L`Ile d`Orleans Continued

The marine mechanic arrived the next day and addressed our issue. He was a nice man in his mid forties who was pleased that we could speak some french. He was able to speak and equal amount of english so we were able to get along fine with our interpretations of the boat problems. It was as the captain had surmised. The oil filter was sliced due to the vibration of the air breather leaning against the filter to cause the slice. We suspected that the movements of the heavy currents had loosened the breather inevitably causing the problem. But the mechanic chatted with Keith and did some adjustments on the oil sensor valve and gave him some tips on how to address the next issue which was the cleaning of the bilge due to the leak and soon all was back to normal.

It was another beautiful day but alot of it was taken up with the attention to the boat so when we heard the VHF report of another violent storm threat we elected to remain there another night. We were tied safely and that is where we stayed.

We were glad we stayed.  For two reasons. The first being the next bike adventure where we discovered a wonderful local art gallery where the work of 30  island artists and sculpturers were on display. We were particularily taken with one young woman`s depiction of human movement and feeling displayed in clothing without the use of the physical form of the body in the clothes. Her work is constructed in alabaster and ebony and other stone mediums. Her work is amazing and the operator of the gallery noticed me spending so much time admiring her work. He told me that he hoped that he lived long enough to see her work in 30 years after she had that many years of experience perfecting her craft because she now was only 22 years old.

The second reason was because of the storm that did arrive.  This one came and it stayed.  When we awoke the next morning a 16 or 18 foot catamaran was tied above us to the wharf. It had arrived some time in the night and those aboard her were terrified.  There were 3 fellows and one younger gal aboard and 3 dogs.  Even the dogs eyes portrayed their fear. One fellow was asleep on the netting between the two hulls of the boat and the young gal confided that they were being continuously swamped by the swell of the following seas as the heavy water kept coming over their stern soaking everyone and everything they had in the boat. They were exhausted, cold and wet and had come from Portneuf but had planned to head further east until this storm struck. They were planning to spend the day there to make the decision as to whether or not they would abandon their sail plans. We wished them well and they us. I was so happy to have the security of our sturdy steel hulled blue water vessel as we departed east for Berthier sur Mer, east toward home.