Sunday September 14, 2025
Distance traveled: 207.6 km
Cumulative distance: 981.6 km
Temperature range: 13 - 17
Maximum speed: 115 kph
Well, maybe not ALL about the adventure. Especially this kind but Nan DID say that we have something for the blog. And considering how long we've been on the road today - a full 12 hours - hard to believe we only managed 200 km.
We were up well before we needed to be. Alarm at 7:00 to make sure we would get away early enough to make the 11:00 am ferry departure from Godbout, around 55 km to the North. Tough start though as there was no hot water in the hotel so we ended up having cold showers. Nobody on staff seemed too concerned and the receptionist said that there was nobody on duty at that time to deal with it. Later she apologized and helpfully told me it would be fixed for tomorrow.
We were all packed early and we actually sat around for about a half hour just killing time before departure around 9:00 am, plenty enough time to make it to the ferry well before departure time. On the way, not far at all outside of Baie-Comeau, I felt a very slight pull on the handlebars. Nothing egregious and initially I wasn't even certain that there might be something amiss. But a minute later, there was something definitely wrong and I pulled over to the shoulder but I couldn't safely stop where we were on the road so I had to go another 100 metres for a place to stop the bike right off the road.
We had a flat rear tire. The shoulder was sand and gravel so we had a hard time to get the bike up on the centre stand. We ended up stripping the panniers, top case and tank bag off to lessen the weight and then, with both of us pulling the bike back and me standing on the centre stand and pulling as hard as I could, we managed to get the bike up on to the stand, which allowed us to spin the tire and look for the problem. It didn't take long and Nan spotted a hole that was in the tire. At first I thought it was a nail or the like but it might have been the steel in the tire. Either way, air had come out.
So here is some GOOD news! We were in cell range, being only 10 km out of Baie-Comeau. A total of 18 minutes had elapsed from our departure. My first thought was to try to find a local tow truck to come out and see if I could get my tire repaired. From Google Maps, I found a couple close by that listed "24 hour service" and I phoned both but it is a Sunday and I got messages from both, in French, telling me something but i have no idea what. So i got on the phone to Honda Canada as I have roadside assistance as part of my new bike package however, I knew that it would be some central number somewhere and they would probably be doing the same thing as me, which is looking on Google Maps trying to find a tow truck. It's not like they have a "central registry" of all the tow truck operators in North America. That work Sundays.
 |
| I know it looks like I am crying into my phone but what is ACTUALLY happening is I am trying to hear the recordings if the tow places. In French. |
I spoke to Cynthia, who was very determined to help but of course, first she needs all my info including VIN number for the bike, address and registration numbers. I started by giving her the VIN from my documentation that I have stored on my phone but it turned out to be the VIN from my old motorcyle (which they at least recognized as a Honda!) but Nan spotted the sticker on the frame of the bike and I was able to give the correct number so they were able to find it in the system, just not as "my" bike, only as a "new" bike. As I am talking to Cynthia, there is enough traffic going by, including motorcycles, where people were looking at us to make sure we are ok. They are seeing two people on the side of the road with a bike on the centre stand and luggage scattered everywhere. However, I give people the ok because I am talking to Honda! Well, one guy stops while I am on hold as Cynthia is locating a motorcycle dealer so that there will be a place to tow the bike. He asks me what is wrong (in French of course; parlez vous Anglais?) and I tell him we have a flat. HE HAS A TIRE REPAIR KIT WITH HIM. He is a motorcycle rider and has a Suzuki M106 - big bike - and he has the repair done in about 2 minutes, while I am on hold with Honda. But he doesn't have a pump. And then he is out on the highway STOPPING VEHICLES to ask if they have a tire pump and he is confident he will have ine in a few minutes. The third one he stops is a guy driving a pick-up with a quad in the back and it turns out these guys were friends 30 years ago. I'm just blown away by everything that is going on. The fellow who originally stopped, Steeve, (not a spelling error) asks me what pressure to pump the tire and my other benefactor Ken plugs his electric pump into the electrical outlet on my bike and pumps to 41 lbs. By this time,
Cynthia is telling me that a tow truck driver is not going to want to drive 50 km just to put air in a tire. She has found somebody who will come and tow the bike but doesn't want to just deliver air and maybe I could call him and plead? Well, no longer an issue! I ask the guys if they think I can make the 11:00 ferry and they say only if there is no talking (amongst us). So Nan and I say our thanks (I wanted to give them a big hug but they didn't look like "huggy" guys, even though I'm confident in my masculinity. Steve gives me a fist bump. Ken and I shake hands. I get their contact info.
 |
| That Ken in blue, Steeve in white/checks. |
Nan and I quickly load the bike and ride away. It seemed a little abrupt considering all they had done for us. We make the best time we can to Godbout given that we have a new plug in the tire, and we roll up to the ferry terminal at 11:00 am on the nose. To our amazement, we don't see the ferry anywhere - certainly not in port, not coming, not going, there are no dock workers milling about, NO TRAFFIC, NUTHIN'. I park the bike at the terminal and go inside. One staff member is on duty and he just looks like a guy who probably works there but it's Sunday morning and he has nothing to do so he is just hanging there. Once we get past the "je ne parle pas Francais" dance I ask him where is the ferry. NO FERRY ON SUNDAYS he tells me. I'm really confused and he LOOKS confused. Not sure if he is assessing my not understanding or if he is just wondering if he has told me the correct English. I say that the sign outside says "dimanche, 11:00" and then he said something about summer.
 |
| See? This is the sign outside. |
Then I'm studying the sign. Of course, everything is in French, even the numbers so i am studying extra hard and then it hits me:
I swear i studied the ferry companies' website a couple of months ago and didn't see this. I DID see that they were on strike for a better part of the summer and I had even saved a link to the job action. Anyway, I have omlette on my face.
I ask Nan if she wants to ride around Godbout since we are here and now we have no rush to be anywhere. That lasts two minutes so we leisurely ride back to Baie-Comeau and consider our options. There is a 5:00 ferry today for the same terminal on the south shore of St Lawrence River that we would have reached this morning. We can take that and get to the south shore too late to make our originally targeted destination or we could stay in Baie-Comeau another day to check with the Honda dealer how many weeks we would have to stay there to get a new tire delivered. We opt for the 5:00 ferry. And we will get the tire further down the road hopefully without having to wait a few weeks.
We swing by the ferry terminal in Baie-Comeau to pick up tickets for the ferry (they are sold on the boat) so we consider where we will go to get breakfast and to fill up the tank.
Gas first then stop at a sweet little but very popular cafe on the main street. People are inside getting their lattes and baking and everybody is in a good mood. Everything looks delicious. I meet a fellow in line. We have walked in about the same time (I think he was first) so it is "allez" back and forth. And then he starts speaking to me in French (knowing 20 words in French is a mixed blessing). He actually speaks pretty good English, which I discovered seconds after I butchered the French language. I've actually been a little surprised how easily so many speak English as i had assumed that would end outside of Montreal. He us very friendly, commends my choice of a Caesar salad for lunch and asks me about where we have been, since he recognizes the motorcycle accouterments. With great effort, I refrain from crying about the flat tire. Anyway, he shakes my hand and says nice to meet me.
After lunch, we have pretty much done EVERYTHING in Baie-Comeau so we elect to return to the ferry terminal to wait it out. It will actually give me an opportunity to sort out tonight's accommodations, start looking for a place to get a new tire and tend to a little other internet business.
I phone a few places for a room. Our original plan had been Grande-Vallee, about 225 km after getting off the ferry but when I drew up that plan, I had expected we would be in Matane on the south shore by early afternoon. With a 5:00 pm ferry departure, we were now looking at landing closer to 8:00 pm as it turned out, according to a hotel owner I reached after other places rejected me for various reasons, like minimum two night stay and "no room".
I turned my attention to other things. Closer to the time we were to board, we went out to the bike to be prepared. There was one other motorcycle in the bike lane and shortly after the owner came along so we swapped riding stories. Amazingly, I once again refrained from leading with my Ace and crying about our flat, though later, I did show him the picture of what looked like me crying. He was a very charming fellow, on the way from Toronto to Halifax to see his daughter who is currently studying engineering in Halifax. On this trip he is camping, which I thought particularly brave as it was a mere 13 degrees and wet (but not raining) with it no doubt to get colder later in the evening and trip. However, he seemed confident he had the right gear for the conditions. We hung out together on the ferry while Nan did her own thing.
The ferry crossing lasted ostensibly 2 hours 20 minutes. I didn't double check that but you could on the tracking map.
 |
| Mark, our friend from Toronto. |
It was pitch black by the time we exited. Fortunately, we were allowed to exit the ferry before the cars so we weren't trapped in traffic. However, with it being very dark and not knowing the road, we didn't dare to go too fast. Nan did spot two raccoons in the ditch. I said as long as they remained in the ditch I was content.
Ok I'm absolutely done for the night. I'll correct the typos next time I have a few minutes. Tomorrow, I hope.
If that was the case, we were going to be riding in the dark. We did manage to get a place and the owner said "see you about 9", which it was. We arrived at 10 minutes to 9, after nearly 12 hours on the road.
Comments