Today was a maintenance day. I changed the oil and filters while Sue did laundry. We also filled up with diesel. 174 liters. Not sure what that is in English. The translator is still on the fritz and keeps telling me it’s 174 liters. Come on Microsoft, you can do better. While working, I was …
Author Archives: kurthermann
Translators
Before we left I was investigating different language translators available for the iPhone. I knew we’d need French and Spanish for our trip. I decided the Microsoft Translator had the best features and the price was right… Until today. Both bathroom doors have the same sign posted The Microsoft Translator has a feature where you …
Saltwater
During our last passage from Quebec City to Rimouski, we moved from 78 degree fresh water to 52 degree saltwater. I found out the hard way: We were in an area where the winds were focused by the mountainous landscape, which created larger waves. One of them crashed on the side of the boat and …
Saltwater
During our last passage from Quebec City to Rimouski, we moved from 78 degree fresh water to 52 degree saltwater. I found out the hard way: We were in an area where the winds were focused by the mountainous landscape, which created larger waves. One of them crashed on the side of the boat and …
Quebec City
We’ve enjoyed our 3 days in Quebec City, but it’s time to move on. Our plan is to leave near high tide and try to catch the favorable currents to the town of Rimouski. It’s going to be an overnight sail. Some of the highlights were a fireworks show Saturday night. We got the bikes …
Another lock, what?
I thought I was done with locks until we come home in the Erie Canal. I was wrong. Quebec City has a 10 foot tide. The marina isn’t deep enough to lose 10 feet and keep the boats afloat. So, they installed a lock to hold the water in during low tide. You have to …
On the road again
We left Montreal this morning on our way to Quebec City. Between the freighter traffic, the tight channels, and the current, we thought it best to break the trip up into 2 days. Montreal is the busiest ports I’ve ever tried to navigate through. I was worried my AIS might crash trying to track so …
We love Montreal
We’ve been enjoying our stay in Montreal so much that we decided to stay another night. This morning we walked Steven to the train station. From there, we rode our bikes to the Atwater Market. A large indoor and outdoor food market. Numerous vegetable stands, butchers, bakers, cheese mongers and fish mongers. It’s foodie heaven. …
Montreal
We finished the two remaining locks and one surprise lift bridge. It’s a train bridge that’s always up, so it gets ignored. When we came upon it, a train was on it. Initially, I wasn’t planning on staying at the Montreal Yacht Club. The reviews warned about the strong current getting to the club and …
Two locks to go
The bridge and lock schedule worked as planned. We got through the second bridge a little early by riding the coattails of the Federal Yakina, a 650 foot freighter. It just meant we had to wait longer for our locking. We’re at anchor just outside of the the last 2 locks. If tomorrow’s schedule is …
Bridges and Locks
We have 4 locks left to exit the Seaway and set our own schedule. The seaway is designed for commercial traffic and they seem to tolerate pleasure craft. Because of this, we are the lowest priority, and may wait at a lock for hours before they let us through. If you’ve noticed, we’ve only been …
More locks
Yesterday we made it through 3 of the 7 locks on this part of the seaway. We also left the US for the final time. We won’t be back until we reach Maine. The river is fast and we’re making good time. To reach the marina we’re staying at I had to go upstream for …
1000 Islands Area
I loved the 1000 island area of the St. Lawrence River. I’d highly recommend it as a vacation destination, weather it be by boat, car, or plane. We haven’t been in a cruising area since the North Channel, and I think we all missed it. The last time we anchored was on Club Island in …
Repairs
One of the best descriptions I’ve heard of cruising is “doing boat work in exotic locations”. Our visit to Clayton New York was no different. Our refrigerator and freezer had been pulling too much power and something had to be done about it. I went to the Island Packet user forum to see if anyone …
Done with the Great Lakes
Yesterday we left Toronto for an overnight sail to eastern Lake Ontario. The winds were on the light side but enough for us to turn off the motor and have a relaxing sail. It was calm enough that I got out the grill and cooked sausages on the way. Initially our plan was to stay …
Kurt & Sue Sail 