Whale-watching in Quebec

Liveaboards Belinda Chesman and Kit McAllister mix culture with cetaceans as they cruise Canada’s great St Lawrence river

- Belinda Chesman and Kit McAlliste

City-hopping along a river holds lots of unexpected pleasures for a cruising boat, and our voyage from Montreal to Gaspévia Quebec City had plenty of surprises in store, including some spectacular wildlife encounters.

It was summer 2019 and we’d just transited the St Lawrence Seaway from Lake Ontario to arrive in Longueuil Marina, across the river from Montreal. Our destination was the Gulf of St Lawrence and the east coast of Canada. From Montreal, we’d be running downstream in the great St Lawrence River.

There were few yachts in the marina, and the red ensign on board Quilcene, our cutter-rigged Bowman 40, marked us out as rare visitors. This prompted the local river police to check us out, a friendly process as our papers were all in order. Wearing shorts and sunhats, they looked cool in their fast RIB. Sunhats were essential as it was July and Montreal simmered in a 40° heatwave.

The marina predominantly hosted motorboats, from which emanated the unmistakable hum of air conditioning; the only time I’ve envied that type of cruising comfort! We were melting.

A ferry runs regularly between Longueuil and Old Port Marina in the heart of Montreal, so when at last a spectacular thunderstorm brought cooler, clearer air we hopped aboard for a spot of sightseeing.

It was apparent, as the ferry punched through the swirling waters, that Quilcene couldn’t have bucked the current to get there; channel markers were straining at oblique angles in the rushing river and the only boats able to get upstream to the Old Port at that time were powerful motorboats.