Sadly, our time in Montréal came to an end and we pushed off for the 46 nautical mile sail down the river to Sorel. After a stop at Longueuil for fuel and a pump-out, we raised the sails and had the best sail of the trip yet. A following breeze, along with the Saint Lawrence current pushed us down the river at 6-11 knots SOG! We didn’t need the motor at all.
We tucked in between Ile de Barques and the mainland, just Northeast of Sorel, for the night. It was a quiet anchorage with lots of interesting birds in the marshes on either side.
Sailing in the Information Age
One really appreciates the value of information technology in sailing. There are great forums in which somebody has an answer for every technical problem. There are ample YouTube videos to learn or perfect techniques. Boat parts and supplies can be ordered online to be delivered at the next marina. There are navigation apps, weather apps, anchor drag alert apps, knot-tying apps, AIS vessel tracking apps, ship’s log apps, customs & immigration apps, apps that monitor and control your boat’s systems, etc. Starlink gives us high-bandwidth satellite internet connectivity, even in the most remote regions. GPS allows us to know where we are, where we’re going and how fast.
The other aspect of sailing in the Information Age is the constant connectivity with other sailors. Rather than VHF radio, we text back and forth with our buddy boat, African Queen IV, to alert each other of approaching freighters and other hazards. And we are in touch with other boats further down the river, who provide valuable information on anchorages, marinas, etc.
Imagine what it was like in the early days of sailing, and the courage it took to navigate uncharted waters without GPS, iPhones and computers!
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