.........and the Journey East Continues.........

Over the next few days we were still getting used to the demands of calculating tide times, current locations, departure and arrival times at destinations so as to make our journey east as safe as possible. As we continued to sail east we became even more aware of the need to remain concentrated on the daily sail plan.  The water of the St. Lawrence had changed and we were now experiencing the effects of tide and heavier current and shifting winds - all of which needed to be calculated into the sail plan for the day. There are tools one uses to help calculate these things and we were glad to have the Canadian Tide and Current Tables for the St. Lawrence and the Atlas of Tidal Currents for the same area aboard. These tools are a must to be able to determine when the best time to depart a location is so that the tide and currents are in your favor so as to maximize on the smoothness of the voyage to the next destination. We rely on the daily weather reports and long term forecasts so as to help decide what we will do too.  We also have great cruising guides that help us with information about what the currents and anchorages are like, where there are fuel docks, sightseeing and side trip clues, what services the marinas along the way have and general route planning tips.  Two books that we have found invaluable in our planning by using them together are Down East Circle Route by Captain Cheryl Barr and St. Lawrence River and Quebec Waterways Cruising Guide 2nd Edition.  We have a general idea of what we want to do but we are no longer completly in control of our destiny - I beleive it is a very wise person who highly respects Mother Nature and gives her the wide berth first!

From Contrecoeur we sailed to Trois Rivieres where we anchored overnight. In the morning the weather forcast predicted high wind storm warnings for later in the day and we were safely sheltered in our berth in a lovely marina in Portneuf by 2pm that afternoon, a short distance of 34 nautical miles. We had hoped to cover more ground over water but we were continuing our journey east and were happy to be tied up there.

Portneuf is a pretty little town with lovely picnic areas scattered along the harbour and walkway overlooking the marina. We walked into the village down a long causeway that stretches out into the river which has been constructed to accomodate the marina.

Shortly after we returned from our walk, the sky darkened and the storm was on its way toward us.  Port neuf marina is situated on the north shore of the river. The river is wide here and we could see the rolling outline of the Appalachian highlands far to the southern shore across the expanse of the river.  The storm arrived with fury and the waters outside the breakwater around us became extremely treacherous. From where we were located, it was awesome to watch the storm's approach as it threw walls of water toward us in sheets, thrusting vicious daggerlike spears of lightning at the water and forcing the wind into confusion.  I watched in amazement, as the rain thundered and pounded onto our boat in torrents,  the storm furiously depart across the river as quickly as it had risen  headed toward its next target for destruction. We were very happy to have been safe and sound and off the water but also very saddened by CBC`s report the following morning of the drowning death of two persons on the water in western Quebec, due to that storm.

But the morning did bring with its natural beauty too and in the sunny cool freshness of the new day, we headed east again toward Quebec City and our destination on Ile d`' Orleans. We travelled in heavy currents and under the bridge that joins Quebec City to the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River at Levis.