Longueuil/Montreal to Trois Riviere

August 2, 2011

Departed the Marina @ 0736 this morning after a brief but heavy downpour.  The distance from Montreal to Trois Riviere is 70 nm.  We averaged 8 kts coming down River and I was only running the engine at half speed.  We were all fast at 1645 hrs.

It appears that the tachometer on the engine has had enough and refuses to give anymore.  I have a pretty good ear for engine rpms so it shouldn't be a problem.  One of the few concerns that I have is the engine.  It appears to be in excellent condition, however, on a trip of this length where motoring is a priority, if anything should happen to "my precious" it might cause a grounding or a haul out and another winter in the Northern Climes.  Once we make Tadoussac, the St Lawrence River opens up to over 10 miles wide.  This means that we can start sailing again and the engine becomes secondary.

Tomorrow we will navigate the Richelieau Rapids.  This is a short 2 nm run of very swift water with a current of 8 kts on the ebb.  The channel is deep and well marked.  It is not unusual for a yacht to exceed 12+ kts on a full ebb.  Trois Riviere has a tidal range of about one foot.  Quebec, 70 miles downriver, has an 18 ft tidal range.  All departures are now based on "playing the current" to arrive at the best time.  This will continue all the way to Rimouski which is about 270 nm from Trois Riviere.

The "meds" still haven't arrived in Montreal but they are now an after thought.  My top priority is logging miles to get out of the High Latitudes and down the East Coast before the onset of late fall.

Trois Riviere is an industrial town.  It has a paper mill and, those that have lived near one know the smell:  rotten cabbage.  When we came in this evening, the wind was just right to get that familiar oder that we knew so well from Pascagoula, MS when they had a paper mill there.   A short time later the wind changed so we can hardly notice the smell.

Traffic from big ships has increased substantially from Montreal to Trois Riviere.  This will continue as we get closer to the industrial centers.  These big cargo ships can throw quite a wake so we have to have everything secured.

Will be in Quebec tomorrow evening around 1800 hrs.