THE MANICOUAGAN METEOR CRATER
Northern Quebec

Head northeast along the northern coast of the St. Lawrence Seaway, then take a left onto the one road to Labrador. Drive 120 miles on a really crummy road till you come to the Manic 5 hydroelectric dam, one of the largest in the world. Put the boat in above the dam and sail north for 40 miles and you will come to the Manicouagan Meteor Crater.

It is easily seen from space, being some 60 miles across and forming a huge circle with a 40 mile island in the middle. No roads, no people, just water, mountains, and forest. Look at any world map and it will easily catch your eye.

I was looking for an interesting place in the eastern part of the country to go Squatching, and this spot caught my eye. It seemed perfect; very remote and uninhabited and accessible only by boat . A virtual Lost World.

This expedition was actually two trips with my son Dan. The first was in 2000 in an O’Day 16 daysailor. Dan was 11 years old. The weather up there can be horrible, and the Summers are short. We took two days to sail up from the dam and began to circumnavigate the island, Isle de Rene Levaseur. Three days later we had gotten perhaps a quarter of the way around, another 40 miles or so, when the fog rolled in. Since we were in an open boat we had to camp every night, which as fine, but time consuming, and left us exposed to the weather while afloat.

Rain followed the fog, and the bad weather continued for another four days. Four days in a small tent gets a bit claustrophobic, to say nothing of boring. Dan, age 11, was reduced to reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a book not designed for children. I watched him closely but he seemed to absorb this wild tale in his stride. Our food supply and enthusiasm dwindled, as the time allotted for the trip began to run out and finally we were forced to turn back.

Jump ahead five years. We were back with a 17’ American Fiberglass sloop. This sailboat had a small cabin in which we could sleep and cook, and at least one person could stay dry while the other manned the tiller. Now 16, Dan was reading Finnigan’s Wake…. A tough book at any age. He was growing up fast.

This time the weather cooperated and in 12 days we circled the island and returned to the dam. There was plenty of wildlife; bears, elk, deer and the usual assortment of smaller species, but not a sign of Bigfoot . The island is absolutely beautiful. So few people go there that in many places you can see boulders which have remained undisturbed for God knows how many centuries have weathered; the heat of Summer followed by long Winters slowly cracking off pieces to fall in neatly ordered piles, as though placed by hand.

While from a Squatching standpoint the trips were uneventful, they were true adventures, wonderful sailing experiences, and a chance for Dan to catch up on his light reading.

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