[LaVarlope]

Im currently planning the first leg of our seabatical year. At first I wanted to motor down the richelieu river and to the Hudson to reach the ICW going south for next winter. Since the Can $ is dropping alot recently we decided to head East from Québec and to cruise the Gulf of St-lawrence for the first part of our trip.

This is a rundown of our itineray so far, I would like to have your opinion or if any of you went that way if you could give us tips.

07-24-2015
Québec to Cap à l'aigle (Marina)
Distance : 64.1 NM
Estimated time : 10hrs

07-25-2015
Cap-à-l'aigle to Ile-du-pot-à-la-vie (Anchorage)
Distance : 22.5 NM
Estimated time : 4hrs30

07-26-2015
Ile-du-pot-à-la-vie to Parc du Bic (Anchorage)
Distance : 47.7 NM
E.T : 9hrs
Note : plan to spend 1 full day there to explore and leave the next.

07-28-2015
Parc du Bic to Rimouski (Marina)
Distance : 19.2 NM
E.T : 4hrs
Note : A stop to visit friends in town

07-29-2015
Rimouski to Matane (Marina)
Distance : 43.9 NM
E.T : 9hrs

07-30-2015
Matane to Cap-Chat (Marina)
Distance : 42.3 NM
E.T : 8hrs30

07-31-2015
Cap-Chat to Mont-Louis (Anchorage)
Distance: 43.8 NM
E.T : 9hrs

08-01-2015
Mont-Louis to Cloridome (fishing port)
Distance : 41 NM
E.T : 8hrs

08-02-2015
Cloridome to Rivière au Renard (Anchorage)
Distance : 25.6 NM
E.T : 5hrs

08-03-2015
Rivière au Renard to Anse à Brillant (Fishing Port)
Distance : 31.8 NM
E.T : 5hrs45

08-04-2015
Anse-à-Brillant to Petite-Rivière (Fishing Port)
Distance : 31.9 NM
E.T : 5hrs45

08-05-2015
Petite-Rivière to Bonaventure (Marina)
Distance : 58.9 NM
E.T : 10hrs45
Note: 3 days stop for friends and river kayaking

08-08-2015
Bonaventure to Shippagan (Anchorage)
Distance : 43.2 NM
E.t : 8hrs

08-09-2015
Shippagan to Havre-Aubert Magdalen Island (Anchorage)
Distance : 144 NM
E.T : 26hrs
Note : 4 to 5 days to explore the Island and Nightlife

08-14-2015
Havre-Aubert to Souris (P.E.I) (Marina)
Distance : 75.8 NM
E.T : 14hrs

08-15-2015
Souris to Port Hawkebury (Marina)
Distance : 58 NM
E.T : 10hrs30

So this is it what we plan for our first leg of the trip. From there we hope to continu south to Halifax and then cross the Gulf of Maine early September for the second leg of our trip along the US East Coast.

I was wondering how many days should I allow for weather delays ?
We will be 2 inexperience cruiser, I have been sailing for many years but only daysails and weekenders. From Shippagan to Magdalen 24hr sail will be a milestone for me.

Do you find our planning realistic ?

Thank you.

 

[Faster]

Still in the Tanzer 25?

VERY ambitious and unrealistic to expect to be able to to 50-70nm 'day trips' in a 25 footer. I'd be looking for alternate bailout points along the way.

I don't know the area but while I commend your planning it looks too much like a 'schedule' to me, and a schedule is not your friend.

 

[LaVarlope]

The boat is and Tartan 34'.

Well it is a route planning/ schedule. We are doing it to give a general idea of distance and time that it takes to get there. It's mostly done to see if we will end up in Maine before it snows . That's is why I was wondering how many days should be allowed for weather delays ??.

 

[Mr. Bubs]

How concrete is your schedule? With those distances and times, plan on a lot of motoring.

 

[Donna_F]

.....That's is why I was wondering how many days should be allowed for weather delays ??.

I'm not being sarcastic, but the answer is...as long as it takes to wait it out. If you can forecast the weather to that degree and this far in advance to boot, you are amazing. Beyond that, what one sailor thinks is a rockin' good ride, an inexperienced sailor craws under the berth to wait it out.

 

[Faster]

OK.. big difference in realistic distance/day between 25 feet and 34 feet (btw.. update your profile, it still say's Tanzer 25 - and better still put your boat size/type in your signature line)

As I said I don't know the area, but I'd expect there will be tide/current considerations that can seriously aid or impede your travel time estimates. Are those longer hops minimum distances between decent harbours?

 

[nolatom]

Aside from Quebec, I don't know where any of these places are. So you should take my advice very seriously...

I grew up delivering smallish cruising boats around New England (Dad was a yacht broker/dealer, lucky me). 60 miles a day is a big effort, needing favorable wind and current. Small boat, figure 4 knots as an average (you'll make 5, and be pleasantly surprised, and not too downcast when you only make good 3 against the wind). 7-8 hours "making time outside" plus another hour or two getting out and back in to an anchorage, makes for a pretty long day, and that's only about 30 miles. You want daylight for arrival, less necessary for morning departure since you already know that harbor and channel a little. But morning fog can really shorten your day.

As previously said, always have a shorter harbor in your pocket. Better, have 3 possibles every morning--long, medium, short--and pick one after you've been out a while and know how you and the weather are actually doing.

I would figure two out of three or three out of four days would sailable, though I don't know the St Lawrence.

 

[LaVarlope]

There will be no schedule in the sense that I dont have to be anywhere at any precise time. But since I plan to head south before winter I still have to make headway.

Im following the St-Lawrence stream and will be using tide and current to aid .
The port that I listed are usually the closest one that I know or heard of(activecaptain).

I was thinking adding 10 days buffer to planning. So that would put me in halifax around end of August.

 

[svzephyr44]

I would ask what you intend after your sabbatical. If you intend to return the boat to Quebec at the end of your year off I would go back to plan "A" - down the Richelieu, Hudson, and head south. Although going the other way is fun (I enjoyed sailing in the Maritimes) that will be available to you after your year off. On the other hand the two months heading south and the two months heading back north are going to eat into your year off quite a bit. Heading south to the Chesapeake Bay for the summer, then departing for south Florida or the Bahamas around September 15 with a return starting in May would be a nice year afloat.

Just my 2 cents

Fair winds and following seas

 

[svzephyr44]

I was thinking adding 10 days buffer to planning. So that would put me in Halifax around end of August.

Late August means that you could get trapped by early winter gales (as I did for 6 weeks.) I would want to be further south before the end of August.

 

[JonEisberg]

Sure would be nice if you could get going a bit sooner, sounds like you might have to miss some nice spots...

Are you sure you want to bypass the Sageunay River? I've never been there, but by all accounts it's an awesome place...

You'll love the Magdalens, wonderful place... the wind is known to blow there, however, I sat there several days longer than planned before a strong NE blow finally wore itself out...

Havre Aubert is a wonderful stop, but try to make a stop over on Entry Island, as well... Very friendly little place, quite different from the rest of the Magdalens, and of course you've got to hike up to the top of The Big Hill

One thing I'd strongly suggest you try to work in, if at all possible... From the Magdalens, instead of heading to the Canso Canal, go over the top of Cape Breton and down thru the Bras d' Or, instead... It will add a bit of distance, and significant time, but I think that area offers some of the finest cruising all of Nova Scotia has to offer. Baddeck is always one of my favorite stops anywhere in the Maritimes, always an easy spot to linger awhile, and a difficult place to leave...

There's so many wonderful spots to explore along that route, seems really a shame to have to rush through... I'd try to get out of the St Lawrence as quickly as possible, and leave yourself for more time in Nova Scotia, and places like Lunenberg...

 

[LaVarlope]

Jon we decide to skip Saguenay because we have been there before, not on our boat but with AML cruise ship. We will try to leave a bit earlier but we are leaving our jobs july 17th so it depends on last minute preparation.

Those picture are great and hope that I can reach some of those landscape.

Thank you

 

[paulk]

Nolatom (above) hits it pretty squarely on the head. We plan for a 5 knot average cruising speed for our J/36, and aiming at 40 miles can make for an uncomfortably long day. Cruising friends with a Tartan 34 like yours end up coming in an hour or two after we've tied up. Their engine (when needed) is a lot less powerful and their ride is a lot bouncier than ours, so in unfavorable conditions they're out in it longer and get to enjoy it less. If you're taking a seabbatical, don't make it a bus trip with a set itinerary and schedule. See what is interesting and which way the wind's blowing. Take time to explore and enjoy the voyage.

 

[aloof]

In my vast expererience it is not the weather delays. Nor is it the lack of speed. It is those bars and yacht clubs along the way that cause all well laid plans to be quickly made useless.

Do never hurry.