Somewhere on the Down East Loop: Onward to the Saguenay Fjord

Departing Quebec City was interesting. Because of the strong current in this area, we had to time our departure carefully. This meant that we would need to depart at 6AM, before the lock began to operate. To accommodate this, the marina had a dock outside of the lock gates specifically for those who needed to depart early or who arrived too late to be locked through into the basin. We had one last look at this beautiful city from the marina as we headed through the lock to the dock on the outside.


View From the Marina


Departing the Basin to the Outside Dock

We departed at 6 o’clock on a beautiful morning spotting a hot air balloon floating above the river. Soon we were passing Montmorency Falls, higher than Niagara Falls by more than 90 feet, a beautiful sight!


Montmorency Falls in the Early Morning

We passed St-Anne-de-Beaupre on our way to Cap-a-l’Aigle, our destination for the day.

St- Anne-du-Beaupre


The Village of Cap-a-l'Aigle


The Marina at High Tide


The Waterfall in the Marina

It was a very pretty spot, another harbor surrounded by a high rock breakwater with its very own waterfall inside the marina! We had another early departure from Cap-a-l’Aigle; several boats were traveling in the same direction so all needed to depart at about the same time.


Early Morning Departure


Pointe de Rochers Light

We passed the Pointe des Rochers Light on our way to the Prince Shoal Light, the turn point for Tadoussac, our destination. We began to see Beluga Whales as they surfaced, their white bodies stood out against the blue water. Curious Harbor Seals watched as we turned toward Tadoussac.


Prince Shoal Light


Tadoussac


The Marina at Tadoussac

Entering the marina, we tied up. Once the boat was secure we headed into the very pretty town to explore. The confluence of the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay Fjord is prime whale feeding ground and there is a wonderful Whale Interpretation Center in the village. It was very well done, they even had booklets in English which explained in detail what we were seeing. They screened their film in English just for us. We have found the French Canadians to be very warm and friendly and they have made every effort to help us with our very limited French skills! We explored the trail along the fjord and around the point back to the marina enjoying the fabulous views!


Entrance to the Fjord

Looking Up the Saguenay Fjord


Sailor Enjoying the Gorgeous Day

Fog Can Form Very Fast Where the Warm Land Meets the Cold Water

The winds came up giving us an extra day to enjoy this lovely village and to catch up on some of our chores. Once the winds subsided we departed to explore the Saguenay Fjord, said to be one of the largest fjords in the world and the only one in North America. Eddies form at the confluence; we crossed them as we entered the fjord.


Eddies at the Confluence of the Saguenay Fjord and St. Lawrence River

Passing the Tour Boat

Steep Cliffs

The water was deep all of the way to the steep sides where the granite cliffs plunged into the cold water of the fjord. We discovered that our depth finder cannot take depth readings beyond 600 feet! Much of the fjord was deeper than that! We stopped in a lovely village, Anse St. Jean, well known in the cruising community for Madame Louise’s Bakery, naturally we found it.


The Marina at Anse-St.-Jean

Some of the most spectacular scenery was found near Baie Eternite, the entrance of which was guarded by two mountains, Cap Eternite and Cap Trinite. Cap Trinite has three distinct steps, the first is 122 meters high, perched on top is a statue of the Virgin Mary said to have been placed there by a sailor caught in a storm who was so frightened he prayed that if he was saved he would erect a statue on that spot. He was true to his word; it was placed there in 1881. The next step is another 90 meters high, topped by a cross (difficult to see). The third step stands 457 meters (nearly 1500 feet) above sea level. It was a very beautiful spot.