August 1

We want to have some time to putter around the coast of Maine especially Penobscot Bay so we are turning back towards home.  In the past we have always enjoyed our two week cruising vacations but they seemed so brief.  It will be nice to cruise the Maine coast without a timeline and be able to visit places in Penobscot Bay that we haven’t had the opportunity to go to yet as well as visit some of our favorite spots.

The eastern shore of Nova Scotia has fewer anchorages than the southern shore and most of them are a few miles inland.  We decided to do our best to find anchorages that stayed more on the outer edges of the coastline – doing so would be shorter and faster than deviating to anchorages in land. Our return route took us back to many of the same anchorages we had visited when heading east but we did find a couple of new ones along the way.

Unfortunately, there was not any sailing to be done.  The prevailing winds were right on our nose the entire way.  We did get some motor sailing in but most of the time we didn’t even bother to raise the sails.

August 1 – 2.

We left Baddeck on August 1 and returned to St. Peters Marina where we spent the night.    Daryl and Janet Lyon and their pup Sailor were there on their boat Blue Chip.  We had originally met them at the Shelburne Yacht Club towards the start of our trip up the coast and spent a little time with Daryl when he had moored next to us in Lunenburg.  It was nice to see them again!  We also met Craig & Karene White who sail a very nice Oyster 56. They are full time cruisers and it was nice to exchange stories of the places we have cruised in Nova Scotia and the British Virgin Islands and hear about the many other places they have visited since they started cruising about 3 years ago. 

The next day we exited the Bras D’Or Lakes through the St. Peters Locke and returned to Yankee Cove for the night.   Yankee Cove was just as pleasant the second time!

August 3 – Tuffin Island  -

At the end of this leg we would be in an area that didn’t offer much in the way of anchorages on the coastline.  Tim studied the charts and decided we would check out a little cove nestled between Tuffin and Little Tuffin Island.  The cove is not designated as an anchorage on any of our charts or in any of the cruising guides. If the cove was unsuitable for anchoring then we would continue to a cove located off Hartlings Island where we had previously anchored. 

Luckily the little cove at Tuffin Island was perfect.  It offered good protection from the southern swell and the wind and was also very pretty.  There is a nice little rock beach that was a great spot to land the dinghy so we could take Shamus to shore.   We were surrounded by sounds made by seals and various types of sea birds from the time we anchored until we left. The noises made by the seals were beautiful but kind of eerie since we couldn’t actually see them.  Tim and I agreed if we had the means to record the seals we could make a fortune selling the recording for Halloween parties and haunted houses.  

Although I am sure at some point in history someone must have anchored in this location they had not bothered to make any notation of it on any charts so we took the liberty to christen the cove “Ghost Cove” when we noted our stay there on Active Captain.

August 4 – Wolfes Island

Monday night we anchored in a cove on the southeastern end of Wolfes Island - another new location to us but this one was a designated anchorage on our charts.  I think it may be the most beautiful spot we have been to so far – very Maine-like except for its sandy beach.  We explored the inner and shallower parts of the cove with the dinghy and walked along the shoreline.   The sand beach is small but very picturesque. It moved right up to the number one spot on our list of favorite beaches.  The rest of the Wolfes Island shoreline was rocky.  One area of the shoreline has a massive boulder that is flat and that has an incredibly smooth and polished surface.  If I were a person who liked to sit on beach for hours on end I would take my beach chair right past the beautiful sand beach and set it up on this amazing rock.   Tim and I, especially me, are not sand lovers.   I absolutely hate getting sand all over me and in everything I have with me.  This rock was a perfect place to kick back for an afternoon. It was warm and went right into the water.  However, you would definitely need a beach chair if you planned to sit there for long.   It is after all still a hard rock!

August 5 – Returned to Rogues Roost. 

Although a popular spot for boaters from Halifax we had it to ourselves when we first arrived but a few other boats showed up for the evening.   We saw a massive bald eagle sitting up one of the erratics.  This bird was gigantic and we were looking at it from a distance! At first glance we actually thought we were looking at a person who had hiked up there to check out the view.   Huge!!

August 6 - 7.  We returned to Lunenburg.  It is still our favorite town in Nova Scotia.  

August 8 – Returned to Carters Beach.  There were a few thunderstorms around us just as we were arriving but thankfully nothing directly overhead.  Shamus was thrilled to be back on this particular beach.  He had enjoyed digging in the sand when we stopped here heading east and decided he need to dig some more!

August 9 – McNutts Island. 

McNutts Island is located just downriver from Shelburne Yacht Club.   The anchorage itself is not particularly pretty but it does offers good protection for the night and we understand there are some nice trails on the island but we didn’t take the opportunity to find them.   

August 10 – Rounding Cape Sable Island – Part 2

Wow! Rounding Cape Sable Island coming west was anticlimactic compared to our eastbound rounding .  We read comments from one person who indicated that he has never had a smooth passage around Cape Sable Island.  We have experienced both ends of the spectrum.  There was hardly a ripple on the ocean on our return rounding compared with the big breaking swells we had before.

We anchored for the night in Swim Harbour (next to Clark’s Harbour).   This anchorage is not very scenic but it is well protected and a convenient stop between Cape Sable Island and Yarmouth.   There is an island where we could take Shamus to shore.  It doesn’t have a great place to land the dinghy.  The water shallows up quickly as you approach the island and then we had to climb out and then pull the dinghy up on some slippery, seaweed covered rocks.   The island did look pretty from the boat when we got to shore we discovered it was littered with all kinds of trash that had washed up over the years.

August 11 – 12 Back In Yarmouth

We left Swim Harbour for Yarmouth on Monday morning on a rising tide.  The tidal current added an extra 2 to 3 knots to our speed over ground.  We didn’t break 10 knots but we got close at 9.88 knots.  We arrived in Yarmouth right around noon and decided we had enough time left in the day to rent a car and run up to Halifax to get the truck.  It was a very long day – roughly 34 nautical miles by boat and then 360 miles (6 hours) round trip to Halifax.

On Tuesday, Tim took the truck back to Portland Maine on the Nova Star ferry while I stayed in Yarmouth and did laundry, cleaned the boat and re-provisioned.  

August 13 – Westport / Briar Island

Tim arrived via the ferry back in Yarmouth about 9 a.m. and we set off for Westport / Briar Island shortly thereafter.   Once again we left on a rising tide that gave us an extra 3 – 4 knots the entire way.  This time we cleared 11 knots once or twice.  Zoom!!  We spent the night behind a breakwater rafted up with a local fishing boat.   The island is very tidy and it was a nice place to walk around.   We learned about the Ground Hog Day Gale that hit this area pretty damn hard back in 1976!  The storm washed several of the historical buildings right out to sea.  It was a doozy!

A nice little fun fact - Briar Island is also the childhood home of Joshua Slocum – the first man to circumnavigate the globe in a sailboat!

August 14 – 15 Whale!!!

We left Briar Island for Grand Manan Island early in the morning.   There weren’t high winds or big seas forecasted but both built during the day and we had quite a ride over to Seal Cove, Grand Manan Island.  The winds were gusting up to 30 knots and the waves built to be approximately 12 feet – some smaller and some a little bigger.

We finally saw a whale!!!  In all those big waves Tim spotted a huge whale breaching.   We think it was a humpback!  Magnificent!  We watched it for several minutes.   He was exciting to see but we were glad he was breaching where he was and not much closer to the boat!

We hadn’t really explored much of Grand Manan when we came through in May so we decided to spend the day there Friday and do some sightseeing.  We were able to get a ride from Seal Cove up to North Head.   From there we walked over to Swallow Tail Light which had beautiful views into the Bay of Fundy and looking back at fishing weirs and the town of North Head.

The west side of the island is uninhabited but we understand there are beautiful hiking trails there.   We’ll have to check them out if and when we travel to Grand Manan again.

Later in the afternoon we met up with Richard and Sharon Green at their home.   If you recall from one of our prior blog posts we had met them when we came through Seal Cove on our way to Nova Scotia.   It was great to spend time with them again.  Tim and I loved their home!  They have a beautiful view of Seal Cove from their living room and decks and it was beautifully decorated.   Thanks again Richard and Sharon for a lovely evening!    

We had planned on leaving Grand Manan and checking into US Customs in Jonesport, Maine  and then anchoring at Mistake Island for a night.  Jonesport is listed as a check-in location on the U.S. Customs and Border Control web site.   Thankfully Tim called customs to verify the check-in procedures because it turns out Jonesport is only a check-in site for commercial vessels – a little fact not mentioned on the website.   The next most convenient site heading in our direction is Northeast Harbor on Mt. Desert Island. We were headed there anyway.

August 16 -17 Back in the USA!!! – Northeast Harbor

We’re back in the USA!  It was a long but uneventful day.  It is about 70 nautical miles from Grand Manan to Northeast Harbor.  It took us twelve hours and it got a little bumpy towards the end of the trip.   We had heard varying stories from other cruisers about clearing US Customs.  Some said it was difficult to clear back in to the US but others said it was very easy.   For us it was simple.  Thank goodness.  Tim called about 2 hours before we arrived to advise customs of our arrival late in the afternoon – about 5:30 p.m.   We hoisted our yellow quarantine flag when we arrived and waited on the boat as instructed.   We were hailed on the VHF radio when the customs officer arrived and told to come ashore with our documentation.   He met us on the dinghy dock, checked our documentation asked if we had purchased any goods in Canada.  He specifically asked us about produce – in particular oranges and green apples – these are not allowed to be transported to the U.S. from Canada even though Canada most likely imported from the U.S. in the first place.  After answering his questions – he welcomed us back to the U.S., instructed us to take down our quarantine flag and have a good evening.  The whole process took maybe 10 minutes.

Today, August 17, we cleaned up the boat both inside and out.   It really needed it.  

We really enjoyed our trip through Nova Scotia most especially the people we met but we are glad to be back in familiar waters.  We are also looking forward to getting a few things here that believe it or not we couldn’t get in Canada such as American Cheese, edible pizza, decent breakfast sausage, and affordable beer to name a few!  What we couldn’t get in our neighboring country will have to be its own blog post!

The West Side

On July 24 we retrieved the truck from Halifax and then set out the next day to explore the rest of Cape Breton Island by car.  The first day, July 25th, we decided to head to Port Hood on the west side of the island and explore some of the Ceildah (pronounced kay-dee) Trail and then head north to explore the Highlands and the Cabot Trail.  I had found a small reference in one of the tourism guides that there is a scenic road between Port Hood and the town of Mabou called Little Mabou Rd.  I am so glad we found this!  The scenery was stunning! The surrounding hills rolled down to red colored cliffs overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  The Mabou area is farm country and many of the fields on the hillside had just been cut for hay.  The big round and gold hay bales stood out beautifully in contrast to the green hillsides, evergreens, and the sea.  Dairy cows grazed here and there, and to add to all the surrounding colors there seemed to be thousands of bright pink wild Rose of Rogusa in bloom.  We came across the West Mabou Provincial Park on Little Mabou Rd.  What a gem!   We were already enamored with the surrounding scenery and the walk we took through the park only made us more so.   The trail we took ran along the red cliffs and cut through evergreen trees and high grass. The roses were especially prolific along the trail and they smelled incredible as did the evergreen trees.  

After leaving the park we stopped at the popular Red Shoe Café -  a little cafe known for great live music and good food.   Unfortunately, at lunchtime, there is no live music but we can confirm the food is fantastic as are the people who work there! 

Our next stop was a tour of the Glenora Distillery where they distill single malt whiskey.  It was a fun tour that ended with a sampling of their product.  Tim and I both enjoy drinking single malt whiskey.  I liked the small sample I had but Tim didn’t care much for it.

From there we headed north and picked up the Cabot Trail which loops around the Cape Breton  highlands and the Highlands National Park.   We hadn’t made any reservations for the evening which is a little risky this time of year as it is prime tourist season but we located a dog friendly place to stay in the guide book called the Mid Trail Motel in Pleasant Bay that had an available room. The Motel is located right in the park and we had our first of four moose sightings on our way there.   A big cow moose was grazing right alongside the road.   It is so cool to come across wildlife like that!  When we arrived at the Mid Trail Motel we were a little skeptical about the place as they have a rough looking single wide trailer near their entrance that is the Laundromat for guests.  However, we found it to be a great little place to stay.  Our room was spotlessly clean and comfortable and there was plenty of room for Shamus to run around on the motel grounds. 

July 26th – The Skyline Trail - Breaking the Rules

After a nice breakfast at the Mid Trail Motel we purchased our park passes for the day and then  backtracked along the Cabot Trail to hike the Skyline Trail.   The Skyline Trail is the most popular trail in the national park and vistas from the trail are prominently displayed in the islands tour brochures. It is known to get quite crowded but we arrived at the trail head early enough get a good head start on the crowd.   We soon discovered that the Skyline is a “no dogs allowed” trail.  Tim and I usually adhere to these rules but we really wanted to hike this trail and it was way too hot to leave Shamus in the truck.  We deliberated for a few minutes and since it wasn’t crowded at the moment decided to bite the bullet and hike the trail keeping Shamus leashed.   We figured they would ask us to leave if there was an issue.

The trail makes a loop and quite by accident we seemed to hike it in reverse direction than most people so we had the trail mostly to ourselves for the first half of our hike.  As we were hiking Tim and I both heard a noise like branches breaking in the woods on the left side of the trail and when Shamus went on alert so did we.  There was a cow moose contentedly munching away on her breakfast about 75’ off the trail.   I squatted down next to Shamus who was a good boy and didn’t make a peep while Tim cautiously took some pictures of her.   Female moose can be aggressive this time of year especially if they have a calf.    We didn’t see a calf with her and thankfully she pretty much ignored us puny humans and even punier dog!  A thrilling experience!  We quietly moved on and left her to her breakfast. 

We soon came to the boardwalk that was built to protect the plant life on the trail and where those photos in the tour guides were taken.  The views were amazing!  By this time the crowds had arrived and not only didn’t we want to be around a lot of other people we also were very aware Shamus wasn’t supposed to be there so we hiked back to the car to continue our exploration of the Cabot Trail.

We slowly made our way to the east side of the island and Cabot Trail to the Maven Gypsy Bed & Breakfast where we had reservations in one of their cabins for the next 4 nights.  We saw two more moose off in the distance when we pulled over at one of the scenic overlooks.  They were grazing on the mountain side on the other side of the ravine from the overlook.   You could spot them from the car but we needed our binoculars to get a good look at them. 

We also got fairly close to 2 pterodactyl sized bald eagles.  The Cabot trail runs very close to Ingonish Harbor where we saw them.  The first eagle was sitting on some driftwood in the shallows of the Harbor and the second one was flying just above the water hunting for dinner.  He eventually landed as well.  My god they are amazing!  Such huge birds and just beautiful! 

We checked into the our cabin  shortly thereafter and made a beeline for the beach.  It had turned out to be a very hot day and we wanted to cool off!  The beach was mostly rocky but very pretty.  The water was nice and cool and it was refreshing way to end our first day exploring Cape Breton.

In the Hot “Bike” Seat – July 27

It had cooled down nicely overnight and the weather forecast was calling for it to be overcast most of the day.  Tim and I were itching to get on our bikes.  Tim located a trail in the park that allowed bikes and off we went.  We took Shamus with us as we expected it to stay cool and the trail description described it as “wooded”! The trail head was down a long dirt road and just as we arrived at the parking area I think every deer fly in Cape Breton found us!   They were literally flying in swarms next to the trucks windows.  I floored it as much as I dared to but couldn’t out run them.   Needless to say we were a little alarmed.   The last thing we wanted to be was the main entrée for a swarm of hungry deer flies! Thank goodness for Deet!   We liberally doused ourselves and Shamus with bug spray before getting out of the truck and were relieved when most of the flies took off to find something else to munch on! It was nice not to be bug chow!

The trail was more or less a dirt and rock ATV trail that gradually climbed up a short mountain.  The description of “wooded” was a little inaccurate as the area was mostly short scrubby trees and brush that didn’t offer much shade which turned out to be a bit of an issue when the sun came blazing out and started to bake the mountain top and us along with it.  Damn weatherman!  It got hot - fast - the heat was radiating up from the trail and it felt like we were riding our bikes in a furnace. After 4 miles we turned around because we were concerned about Shamus.  It was just too hot for him to be out there with us and quite frankly I wasn’t handling the heat so well either.  Thankfully there was a stream and some puddles for Shamus to wade in and there were a couple stands of tall thick trees that combined with the breeze that provided good places for all three of us to stop and rest and cool down but it didn’t take long to feel the heat once we started riding again.   We slowly coasted back to the truck and then returned to the cabin where we pretty much just lounged around for the remainder of the afternoon.

That night after dinner Tim and I went to a Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) we saw advertised on a little sign set up alongside the road.  A Ceilidh is a social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.  The one we attended was held in St. John’s Parrish Hall in Ingonish.  We sat on hard wooden chairs and listened to three excellent musicians.  There was a woman who was just an incredible fiddle player – it was so effortless for her.  In fact she seemed to be thinking about what she needed to buy at the grocery story rather than having to concentrate on the incredible music she was playing.  The man who accompanied her on the piano was also amazing to see and hear.  It was some of the best music I have ever seen performed live!

July 28 – 29, 2014

On July 28th we explored Northern Cape Breton Island which is called The Top of Island.  Once again the only words I can come up with to describe the area are stunning, beautiful ….  The mountains are steep and they rise straight up out of the ocean. 

On the 29th Tim and I went for another bike ride.  This trail ran beside a river and through a beautiful forest.   Shamus would have loved it but we left him at the cabin this time.   The trail wasn’t difficult but was very pretty.  Tim commented that it would be a great area to build a nice system of single track trails for mountain bikers.   The only hiccup we had on this ride in somehow I managed to get a double pinch flat crossing a rocky stream bed – that means I got two flat tires.  We only had one spare tube with us but no worries – my handy dandy husband – patched the other tube and I was able to ride out!

We retrieved Shamus from the cabin and went in search of two swimming holes that Kevin, the manager of the B&B, told us about.  The first one was in a little creek just down the road from the B&B.  While it was very pretty and there were a couple spots deep enough to take a dip you really couldn’t swim there.  So we took off to find the second one Kevin had described to us which turned out to be a nice little section of river just off the Cabot Trail.  The water was cool and deep.  The three of us swam upriver a short distance and rode the mild current back down to where we started.  Very relaxing!

July 30 – 31st Back to Baddeck

On Wednesday morning we headed back to Baddeck.  Other than running a couple small errands we spent the day relaxing on the boat.  It was nice to be home again!   

On Thursday, Tim took the truck back to the Armdale Yacht Club in Halifax while I cleaned and re-provisioned as we planned to start heading back to Maine on Friday morning.   We want to spend some time this summer in our still favorite cruising grounds in Penobscot Bay!

Damions Cove – July 16 – 17, 2014

Damions Cove was a short sail from St. Peter’s Marina.  The winds were soft to start but as a front was moving in they increased quite a bit making for a fun sail.  We stayed in Damions Cove for two nights.   We took Shamus to shore on McNabs Island.  It is a small island with a thick interior so we only walked the perimeter of the island.   We were the only boat there so perhaps that is why the bugs seemed to concentrate on us.   There were some mosquitoes and deer flies but there was another bug that looked similar to a mosquito but obviously wasn’t as it was larger and didn’t seem to have any interest in biting us.  Still they were very attracted to our boat.  The first night there we left the back of the enclosure open and in the morning there must have been a hundred of them (not including the dead ones) in our cockpit and all over the transom. The second night we closed the cockpit up entirely but there were still bugs all over the transom in the morning. They left a mess between dead bugs and what I can only imagine is ALOT of bug poop!  Yuck.

Little Harbour – July 18, 2014

We left Damion’s Cove under sail and after about three hours chose to anchor in Little Harbour because it was convenient to do so.  The winds were shifty at first but by the time we entered Little Harbour they were blowing at a steady 18 knots gusting up to 22.  The entrance to Little Harbour is narrow but once inside it is a large and well protected harbor.  It was a hot day and the deer flies started to find us while we anchored.  We quickly took down the plastic panels of the cockpit enclosure and put up the screens and armed ourselves with fly swatters to kill any deer flies that were captured inside during this process.  It cooled off beautifully at night and it was the first time on our trip that we have been able to sleep with the boat opened up to let in the breeze - screens closed of course! 

Clarke Cove / Marble Mountain – July 19, 2014

We enjoyed a slow morning at Little Harbour and then motored over to Marble Mountain.  This anchorage isn’t a private location as there were houses on shore, lots of motor boat traffic and a couple other sail boats at anchor.   We just lazed around on the boat after anchoring and rowed over to a spit of land and sand bar to swim and play with Shamus.   We had another “Oh No!” moment when we got to shore.  I was getting something out of the dinghy and turned just in time to see Shamus lift his leg and pee on a golden retriever who we later found out is named Bruin!  First time I have ever seen Shamus do this.    Once again we are thankful that Bruin’s owners laughed it off and that Bruin being a water dog was swimming around the rest of the afternoon getting a good rinse!

One of the more interesting things about the Bras D’or lakes is that there are sand bars or spits in a lot of anchorages and they shoal up very steeply at the shoreline.  Tim was able to dive into the water off the bar at Marble Mountain.  He estimated the slope in the water to be about 45 degrees.  Most powerboats and even some sailboats simply pull up to the beach bow first and set their anchors on shore.  I must say it is very unnerving to see a sailboat with a six foot keel motor right up to the beach and not touch bottom.

We haven’t gotten very far into the Bras D’Or Lakes just yet.  There is a large race called “Race the Cape” that started today.  It is a 5 day point-to-point sailing race along Cape Breton Island’s coast and into and through the Bras D’Ors Lakes.  Each day of the race ends with a catered meal and some evening entertainment.  We want to make sure the race has passed through Baddeck before we get there sometime next week.

Denys Basin / Seal Cove – July 20, 2014

In the morning we got some exercise walking up Marble Mountain Road.  We were looking for the hiking trail that overlooks the old marble quarry but didn’t find it.   Marble Mountain Road is long and very steep so we definitely got some good exercise.

After returning to the boat we decided to go to Denys Basin which is essentially located on the other side of Marble Mountain about 17 nautical miles (nm) by boat – which would take us roughly 3 hours at 6 knots.  We left around 11:30 a.m. and there wasn’t a wisp of wind.  That changed somewhere between 1 and 2 p.m. when the wind picked up to about 13 knots so we pulled out the head sail and shut the engine down!  Yay!!! The sail into Denys Basin was beautiful!  We wound our way between several small islands and the mainland of Cape Breton Island.  The shoreline is relatively undeveloped and other than one or two motor boats we were on the water by ourselves. 

When we arrived at Denys Basin we found a large house and some sort of industrial looking building built on the shoreline of the basin.  After such a beautiful sail that felt so remote it was a bit of a disappointment to have to spend the night looking at the buildings so we motored a very short distance over to Seal Cove.   Once again we found the depths on the chart plotter and the description in the cruising guides for Seal Cove differed so we entered the cove cautiously. The chart plotter showed a depth of 7.2’ in the anchorage but our depth sounder didn’t drop below 12’ which was more in line with the cruising guide’s description.    We arrived late in the afternoon so we relaxed before taking Shamus to shore, eating dinner and calling it a night!

Maskells Harbour – July 21 – July 22, 2014

The next morning we left Seal Cove and motored to Maskells Harbour.  We passed through the Barra Strait and the draw bridge at Grand Narrows into the Upper Bras D’Ors Lakes.  Maskells Harbour is about 6 miles southwest of Baddeck and we thought it would be a good a place to spend a couple days until the “Race the Cape” leaves Baddeck Wednesday morning. 

Maskells is by far the prettiest anchorage we have found in the Bras D’Or Lakes so far.   The harbor is surrounded by steep, tall hills and thankfully the property owners have decided to leave the shoreline undeveloped. On top of one of the hills there is a rolling green field where a pretty little lighthouse overlooks the lake.   At the other end of the field from the lighthouse sits a beautiful barn and farmhouse that we could just barely see from the boat.   There is a small spit of rocky shoreline that juts out into the harbor that has a little dock and boathouse.   The property owners encourage yachters to visit the shore and the lighthouse.   We really enjoyed poking around this little harbor.  Shamus especially enjoyed sunning himself in the grass by the lighthouse!

Tuesday, was a rest day in Baddeck for the sailboats participating in “Race the Cape”.   Baddeck is less than an hour from Maskells Harbour.  A few of the race boats and one motor boat full of racers came down and whooped it up for bit but other than that both nights were quiet.

We really enjoyed this spot!  For you oyster lovers, the beach was full of them.

Baddeck – July, 23, 2014

This morning we had a beautiful downwind sail to Baddeck from Maskells Harbour.  It was nice to see all the sailboats in the “Race the Cape” under sail as we approached Baddeck.

Tomorrow and Friday the weather forecast is calling for rain.  We will grab a shuttle bus to Halifax to get the truck and then spend the next several days exploring the interior of Cape Breton Island.

 

Liscomb Lodge – July 10 -11, 2014

On Thursday, July 10, we left Hartling’s Island on and headed for an anchorage up the Liscomb River.   The fog was still thick and while the sea conditions had improved the swells were still fairly large - maybe 6 ft – but fairly well spaced and they weren’t breaking.

We anchored in the river just west of Riley Island and southeast of the Liscomb Lodge.   The lodge has quite a bit of rustic charm.   There is a nice main lodge with a restaurant and bar, a small hotel, and several charming little cabins.   For $20 we had full access to the lodge’s amenities including showers, laundry, a swimming pool and hot tub, kayaks, canoes, and bicycles.

There were three other sailboats anchored at Liscomb Lodge when we arrived. Franz and Mary who own a beautiful Hinckley 59’ named Remedios invited all of us to their boat for cocktails.  We had a lovely time and enjoyed getting to know everyone and sharing stories of our travels!   Thank you Franz and Mary!

There is a pretty hiking trail that starts at the Lodge and winds up and down both sides of the Liscomb River for a total of 6 miles.  The sun was out for the first time in days and once you were away from the anchorage and the breeze it became quite humid as all the moisture from the past few days started to evaporate.  So although it was a sticky and damp hike it was worth it to see the pretty waterfall and the fish ladders located at the head of the trail. Shamus was able to cool off in the Liscomb River as we hiked along but as hot and sweaty as Tim and I were from hiking we really didn’t consider joining him for a dip – the water was an ankle biting 42 degrees!

Yankee Cove

We stayed two nights in Liscomb and then decided to make a push to get to the Bras D’Or Lakes. It is supposed to be incredibly scenic with some beautiful and remote anchorages.   We motor sailed east to Yankee Cove – about 40 miles east of Liscomb.  We had blue skies and the seas had calmed considerably so it was a rather easy but long day.  Yankee Cove is beautiful and reminded us a lot of Rogues Roost.  There is a narrow passage that leads to a basin behind Yankee Cove.  We explored it in the dinghy.  The current in the passage to basin is extremely swift.  When we were returning to the boat we had to give our engine about half throttle just to make headway in the current.   Yankee Cove and the basin behind have been used for aquaculture for several years to cultivate mussels.   There were no longer any aquaculture pens in the anchorage in Yankee Cove but there were some in the basin and they are now farming oysters instead of mussels. 

St. Peters Lock

On Sunday, July 13, we completed another long leg to reach the Bras d’Or Lakes – about 38 nm.  The skies were clear and seas calm.   The winds were downwind and relatively light to start but they built throughout the day so we were able to cut the engine and had a beautiful sail for the last couple hours of the day.  We were having such a nice sail we waited until we were just outside the entrance to the St. Peters Lock to drop the main sail and furl the genoa.  

Enroute we caught up with Moonlight Maid and Lagniappe - two of the boats that had been anchored with us at Liscomb Lodge but had left the day before us.  We all entered the lock within minutes of each other along with a fourth boat called Gorgeous Girl whose homeport is Belfast , Maine.   Two boats tied up on the port side of the lock and two of us on the starboard side of the lock.  Once the lock was full we all transited through single file and made our way around the corner to the St. Peters Marina.  The lock is unique as it lead from the Atlantic ocean which is tidal to the Bras D’or lakes which are also tidal as they have a small passage that is open to the ocean at the other end of the lakes which requires no lock.  Because of this the lock needs to have doors that open outwards on both ends.  Most locks have doors that face the same way(towards the higher of the two bodies of water).  This is supposed to be the oldest lock of this kind in North America.

St. Peters Marina is a great facility with a very comfortable cruisers lounge that includes a full kitchen, laundry, several showers and a TV.   We gathered there on Sunday night to watch the final game of the world cup!

There are only a few places on the lake where you have access to groceries, post offices and hardware stores and St. Peters is one of them.  So we stayed put on Monday and restocked the pantry and fridge, and did some laundry.  Tim changed the engine oil and spent a good portion of the rest of the day troubleshooting what is wrong with our engine driven generator. It had started giving us trouble a couple days after leaving Halifax.   After running some diagnostics and checking all the connections Tim concluded the issue seems to be with the alternator itself which means it needs to be shipped back to the manufacturer in Texas.  Let’s hope it can be repaired or we will be shelling out for a new one.   We will know in a couple weeks.

Tuesday, July 15, we thought we might head out to another anchorage after hauling the generator up to the post office but Tim ran into some frustrating technical difficulties updating our Garmin GPS to the most recent version.  A 20 minute update ended up taking a couple hours.  By then we decided to stay put and Tim spent the remainder of the afternoon hardwiring in a new inverter that we could use to recharge some of our electronics that require a 110 volt outlet.

Tomorrow we start our exploration of the Bras D’Or Lakes! 

Happy 50th Birthday to my big brother Kevin! Love ya!

More fun on Round Island!

We left Mahone Bay with the intent of anchoring at Mason Island but the anchorage was exposed to the wind and fetch so we decided to head back to Round Island.   During our first visit to Round Island we met three men named Steve at the turkey bake.  The Steve with the big motor yacht “Trinity” had also returned to the island with a few of his buddies.  We had fun drinking a few beers with them.  They insisted we try “Solomon Gundy” which is pickled herring.   I didn’t care for it but Tim liked it.  Maybe I just needed something stronger than beer to wash it down with! Shamus also liked it (hard to find something he doesn’t gobble down) but it left his whiskers smelling a little fishy –yuck!

We stayed at Round Island until late afternoon on Tuesday and then decided to head over to South Shore Marina for the night. The winds were from the south at about 14 knots when we dropped the mooring but increased to a steady 20 knots en-route.  You know the wind is strong when you can feel it in the cockpit sailing downwind!  It was a fast and fun sail.

South Shore Marina

South Shore Marina is full service marina and there is also a restaurant there. The mooring cost $35 per night.  The most expensive price for a mooring we have paid in Nova Scotia so far.   We chose this yard because we wanted to re-fill our water tanks and shower.  The yard is still busy launching and doing other maintenance on boats to get them ready for their owners to use for the season. The next morning when we went in to fill our tanks the yard had boats lined up almost the entire length of the face dock where the water is located.  Tim masterfully docked “Carina” in the only available spot on the end of the dock.  It was a tight squeeze made even more challenging because there are no cleats on the dock to help stop and position the boat.  Curiously, except for one motor boat all the boats lined up on the dock were all Nonsuch’s.  Nonsuch’s must be a popular boat at this marina because there were several moored throughout the anchorage and more waiting to be launched. 

Chester & Big Tancook Island

After topping off our water tanks at South Shore Marina we motored the short distance to Chester’s Front Harbor and picked up a mooring for two nights at the Chester Yacht Club.   The club is very pretty but doesn’t offer any amenities such as showers or laundry.   Interestingly our friend Chris Allen’s grandfather, Capitan James Allen was a founding member of the yacht club and his house called the “Captains House” is located just across the street from the club.  It is now a rental that can be used for events such as weddings or for vacations.

There is a ferry that runs several times a day between Chester and Big Tancook Island.  We had read and been told that a trip to Big Tancook is like stepping back in time and that there are hiking trails around the island.   Tim and I were excited to visit there as we often use this same description to describe Monhegan Island – one of our favorite islands in Maine.   It turned out there were no trails on Big Tancook – what ones there are are private and not available to the public. The island has had full time residents dating well back to the 1800s, maybe even earlier, but unlike other places we visited there weren’t many historic homes or buildings.   Still it was a nice little day trip.  We finally had some ice cream and met a cute little pig in the gift shop named Ruby!  The ferry stopped at Little Tancook on the way back to Chester and from what we could see from the ferry it seemed to have more of the “step back in time” appeal than Big Tankcook did.

We spent our third night in Chester at the docks owned by a restaurant called the Rope Loft.  Dockage is free if you buy a meal there and there is water available on their dock.

Rogue’s Roost

We skipped over St. Margaret’s Bay as we intend to visit there on our return trip back to Maine.   We took Bruce and Diane Jardine’s advice and went to Rogue’s Roost.   It is the most beautiful anchorage we have visited in Nova Scotia.   The entrance is narrow and a little intimidating as there is a huge rock right in the middle of the entrance.   We entered the Roost on a falling tide so the rock was visible.  Still we felt it prudent for me to go out to the bowsprit to keep a look out for rocks.

Apparently Rogue’s Roost was a hideaway for rum runners and perhaps privateers and it is a good one.  We anchored as far back as we could in the North end of the anchorage and you could not see our roughly 60’ mast (including the antennas on top) from Hearn’s Island which is just outside the entrance to Rogue’s Roost.

It is hard to describe the beauty of this location and I don’t think our pictures will do it justice.   Roost Island has rolling green hills covered with low vibrant green brush (perhaps low bush blueberrys) and evergreen trees.   There are huge erratics that were deposited on the hilltops by receding glaciers that seem to be teetering on the edge of rolling down to the sea crushing everything in their path. 

Hearn Island is just outside the entrance to Rogues Roost and has a lovely little beach and picnic area.  There is a short but scenic walking trail that takes you across the island.  It is just a stunning place.  While there we ran into Rob and Karen and their dog Duke and some friends having a pancake breakfast on the beach.  We had met them at the Armdale Yacht Club when we dropped our truck off there.  It was very nice to run into them again.

We spent two nights there enjoying the scenery and an Osprey that was fishing right next to the boat and once again meeting and having some beers with folks who invited us on board as we motored by in the dinghy.  Who are we to pass up an offer for a beer!

Wrandees Trails - Wait! Haven’t We Been Here Already!

We arrived at the Armdale Yacht Club and reunited with our truck on Monday, June 30.  The next day we decided to go for a bike ride rather than explore the city as it was Canada Day (their version of our July 4th) and we had been told that Halifax’s downtown and historic waterfront would be a mob scene.   There are a lot of places to mountain bike in the Halifax area but there is very little information available about them other than connecting with someone who knows them – in other words find a bike shop – but they were all closed for “Canada Day.” A book we have about mountain biking in Nova Scotia and some information we gleaned from the internet mentioned a trail system located in one of the provincial parks not far from the yacht club called Wrandees. The book and what little information we found on the internet described the Wrandees trails as technical single track with some roots and rocks! I am a decent technical rider and Tim in an excellent technical rider so the description didn’t bother us much. There were also no maps that we could find of the trails so we knew we would be doing some exploring.   So we set off for a nice little afternoon adventure with our bikes and our pup!  Hmmmm….we discovered:

·         Wrandees is a very complex trail system.  You would never know this from the map located in the lot where we parked the truck.  Other than the spot marked “You Are Here” the map was pretty vague. It showed a few big trails that circled the lake.  None of which were single track.  So we rode around and finally came across a single track trail and off we went.

·         Some of the worse trails for mountain biking we have ever encountered. “Some rocks and roots” is a gross understatement. There are so many rocks and roots it was difficult just to start pedaling before having to dismount - sometimes voluntarily sometimes not!  I knew I was in for a difficult day when Tim had to get off his bike a few times!  He rarely gets off his bike!  Still we persisted…maybe we just hadn’t found the right trail!  NOT!

·         That Shamus is no Lassie!  Lassie never failed to rescue “little Timmy” whenever he got himself in trouble.   After a couple hours abusing ourselves and our bikes on the rocks and roots we decided to head home.  Beers back at the boat seemed much more appealing than more bruises.  Somehow we kept circling back to the same set of boulders and one particular mud puddle that we had obviously ridden through more than once.   Finally after about the 5th time one or both of said “Damn! we were just here” we decided to pull out our phones to view the apps we use to track our ride.  We could use the information provided by the apps to backtrack the way we came.  Unfortunately my phone was dead (it had been almost fully charged when we left) and Tim’s app locked up and wouldn’t bring up our track- so much for technology! Shamus was no help! We jokingly told him to “go to the truck” but he was content to just sniff around in the woods where we stopped or follow us blindly in whatever apparent misdirection we set off on!  If Lassie had been with us she would have led the way home to safety and our cold beers!

No worries though!  My ever prepared husband whipped out his compass and got us headed in the right direction.  We rode as frequently as the trail permitted and hiked our bikes the rest of the way.   Tim was able to ride more than me and at one point I came around a blind corner to see that he had done an endo (an involuntary dismount directly over the handlebars)!  I was quite concerned but again Shamus trotted right past Tim on way to smell something or other in the bushes ahead of us.  He didn’t even stop for a sniff!   Very un-Lassie-like!

Since I am writing this blog it is obvious we made our way back to our boat and our beers which we felt we deserved and enjoyed immensely!  Tim hurt some ribs when he did his endo so he will be sore for a few weeks but he hasn’t let that slow him down!

We also enjoyed reconnecting with Andrew and Heather Powell.   We had met them in Portland, Maine last year when they were sailing the Hunter they had just bought here in the U.S. back to Halifax.  We exchanged information and promised to look them up if we were ever in Halifax.  Coincidentally they are members of the Armdale Yacht Club so reconnecting with them was rather easy.  It was great to get reacquainted with them again.

Batten Down the Hatches!  Hurricane Arthur!

We spent the next couple days exploring Halifax and the town just across the river called Dartmouth where we found a fantastic bike shop called the “Bike Pedaler”.   We had them complete a minor repair on Tim’s bike and found them to be a great source of information for bike trails in the area.  So we did actually end up finding and enjoying a bike ride at decent trail system at Spider Lake that is a short distance outside Darmouth in the town of Waverly.   Tim just had to ride a little more conservatively than usual due to his rib injury.

We had planned on leaving Halifax about mid-week but with Hurricane Arthur heading in our direction we thought it prudent to stay put.  We were on a strong mooring in a well-protected harbor so there was really no better place to be to ride out the storm.   Tim and I prepared the boat for the storm by removing the dodger and cockpit enclosure, tying down the main sail, removing our anchors etc…   and then checked into a hotel Friday night to ride out the storm in comfort.  We were worried but not greatly concerned about the boat but we knew it would be more comfortable off of it and more importantly we didn’t want to deal with getting Shamus on and off the boat while it was bouncing around in the storm.     We stayed at the Atlantica which is very nice hotel that also happens to be pet friendly.  They brought Shamus up a massive dog bed that he absolutely loved sleeping in! H. Arthur arrived on Saturday with strong winds but thankfully not as strong as predicted.  There was no rain and in fact part of the day was sunny.  We spent the day exploring the Citadel which is a historic site that overlooks Halifax Harbor.   While inside its thick walls you would never know how strong the winds were. However, when we crossed the parade grounds to get from one part of the citadel to another we got sandblasted! 

We had an absolutely fabulous dinner Saturday night at a restaurant called the Bike Thief downtown Halifax.  It was recommended by several people and I am so glad we took their advice. Tim and I agreed it is one of the best meals we have ever had.  DELICIOUS!!!

Sunday we headed back to the boat and spent the day getting the boat put back together.  Later in the evening we joined Heather Powell and her friends Liz and Kate for a relaxing and very fun evening.  Thanks again ladies!  It was great fun and the dinner Kate whipped up for us all was fantastic!

On Monday, July, 7th we left Halifax for Shelter Cover - our first stop along eastern shore of Nova Scotia on our way to the Bras D’ors Lakes. 

The next 3 days we were shrouded in fog as we visited Shelter cove, Malagash cove and Hartlings island.  We saw no other boats or people during this time.

We had a fantastic day of sailing when we left Shelburne.  The seas were calm and we had a steady wind that allowed us to sail a beam reach all the way to Lockeport, N.S.    We didn’t turn the engine on until we took the mainsail down just outside the breakwater of Lockeport’s harbor.

There are no moorings and no anchoring in Lockeport’s harbor so we spent the next two nights docked at the White Gull Marina and Restaurant. The White Gull Restaurant is a nice little place to grab a bite to eat.   Apparently they fabulous fish and chips but we didn’t know that when we grabbed a bite to eat there.  Next time!

Lockeport is a quiet little community surrounded by beaches.   Summer had arrived in full force (but just for two days) and it was hot!  We took a short walk to the town’s longest beach that is about a mile long with sand that is so fine it is difficult to get it off your feet! There were some people swimming and I wished I had worn my swim suit but it was refreshing to walk down the beach and wade in the cool water.  As always we found a stick to throw into the water for Shamus!  Being part lab retrieving sticks out of the water is one of his favorite games.  This game of fetch was particularly fun since there were some small waves breaking on the beach.   Shamus would bound over the waves to get to his stick and on his return swim to the beach he would end up body surfing back in.  Tim and I couldn’t help but laugh watching a small wave roll into shore with our pups snoot and ears sticking out the front of it.  Too bad we didn’t have the camera with us!

Lockeport is a working harbor with a good sized fishing fleet and a fish processing plant right next to the slips.  We didn’t mind the fish processing plant as our view from the cockpit also had a nice view of the oldest houses in Lockeport and a nice little sand beach.   If you need to re-provision this is a great place to do so. Lockeport has a great little food market located very close to the marina.  It is definitely the best market we have been to in Nova Scotia so far.

On June 11 we motor sailed from Lockeport and anchored off Carter’s Beach near Port Mouton.   Carter’s Beach is another beautiful long sandy beach.   The water is clear but very cold.  A few minutes of wading and our ankles started to ache!  Shamus had a blast! We played fetch with him until we tired of throwing the stick but he still had a ton of energy and spent the rest of the time on shore pouncing on his stick, dragging it through the sand and burying and digging it up again! He dug so many holes I actually worried someone walking along the beach would fall into one. 

Tim and I expected the coast line of Nova Scotia to be rocky like the Maine Coast.  We definitely weren’t expecting mile long beaches with soft white sand!  I have mentioned in prior posts that Tim and I aren’t beach people.  Our favorite beach is on Roque Island off the Maine Coast.  Like Roque’s beach we find the beaches in Nova Scotia prettier than those we have visited in the Caribbean.  The contrast of sandy white beaches, and grassy dunes surrounded by evergreen trees and rocks, and the clear sparkling water is just more aesthetically appealing to us.  The water being too cold to swim in isn’t much of an issue.  The sea breeze blowing onto the beaches is often cool and refreshing so don’t get overly hot while strolling down the beach.   In certain places the water does warm up enough to take a swim and in the places it doesn’t a quick wade into the water will cool you down quickly!  Aaaah!

Strong winds and rain were forecasted to roll in over the next couple of days.  It would be blowing from the southeast so we also were looking for a harbor that would provide protection from the weather and the resulting ocean swells.   We headed for Brooklyn but found there were only a few moorings in the harbor that were located in an area too shallow for our comfort and that didn’t look strong enough to hold our boat.   We also weren’t comfortable with the depth readings we were getting nearer to the yacht club’s docks so we decided to continue east and head up the LaHave River.   

We docked at one of the slips owned by the LaHave Bakery around 8 PM.  It is a great bakery and a convenient place to stop if you want any baked goods such as muffins, cookies, or fresh bread.  We stayed on the bakery’s dock for one night and then moved a little further up the river and picked up a mooring at the LaHave River Yacht Club. That night was “sponsor night” at the club.   Sponsor’s night is a weekly event where a local business sponsors dinner at the club.  I know I sound like a broken record when talking about how friendly the people are here in Nova Scotia but once again we received a warm welcome by the club’s members especially Scott Young, and Fred and Heather Jeffers.  We ended sponsor night with the three of them aboard Fred and Heather’s boat having a Goslings Rum night cap!   Tim and I recovered just in time for them to join us the next evening on our boat!   We look forward to having a rendezvous with them when we pass through the area on our way back to Maine.

On Sunday – Father’s Day – we sailed to Lunenburg and stayed until Thursday, June 19. We had a great time there! Lunenburg is still a working waterfront but the fishing industry has slowed considerably and tourism has become a large part of the town’s economy.    There are plenty of restaurants and art galleries and little shops. The Fisheries Museum is a fabulous way to spend an afternoon.  

We loved just walking around Lunenburg. There are signs posted throughout the town that tell you a lot about its history.  Many of the homes and churches date back to the colonization of Lunenburg by the English and German settlers in the 1700’s.  The buildings have been beautifully maintained by their current residents and many of them also have beautiful gardens.

If you need to exercise just walking around Lunenburg is a good way to get some.  It is built on a steep hillside and by the time you get to the top you will be feeling your legs!   If you have bikes you can ride the old railroad bed for quite a distance.   The rail bed splits just outside town and you can ride up the coast or walk or ride a shorter trail that loops around Lunenberg. We rode to up the coast and explored the town of Mahone Bay and then back to Lunenburg. A total of 19 miles round trip.  Being a railroad bed it is flat but you still get a good ride.

When we left Lunenburg Thursday we picked up a mooring around the point in Prince Inlet. By land Prince Inlet is a short distance from the mooring in Lunenburg’s Harbor but it took us a few hours by boat to round the point.  We had a nice wind and sailed the entire way.   Prince Inlet is a great little hurricane hole.  The inlet is surrounded by houses so it is not the place to visit if you are looking for a remote spot and we have been told it gets crowded in the height of boating season.  You can anchor in the inlet or alternatively pick up a mooring from the Lunenburg Yacht Club located near the entrance to the inlet.

Friday morning we motored from Prince Inlet over to the town of Mahone Bay.   We spent an enjoyable evening on board Bruce and Diane Jardine’s Beneteau 445 named “Daybreak.”   Bruce and Diane had reached out to us via our blog earlier in our trip and told us to look them up if we traveled to Mahone Bay.  Well we didn’t have far to look as coincidentally we picked up the mooring right next to them!    

Saturday we explored the mountain bike trails in the town of Mahone Bay.   The trails twist through a beautiful forest. They are not technically difficult but they are fun!  We need to thank Al and his wife who own the “Sweet Ride” bike shop in Mahone Bay for the information they shared about the trails.  It is part bicycle shop part candy shop.  An interesting concept for sure.

Bruce and Diane were headed out to Round Island and invited us to join them.   Round Island is about 5 nautical miles from Mahone Bay.  We were able to sail there with just the genny and didn’t have to tack once.   Bruce, Diane and a handful of good friends were having a deep fried turkey dinner that we were invited to attend. 

We now know that Shamus is part lab and part “Bumpus Hound.”  For those of you who have seen the classic movie “A Christmas Story” -   the one where the little boy wants a BB gun for Christmas and everyone keeps saying “you’ll shoot your eye out kid!” then you will recall that Christmas is almost ruined when the Bumpus’ Hounds steal the Christmas turkey right off the table.

When we came ashore for the turkey fry we warned everyone that Shamus would steal food right off the table or a plate for that matter.  Tim and I thought we were keeping a close eye on him but in the midst of a conversation he snuck away.  All of sudden we heard a ruckus and turned just in time to see the deep fried turkey falling from the table pulled off by  guess who….. that’s right – Shamus!  Needless to say Tim and I were horrified!   Thank goodness that was the first turkey and had been mostly picked over and there was a second turkey in the deep fryer.  Thank you again to everyone who was there for being so forgiving of the incident.  In fact when I was taking Shamus back to the boat they insisted he stay and continued to give our little “Bumpus Hound” lots of attention and a little more turkey!

We had a great time at Round Island and headed back to Mahone Bay on  Sunday night where Bruce and Diane Jardine invited us to raft up to their Beneteau rather than have us pay another mooring fee!  They will be heading in the same direction as us when they leave for their summer cruise in a couple weeks.   Hopefully, we will meet up with them again.

We headed out of Yarmouth with the intent of getting closer to an anchorage or harbor that would allow us to time the rounding of Cape Sable Island with the wind, current, and swell in our favor.  We headed for the Tusket Islands but had plenty of daylight left when we arrived  so  we continued on to West Head which is a harbor on the west side of Cape Sable Island.

West Head is a fisherman’s harbor and home to the busiest Canadian Coast Guard Station in all of eastern Canada.   It is another harbor protected by a breakwater with only a few floating docks that all had fishing boats tied to them at least 2 abreast.  It was our first experience tying our lines off to the top of a breakwater which was interesting.   Tim very expertly docked the boat in the available slip so all I simply had to do was step off the deck and climb a ladder to the top of the break water.  Tim tossed me the bow and stern line and then set the lines so we wouldn’t have to adjust them as the tide dropped.

There is not much to see in West Head and there are no stores nearby to re-provision but it was calm. 

The weather for the next several days was not forecasted to have the wind in our favor to round Cape Sable Island but we timed the tide as best we could. It was quite a bumpy ride but compared to what the conditions can be around Cape Sable Island -  we had it relatively easy.    Rounding the southern point of Cape Sable Island can be very tricky.  This area of water is called the “Cape Horn of Nova Scotia” or the “Grave Yard of Nova Scotia.”   It is shallow, there are tidal currents, ocean swells and wind which with the wrong combination of these factors can make it a hellish and dangerous passage.

We spent the next two nights in a very well sheltered anchorage off of Big Island in Negro Bay with a good mud bottom in about 11’ of water.   When we pulled anchor Tim commented he had never seen our anchor pull up such a huge mud ball. 

Big Island is actually a fairly little island but it is perfect place for a lobster bake.    It has a nice beach on both sides. Located in the narrowest section of the island is a cute little shack with a front porch that the owners make available to island visitors.  Tim and I enjoyed a nice little cocktail hour just in front of the shack.  The only company we had were a couple of nesting ospreys and some noisy seals that rested on the rocks just of the shore.   Shamus was absolutely fascinated with the seals (a.k.a sea dogs)! He really wanted to meet them!

While in the fog at Big Island Tim decided to do some engine maintenance.  It was due for a transmission fluid change.  He usually needs to remove a raw water petcock from the engine to access the transmission drain plug.  When replacing the petcock it broke off.  Luckily Tim was able to remove the remaining section with an “easy out”.  The bronze petcock was completely pink inside which indicates dezinctification and a severe breakdown of the metal.  He was able to piece together a solution from some plumbing parts and a british pipe thread adapter.  It is always good to have various spares on-board and we were reminded to never do maintenance in a  remote anchorage!

On June 5, we pulled into Shelburne Harbor.   We transited to Shelburne in thick fog but it was otherwise uneventful.  Shelburne is a very historical little town.   It was a “loyalist” community and all of the houses and buildings we gaze upon from our mooring are from the 17 and 1800’s.   

We can’t say enough about the Shelburne Harbor Yacht Club.  It is a wonderful facility and the staff and members are very welcoming.   They had their first Thursday night sailboat race scheduled to start a few hours after we arrived.   We helped the crews prepare for their race with a few beers and some burgers upstairs at the yacht club’s bar!   Several more members showed up during and after the race and we had a super time meeting them all.  So when they invited us to the clubs dinner the following night we gladly accepted.  We had even more fun the next evening.  They are really super people.  We received  offers to let us stay in their houses, or borrow their cars, and even one person thought we would be a great addition to the Shelburne community and told us we needed to buy some real estate locally and join the club!

We had the pleasure of meeting Bradd and Maeve Wilson.  During our initial conversation they mentioned they had lived aboard for several years and run their business from the boat.  It turns out their business is Cruising Solutions, www.cruisingsolutions.com.    I have referred to their website a few times and it was their article on cruising to Newfoundland that has made me want to visit there so much.  They offered, and we accepted the use of their car to re-provision as needed.   It was a kind gesture and we really appreciated their help.  Thank you Bradd and Maeve. 

We will be leaving Shelburne tomorrow morning but have not yet decided where we will end up!  We are living true to our “plan to have no plan!”

We departed Cutler, Maine on Wednesday, May 28 for Grand Manan Island.  We had planned to leave early in the morning but when Tim took Shamus to shore for his morning walk he noticed breakers outside the harbor.  Tim spoke with some fisherman who had just come in who confirmed that it was quite rough.   The boat had rolled a lot through the night so we weren’t surprised.   We decided to wait until just before slack tide to leave – around 10:30 a.m. - with the hope that the seas would calm somewhat.

The seas were still confused when we eventually left Cutler later in the morning.  Initially the waves were about 4’ to 6’ feet with some breakers.   I used this time to practice my helmsmanship.  Tim gave me some great pointers and other than a few punches into the troughs I did pretty well.  The seas calmed with the incoming tide and the closer we came to Grand Manan Island.   

We “reported” into customs in Seal Cove on Grand Manan Island.  Reporting in means Tim called customs and they asked him several questions and then gave us a report number. They never actually visited the boat.   Seal Cove is typically a Nexus only site but we had overlooked this.  The customs officials were kind enough, and I assume, not too busy, so they reported us in to Canada rather than sending us to a different harbor.  It was a very easy process.  

Seal Cove is a quiet little harbor.  The Canadian Government is in the process of completing a new breakwater that has new floating docks.  It is an impressive project that is scheduled to be completed this July.

We were approached by a lobsterman named Richard Green when we returned to the boat from walking Shamus.   He thought Carina was a pretty boat but it was her name that stood out to him most.   He had a good friend who recently passed away who also had a sailboat named “Carina”.  We had heard that the people on Grand Manan and throughout Nova Scotia are extremely friendly. Richard and his wife Sharon joined us on Carina for the evening and we really enjoyed getting to know them.  Both of them grew up and have lived on Grand Manan for most of their lives.   They each left for a few years shortly after high school but then returned to Grand Manan, got reaquainted with each other, married and raised their daughter and son there.   Richard has been a commercial diver for 35 years and is now “semi-retired” and spends his days lobstering on his boat, the “Divers Den”, which he built himself.  We hope to see Richard and Sharon again on our way back to Maine.  When we do we hope to get to meet Richard’s dad, who is nicknamed “Smiles.”   Smiles recently celebrated his 100th birthday with 600+ people.   He still lives alone, prepares his own meals, wields his chainsaw as needed, and drives himself where he needs to go.  He sounds like a terrific person.

The leg from Grand Manan to Yarmouth was fairly uneventful.  We made the trip on Thursday, May 29th.  It was a full day of motoring – about 9.5 hours.   The winds were soft most of the day and were from the Northeast but gradually they turned Southwest as the day progressed.  There was a 1 to 1.5 knot current was against us to start but the current changed quite significantly throughout the day.  Towards the middle of the trip we passed through a deep but narrow channel with a tidal rip right on our nose.   The current was running about 4 knots through the rip.   Our speed through the water was 6 to 7 knots but over-ground we were only making about 2.5 knots.  As we expected the tide and current turned in our favor later in the afternoon and pushed us towards Yarmouth at up to 8.22 knots over-ground.

We picked up a mooring in Yarmouth.  Their marina is not open yet as they don’t expect many transients this time of year.  Tim had brought the truck to Yarmouth via the new ferry and we used it to explore all around the area.   There are some beautiful salt water farms with amazing views of the Bay of Fundy.   We saw “the world’s smallest operating wooden drawbridge”.   I would say it is only operational in the sense that they can raise and lower it but it. From the looks of it is a good thing it is no longer regularly used.  It looked quite rickety!  I might consider walking across it but not at the same time as anyone else!  We also toured the cliffs of Cape St. Mary and visited a historical Acadian Village in West Publico.  We are, and hope to continue, learning a lot about Nova Scotia’s history.

On Sunday, June 1, 2014, we spent the day transporting the truck to Halifax.   We left it at the Armdale Yacht Club.   Their hospitality was incredible! Norman Raine, the Vice Commodore of the club, not only welcomed us warmly and squared us away with the car but also gave us tips about several places that were good cruising spots between Yarmouth and Halifax.  It was our pleasure to meet a few other folks who were at the club getting their boats ready to launch.   They all shared some of their favorite cruising locations and started telling us about several of the club events we would be welcome to attend.

One thing we are still trying to get used to is the sun setting after 9 p.m.  While enroute to Grand Manan we entered the Atlantic Time Zone .  On various vacations, Tim and I have visited several places in different time zones from Maine (EST) and have had few issues adjusting.   Typically we are early to bed people – 9:30ish – but it just seems odd to start brushing our teeth and putting our pajamas on when the sun is still up!

We have been cruisers for a week and day!   Today is Memorial Day and we are tucked away in a beautiful little working harbor in Cutler, Maine. We arrived here around 11:30 a.m. this morning and as I write this we have buckled down for severe thunderstorms that are headed our way.  The storm warning includes the possibility of gusts of up to 60mph and hail.  It has just started to rain heavily and there is some thunder and lightning but nothing too bad at the moment.  Let’s hope it doesn’t get worse.

We left Tenants Harbor on Thursday, May 22nd, and headed to Isle Au Haut.  It didn’t appear that the island was prepared for the arrival of transients this early in the year.   The rental moorings either had a dinghy on them or the mooring lines were so badly tangled we couldn’t pick them up. We decided to head back to Merchants Row and anchor between McGlathery and Round Islands for the night.  We put the engine on the new dinghy for the first time – it is scary fast!  We hung out on shore and enjoyed some beer and snacks while Shamus sniffed around.  Other than one or two passing lobster boats we pretty much had Merchants Row to ourselves.   We walked pup on Round Island in the morning.   We looked for signs to determine if we were allowed on the island or not.   We didn’t locate any but stuck to walking a short span of shoreline overlooking McGlathery.

On Friday morning we departed for Northeast Harbor (NEH) located on Mt. Desert Island / Acadia National Park.  The winds were mostly from the east so we motored most of the way.  Once again we found that they weren’t quite prepared for transients.  The water was not turned on in the cruisers lounge and they are doing a little more construction in the building.  I believe they are adding washers and dryers.  

 Saturday morning we completed a few chores.  I did some laundry while Tim changed out the water pump and also changed the gear oil on the dinghy engine.  Then we unloaded our mountain bikes from the garage (the aft cabin) for the first time.   It is so great to have them with us.   We rode the “Around the Mountain” carriage road loop starting and ending in Northeast Harbor.  We rode a total of 15 miles and climbed a total of 1,500 ft.  As always the scenery in Acadia was beautiful and it felt great to get some exercise.

Sunday we departed NEH for Roque Island.  It was a long day and once again we mostly motor sailed as again the winds and current we not favorable.  Another sail boat arrived at the same time so we didn’t have the anchorage to ourselves but we could hardly complain.  This was our second time there and we both still agree it is the most beautiful beach we have been on including those we have visited in the Caribbean.  You can’t beat green pastures, pine trees and a white sand beach. 

So we end our Memorial Day here in Cutler.  There was a break in the storms that allowed us to go to shore and enjoy a brief walk with Shamus.  There are trails here maintained by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT).  We look forward to exploring them tomorrow.  Our current plan is to stay put tomorrow and head for Grand Manan Island on Wednesday when the winds will be more favorable for sailing.   We will check in to customs there and then head on to Yarmouth later this week.

A special thanks to all the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. You are not forgotten!

5-20 and 5-21-2014



We woke up to a misty morning and puttered around the boat before hopping in the dinghy to row to shore to walk pup.  After 2 days using our Avon Rover with an inflatable floor we realized just how much we disliked it.  It had no seat so Tim had to kneel to row so he was very uncomfortable.  For the past several years we had a Mercury inflatable rib with a fiberglass hull which was given to a close friend just prior to leaving on this trip.  For several reasons that dinghy no longer met our needs but I would say its weight was the primary reason.

It didn't take us long to decide we wanted another rib. Tim already had an AB ultralight in mind.  Our neighbor at DiMillos had one and Tim admitted to drooling over it and I enthusiastically encouraged his desire for another rib.  After some internet research and a few phone calls we located the new rib we wanted.  We decided on a HIGHFIELD UL 290 CSM.  It is a 9' 6" ultralight, hypalon, single hulled aluminum rib.  The aluminum is powder coated inside and out.  It just had a few qualities we liked better than the AB.  The nearest dealer that had one in stock was located in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.  They also carried AB's so we could do an actual side by side comparison if we wanted to.

By 2:30 p.m.  we were in our rented Chevy Tahoe on our way to Rhode Island.  We dropped the Avon off in Portland with our friends Chris and Jen Allen.  Tim and I want to thank them again for the many favors they have done to help us get ready for this trip.  We are thankful have them as friends.

We spent the night in Rhode Island and arrived at Maritime Solutions at 9 a.m. this morning to get our new rib.  We have to thank Norman Moreau for coming in on his day off to help us out!  We loaded the dinghy on top of the truck and headed back to Tenants Harbor after making a brief stop in Portland to register the new dinghy!  

It was sunny and warm when we arrived back Tenants Harbor but we could see a thick fog bank sitting a short distance outside the harbor.   We ended the day sitting in the cockpit of Carina having a couple beers while enjoying the blue skies and watching them slowly disappear as the fog rolled in.

Dinghy loaded up and ready to roll.

She floats!

Before the fog.

20 minutes later.