September 6
Marinas are unique, with some commonalities. As we progress on this adventure, we spend some nights in marinas instead of anchorages. At marinas, we can reprovision on food,
diesel, water and be social. The cost to stay in a slip for one night varies - so far - from $1.40 (St. Peter's, NS) to $2.65 per foot (Quebec City). In Quebec City, the longer we stayed, the cheaper it had cost. We found out that a marina in New Jersey asks for $6/foot! The showers must be made in marble!!!
Each marina has its own character, ambiance, quality of facilities (slips, showers, laundry) and human relations. My viewpoint of human relations in marinas is of course limited to being a "transient" (a boat in passage, not resident). We could feel the difference in some marinas.
I find that the marinas we visited in Ontario were very clean, spacious and a lot of money spent on upkeep; but the human aspect was not as predominant as in the East (Quebec, NS, PEI, NB). Little marinas like Cap-a-l'Aigle, Ste-Madeleine, St. Peter's are all about relationships. The people are curious about our experiences on our trip, where we're from, give us some advice, offers of help, etc. We've had many fascinating conversations with locals, fishermen and other transients. Staff often offered their vehicles or a ride to the stores.
Regardless of the good and not-so-good aspects of a marina, we are always glad to arrive and enjoy all of it and its surroundings can offer.
