Northern Boating Trip 2026 (aboard "Tutta Bella" the motor yacht). (Sixth day of trip)

Wednesday 9 September 2026

 Port of Quebec Marina

Quebec, Canada.  

______FOR SOME REASON NO PHOTOS CAN BE UPLOADED_____WILL TRY TOMORROW

Marc-  We started off the day with a rather ominous sign:  a red sky.  This brings to mine the old sailor's adage : "red sky at morning sailor take warning".  Well it did start out partly cloudy but turned to rain within the first hour.  Not to worry since the plan was to head over to a local Bistro for breakfast.

The Bistro "Buffet de L'Anticaire " was excellent and affordable.  The place was suggested by a local boater.  We returned to the boat via the Bus Station to get the schedule to got to the Mortmorency Falls by city bus.  Very easy and low cost:  $ 6.40 round trip fare.

The Bus trip was rather interesting going from the City port area, an industrial area, and finally the suburbs in the outskirts of the City.  Passengers included high school and college students and a few seniors (us).  It took about 40 minutes to arrive at the BusStop literally at the top of the Falls. Mortmorency Falls are 272.3 feet high (a full 98.4 feet higher than Niagara Falls) and quite spectacular right on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.

Northern Boating Trip 2026 (aboard "Tutta Bella" the motor yacht). (Fifth day of trip)

 Tuesday 8 September 2026

Port of Quebec Marina

Quebec, Canada

Nice sunrise to start the day.  Grain silos and ship loading pier in the distance.

-We are sad that the wonderful public market here at the Port of Quebec has moved and no longer within walking distance.  There is however a Metro supermarket 1/2 mile away.  Charlie pulled out some Saturday shopping bags and off we went.  

Getting to the Metro means walking through the beautiful city train station.

These guys are in awe of something
(perhaps birds or bats in the belfry).

An interesting ceiling.

A leaded glass map of the Canadian National Railways.

Cool fountain in front of the train station.

Not much to report here except that my cousin Alain picked me up to go visit my 97 year old Uncle Fernand and to my Aunt Monique's 85th birthday party.  They are both doing well.  Longevity must be due to some environmental factors up here since my relatives that remain in Canada often live past 100.

85year old Aunt Monique.

Will and Charlie did some tourist shopping in a Lower Town section called "Le petit Champlain".

This place became French in the 16th century when Jaques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River.

To all a good night.

Northern Boating Trip 2026 (aboard "Tutta Bella" the motor yacht). (Fourth day of trip)

Monday 7 September 2026

Marina de Trois Rivières

Trois Rivières, Quebec, Canada

Photos taken last evening of the new buddy boats and the neighboring paper mill.

05:45 -  Early pre-dawn departure from the marina down the narrow marina channel to the St. Lawrence River.  Visibility improved greatly as the sun came up and we soon passed the African Queen.  

Tutta Bella is the White boat on this AIS map.

Here comes the sun!

Our buddy boat.

Before we knew it we were cruising along at 14 plus knots with some significant assist from the outgoing river current.

The crew kept busy when off-watch.

After about 6 hours we arrived at Quebec.

Two Canadian Coast Guard Ice Breakers at their base below the Citadelle.

The iconic Chateau Frontenac with the Levis ferry arriving.

A new Cruise ship in port:  The National Geographic Explorer.

We finally arrived at the partially hidden entrance to the Basin Louise.  Entry is through a tug boat staging harbor and a lock.

Through the lock you enter the Bassin Louise containing the welcoming Port of Quebec Marina with 400 slips (Marina staff are stationed in the lock on weekends and holidays to assist with visitors finding slips).  A passerby, that sounded like an American, warned us that we were inviting vandalism displaying the American flag.  So far we have only met welcoming and helpful people.

After we settled in and had lunch we explored the old city.

Old French architecture abounds.

View of a Champlain statue from inside the Chateau Frontenac taken by Will.

I led everyone to one of the highest viewpoints at the Citadelle (fortress).

More architecture.

Charlie took this photo in front of the Quebec Parliament where a protest was taking place.  

Back into the walled City through one of the several gates.

Northern Boating Trip 2026 (aboard "Tutta Bella" the motor yacht). (Third day of trip)

Sunday 6 September 2026

Saint Ours Lock

Saint Ours, Quebec, Canada

Departing the St. Ours Lock and the friendly Parks Canada Lock Tenders.

St. Ours Hydroelectric dam.

09:18 Departure from a very quiet night at this island park facility complete with camping facilities.  There was only one other boat here and it was a sailboat heading South for the winter.  The Lockmaster indicated that boat traffic in general has been low this year.  Could it be the boycott,  high price of fuel, or the 40% exchange rate on currency?

Our plan was to head for a marina in Trois-Rivieres on the St. Lawrence River for tonight before catching the tide down to Quebec City leaving at 05:30 tomorrow morning.  The weather today was fantastic with wind of 10 knots out of the North and clear blue skies.  We also had 100% favorable currents of 1.5 knots in the Richelieu River and up to 3 knots in the St. Lawrence River.  We saw several ships in Sorel and Trois-Rivieres and passed one ship en route.

Our close ship encounter.

Will was at the helm and saw this mirage fast approaching.  He took appropriate evasive action and the good shipping crew of the Tutta Bella safely passed.

The "ship".

We followed this route across Lake St. Peter after our ship encounter in the narrows.

The LaViolette Bridge entering the port city of Trois-Rivieres.  The City is know for its pulp mills and exporting wood products.  Our marina is located in a City Park.

Northern Boating Trip 2026 (aboard "Tutta Bella" the motor yacht). (Second day of trip)

 Saturday 5 September 2026

Chambly Canal Lock #9 Dock

St. John, Quebec, Canada

Waiting for Lock # 9 to open.

-We entered Lock No. 9 with the help of the friendly Parks Canada staff.  Everything went very smoothly under the watchful eyes of the local residents passing through the catwalks over the lock gates, the many bikers and cyclists using the bike path and the boys fishing.  We later saw a large perch taken from the canal.

          Once underway "Tutta Bella" proceeded some 7 miles to the next lock interrupted only by several opening bridges.  We saw many walkers, joggers and bicyclists along the old mule path (now bike path) and most of them waved.  There are many handsome homes and farmer's fields along the way.

Arrival at lock No. 8.

Boats were traveling in both directions on the canal today.  The Lockmasters control the flow by grouping boats together and arranging for passing situations in wider sections of the waterway.

Traffic was also "heavy" because a beer festival being held in the Chambly parks in and around Fort Chambly.  Many people arrived by boat for this event.

Part of travel boat group.

Mosts locks had beautiful flowers.

All of the boats had an able bodied seaman on the foredeck.

Locks 8 through 1 are sort of a flight of locks all set up to bypass the rapids on the Richelieu River.

Fort Chambly and the beer tents.

Downstream of Chambly Canal we followed the Richelieu River North encountering mostly powerboats.

Approaching Mount St. Hilaire and the McMaster railroad Bridge.

Pretty church in Beloeil.

One of several cable car ferries crossing the Richelieu.

We stopped for the night at the St. Ours Lock.  It is located at the end of a hydroelectric dam in scenic surrounding including this old lockmaster's house.  We will proceed North to the St. Lawrence River and Trois- Rivieres tomorrow at 09:00.