Iles de la Madelaine, Chapter 3

Kiting Day 7 – Day 11

Tuesday: Gusty 25-35 kts out of the West. Big clean head high plus waves at Plage de l’Hopital Fatima. Not many kites out there today but a few dozen sailboarders were shredding with 4m-4.7m sails.
Dany and a few others ripping on 9m & 7m kites when I arrived, I flew the 7m Hypertype and did multiple sessions on the ZONE and 28 Rip, plenty powered up. It was nice to ride another new spot and to see another area of the islands. The wind was a lot cleaner further offshore and away from the lee of the point. My best day of riding here yet – possibly one of my best wave riding days ever, except the session was cut short by a slow leak in my leading edge (I unintentionally set the kite down on some dune grass – doh! )

Kiting Day 3 – Day 6

Friday: we had no wind so I explored the 3 North islands in fog, and could not see too much but it was still beautiful. The countryside is very green, and it makes me think that Ireland must be similar. The flora at first glance seems limited but there are many interesting plants and the place has a very nice look to it. There are lots of different dune grasses and plants, wetland and bog plants, and the pine forests have lots of berries and nice ground covering.

I spotted a few places along the Dune du Nord (between 52km and 53km) where the waves might be good for surfing. Apparently ground swells arrive in the autumn during hurricane season and the waves get really nice when pressure comes from the East.

31 Aout 2007 - Cap-aux-Meules

After a long drive from Camden (Maine) and a 5 hour ferry ride from PEI, I arrived on this remote island on 28 August. As I made my way further and further North I pondered whether the trip would be worthwhile. After the first 2 days of being here I am very happy to be here.

The island has a long maritime history and deeply embedded French culture, so it almost feels like being in Europe. Most of the people here speak French as do a majority of the visitors, and it has been fun trying to catch up on my French skills.

The scenery is beautiful here and there is always a view of the sea. It is very peaceful and many of the people from Quebec and Montreal seem to enjoy that. If you are thinking of coming here and wondering if you should bring your girlfriend I would say “yes” – it’s a romantic spot and there are lots of things to do and see.