Canada has a system of ship reporting requirements for vessels vessels than PRIDE that for reasons I cannot fathom is being applied to PRIDE. Since 1981 I have been sailing around Eastern Canada, either going into the St. Lawrence River or exiting it on average every 3 years. Since 1989 I have been doing these trips with PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II. At no time has this big ship reporting system been asked of PRIDE…except this time. No one has provided an explanation and I am not going to ask. I am taking the position that the next time we depart port, if I am not told to report in…I will not ask if we should be reporting in…and see what happens.
Meanwhile, making our way around Gaspe (we just went past Cap des Rosiers marked by its proud tall whiteness with red painted band near the top light house) in August is proving to be a benign experience…so far. For all the years that I have passed by Gaspe all but this trip have been made in the spring months of May or June or in fall during September. During those seasons the weather has been pretty brisk and fresh…some times against us and sometimes with us…but not often calm or benign. Right now it is next to completely calm as we motor along close to the Gaspe shoreline to try and beat the contrary St. Lawrence River current on its way to the Atlantic. It gives us a good look at the Gaspe topography, its greenness with local homes scattered along the shore, and we can watch the vehicles go by along the only road that makes its way around the peninsula.
We are not alone as we motor along with the company of the Canadian Brigantine FAIRE JEANNE from Ottawa. She does not normally come to the Canadian Maritimes. Today both vessels have created a training ship parade of sail along the north shore of Gaspe. Both vessels are motoring but both vessels have as much sail up as possible while not causing us to slow down. I hope we are putting on a nice show for the Sunday drivers!
Cheers,
Jan C. Miles, Captain aboard Pride of Baltimore II