ABOUT US
“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor.”
― Mark Twain
“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
― Wind in the Willows
As life long Maritimers, we have never been far from the ocean. Therefore, boats of every size, shape and type have figured prominently in our Nova Scotia summers (and the occasional winter for that matter...but that's a different story).
Nova Scotia is almost entirely surrounded by water. Given the Province's geography, no matter where you live, the ocean is only 30 or so miles away. It's not surprising then that we have a rich sailing history. Nova Scotia is after all, where Joshua Slocum set sail on his solo sail around the world. The Province is also home to the iconic sailing schooner, The Bluenose, which appears on the Canadian dime.
Judy is perhaps the saltiest of the crew on Elizabeth M and the resident nature expert. Growing up in the port city of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, she spent her summers at the family "camp" on the eastern shore. Both her parents have strong family ties to the water, her mother on Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy and her father on Exploit's Island in Newfoundland's Notre Dame Bay.
Alan was born and raised in Truro. Nova Scotia's "Hubtown" and spent the majority of his summers on Northumberland Strait, which was famous for having the warmest water north of the Carolinas. His parents had strong ties to the land, which meant a sound case had to be made for getting the first boat. Judy and Alan still spend every summer on the north shore at the "cottage" on Brule Point.
Judy and Alan started out windsurfing almost 35 years ago. Having never progressed beyond the "struggling intermediate stage", the enthusiasm for the sport took a sharp nosedive, after Alan drifted off shore to a remote island between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. After losing his rig and drifting for over 7 hours, away from shore, on a 12 foot slab of epoxy in May, the wind comes out of the sails. Literally!
After a few years of playing around with sailing dinghies, we purchased the first keel boat in 2010. Exploits, was a 1970 Redwing 30, designed by Cuthbertson & Cassian and built by Hinterhoeller Yachts. We fell in love with the boat the minute we saw her. She had classic lines and some beautiful wood trim. Judy had always said, "if you asked a kid to draw a sailboat, it would look like Exploits". We had many memorable adventures around Maritime Canada on that boat. She's still sailing, with a new crew!
Neither Alan or Judy would be described as adventure junkies. We are both more comfortable spending time with our adult kids and partners and 5 (soon to be 6!) grandkids, than being global travellers. However, when we went shopping for "our next boat", we always thought in the back of our minds that we would like to, in the words of Silver Donald Cameron, "Sail Away From Winter".
Our search for Elizabeth M, took us to 4 provinces and the State of Maine. We asked our friends who had traveled to the Bahamas and beyond what we should look for in a boat, but were also aware of the fact that whatever we bought, the boat had to fit in our home marina, which was ideally suited for 27-30 foot boats. Alberg 37's, Tayana 37's and Pearson 365's were all out
Elizabeth M, is a CS 33 designed by Raymond Wall and built by Canadian Sailcraft in 1984. CS boats were known for their build quality and internal finish and are also a very nice boats to sail, being both fast and comfortable. Judy asked Alan once, what he was looking for in a boat. Aside from the list of criteria our friends provided, he knew he didn't want a "project boat". He wanted a boat that was owned by someone who was fussier than he was, at taking care of her. Elizabeth M is all that and more.
Elizabeth M is a sloop design, 9.96 meters in length with a beam of 3.25 meters. She has a shoal draft keel and draws 1.4 meters. She has had extensive upgrades, including: the addition of solar panels; a wind generator; a new engine, and a full cockpit enclosure. When we purchased her she had been fully outfitted and licensed for commercial charter. We love the boat.
( Side note...we didn't name the boat, but coincidentally Judy's family tree included 2 Elizabeth Manuels. So, it seemed purchasing her was meant to be, )
So, here we are...
Getting ready for our "self inflicted adventure". It's time to "throw off the bowlines and sail away from safe harbour".