Friday, June 24th
Today’s transit was from Cap-à-l’Aigle to Tadoussac, about 38 nautical miles. With the current in our favor, running the engines barely above idle, we made it in less than 3-1/2 hours. The two sailboats that have been following the same route were amazed to see their speeds above 11 knots in places. Although swift, the river is deceptively wide, about 10 miles along this section. It distorts all sense of distance, and it can feel like you’re standing still, even while being whisked along.
The weather today was perfect. Blue sky, puffy white clouds, and a light following wind.
As forecast, the wind did pick up as we approached Tadoussac, at the entrance to the Saguenay River. This is a long Fjord, over 400 feet deep in places. Where the strong current (up to 9 knots) of the Saguenay enters the St. Lawrence, navigation can be challenging. But we’d timed the current correctly, and the wind was coming from the right direction, so getting to the marina wasn’t difficult.
This area is home to up to 7 species of whales. We saw two groups of belugas on our way here, and whale-watching cruises leave Tadoussac almost constantly. The currents of the two rivers bring up nutrients from the deep, cold waters which form the base of an exceptionally productive food chain, with the whales on top. We measured water temperatures in the low 50s on our approach.
- Miles traveled: 870.4
- Engine Hours: 129.4