July 24, 2025 Rounding the Point and on to Gaspe.

 Thursday  July 24, 2025   Riviere au Renard to Gaspe    39 miles and 4.5 hours

Great night's sleep at anchor.  Protected harbor, gentle breeze overnight so just some minor soft rocking.   It's just a habit, but still got up twice to check the anchor alarm plots to be sure we weren't dragging.  Should not have worried at all.   When we raised anchor at 9:30 to depart it had a nice covering of heavy mud and gravel.   Took a few extra minutes with the washdown hose to get it all cleared off.   Another drizzly, damp and overcast day.  Still just highs into the 60's.  Winds fairly light so seas are behaving.  A bit of a negative current most of today but the currents are much more moderate than earlier on the St. Lawrence.  Shoreside scenery flattens out as we approach Canada's tallest lighthouse (112') at Cap-Des-Rosiers.

Cap-Des-Rosiers Lighthouse on a dreary day

Across a bit more open water headed to our turning point at Cap Gaspe.   Picturesque but rugged rocks standing hard against the open waters.  The Cap Gaspe lighthouse is perched high atop the rocks.   The seas were expectedly a bit confused going around the point but once around the point and heading up the Gaspe Bay the winds disappeared and the water flattened.  While the outboard side of the peninsular is all tall hard steep rock, the inland side of the peninsula is a more forgiving and forested landscape.  

Approaching the rugged point of Cap Gaspe

Lighthouse at the point of Cap Gaspe

The view from atop the lighthouse must be spectacular

Calm conditions as we head up Gaspe Bay

The marina has an inside harbor area for seasonal boats while transient boaters are placed on a long finger pier on the outside.   Not an issue except that dock is shared with the local sailing club who happened to be having a number of summer sailing activities for youths in progress.   Looks like 3 groups.   One group in small regular sailboats appears to be setting up for a race - at least they're a bit away from the dock.  But then there's another group of 6-7 small home-built boats that appear to just be floundering away within 150' of the dock.   On top of that there are two other boats loaded with young kids and counselors who appear to be playing "pirate" with each other - jumping around from one boat to another.  Not a care in the world to how close I am to them. All this going on while I'm trying to spin the boat 180 degrees, not run them over and get docked.  And of course it starts raining again!  People up here are crazy.  It's 65 degrees out, the water is 58 degrees and these kids are jumping in the water!!  Now I understand how Canadians can come to Myrtle Beach in February and sit on the beach and go in the water!!

Just a small portion of the sailing club flotilla greeting us upon arrival

Best benefit of being on the transient dock is we have an awesome view (when not fogged or clouded in) and it has a 50 AMP outlet, so we've been able to run the heat again!!!   With Martha still fighting off that cold it's giving her a nice reprieve from the damp and bundling under layers of blankets. Plan to stay until Sunday.   Weather changeup on Saturday to strong NW winds so a no travel day as we have some open water to cross.  Back to SW and moderate on Sunday.  We'll see if that forecast holds.  Weather seems pretty changeable here from hour to hour - never mind trying to look days ahead. 

Journey for July 24, 2025