Friday, August 2nd

We left for Riviere de la Madelaine, 49 14.44N 065 17.61W expecting strong winds but got very variable winds instead, so we ended up motoring most of the way.  We were right on the northern tip of the Gaspe Peninsula, and tomorrow we start heading south towards Gaspe.  The scenery was spectacular – beautiful cliffs, dotted with coves containing small towns and large churches. 

The sea was flat so we were able to see seals, dolphins and whales, albeit from a distance.  The harbor was interesting – it’s so small that it’s not marked on the chart, but our guide book gave good directions, and there was a good transit leading into the harbor.  Once inside, we realized how small it was – they barely had room for us.  

We took a bike ride into the village which consisted of mostly homes, a hotel/restaurant, and a rundown garage.  The people here were very friendly.  The marina had no WIFI and there was no cell phone coverage, so we stopped at the hotel and asked them if we could use their WIFI. They gave us the password for no charge. 

We were invited to partake of their Friday night fish soup special, which we initially declined since we had steaks in the fridge that really needed eating.  Later we changed our mind and decided to have fish soup with the locals then return to the boat for steak.  There was a little miscommunication however, and we ended up with soup, bread, fries and maple sugar pie for dessert.  So we returned to the boat, and cooked the steak for lunch tomorrow. 

We were also invited to the Friday night theatre.  It was in a tiny hut, big enough for 15-20 people.  The show consisted of a lady performing a monologue.  We hardly recognized the language, let alone try to understand it.  Apparently she had a very strong Gaspesian accent.  We left after a short while.  These two events seemed to be the highlight of the village. 

Ship’s Log: 3141.4nm, Today's log: 45.2nm, Season total: 687.5nm.