This is the coldest morning of our expedition so far. The wind came up during the night and it continues to blow. We woke up with the wind in our face but we’re comfy and warm in our down jackets. To make things better, Éric lights a fire and we’re invited to warm up in the shelter. During an expedition even the colder mornings are good.

There is a lot of excitement this morning. As usual, we prepare the fruit and hot beverages but today we also blow up balloons, and we’re in a festive mood. This is a special day. This is Nathan’s birthday. O, to turn sixteen in the Mingan Archipelago! Being shy by nature, he seems a little embarrassed as he opens the door and hears his new friends sing “Happy Birthday to You”. His smile says it all… I bet he’ll never forget his sixteenth birthday.

The wind maintains its force. Jacynthe and Éric listen to the maritime weather bulletin. We decide to wait awhile to see if the wind will calm down. We have only a short distance to go, but safety is our priority. As Alex-Ann said so well: “Just turn the kayaks towards the sea and the wind will die down.” There is an opening and we do not have far to go. So we start and head for Grande Île. In record time, we get to our camping site. We all warm up in front of the fire Rino lit before our arrival. Today our group was in a festive mood. Héléna and Jeff had taken care of the candles and the birthday cake. Once more, we’ll go to bed proud of our achievements.

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