ending up in South Carolina, and the young going to the Gulf of Mexico.  At three years old, the young gannets will return to Ile Bonaventure for the first time, living at the edge of the colony and learning by mimicking the adults.  At five years old, these birds pair up and are ready to mate, taking one of the open nesting sites.

Any picture would only capture less than 20% of the birds there.

Here an adult is grooming its chick.

Watch the video with sound on and until the end.  This landing was right on target, but we witnessed some that were off a few inches, and, boy, did the neighbors squawk!

One of the cliffs and rocky beaches on Ile Bonaventure.

Approaching Ile St.Bonaventure,  many of the buildings were
once  part of the island community that peaked at 35 families,
By the 1950s most structures were only used seasonally, and the
Provence bought the island in 1971. It later became a 
National Park.

Dick and I saw several other birds on Ile Bonaventure including cormorants, guillemots, black-back gulls, a northern harrier hawk (with a distinctive white stripe across the top of its tail) and, perhaps, one puffin from a distance.  I was told that the puffin colony here has declined because of preferred food source is no longer close to the island.  There are no more than 10 nesting pairs left.  Newfoundland may offer another chance to see and take a picture of a puffin.

Percè Rock from Ile Bonaventure.

Salty Paws previously crossed the St. Lawrence River to Saint Anne des Monts. The following day (7/26) we headed east, south-east along the shore, planning to cover 100 miles at roughly 9 mph to Rivière au Renard, a popular destination.  Part way into the trip, I went down to the v-berth for a nap while Dick was at the helm.  I put my head as close to the bow as a I could get and quickly fell asleep to the sounds and motions of the boat.  Upon awaking, it was clear that conditions had worsened.  Coming up from below, I find that Dick trying to control a bucking bronco as Salty Paws is surfing down the larger swells.  

The protected harbor in Madeleine.

A quick look at the chart shows a harbor of refuge at Rivière Madeleine.  We were both relieved to arrive there mid-day and ended up spending the night.

I walked 6 miles round trip to visit the
Lighthouse in Madeleine.

 A 4:30 am start the next day has us making great progress, passing villages in mountain valley that reach the shore.  Each village has a small harbor protected by a seawall.  In many of the harbors, commercial fishing has given way to charter boats for fishing, sightseeing and whale watching.  Lighthouses are common.

Approaching Cap Gaspè 

The point at the end of Cap Gaspè.

We finally reach Cap Gaspè with its particularly dramatic cliffs of unstable sedimentary rock lining its northern shore.  The Cape is thought as Quebec’s Cape Horn, and shortly after we pass the point, sea conditions start deteriorating.

Cap Gaspè Light, the highest in Canada.

 We postpone our plan to anchor at and visit Ile Bonaventure.  Instead we pass by Percè Rock and head to the nearest protected harbor, Anse de Beaufils.

 

Sea conditions deteriorating near Percè Rock.  We didn’t need the Acetaminophen, however!

.

Salty Paws at the pi

The Anse de Beaufils pier is lined with commercial lobster boats.  We were fortunate to find an open spot on the high wall.  In order to step off Salty Paws,

Lobster boat on the pier outfitted with
    outboards, allowing faster speeds and  
fishing in shallower waters.  The lobster
season here is only 68 days, and this
Ahead ended in early July.. 

however, we must climb to the roof of our boat!  The accommodations are rustic, but we decide to stay here for three nights, really a vacation of sorts.  You see, long-distance cruising is an adventure, for sure, but not a vacation.  Dominique, the bi-lingual harbor master, gives us a hearty welcome.  Later he offers us his hotspot and volunteers to drive us next morning into Percè, where we will cactch the first boat to Ile Bonaventure carrying more park employees than tourists.

Pierre, a sailer, waiting for a weather
window to Ile de Madeleines,
Donimique, the harbormaster, and Dick.

One shot of beautiful Percè Rock.

Another picture of Percè Rock.

So, yesterday was our beautiful day on the island, and to top it off, the ticker agent for the boat volunteered to bring us back to Salty Paws.  Today is a relaxing day in harbor as wind and swells would make for a very unpleasant cruise,  Tommorrow conditions return to calm seas.  Salty Paws will then enter Chaluer Bay on our 2-day cruise up the bay to Carlton sur Mer.  Here we will meet up with a Facebook acquaintance who owns a Rosborough and only speaks French.  We have been communicating via email using Google Translate.

More Whales, WW II Immigration and the Crossing

Molly and Dick's wife, Ellen, were pleased not to be aboard Salty Paws on this day of fog and choppy seas.

 

We left Tadoussac in fog and choppy seas, but were pleased to see some more belugas and added to our whale list - minkes and the most incredible addition, a narwhal.  Now, Dick only saw the last splash and you will have to rely on my word, which is not 100% infallible.  I saw a 12 to 15-foot whale jump out of the water with what appeared to be a tusk pointing straight up. 

This picture of a narwhal was uploaded free from Pinterest.

Perhaps, the only skimpy evidence in support of this being a narwhal is that there has been a sighting this year of a nawhal near Tadoussac.  In our visit to the whale museum there was even a video of a narwhal that had been adopted by a pod of belugas.  Generally, though, they remain in arctic waters.

The Beluga whales seem to be the most prominent whales in the St. Lawrence.  We saw multiple pods, but it is debatable if our pictures are any better than the ones we had taken earlier.

One of the three belugas swimming together.

We cruised along the northern shore of the St. Lawrence, sensing that our journey would soon be in a much more isolated part of Quebec.  Yet, cell service continued to remain excellent, and a paved bike trail followed most of our journey for the next 150 miles.  Our first night after Tadoussac was in a foggy cove with rolling seas.  We put out a second anchor off our stern to help keep the boat headed into the waves.

Our second night was to be in Ainse Saire Pancrace, a beautiful, small fjord with multiple waterfalls tumbling down over the cliffs.  We took a few pictures, but it turns out that the long, anchored dock we expected to find had been damaged the prior year.  The dock how was under repair in nearby Baie-Comeau, the one-time home of fellow Rosborough owner, Peter Hornby.  We ended up going to the nice marina there.

Beautiful Ainse Saire-Pancrace.

Earlier on our trip Peter and his wife, Claudia, were our tour guides on Valcour Island, and he told me the story about immigrating as a young boy to Baie-Comeau from England in 1948.  After World War II, there were many challenges to living in England, where food rationing continued into the 1950s.  Canada sought out foreign skilled workers and paid to relocate his family to Baie-Comeau where his father held a higher level position at the local paper mill.  The Hornbys were one of only a handful of English-speaking families in what was then a small logging town.  Like Peter's, the fathers typically held higher level positions at the mill, and there was frequent evidence of resentment.

When Peter began first grade at the local elementary school,  he was soon beat up by some of his local French-speaking classmates.  After a number of similar events, his parents decided it was time to move, first to Ontario and ultimately to the States.

Club Nautique de Baie-Comeau

The following day was beautiful and we arrived at Baie-Trinite, where we anchored of the southwestern end of a 1.5 mile crescent beach.  After anchoring we lowered the dinghy from the roof and motored to the beach for an enjoyable 3.2 mile walk.

On the beach at Baie-Trinite.  We actually
look pretty good, having showered and
shaved that morning at Baie-Comeau.

View of Baie-Trinite.  You can barely make out Salty Paws
as we had to anchor farther out because of shallow depths.

I haven't mentioned it yet in the blog, but we have been having trouble with our new anchor rode, made up of 80-feet of chain and 120-feet of rope.  Even thought it was supposed to be sized correctly, the chain is a tad too large for the windlass that pulls it up.  Too often the windlass jams, causing a fuse to blow and shutting down power to our instruments.  I have been working on some wiring adjustments that are still in progress.

This morning (July 25th) I woke up at 4 am and checked the weather forecast as this is the day we scheduled to make the 40-mile crossing of the St. Lawrence River.  Seas were to remain calm until 9 am so I exclaimed "all hands on deck!"  Dick, as it turns out hadn't had a good night of sleep, but he quickly rose.  I started the engine and went to bow to manually raise the anchor, not wanting to deal with another power outage at this time.  Dick joined my on the bow and did the bulk of the lifting.  We were underway at 4:20 am, and had a very relaxing 9-10 mph crossing of the river, arriving at the fishing village of Saint Anne Des Monts 5 hours later.  We soon enjoyed a late breakfast out at Tim Horton's and reprovisioned.  

As I am about to post this, the winds just picked up considerable.  We moved Salty Paws further away from an adjacent sail boat and added an extra spring line to the dock.  Tomorrow, weather permitting, we head further east on the Gaspe Peninsula.

Dick drew the short end of the straw to get gas for Salty Paws (pictured in background) at the local filling station.  The boat
has an 117-gallon gas tank, and we carry 6 5-gallon containers.  So far, we have averaged almost 3 mpg, giving us a range of
over 400 miles.  If we cruise above 9-10 mph, however, we can get as low as 1.5 mpg.  As we have over 200 miles to our next
planned fuel stop, we are using every opportunity to fill the tanks where gas is available, even it means using our wagon.

I am ready to walk to the grocery store, wearing a cooler backpack and one shopping bag.  They were both full on my return.

Whales and More

 

The view of Quebec's old city from the marina where we stayed.

Salty Paws in the marina.

Molly may be to be on terra firma for the next
two months.

We disconnected the power cable and uncleated the three port-side lines securing Salty Paws to the dock.  I put the motor into reverse and eased the boat away from the dock.  Then the movement stopped.  I slightly increased the throttle.  Again no movement.  Then it dawned on me that there was one starboard side tie, and our boat wasn't going anywhere unless I pulled the whole dock with me.  I had never done that before in all my years of boating, but that was likely no consolation to my new boat partner, Dick Klain.  He was, no doubt, wondering what he might be getting himself into.

Molly and I went out to eat with Dick  
and Ellen Klain prior to inauspicious
start to our cruise.

You see, Dick took Molly and Tory's place on the boat in Quebec City as Molly no longer wanted to participate in any open water crossing where the sight of land disappears.

Molly's last day cruising as we approached
Old Quebec from the water.
The tower is the Hotel Frontenac.

Dick only has to put up with me for another 2,000 miles or so, and in another 130 miles down the St. Lawrence we would be in whale country.  Maybe that would take my piloting skills off Dick's mind.

There are almost 100 different species of whales, many endangered by warming ocean waters, declining food resources, and overfishing.  According to some estimates, whale populations worldwide are 1.5 million, but number today is, perhaps, only 25% of what they were 200 years ago.  The North Atlantic right whale is among the most endangered, and scientists place their numbers at no more than 350.  A few whales, including humpbacks and fins have made remarkable recoveries, largely because of a ban on commercial whaling that is honored by all but Norway, Iceland and Japan.  These countries would argue that they are harvesting whales at sustainable levels.

In reading about whales, I learned that whale waste is a major fertilizer to promote the growth of phytoplankton, which absorb carbon dioxide and reduce the level in the atmosphere.  So, aside from wanting the largest mammals on our planet to live, their survival is also part of our response to global warming.

Approaching the mouth of the Saguenay River.

The Saguenay River is a spectacular 50-mile-long fjord that flows into the St. Lawrence River, 120 miles east of Quebec City.  The river is lined by 400 to 1200 foot cliffs on both banks.  Depths are typically 500 feet and can be close to 1000 feet.   It is a prime spot for whales to congregate during the summer months.  Food is abundant, and water temperatures, while often in the 60s on the surface, quickly get down into the 40s in the greater depths.

Dick and I approached the river mouth with great anticipation.  We have already seen in the St. Lawrence from a distance some beluga whales, which are mostly white.  Almost immediately we saw a couple of humpbacks, a fin and a number of pods of belugas.  A humpback came out of the water close to the boat.  I shouted "Dick, you got that one on your camera, right?"   Unfortunately, that 1.2 seconds of wonder did not give us enough time for Dick and his 300 mm lens camera or me with my iPhone any chance to take a picture.  We learned quickly that cameras must be at the ready for the unexpected.  

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Finback Whale

We will likely see additional whales later in our cruse and hope that we can improve on these pictures.

Pod of Belugas.  Can you see the
water spout?

We proceeded up the river 35 miles to Baie Eternite, one of the most picturesque anchorages anywhere.   One of the challenges is where to anchor as depths can still be in the hundreds of feet close to the shore.  We found shallow waters at a stream outlet and needed only 50 feet of anchor chain for a very secure and comfortable spot. 

Salty Paws at anchor in Baie Eternite.

Can you find Salty Paws in the anchorage?

We were alone surrounded by the mountains.  Our late afternoon hike was followed by a nice swim from the boat in the mostly freshwater.  As I post this, we are at a marina in Tadoussac, a cute little town at the mouth of the Saguenay.  Soon we depart for adventures further east into the Gulf of the St. Lawrence.

School kids cheered for us going through
the Chambly Canal with our buddy boat, Taku..

Jon and Liz accompanied us in their boat,
Taku, for the first week.

Prior to Dick coming aboard Salty Paws, Molly, Tory and I cruised from Lake Champlain into the Richelieu River, that flows north to the St. Lawrence, and then down river to Quebec City.  We went through a long canal and 10 locks that parallel the Richelieu as much of the river is shallow and has several rapids.  (More pictures of this section of our trip are included at the end of this blog.)  As the canals were first built in the 1840’s, I am in awe to think about how Revolutionary War ships of up to 150 feet in length used skilled shipwrights to build the vessels on land adjacent to the waters where they would be used.

Quebec was established as a French colony, and the French language and customs remain strong today.  There are places where residents only speak French, but we have found everyone accommodating, and Google Translate has come in handy at times.   Canada has worked hard to accommodate the French minority, but there are some things that still might gnaw a Quebecer, such as Queen Elizabeth being prominently pictured on the Canada dollar.  No one yet knows whether King Charles will be on the new bills.  There were unsuccessful referendums in 1980 and 1985 for Quebec to secede from Canada

One of the many Catholic
churches we saw from the
St. Lawrence River.

Initially, virtually all of Quebec was Catholic.  Now, as in the US, people are becoming less religious and immigrants are bringing Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism to the country.  Still, the French Catholic culture dominates, and the main structure in every town is a seemingly well-cared for Catholic church.  One example of the traditional faith of Quebecers took place on the Saguenay River in 1878.  A Quebec City merchant, along with his horse and merchandise fell through the ice on the river.  As the story goes, he implored the Virgin Mary for help.   He was able to pull himself out of the icy water, but became quite sick.  Once again, he pleaded with Mary to let him life so he could support his family.  Three years later, after returning to good health, he honored the Holy Virgin by commissioning and having erected a 33-foot statue of her to watch over sailors high above the water near our anchorage. 

Dick made it halfway to the statue, and was kind enough to wait while I continued climbing to the Madonna of the Saguenay.  

The Madonna of the Saguenay stands over the river.

We stayed at the lock wall in Chambly, a town with wonderful restaurants and parks.

Taku and Salty Paws tied up for the night at the St. Oars lock wall. We had a great cookout in the
adjacent park.

Sorel, QC, was our first stop on the St. Lawrence River.  Before we even had a chance to order a squall
came up, knocking out power and blowing any lose items around.  We were able to have drinks, but that
was it.

We anchored near the popular Parc de l'ile Saint-Quentin in Trois Riviere, just off the St. Lawrence.  We would have been better off not being there on a weekend as the jet skis were pretty active until dusk.

Eating at the marina restaurant in Portneuf.  We ended up staying an extra day because of thunder storms.

Tory was very curious about the ducks.

We benefited from the current in the St. Lawrence.

Farms dot some of the river waterfront in Quebec and much of the land behind houses on the river.

Cocktail time on Salty Paws.

The admiral is now first mate for inland waters only!

We went grocery shopping in Tadoussac.  The nice marina is in the background, and the entrance to the Saguenay River
is around the corner.

It is hard not to be in awe of this beautiful fjord.  The Virgin Mary sculpture is on top of the smallest peak.

Outside of the whale museum in Tadoussac are a number of whale sculptures including this one
depicting a beluga whale with her young.