Trip Summary:
Lunenburg to Port Medway
Trip Distance of 35.2 NM, Total Distance, 382.2 NM
Departed at 0800 hours, arrived at 1445 hours
Crew Log Sunday, August 28th, 2022
With the last of our planned family visiting done, it was time to move on. While we stayed longer in both Halifax and Lunenburg than we had originally planned, our visits were wonderful. Our initial plan was to go straight to Port Mouton. However, we found 40 - 45 mile days a little long, so we opted instead to break up the next leg of our trip with a stop in Port Medway.
We knew very little (nothing) about Port Medway and the description in the cruising guide didn't provide a very complementary review. "This is a typical harbour on the southwest coast. Once in by the town the anchorage is snug. The town is not very interesting." Well, we like snug anchorages, and well, like music and wine, everyone has their own preferences. So we'd judge for ourselves whether the town is "interesting".
Speaking of music, had we done our research, we would have known prior to our arrival in Port Medway that it is the home of the country music superstar, Carroll Baker. Her picture was on the Baptist Church in town, and I immediately mistook her for Tammy Faye Baker, the former televangelist who was married to Jim Baker. Sorry Carroll. Other than the sign on the church there was no shrine or bronze statue honoring Port Medway's most famous citizen.
It was a beautiful morning as we slipped quietly off the mooring in Lunenburg and headed for the outer harbour. Once we cleared the breakwall we hoisted the sails, turned off the engine and enjoyed a beautiful sail to Port Medway. Our route took us past "The Ovens" and some dramatic coastline. The wind direction was perfect as we calmly sailed right up to the government wharf in Port Medway. There was one other boat in the anchorage, otherwise we had the place to ourselves.
We dropped the dinghy in the water and headed to town to see if it was indeed "interesting". Luckily for us, the annual "Two Lighthouses Arts and Craft Show" was on, so we made haste to the community hall on the waterfront. As we walked towards the door, an aggressive crafter, or maybe an artist, waved us away from the entrance, shouting "WE'RE CLOSED".
In fairness, given we are on a 33 foot sailboat, we weren't likely to purchase a wall sized water colour of Deadman's Rock or a drift wood wind chime, but we both appreciate art (and crafts) and wanted to show our support. Apparently, the show had just ended and some of the crafters were tired. We did meet a couple of other folks who were friendlier and were happy with the show, or maybe just happy that it was over.
There is a nice waterfront in Port Medway, beautifully landscaped with some nice paths and a bandshell and lighthouse.
There is one business in Port Medway that sells crafts and has a great collection of kids puzzles and games. They also sell coffee, but we arrived just as they were closing up for the day. The very nice clerk behind the counter lived in Truro for a couple of years while she attended NSCC.
We walked a short way up "main street" past the Baptist Church and the Carroll Baker sign and by the "Post Office", which consisted of a wall of mail boxes. It looked like there might have been a General Store there at some point, but it was empty.
However, as the guidebook promised, it was a "snug anchorage" and provided spectacular views of the sunset and sunrise. Port Medway, is a quiet little harbour on Nova Scotia's southwest coast and boosts a nice little waterfront.
However, if you plan to attend the 2023 Two Lighthouses Arts and Craft Show, you'd be advised to check the dates. DON'T BE LATE!
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