Rimouski


	You want to go WHERE? Quebec City Cape of Eagles Rimouski Matane St. Anne des Monts Riveire Renard Iles de la Madeleine Isle aux Mort Sainte Pierre aux Miquelan Trepassy St. John's Conception Bay Heading Home

Andy's comments:
Deer Lake was owned by an Air Canada pilot who took a few weeks off to do the trip with the flotilla. It was literally being rebuilt as we traveled from port to port. Apparently, only weeks before the start of the flotilla all the old winches and other gear had been removed below decks. In order to replace the ballast, the new owner had 13,000 pounds of concrete poured into the bilges.

While visiting Deer Lake in Isle Aux Morts, we witnessed an amazing event in the history of that wonderful tug. A an older couple arrived on the boat, and proceeded to pull out photograph after photograph of Deer Lake in its earlier years, complete with a framed photo of a pretty young woman standing on the bridge – the same woman who was standing before us showing us the photos! I have never felt so connected with history as I felt at that moment.

Rimouski

The trip to Rimouski was made under overcast skies, light winds, and periodic rain showers. The sun would sometimes break through the clouds to send dazzling shafts of light down to explode into sparks across the water while rainbows drifted in and out of existence. With the tide and current in our favor there were times when the GPS showed us making 12 knots over the bottom as we motored down the river through some nice flat water. During the night all that changed when the wind came up on the nose and the tide shifted. We were down to two and three knots as we pounded into square waves that were very close together causing the boat to hobbyhorse as it fought through the seas.

Sunrise found us off Rimouski. The wind and sea were still up and the channel into the harbor was very confusing but the good news was that the sky was clearing. The narrow channel took a 90-degree left turn right in front of the rock wall protecting the harbor which put us cross ways into the seas rolling into the wall and bouncing back again. As we rounded the corner into the harbor I got my first look at the Newfoundland 97 Flotilla. There were about 70 boats of all types and sizes flying more flags, pennants and burgees than I have ever seen before. We tied the boat up and had a shot of rum then went to bed.

Would you fly the friendly skies with this man? When I roused myself later and went on deck the sky was crystal clear, the sun blazing. There was ‘Newfie’ music being played from the deck of the Deer Lake, an early 1900’s tugboat. The docks were crowded with visitors from the town talking to the flotilla sailors and getting tours of the boats. The atmosphere can only be described as festive.

The Mount Gay Rum folks were traveling the docks with a rum cart dispensing boat drinks to everyone they met. I’ve wanted a Mount Gay hat for years and now I can say I got mine in Rimouski. We spent the afternoon just being a part of the event, doing a few chores, drinking a few beers, enjoying the sun, going barefoot and answering a lot of questions about why would anyone from California want to sail in the cold nasty north.