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Spend seven days living aboard a Catalina 34 to advance your coastal cruising skills in Baie-des-Chaleurs. Small groups and Voile Canada–aligned training combine practical seamanship with spectacular coastal geology.
Spend seven days living aboard a Catalina 34 to advance your coastal cruising skills in Baie-des-Chaleurs. Small groups and Voile Canada–aligned training combine practical seamanship with spectacular coastal geology.
Book with Voile Aventure Gaspésie
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Operated by Voile Aventure Gaspésie · Carleton-sur-Mer, Québec
Croisière intermédiaire 7 jours (réservation) is a seven-day, six-night live-aboard sailing course that runs from the Club Nautique de Carleton on the Baie-des-Chaleurs and along the Pointe Gaspésienne, in eastern Québec. Aboard a roomy Catalina 34 with two double cabins, small groups of four trainees learn the seamanship and onboard life required to lead coastal cruises. The coastline here reads like a practical geology lesson: sedimentary cliffs and fossil-rich headlands at Miguasha, the dramatic sea stack and natural arch of Percé Rock, sheltered coves around Île aux Hérons, and sheltered bays framed by spruce and boreal shorelines. Tidal channels, shallow anchorages and mixed sand-and-rock bottoms make planning and tidal timing essential—precisely the skills this course practices. The course blends hands-on sail and engine maneuvers with navigation, weather interpretation, matelotage, and routine systems maintenance so you graduate able to skipper a 9–12 m cruiser in familiar waters by day under moderate conditions. This program is rooted in practical proficiency: group sizes stay at four to maximize on-deck learning, and the Catalina 34’s 12-foot beam makes life aboard comfortable while still teaching real-world boat handling. Instructors follow Voile Canada standards; students who already hold the elementary coastal certificates can advance toward the intermediate cruising brevet with both practical evaluation and a theoretical exam. Nights are spent at anchor or in local marinas, giving trainees experience with anchoring, mooring, and berthing in working harbours like Bonaventure, Paspébiac, and Caraquet. Beyond skill-building, the route is reason enough to book. Dawn crossings can reveal porpoises or seals; cliff faces expose ancient strata that fossil collectors and naturalists prize at Miguasha National Park (a UNESCO site); and the shallow bays around Gascons and Anse-à-Beaufils provide calm waters ideal for practicing sail handling. The program includes onboard accommodation, safety equipment, harnesses and fuel; participants bring personal gear and provisions. Registration opens with a 30% deposit; course fee is 1999$ plus taxes per person. Meeting point is the Club Nautique de Carleton, where instructors run pre-departure briefings and safety drills. Prerequisites include an elementary cruising brevet or equivalent coastal navigation certificates, a CRO(M) with ASN endorsement (VHF), and a Canadian pleasure craft operator card (CCEP). Expect active days, wet decks, and a lot of learning. Expect camaraderie and challenge.
moderate.
7 days / 6 nights.
Moderate fitness required: ability to climb companionways, move on a heeling deck, and handle lines for several hours per day.
The meeting point is the Club Nautique de Carleton where the crew conducts a pre-departure briefing and equipment check.
Food is not included; participants supply their own provisions and share meal prep with the instructor as arranged.
Prerequisites include an elementary cruising brevet or equivalent coastal navigation certificates, CRO(M) with ASN endorsement (VHF), and a CCEP.
Depending on your prior qualifications and performance, this course can lead toward the Voile Canada intermediate cruising brevet with exam and logbook requirements.
Training is planned for moderate conditions by day; instructors will avoid forecasts outside safe operating limits for the group’s experience.
Motion is constant on multi-day trips—bring medication or remedies if you are prone to seasickness and ride the first day conservatively.
The Miguasha cliffs along the route are a UNESCO World Heritage site known for Devonian fossils, offering a window into ancient marine life.
Anchoring in eelgrass beds can damage habitats; crews follow best practices for anchoring, waste management and minimizing disturbance to marine life.
Voile Aventure Gaspésie is a sailing school and training operator based in Carleton-sur-Mer, Québec. The business offers hands-on, liveaboard courses aboard a spacious Catalina 34 that focus on navigation, safety, maneuvering, anchoring, and passage planning. Trips run in the Baie-des-Chaleurs and surrounding gulf waters, and include short introductions, refinement stages, elementary multi-day cruises, intermediate cruises, and an extended twelve-day advanced or intermediate program scheduled 20–31 July 2026. Each experience emphasizes on-deck practice: participants sleep aboard, move between ports or anchorages, and apply seamanship skills in real conditions. Instruction covers daytime and night sailing, watchkeeping, helming, and emergency procedures, preparing participants to navigate coastal waters confidently and to qualify for basic sailing licenses where applicable. All courses use the Catalina 34 platform to ensure consistent training and an authentic cruising experience. Voile Aventure Gaspésie operates from Carleton-sur-Mer, providing direct access to island routes, sheltered bays, and local cruising areas. The format suits new sailors seeking foundational skills, crew members improving techniques, and experienced skippers refining specific competencies. Booking is by reservation with specified dates for the twelve-day July 2026 voyage; travelers can choose courses matched to skill level, reserve a berth, and receive detailed pre-departure information and local travel guidance available.
Book with Voile Aventure Gaspésie