Drying out in tidal marina

[Kenomac]

Maybe a pair of these would be a good idea for Mike?

[Kenomac]

I'm thinking if this fellow can perform this trick, you should be OK with your full keel Rafiki with a little practice.

[racinejf]

Hello Mike,
You are in a great place.
If you plan to go downstream when leaving, you will encounter more ports who don't dry at low tide, at least on the south shore. The first one being Rimouski Trois Pistoles dries out and doesn't have a lot of facilities).
If your coming back upstream, Rivière-du-Loup, and all of the marinas on the south shore, dries up, but the bottom is soft mud. On the north shore (and north channel with all the Big Big ships), only Cap à l'Aigle doesn't dry out at low tide between where you are and Québec. If you come to Rivière-du-Loup, let me know, I'll by you a beer :-)
Jean-François : racinejf_@_gmail.com

[racinejf]

I can also give you a ride in town if you need to get something.
Have a safe and agréable trip. [emoji106][emoji4]

[racinejf]

Kenomac, great picture and quite a feat![emoji15]

[Mike OReilly]

I should have posted earlier racinejf. That's very kind of you. Would have loved to share a beer. Unfortunately we're downstream of you now and not planning to return. We're aiming for Corner Brook NF by the end of August.

Do you know anything about the north vs south shore as we head further down? Either side have more anchorages or free wharfs? Either side better for winds or currents? I've been studying the pilot charts, but it's hard to see if there is a preferred side.

Ken, I'd love a set of jacklegs, but I'm not sure how I'd carry them.

Roverhi, we too have ran aground a few times in soft mud. Never a problem. Maybe my 30,000# boat won't sink as far as I fear ... I just don't know, and not sure I want to experiment [emoji6]

[hellosailor]

Mike-
The "legs" that Kenomac shows are a fairly conventional "potty old British" thing, also found in France. Some of the cruising authors (pre-internet) used to recommend making them up of pipe or 2x4 with plywood bases for that purpose.
And if there are fixed docks, yachts have been known to simply tie alongside, with heavy docking lines, and lean against the dock at low tide. Sometimes this is intentional to allow bottom painting without hauling, etc.

If there's a language barrier (heck, just try to find anyone who speaks any variety of English here in the US!) you may have luck using Google Translate or the Babelfish on the local wifi connection at a marina. Yes, writing notes back and forth on the phone or tablet may seem odd, but it can work too. Sometimes to great humour.(G)

The one stopper would be if you had an older Beneteau 38x. Many of them had rudders that were marginally deeper than the keel, so ANY grounding could cause unapparent but fatal rudder damage. I'm sure that applies to certain other boats as well. Keeping you boat down by the bow while it is 'standing' is good insurance against this.

[racinejf]

Hello Mike,
Short answer is that there are more marinas on the south shore, closer to each other until you pass Saint-Anne-de-Monts. As for current, tidal ones will be weaker when you get around to the longitude of Rimouski. On the south side you benefit from the Gaspe Current (1-2 knots). North shore equates with more fog, more circulation of cargo [emoji925][emoji568][emoji924].
I don't have first hand experience going down the St-Lawrence. I just return to sailing 4 years ago and miss all of last season with a broken arm. I do have friends who made the journey to NF, NB, IPE, NV and Magdalena Islands. Also, I have great reference sources aimed specifically at navigating the St-Lawrence. I can get more precise informations when I get home. I can scan some documents and send them to you as well if it could prouve useful.
Enjoy the Estuary and the Gulf. [emoji106]
Fair winds.
Jean-François

[Mike OReilly]

That's very helpful and very kind Jean-Francois. Thank you! Any info on descent anchorages or wharfs along the way (north or south) would be great. If we follow the north shore it looks like a longer route, but the hop to NF is shorter. But riding the south current would be a lot easier. All depends on what the winds are doing across the Gulf I suppose.

Please don't go to any great trouble, but I certainly appreciate your advice. My email address is:
pachina.mia at helplink dot com.

[Symphony]

Good thread. thank you!

[Deltasailor]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I really don't think you need to worry about sinking up to your prop in mud. Seems to me like half the boats in the UK, Channel Islands and Brittany are left high and dry twice a day without issues. Just make sure your boat is tied in such a way that it stays upright. I'm certailny no expert on this issue, but when in the UK for a summer we saw boats like yours lied to the warf with plenty of fenders on the warf side. The trick seemed to be figuring out the correct amount of dock line to allow for the tide and still force the boat to lean towards the dock at low tide. Seems like the length of a line attached to the midpoint on the beam was key.

In Guernsey, the tidal change was 30ft. A tsunami twice a day.

We sailed on an Ocean Youth Club boat "the Francis Drake" about 70' many years ago.
We moved the anchor and chain to the harbour wall side of the deck. Plenty of fenders and a slipping line from the mast to the dock. Brest ropes were tended till we hit the bottom on Ramsey Harbour I O Man. No problems. Oh yes the boat will float even if the hull is buried up to the prop.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I really don't think you need to worry about sinking up to your prop in mud. Seems to me like half the boats in the UK, Channel Islands and Brittany are left high and dry twice a day without issues..

Indeed, nice thick mud is okay. Regular mud baths can shorten the life of cutlass bearings though.

Drying out alongside a wharf is also popular, just take the spinnaker halyard to something ashore and then lean the yacht against the wall using fenders and a plank to stop the hull being damaged.

Pete

[racinejf]

Hello Mike,
I'll send you more info by email later. For starter, if you can get a copy of "Guide du Tourisme Nautique" 2017 or 2016, you will find a lot of useful informations on marinas and anchorage on both shore of the Saint-Lawrence. I guess you can find it in English also. Have you left the Saguenay already ? If not, and it is possible, you probably can get your hands on a copy in Tadoussac marina (which doesn't go dry if memory serves). Here are some distances between major stop on both route (north and south shores) :
North : Tadoussac to Baie-Comeau : 98 miles ; Baie-Comeau to Sept-Îles : 86 miles ; Sept-Îles to Mingan : 97 miles ; Mingan to Havre Saint-Pierre : 15 miles.
South : Rivière-du-Loup to Rimouski is 63 miles, so a bit less from where you'll start (10 to 20 miles less? I could check ... )
Rimouski to Matane : 45 miles ; Matane to Saint-Anne-des-Monts : 45 miles ; Saint-Anne-des-Monts to Rivière-Madeleine : 48 miles ; Rivière-Madeleine to Rivière-au-Renard : 42 miles. I guess you would cross to NL from there which, as you said, is a longer crossing.
Those are the principal marinas. There are other small commercial ports that offer docking facilities on both sides and some anchorages also, with more on the south shore. If you cannot get the Guide du Tourisme Nautique, just let me know the route you plan to take and I'll mail you kore informations on other ports and anchorages.
Fair winds.
Jean-François

[Mike OReilly]

I truly can't thank you enough JF. You are truly a prince amongst thieves (or some such analogy [emoji6]). And to the rest who have helped with my original query, thanks also. I will try the drying out ... just maybe when I have lots of time. For now I think I'll stick to anchorages where I can remain afloat.

For the past two days I've been anchored in 14' feet (at low tide, 40' at high), swinging within 20' of shore at times up the Saguenay fiord. One of the most beautiful places we've been this season. It looks almost identical to Lake Superior. I've come home [emoji3].

[DeepFrz]

Mike, you are in a little piece of heaven. Don't rush through it.