M/V MAERIN

We arrived at Matane at 1630, dead low tide. We had contacted the yacht club by phone earlier in the day to confirm that we could get a slip and would have adequate depth and they confirmed that we were set. However when we contacted the dockmaster as we entered the breakwater, he informed us that at 5 ft draft the tide was too low for us to enter the basin. They have a silting problem. We could use the single floating dock across the channel to tie up until the tide rose. With 8-10 ft of tide, at mid-tide we’d have no problem. The “holding” dock was a singular floating dock in a small basin, and we had no trouble with depth. After we tied up, we took the walk across the bridge and around the yacht club basin to the office. After speaking with the dockmaster, he said we’d be fine to just stay at the holding dock overnight, but there were no services there, which really was not an issue, our batteries were fully charged, we had full tanks of water, and the dock was adjacent to a delightful park, and just a stone’s throw from the large supermarket. So we returned to the boat, happy with our dockage for the night, and really happy with the price- free!

The basin is lined with huge rocks, typical of the basins in the area. The area to the St. Lawrence side of the basin was populated with a number of campers and coaches. Camping in this area of Quebec is quite popular, and we frequently see campers parked in the areas adjacent to the public wharves and marinas, making double use of the service facilities there.

The grocery store was a typical supermarket, and we took advantage of the proximity to the boat to stock up on some larger items. With a smattering of mangled french and a few gestures, we were assured that we could take the cart to the dock and return it, no problem. For a cruiser, it’s a big deal, being able to take provisions from the store right to the dock in a cart!! Dee-lux! There was also a Canadian Tire in the same shopping center, so we stocked up on grille propane and got an extra gallon of motor oil to insure we have an adequate stock for the next oil change.

We had a couple approach the dock asking something in french, of course. We picked out peche, or fish. Ah, a translator emerges from the van… ‘do we charter for cod fishing??’ Uh…. non, c’etais un bateau privee. Je regret. A bit of conversation, then the wonder of how we get from Pennsylvania. I’ve learned that it’s easier to just say that the boat has never been in Pennsylvania, only the crew!

With the park at our door, groceries via a cart, and a private basin for Molly to swim, life is good in Matane!