Photo: Southern shoreline of the Saint Lawrence River, photo courtesy of Shevawn Innes

Date: Friday, June 21, 2019
Time: 1100 hours EDT
Position: abeam of the port of Rimouski, Quebec, St Lawrence River
Sails Set: foresail, staysail, jib, square-fore-topsail, topgallant, and jib-topsail
Conditions: foggy, damp, and cool with NE wind of around 15 knots
Speed Over Ground: 3+ knots

Sailing without mainsail and main-gaff-topsail due to the wind being dead aft. Such a situation risks jibing the mainsail unintentionally. Not enough room in the river to jibe downwind due to the maritime traffic separation scheme. If there was the room for jibing downwind and jibing timed for change of the watch, we could go faster and cover more distance toward the destination without tiring crew. Jibing every hour or two would be tiring. However not being able to cross the traffic scheme except at ninety-degree angles does not cause a delay. We got ahead of the minimum speed needed early on. Some of that time in the bank remains. Thus we are able to keep sailing dead downwind with no jibing for now.

We are squeezing out as much sailing as can be done to ensure ample fuel for the 84 hours of motoring it likely will be before arrival Clayton, NY.

The higher water in the Great Lakes is creating some mischief for St Lawrence River navigation between Quebec City & Montreal as well the Seaway Lock System between Montreal and the Thousand Islands. Word is there is higher than usual river current due to more water spilling out of the Great Lakes.

Forecast for today indicates the current favorable NE winds we are experiencing are expected to weaken later today.

I am thinking there is motoring for the next 4 days starting later today.

Captain Jan C. Miles