Chasing 80
The adventures of Jill & Kevin McMullen as we set sail on our retirement cruise of unknown length...enjoy the ride with us!
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Heading South
Monday, July 7, 2025
Whales and Seals and....
...Penguins can FLY!!!!
We knew we would see many new things on this years trip but we had no idea we would see penguins! We began seeing these small duck like birds below Quebec city but they are very shy and will dive and swim away or fly off on short stubby wings after beating the water for several yards to get airborne. I told Jill that they look like penguins with black backs. white chests and short wings. Sure enough, after some research we found that they are indeed penguins and can indeed fly! You can also take a cruise to see them.
We were also able to sight seals.
But the star of the trip and by far Jills favorite has been the Beluga whales.
We also saw what we believe was a Minke whale but did not get a picture.
The highlight stop on this section has been the town of Taddousac and cruising the length of the Seguenay Fjord. The scenery in this section if very rugged and picturesque (when it's not foggy). We are still in an area of large tidal changes as you can see in the following pictures.
Chasing 80 at low tide. |
Same area as seen from the boat at high tide. |
We traveled up the Fjord to the town of Le Baie and the scenery was amazing.
Tour boat below Our Lady of the Saguenay |
Closer picture |
We saw several spectacular waterfalls which are called chutes in this area.
I thought the scenery was great but I think Jill was less impressed without the Belugas...
As we have traveled this section of the St Lawrence we have seen many ski areas...
And lighthouses...
Turn left here for Taddousac |
And humongous churches....
Sometimes we even saw churches and lighthouses....
So that's it for this quick update. We are currently in Ste-Anne-des-Monts for an extra day to let the water calm down after a very windy day yesterday. We are definitely in a part of Quebec where it is harder to find an English translator but we're getting by with Google translate and pointing at the menu...
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Quebec City
We left our last update with our stay in Montreal, Quebec. Before we left there was one last event, the Formula 1 race. As I took a video of our marina the race took over the audio...volume up!
Our second stay in Montreal was as enjoyable as the first but it's time to move on. We left on a perfect weather day but had decided to cut the trip to Quebec city into 2 days instead of 4 as planned. Cold weather and rain was in the forecast. It was easy to travel longer days as we had a nice push headed down river.
So Long Montreal. |
Not much photo worthy along the way as we made 2 days of about 80 miles each. We arrived in Quebec City a day before the temps dropped and the rain set in...
Our stay in Quebec City was longer than planned as we got in 2 days early and had to wait for a favorable tide to leave. On a slower boat like ours it's important to leave 2 hours before high tide to have a nice push going down river. The tide range was almost 18 feet while we were there and the marina basin is protected by a lock to enter and exit.
Where's Waldo? |
Notre Dame |
Above. |
Good By Quebec. |
Friday, June 13, 2025
NY to Montreal
Our plan for the Down East Circle adventure got off to a great start this year. As usual, we try to make it a fun trip when traveling to or from the boat. We'll avoid the interstates where possible and see some interesting places. This year we found a place I'm sure many are familiar with...
Another clue at the end of this post. |
Our ride was pretty well packed since we brought extra provisions and warm clothes this year.
We were fortunate that we were stored where we were this winter as the Erie Canal is having some issues that are preventing the full opening just yet. It seems that as one thing is worked out heavy rain closes another section.
We were launched as planned on May 27 and after a few days getting the boat in shape our friends Paul and Melissa flew in to spend the beginning of the trip with us. Paul got a great shot of Chasing 80 the night before we left.
The first day went fairly well as we traveled to Oswego, NY. to stage for our crossing of Lake Ontario. I say fairly because a slight air leak in a fuel filter caused the port engine to shut down at a most inopportune time. Oh well, it was an easy diagnosis and fix the next morning before heading across the lake in perfect weather. Before we quite cleared the harbor in Oswego, it finally happened...
We were boarded by the Coast Guard to check our documents (which were all in order). They were very polite and professional and we were on our way in no time.
The crossing was very smooth when compared to last fall and we were tied up in Kingston, Ontario by mid afternoon. This was our first time checking in with guests on board but it all went smoothly thanks to the friendly agent on the other end of our phone call.
After an extra day in Kingston to see some friends and provision we were on our way down the St. Lawrence River and through the 1000 Islands area which I was really looking forward to. Unfortunately the air was thick from the Canadian wildfire smoke so the sights were a bit subdued.
Bolt Castle |
Singer Castle |
We did see eagles...
It was an easy run to Brockport which has a nice marina and downtown area. They also boast the first railroad tunnel in Canada which connected the railyard to the river terminals. It's been transformed into a walking tunnel with a great light show. It was amazing how much cooler it was compared to the outside air temperature, almost like a cave system. They also have a really big chair!
After this stop it was a working trip where we had to deal with the big seaway locks that control the river as it drops toward Montreal. There are big Lake Freighters that travel this route and they have priority at the locks.
We knew we were getting farther north when we passed a Canadian icebreaker...
After a couple of long days we arrived in Montreal and get to be tourists for a few days. The Formula 1 circuit is in town this weekend so the city has an even more international feeling than last year.
Paul and Melissa in tourist mode. |
The YC Montreal is very welcoming and in a perfect location to explore town.