TADOUSSAC & SAGUENAY FIORD - July 3 to 7, 2016

Hello all. We are still here. It’s been five days since our last post. So, here is the update. We spent two more days in Tadoussac. Fran and I did hikes each day. The scenery here is breathtakingly beautiful reminding us of our visit to Alaska a couple of years ago. We enjoyed more meals at restaurants in the village. We were all set to leave on Monday to head up the Saguenay fiord, but a free night at the marina, combined with a forecast for late day 25-35 knot winds and a severe thunderstorm watch had us stay one more day. While most of the day was beautiful sunshine and light wind, the forecast was dead accurate with high winds, heavy rain and a thunder storm around 1700 hours, lasting for about one hour. 

Hiking around Tadoussac

So, on Tuesday July 5th, with some cloud and a little fog, we departed the marina on a flood tide and headed up the Saguenay. The fiord is about 68 nautical miles long and between 1.2 and 2.5 miles wide. The average depth is 690 feet and we regularly saw depths of well over 800 feet. Inside the fiord, the top 7% of the water is fresh and the lower 93% is salt water. The fiord is precambrian. About 200 million years ago, a rock basal complex between a north fault and a south fault collapsed. Later, during the last glacial period, a 1.5 mile deep ice sheet cut the fiord and caused the region to sink, thus creating the Saguenay fiord. The cliffs / mountains on each side reach almost 1,000 feet.

We’d read that a wide range of whale species travel the first five miles of the fiord and the belugas go all the way to Chicoutimi near the end of the fiord. One cove on the north shore is off limits to boats as it has been designated a sanctuary for belugas. Armed with this information, we were expecting to be seeing whales everywhere we looked. It was quite a surprise when we got 20 miles upstream and hadn't seen one whale. Thankfully the wonderful scenery make up for no whale sightings.

The Saguenay Fiord

 

One of our objectives for visiting the Saguenay was to try anchoring in tidal waters. In this area, the tidal range (difference between high and low tide) at this time in the lunar cycle was a substantial 20 feet. The other challenge here is how quickly the water level drops from say 20 feet to over 100 feet. On our way up the fiord, we checked out two possible anchorages and decided the water was too deep for successful anchoring. At the village of Anse-Saint-Jean, we took a preliminary look at the anchorage, but quickly concluded it was safer to try anchoring there during low tide when we could properly assess the shoreline when the water level would be lowest. 

We spent a lovely evening at the village marina where we found extremely helpful staff and boaters. The marina manager was actually born in neighbouring Burlington, Ontario. He attended a friend’s wedding in the village 15 years ago, got a job during his visit and stayed. 

Anse-Saint-Jean Marina in the evening

Late the next morning at low tide, we decided to try anchoring again. We found what we thought was a reasonably flat area in 25’ of water. Adding 20 feet for tide, we’d need to let out about 225’ of rode for safety (5:1 ratio of maximum water depth to length of anchor rode). We started out with 175 feet, but the stern of our boat got into 6’ of water before our anchor was properly hooked. The wind and waves were picking up and we concluded anchoring in the Saguenay was probably not a great idea. Plan B was to head a further 8 miles up the fiord to tour Baie Eternite. Two Cap’s (capes) stand guard, one on each side of the large bay (Cap Eternite and Cap Trinite). Cap Trinity has three steps. The first is 122 meters high and it has a 9.75 meter tall statue of the Virgin Mary perched on it. This statue was rough hewn from wood and then coated with lead and hoisted into its present position in 1881. The second step is another 90 meters higher and it has a large cross on it. The third step is 457 meters above seal level and it reportedly offers a commanding view of the fiord. 

The story of this statue of the Virgin Mary begins with a man named Charles Robitaille, a salesman who traveled the roads around Quebec. During winters, he would even cross frozen rivers. In the winter of 1878, while trying to cross the Saguenay River, the ice broke under the weight of his horse and sleigh. Charles was pulled beneath the ice, alone and helpless, and knowing he was dying, he implored the Virgin Mary to save him. He miraculously survived and managed to escape the icy river waters knowing it was the Virgin Mary who assisted him. To honour her, he asked sculptor Louis Jobin to create a huge statue of the Blessed Virgin in the image of Our Lady of Lourdes. The finished statue is 35 feet high and weighs three tons. It was carved from solid white pine and sheathed in lead to protect the statue from the weather. After construction, it was broken down into 14 pieces and hoisted into place and re-assembled on her perch overlooking the Saguenay fiord. She is a regional landmark attracting visitors from all around the world. The statue became known as Notre-Dame due Saguenay. 

Virgin Mary Statue

The spectacular cliffs surrounding Baie Eternity were a wonderful treat to see and try taking photos of. The water in the bay is far too deep to anchor here, so Parcs Quebec installed mooring balls for boaters to tie up to. Originally there were 20 mooring balls and boats tended to raft together on the mooring balls, but then the weight of multiple boats on an outgoing tide would drag the weight holding the mooring ball into deeper water and it would be lost. Now, only two mooring  balls remain. When we visited one was already taken, so after our tour we returned to Anse-Saint-Jean for another night. 

The cliffs of Baie Eternity

Wings near Baie Eternity cliff

I learned a local Petro Canada gas station sold propane and one of our tanks was getting low. The marina manager offered one of the bicycles for me to use and advised the station was about a 15 minute ride away. I tied the 10 pound tank to the bicycle carrier and set off with my map to find the station. Tired and out of breath, I arrived at the Petro Canada station 45 minutes later. The price was great and 15 minutes later, with a heavier tank tied on the carrier I was off peddling the bicycle again for the return trip to the marina. It was a 21 speed bike, and I think I made use of most of them, negotiating the ups and downs of the route. As recommended, I took the scenic route back which included crossing a lovely covered bridge. When I returned triumphant with my full propane tank, I joined Fran, Bob and Jan for happy hour and savoured my Scotch and water with great satisfaction and very tired legs. 

Our friends Dave and Judy are still in Quebec City. Dave and the dinghy dealer worked out a repair solution for his dinghy hull to see them through this summer. However, Dave had to do the work as the dealer was not prepared to accept the liability of repairing the injection moulded hull (based on guidance from the manufacturer). Dave was allowed to use the dealer shop and materials to fabricate several stainless steel plates together with backing plates that he bolted in place with MMM5200 sealant to render the hull stronger and water tight again. This took about three days and when the job neared completion, they then found themselves in gale force north east winds, unable to depart Quebec City for a few more days. Grrrrrrr.

On Thursday July 7th, we decided to return to Tadoussac to be in a position to cross the St. Lawrence to Rimouski when the winds allowed for it. Under cloudy skies and light drizzle, together with some fog, we headed back down the Saguenay fiord, once again keeping our eyes open for whales. This time we were rewarded with sightings of a group of belugas en route and a single minke whale very close to Tadoussac. 

We’d timed our trip to arrive in Tadoussac near low tide so once again we could try anchoring in tidal water. Earlier we’d watched numerous sailboats anchor in the bay and decided we were comfortable with that location. After three tries, being sure we were well hooked, had enough anchor rode out and would not be too close to shore, we declared ourselves successfully anchored. Our friends on Wings tried a few times but could not get successfully hooked to their satisfaction. At one point their boat touched a rock on the bottom and in the end they decided to return to the marina. 

We ended up anchored a little further around the bay than we’d planned and the waves were causing us to roll side to side a little more than we’d have liked. However, this was offset by the realization we were in a good spot for whale watching. As I type this blog post, I’m looking up every 30 seconds to scan the water. A minke whale has been hanging about roughly 400 yards away from our boat for hours. At one point, the whale headed directly towards our boat. As we held our breath and waited for him to resurface, Fran heard this loud blow (whoosh) as he passed close to our boat. Our camera and our photography skills are not great, but we did manage to get one shot of the minke. What a wonderful treat. You just never know what this cruising adventure is going to present.

Friendly minke whale hanging around our boat

CAP-A-LAIGLE TO TADOUSSAC - July 1 & 2, 2016

Happy Canada Day to everyone. 

Cruising down the great St. Lawrence River: what a terrific way to celebrate Canada.

We found Cap-a-l’Aigle to be a terrific stop between Quebec City and Tadoussac. The small harbour was well protected. The people were very welcoming and friendly. The washrooms and showers were new and well appointed. Finally, there was a great little restaurant over the marina office that put on a great lunch. Afterwards, we took a nap, as we were all tired from our 0230 start to the day. Later in the day, at a crew meeting to discuss the July 1st cruise to Tadoussac, we determined it would be another early morning to follow the advice in our cruising guide, so we were off to bed very early.

Cap-a-l'Aigle Marina

Low tide = steep incline to ramp at Cap-a-l'Aigle

It is a 40 nautical mile cruise to Tadoussac and our cruising guide said we should arrive at the Prince Shoal Lighthouse (entrance to the Saguenay Fiord) two hours after low tide at the nearby Pointe-au-Pere tidal station on the south shore of the St. Lawrence (we’d need to arrive at 0824). This meant we’d need to depart at 0430 hours to make it on time. We awoke at 0400 to a sky that was already quite bright and we were off the dock by 0430 to see the sun rise at 0445 over the horizon on the endless ribbon of water of the St. Lawrence River. It was a spectacular morning with clear, dry air, with good warmth to the sun matched by a chill from the 11 degree C water. We enjoyed speeds of 9 to 12 knots over the ground, thanks to the ebb tide. 

Along the way we saw two belugas and had multiple minke whale sightings and had to slow down and occasionally stop while the whales made their way by us. Such a thrill! We also saw a grey seal and puffins. 

Lighthouse along north shore of St. Lawrence

A few miles before we reached Prince Shoal Lighthouse, the St. Lawrence flood tide began and our speed dropped dramatically to 5.5 knots, but as we completed our turn right on time into the Saguenay Fiord, our speed picked up to 8 to 9 knots as we took advantage of the flood tide into the fiord. It was a short run in to the town of Tadoussac where we were greeted by an enthusiastic marina employee named Alex. The docking space is limited and he sure knew how to pack the boats in. 

Prince Shoal Lighthouse & Saguenay Fiord


Tadoussac was much more than we expected. The village is nestled into a lovely horseshoe shaped bay with a tree covered hill all around. Two churches and the Hotel Tadoussac, with its bright red roof are the dominant landmarks of the town. The Tadoussac marina is on the northwest corner of the bay and the balance of the bay is rimmed with a lovely sand beach that grows dramatically during low tide.

Club Nautique de Tadoussac

Jacques Cartier came to the site in 1535 and found Innu people using it as a base for hunting seal. Later the Basques form Spain conducted whaling expeditions on the river. Tadoussac was established at an Innu settlement and in 1600 it became France’s first trading post on the mainland of New France. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in Canada and the oldest surviving French settlement in the Americas. The frontier was harsh and only five of the sixteen men survived the first winter. By the late 17th century, Tadoussac was the centre of fur trade between the French and First Nations peoples. Colonists from the Tadoussac area were also involved in whaling from 1632 until the end of the century. 

In the 19th century, industrialization reached other parts of Canada and tourists discovered the appeal of this rural village. Wealthy Quebecois built vacation villas. In 1864 a Victorian hotel was built and later it was lost to a fire. In the 1940k’s it was replaced by the large Hotel Tadoussac. Today it continues to be a major tourist destination because of the rugged beauty of the Saguenay fiord and its facilities for whale watching. 

Between May and October up to 13 species of cetaceans, including blue whales and humpbacks, are found in the salty waters of the St. Lawrence and Saguenay fiord as they come to feed on the food rich supply stirred up by the mixing of the St. Lawrence and Saguenay rivers. In 1970 the Quebec government began acquiring land around the fiord to protect it. In 1983 the Saguenay National Park was officially created. Guidelines were established for the whale watching industry and for recreational boaters, to protect the whales and to educate the public on the whales and their habitat. 

The beluga or white whale is an Arctic and sub-attic cetacean. It is adapted to life in the Arctic, so it has different anatomical and physiological characteristics from other cetaceans. Key differences are its all-white colour, absence of a dorsal fin and a distinctive protuberance at the front of its head. This whale has a stocky body and a larger percentage of its weight is blubber. Its sense of hearing is highly developed and its sonar allows it to move about and find blowholes under sheet ice. Belugas form groups of up to 10 animals on average, but during summer they can gather in the hundreds. They are slow swimmers but can dive up to 2,300 feed below the surface. they have teeth and mainly eat fish, crustaceans and other deep-sea invertebrates. The majority of belugas live in the Arctic. Belugas stay in their cold water environment year round rather than migrate to warm waters for birthing as other whale species do.

The St. Lawrence River and Saguenay fiord are home to an important population of belugas. In the 1800’s there were as many as 10,000 belugas in this area. Whaling operations almost eliminated this beluga population. The whaling ban in 1979 in this area was made with the hope of helping to restore the population of belugas and initially the population did start to increase to about 1,000.  Now however, the population is estimated at just under 900 and falling. The worst year for dead calves was 2012 when sixteen were found dead. Whales were found to be dying of cancer at an unusually high rate in recent years. At this point researchers advise the reasons are unclear. 

After docking, we searched our Yelp app to find a restaurant for lunch as we continue to eat our way through Quebec. We settled on Cafe Boheme which turned out to be a gem. After, we visited the Tadoussac Whale Museum & Research Centre and watched a film about the research work being done. There was also a great display of whale bones and complete skeletons that helped one gain an appreciation for their size. Later, Fran and I did the boardwalk hike around Point de I’Islet taking in the stunning vistas of the mouth of the Saguenay and views up the fiord.

The Saguenay Fiord

There were no real Canada Day celebrations in Tadoussac. It seems to vary by community. Last weekend’s Saint-Jean-Baptiste day is a more prominent celebration in Quebec.

Hotel Tadoussac


Fran with whale museum in background

The forecast for Saturday July 2nd included that bright red banner “Gale Force Winds”. We woke to a cloudy drizzly morning. but shortly after, the sun shone and the winds were light, with the promise of more sun, cloud and rain through the day. The forecast did prove to be right as by early afternoon, a wind shift had 20 to 35 knot winds going straight through the harbour and boaters were regularly adding fenders and tending to their dock lines to ensure their boats were safe. 

Boat Chores: This is a regular part of boating. This includes keeping the exterior decks, cabin and hull clean, engine room checks (oil level, strainers clear of weeds, engine belts ok, a look under the main engine for any sign of leaks etc.). Then there are other “to do” items. In my case, one long outstanding one was to splice a nylon line (rope) onto our all chain anchor rode to lengthen it in case we need to anchor in deeper water than normal. We carry 175 feet of chain for our anchor and that’s all we’ve used or needed in the 7 seasons we’ve had Tug’n. But there is a real possibility we’ll need to anchor in deeper waters, so we purchased 150’ of 5/8” three strand nylon anchor line that I’d planned to splice onto the end of our anchor chain. Today was the perfect day to do that. I reviewed the instructions I’d saved onto iBooks on my iPad and then set about completing the splice. I’m sure it had been 8 years or more since I’d done a splice of this sort, but it worked out perfectly. 

The rope to chain splice

Later, we enjoyed a lovely lunch in the marina restaurant while listening to a fantastic playlist from the sixties (Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens etc - my kind of music). A marina staff member spent time with me discussing what we should see when we head up the Saguenay fiord and where we should consider staying. Except for the high winds, it was a very relaxing day.

Lunch at the terrific marina restaurant