One more LONG day

One more LONG day - finally WIFI for photos

A couple of days exploring Sainte Anne des Monts in the wind and rain was more than enough.  It gave a time to catch up on some good reads and veg as well.  Time to move on arrived with an early, early departure.  But then we had had several days to nap and store up sleep. 
(we also enjoyed the driftwood art on display around town!)

With minimal cloud cover we made our way down the St Lawrence and rounded the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula.  Rain and fog overtook us about 25 miles from our destination making our arrival damp and misty. 

The kindly English speaking husband of the dock master caught our lines with the help of two mates from a visiting sailboat.  We are constantly amazed at the willingness of bystanders to lend a hand as we dock. Our stop in Riviere au Renard (Fox River) included a potluck in the boat house complete with live entertainment.  Our limited French was not an issue as the other boaters all seemed eager to practice their English as we learned the tips and life stories of our companions. One young couple on a 29 foot sailboat were heading back up river while the two mates on a slightly larger boat were full of advice on the best stops in the Bay of Chaleur.  Then the couple with a three year old son were reading the same Down East book and planning to take two years to finish this loop. The evening’s music was provided by locals who sang mostly in French but also a few English songs for our benefit. Even with the language barrier we enjoyed the lively folk sounds.

Since we had a longish day we left the Fox River early and in the fog/low clouds which sadly hung around most of the day as we passed the famous Pierce Rock and Bonaventure Island.  Even in the mist and chill we had lots of birds dive bombing the boat.  The gannets were particularly attractive and spectacular as they plunged straight down in their search for food.  Their displays distracted the Admiral from thinking about the rocky seas which did not abate until we had rounded the point and entered the Bay of Chaleur.  

We stopped for the night at the marina in L’Anse a Beaufils – a tiny village with a protected harbor.  The dredge was a work so we had just enough water on the floating dock which was good since the wharf was chock a block with tour boats from the Pierce Rock. The harbor included a lovely old fish processing building that has been re-purposed as a restaurant and gallery.  Steve enjoyed cod cakes and Julia had the local Bouillabaisse soup with a few glasses from the local brewery, Pit Caribou.

After another longish day we crossed the bay and entered the Shippagan Canal in New Brunswick for a night on the Fisherman’s Wharf.  This harbor was mostly empty as the season ended July 15^th – we admired the boats already on the hard for the winter.  But since the working boats did not need the dock, we were given a free night on a wall.  Again perfect strangers drove up and jumped out, as they had in L’Anse a Beaufils, to catch our lines and welcome us to town.  All evening we heard cars stopping above our heads as locals cruised the dock and curiously checked out our boat.  In the morning I chatted with a retired fisherman who stopped his car to chat – a little in French and a little in English.  He heard us start the engine and came back just in time to help us cast off with final instructions for contacting the bridge.  We cannot say enough about the welcome and hospitality we have received in these small communities.

From Shippagan we skirted the coast of New Brunswick with a strong north wind at our back and sought protection for a night on the hook in Miramichi Bay.  Fortunately the winds died as forecast and we had a calm night – so calm that we could use the spotting scope to check out birds on the shore.  After days of rough seas, brisk winds, overcast skies with only rare glimpses of sun, it was a delight to rock gently on the hook in perfect stillness.

The next morning we headed up the bay to the towns of Miramichi and Ritchie Wharf Park.  This little gem of a spot has a free dock where again helping hands were eager to help get us on the dock.  The local tour boat captain hailed us and guided us to a secure spot.  He assured us that the “no overnight docking” was not meant for us. We were also happy that this seems to be a predominately English speaking area – we are still a little confused by the crossover points from Acadian (French) to the Irish/Scots (English).  Along the river all the signs were in English and the French we saw was below or in smaller letters. In Shippagan, NB, however, French was the dominate language…. makes for entertaining travel.  The attraction here is free music – twice on Sundays.  Several hundred have shown up for the afternoon concert which is fortunately being held on the first truly beautiful weather day we have enjoyed in several weeks.  Everyone is extra happy and out to soak up the sunshine including us.   - also lobster roll, ice cream, strawberries......