Crew Log for June 07th – June 10th, 2023
Trip Summary:
• Clark’s Harbour, Nova Scotia – Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
• Trip Distance of 105 NM, Total Distance To-Date of 5,406.7 NM
We had been in Clark’s Harbour for a week and were anxious to get moving. As much as we were grateful for having a safe and secure place to unfoul our prop and wait out gale force winds, we still didn’t feel like we were home. Our “plan” was to make a short hop to Port La Tour, anchor for the night and then hop our way down the coast towards Lunenburg. As you might expect, the plan changed.
We woke to another cool, overcast day. Winds were forecasted to be 10 – 12 knots out of the west for the next several days. Good for getting down the south coast of Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia coast was the most challenging section of our journey last fall, so we were aware of what we were in for. We also had to manage the strong tidal currents around the tip of Cape Sable, resulting from water flowing in and out of the Bay of Fundy.
I consulted with local fishermen, other sailboaters and the Coast Guard, who all advised timing our departure with the ebb tide. We were warned however to expect rough, spirited conditions, as the wind and ebbing tide collided.
The wildfire in southwestern Nova Scotia continued to burn out of control and the highway was still closed. Some of the evacuation orders had been lifted, but the port of Shelburne was still off limits. Given slack tide wasn't until 1300 hours, we delayed our departure until 1100 hours, which meant Port LaTour was the closest and easiest place for us to anchor for the night.
We prepped the boat, checked and rechecked everything and nervously untied our lines from the dock, which had been our security for the past week. Carefully making our way out of the harbour we set a cautious course that would take us well off of Cape Sable and into the Atlantic. So far so good.
As we rounded Cape Sable, we settled in to our usual routine. Obsessing over weather, sea conditions and filled with the urge to “get home”. We had reasonably good winds, which should last for a few days. However, when we looked a little further out, the conditions were expected to change, and not in our favour. Once again, we made the impulsive decision to do a straight run to Lunenburg, a distance of just over 100 nautical miles.
We loved the turquoise water of the Bahamas, but didn't miss the muddy waters of the ICW. However we were now back in the deep Atlantic Ocean, with its beautiful, bluish - green colour, and were amazed at how clear it was. I never really appreciated the colour of the Atlantic Ocean until now. It was incredibly cold however, which penetrated through our multiple layers of clothing. We were grateful to have a full enclosure around our cockpit which provided some comfort against the cold, damp conditions.
The Coast Guard were pretty confident that we would not see any lobster pots, given we were well past the 3 day extension to have them removed. Which is why were surprised to see several still in the water off Shelburne. Our anxiety levels started to rise as we relived the events of a week ago. We had already passed Port La Tour and it was soon going to be dark. If we were going to abort our decision to sail all night to Lunenburg, we’d have to make a decision soon. We decided to continue on our planned course for another hour, and if we didn’t see any more pots, we’d continue on.
We arrived in Lunenburg early the following morning in dense thick fog. We were familiar with the harbour but had to rely completely on the accuracy of our charts and radar as we blindly made our way into the historic harbour.
We had booked a slip at Zwicker Wharf, which is right in the center of town. The dockmaster had informed us that it would be likely noon time before we could get in, so we grabbed an empty mooring ball and waited, grateful that we were once again safe. I immediately got to work scrubbing the dirt and grime off the boat that comes with spending a week on a working dock.
Lunenburg is only one of two towns in North America, designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site, Old Quebec being the other. Over 70 percent of the town’s original colonial structures from the 18th and 19th century have been maintained. It is a colourful town, with brightly painted buildings and a historic waterfront with an equally colourful history of seafaring and rum running. It also serves as the home port for the Bluenose II, Nova Scotia’s most famous sailing vessel, which is featured on the Canadian dime.
Lunenburg is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Province, with an abundance of shops and restaurants along it’s historic streets. In the summer, you’ll have lots of company, but in the early spring and late fall, the streets are relaxingly peaceful. I loved getting up very early in the morning and strolling quietly through the fog along the waterfront.
The Zwicker Wharf is a small dock run by Build Nova Scotia. The historic wharf has colourful Adirondack chairs that provide visitors a comfortable spot to pause and take in the harbour and tables and chairs to enjoy your lunch. The marina features floating docks, with power and water and a well maintained washroom facility with complimentary washer and dryers. An amazing perk that any grubby sailor would appreciate. Lunenburg was also very special for us, as it was the first time in a long, long time that we’d see familiar, family faces.
Judy’s brother and sister-in-law live close by and we were really looking forward to seeing them. We also have a number of nieces and nephews in the area, including Steve, our nephew-in-law. Steve was quick to drop down and take us on a much needed provisioning run, and anywhere else we needed to go. Steve is a big, happy guy, full of enthusiasm. After our chores were done, he joined us for supper and caught us up on the latest news.
As we were finishing our meal, we were surprised to see a couple of other familiar faces from our home town. Jim and Linda are fellow sailors who live in our hometown of Truro. Jim and Linda keep their boat, a Nonsuch, in the Mahone Bay, another incredibly beautiful part of Nova Scotia. They had been following our progress and dropped by to welcome us back. We had an enjoyable evening, doing what Nova Scotians do, sharing stories and having a few laughs. Later that evening, Judy commented that she finally felt like we were home. Familiar faces will do that.
The following day, Brian and Janet, Judy’s brother and sister-in-law arrived, dropped by to see Elizabeth M for the first time. Before life got really busy, we spent a lot of time with Brian and Janet on their amazing country property that borders a lake in rural Lunenburg County. We have a lot of great memories from those days, and had a laugh or two reliving some of the more "colourful" moments. Brian definitely inherited the "story telling gene" from his Newfoundland father.
Brian is a veterinarian and he and Janet operated a clinic just outside of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. It was one of the few large animal clinics left in the Province. Over the years they travelled around the Caribbean to scuba dive in some of the most beautiful places in the world. However, they really love spending time on the lake, where they built a log cabin. The cabin provided the backdrop for dramatic moments over the years, which of course, makes for good story telling. However, what happens at the lake stays at the lake.
We stopped at “The Knot” a popular pub in Lunenburg before getting a feed of mussels, picked fresh that morning, and headed back to their house, where we got a tour of their latest lakefront property. It was a perfect way to spend the day and we were so grateful to have the opportunity to visit.
The highlight of our Lunenburg visit however, was seeing our son Mark and daughter-in-law Alison for the first time in 10 months. We are fortunate to have 3 fantastic kids, who all have equally fantastic spouses. And, we can’t wait to squeeze our 6 grandkids, one of which we will be meeting for the first time. Mark and Alison have also had the responsibility of looking after things for us while we were away. In addition to sorting through our mail, and looking after our house and vehicles, they also had to deal with the mess Hurricane Fiona made at our cottage on the north shore. To say we are grateful and were excited to see them...sounds...well...trite.
The number one question we are asked is, “how did you survive as a couple on a small 33 foot sailboat for 10 months?". It’s an interesting question that deserves some more thought. Perhaps it’s own blog post. For now however, despite having a lifetime of amazing experiences, this adventure has also been full of stress and worry and some pretty dramatic events, some of which we have shared here, and others we haven’t. Through it all, we somehow figured out how to make it work. As Judy likes to say, "...we make a good team...". I also think, noise cancelling headphones and Seinfeld reruns helped.
The other interesting comment I got early one morning in Lunenburg, standing beside the Bluenose, was from a visiting tourist from Montreal. When he asked me why I was here, I explained we were on the way home from a winter south on our boat. “You must be rich, sailing around the world on a boat”, he replied. I thought for a moment and said, “...well, indeed we are.... rich with experiences, rich with adventures, and rich with memories...money, not so much”.
We were headed to Halifax in the morning, where we had more family waiting, along with some familiar faces from our time in the Bahamas.
But more about that, next time.
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