Northern Boating Trip 2026 (aboard "Tutta Bella" the motor yacht). (9th day of trip)

Saturday 12 September 2026

Sorel Marina Docks

Port of Sorel

Sorel, Quebec, Canada

Friendly and playful river otters at the Sorel Marina this morning on my way back from the showers.

https://youtube.com/shorts/jsVX5m7-F_A

try this link.

Departure at 08:40 this morning for Chambly by way of the St. Ours Lock and the Richelieu River.  Weather is perfect.  In case the Otter video fails to work. 

Port of Sorel.

Traffic on the River this morning.  (The white boat is Tutta Bella.)

No more big ship encounters for Tutta Bella this season's we head south on the Richelieu.

Almost every town we passed through on the Richelieu River is named after a Saint.  They all have Churches with silver steeples with a crossed topped by a chicken.  What's up with that?  It has a dual purpose in French culture:  first the rooster is the unofficial national symbol of France; and, second it is a symbol of St. Peter that the faithful should remain vigilant and not deny Christ.  Placing it on a Church reinforces the cultural and historical ties to France.

Although it is hard to see, this is a police stop of a boat speeding through a no wake zone near a marina in Beloeil.  (Tutta Bella obeyed the speed limit!)

Just beyond Beloeil Came this tight passage.  What you do not see is the large powerboat that just passed through here around a blind corner throwing a large wake (our Captain wisely stopped to let him pass).

Waiting to pass through the Chambly flight of three locks.  Each lock empties into the next one.

As soon as we entered the first lock a crowd appeared and followed us through the three locks.  I explained to the kids watching that we were climbing stairway made of water.  How could they miss this. I also inquired about the best Ice Cream shop in town and heard a unanimous response.

Lock tenders hand-cranking the lock gates.  All locks on the Chambly canal are manually operated.

Lock tenders hand Cranking the highway swing bridge at the top of the locks.

We found a quiet spot to tie up for the night.

Our first stop was the ice cream shop.  We later walked along a waterfront trail and shared the view with a heron.

Northern Boating Trip 2026 (aboard "Tutta Bella" the motor yacht). (8th day of trip)

Friday 11 September 2026

Bassin Louise Tugboat Docks

Port of Quebec

Quebec, Canada

We left Quebec at 05:10 in the dark.  We watched a few ships go by the Bassin Louise exit channel and then off we went.  The US oil tanker Prometheus soon came up behind us from the main channel and eventually passed us after the Quebec bridges.  This odd group of two cargo ships, one oil tanker and an American yacht (Tutta Bella) were boating buddies the entire day from Quebec to Sorel.  Tutta Bella can certainly keep up with the big ships even when the going became a bit rough early on in the journey.

Prometheus passing.

Rough seas in the early morning (4-5 foot waves at times for the first few hours). When strong winds oppose strong tides the result is big waves.  It's called a rage. The day did turn beautiful later sunny and calm.

The only ship we passed going towards Quebec was this "Laker" freighter.

Passing Cap-de-la-Madelaine.

After 10 hours and a 100 mile run we stopped at the Federal Marina de Saurel (It attracts sailboats due to its deeper basin, its self service electric mast crane and being walking distance from town.  

Special docks reserved for mast work.

The Marina management has surrounded the boat docks with fake coyotes to keep the birds out.  

It does not seem to work.

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

Thursday 10 September 2026

Port of Quebec Marina

Quebec, Canada

Quebec is described by the British as the Gibraltar of North America.

After visiting the Citadel Fortess it is easy to believe that no ship could pass through here without consent of whoever controlled this rock.

We set off on another walking tour of the City after breakfast.  

Charlie seemed interested in this little Fiat in an alleyway.

We did reach the Citadel at the top of the hill.  It certainly dominates the area for 50 miles.  The current version of the Fortress was built to protect Canada from invasion from the United States after the War of 1812.  The French had built a previous Fortress here but were defeated by the British in 1755.  The Americans attacked Quebec during the Revolutionary war and the War of 1812 without success.

One of the more modern guns aimed at the main shipping channel.

The 22nd  Canadian Army Regiment is currently stationed here.  Their mascot is a goat.

The Citadel contains a memorial to 3000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France.  The Ridge was a blockage for both sides that lasted many months.  Finally the British and the French forces turned it over to the Canadians who turned the tide of the war forcing the Germans out of France.

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We did need to leave our marina slip for an early departure tomorrow morning before the lock opens.

View of our new neighborhood.  

Our new slip in the area where the tugboats dock.

We all went back into town for dinner passing a few interesting sights.

Some layers of Quebec.

Au revoir Quebec.

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

Wednesday 9 September 2026

 Port of Quebec Marina

Quebec, Canada.  

Red sky at morning sailor take warning.

Marc-  We started off the day with a rather ominous sign:  a red sky.  This brings to mind 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.  It is not a buffet but a diner type restaurant.  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 to our destination 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.

The top of the falls welcome center is in an old manor house.  You can proceed to the falls via footpath or gondola.  The footpath gives you the option of either a zip line or a suspension bridge to cross the falls.  

Mortmorency Manor.

This charming lady welcomed us.

Should we take the zip line?

Or the bridge?  (actually the decision was easy since the trip line was not operating today).

View of Quebec City from the top of the falls bridge.

We then hiked across the suspension bridge through the woods and the descended the long staircase (487 steps to be precise) attached to the shale cliff before returning to the top by gondola (cable car).

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.