Episode 12. St. Lawrence here we come!

 Episode 12.

St. Lawrence here we come! We filled with fuel in Port Hawkesbury, they assured us they sell lots and it was guaranteed fresh....We were under way about Noon as we had an over night sail and wanted to arrive in day light. 

 Calling Canso Lock for opening

 1st we saw the traffic had stopped then we could see the bridge start to swing. 

 Bridge swinging closed to let traffic flow again.

Lock gates opening

Trying to chat to Keith via Ham Raido...no luck figure we were too close to the shoreline. 

Diesel Drain confusion...

 OK, figured it out not clear fuel....just way too much water and this was, is very fresh fuel. 

 Sunset

We were able to sail thankfully and then the wind got up so we reefed. Beautiful clear starry night. Then at dawn we had our own private thunder and lightening quickly followed by rain.  

 Thunder storm fun

 Entering Riviere Au Renard, calm before the stormy strong winds that were forecast.  

Searching for a slip

The days run was 113 nautical miles. We were pleased with that.  

 Chapel on the hill. 

 Small boat inner most harbour within the harbour.

Serious fishing port. We met a couple from Midland Bay Sailing Club Don and Sheryl they knew our buddy UpNorthTed and he was a retired police from Metro and OPP so Noel and he knew loads of the same people + Don grew up in Cornwall Ontario and he and I figured we probably went to the same sailing school at the same time. Small world. We had great fun getting to know them while we waited for a reduction or change of wind direction.  

 Old saw mill that was a museum that has not yet re opened post Covid lockdowns. 

We Geocashed and enjoyed a great micro brewery with our pals from Huntress. 

 We sorted out the power chords back to North American style plugs. 

 The bright sunny days were cold as it was a strong wind from the north. This made a lee shore and lumpy conditions so we continued to wait it out and get lots of jobs done.

Stitching the dodger/spray hood window where the stitching had let go involved four handed sewing and a crick in the neck for the under side sewer.    

Then finally the wind changed direction and we headed off at sun rise. 

The town was waking, we were happy to be moving again and optimistically figured to continue through the night and make Matane.

 We departed with plans for 180 NM. 

The fleet departed along with us. We had the AIS transmitting again so that was good. Wind was up and down all day

 We reefed, we furled we sailed full sail we motor sailed we added more fuel to the main tank.

 We drained again the fuel filter.

 We put in a reef again and figured we would be best to head into St. Anne Du Mont we were tired and not up to going all night. Well we no sooner made that decision and the wind was blustery down the valley from light to force 6-7 and increasing. We lowered the main and motored into the harbour just as it got dark, really dark.

 Tied  up, on the only slip.

 Lots of confusion with bright lights, we startled a flock of cormorants and missed driving into the break wall due to their alerting us. Tied up and just in time....look what we found

 That mess would have shut us down fast, we were grateful we got in and secured before seeing this.( I'm blankity blank tired of seeing this)

Noel changed filters, bled the engine and were all set for an early departure. The days run was 90NM.  

Join us for the next edition as we continue to travel up the St. Lawrence.

Episode 11, we loiter about Halifax hoping for the possibility of launch

 Episode 11, we loiter about Halifax hoping for the possibility of launch 

Oh wow...we were on hold, with no reason, for an entire week at the earliest.  Ferry Crossing view of St. Georges Island.

We GeoCashe, we drive 2.5 hrs for lunch in Digby and back. Digby.

 
Stopped at UNESCO world heritage site, fancy picnic table and drained farm land that has not changed it boundaries' in 200 plus years. 

We crossed back and forth on the ferry to down town Halifax. We have become repeat customers at the local diner. We have figured out the good Tim Hortons from the three close by. 

When we were using the internet at Tim's the other morning it had just rained. We had fun waiting for our cadet instructor pals to join us for coffee. They wisely stayed away from the puddle and went to one of the other close by Tims. 

 Trucks are tough but it could still be expensive.   We would not have done that to our car.  

 This car just went through the puddle.

Tim's parking lot madness after a short thunderstorm on Saturday AM.

There has been lots of heavy rain and flooding this summer about Nova Scotia so this madness was so out of place. Roads have washed out and repairs are still being made so the fascination with driving through puddles was so odd to observe.  

We have not been able to fix Noel's watch strap but spent an hour walking about an enormous mall trying to get this fix. We drove 3 hours for lunch with pals on their boat up in St. Peters Marina and learned how to pick eatable mushrooms and what to avoid. 

We are frequent diners at our good friends Jeff and Michele's in short...we are going mad waiting to find if its even going to be possible to launch next Wednesday. 

We toured the Citadel. 

 The entrance

 Shooting display

 Noel sorting boat extraction with EimSkip and the boat hauler.  

We have a time crunch. Its the 7th of August. My nephew gets married on the 25th in Ireland. We want to get there but the boat is in limbo and we can not even begin to figure what airport we fly out of our choices are spread out: Halifax, Sidney, Quebec, or Montreal.

Finally, eventually the long weekend passes we call ElmSkip to confirm if we are good to go for Wednesday removal of the boat from the container port. "they would get back to us". Sean of Schooner Marine was all set for 9AM. We called ElmSkip and let them know we were confirmed and ready from our end...well 1 PM was the earliest the port would make work...UGH...Thankfully Sean is a great sport and would change his day about. 

Remote Moat Mowing at closing.

We we so frustrated at this point that following the day at the Citadel we drove by the Pleasant Point Park to walk the fence of the container port and guess what..... We found her!

 Things were looking up! 

All the time we are grateful to have this 1st world problem and realize this is simply a luxury to have these problems, so we are happy just stressed. Noel: "I'm not happy I need to shoot someone! This is a 6th world crock that will probably take some cash in the wrong person's hands."

We ate that evening in Halifax, we had to try three places before we found room and we had lovely seafood dishes and headed back to base in fog.

The next day at noon we were at the port. This annoyed them as we were told 1PM. We really can not win. Noel watched the obligatory safety video, got issued a temporary loan high visibility vest and then was told to wait in the car.

I was waiting and went to the seaman's mission and had a lovely time visiting with the man in charge and getting a tour of the place. I was also able to get on line so it was OK...as I waited and waited till eventually 4:30 PM when Noel called they were rolling....Yea! I pulled in behind them as they went by and followed out to the yacht club.  

Getting un strapped from the container bed. 

 Up in the air having been jerked about literally to get placed on to the marine hauler.....we still are baffled why they could not just launch us.  

Perfect day, no wind and fog.

Getting set down on the trailer

Down town Hailfax, we took the long way about to avoid the bridges.

 Arrived DYC

Well post work day and Ryan the DYC Harbour Master had waited. Schooner Marine had organized that he would just un hook and leave his trailer over night as all the travel lift crew had gone for the day. It was wonderful how everyone worked together to help us. 

 With the cradle too

Launch day, regatta day...they really did not want to launch us but did.

The safety issue with all the youth sailing was the concern. This was very real and the closure of the harbour was published. We had to get the boat off the marine hauler trailer which then made it logical to simply launch. We were lucky this was the logical move. 

Slip way congestion and the "coach" just stands there.

Formally the slip way was closed for boat launching due to the regatta. They made no promises but promised to try.

Travel lift got her (Kaliunka1) off Schooner Marine's marine hauler trailer as Sean was returning that afternoon to get his trailer home to his own yard. 

Travel lift navigation through the parked "Coaches" cars. 

They launched us shortly after the first start.

The day was windy and so they expected  boats to be withdrawing and returning fairly soon after. 

We so appreciated getting launched. 

 Shore power connection

Not since 2012 in Bonavista Newfoundland had this been used.

 Radar post up

 Hefting up the outboard with help from one of the locals. 

 Changing over the battery charger from 240 to 110 Volt.  

 Electric kettle still worked.

Friday evening post the work day, Jeff, Keith and Sherri all showed up to help us get the mast up. Well we cast off and the engine stalled.....Fuel issue again! This is so vile. We got pulled in along side two pontoons over... We went to the club for burgers and beer..lots of beer.

Saturday was super windy.

Sunday 0900 was the plan for getting the mast up. Murry a member with his own boat further along the dock would call his friend and we would make this happen. It did what a day. We were so busy and it was so very hot and humid no photos were taken. Keith and Sherri left with most of the cradle in their truck and we agreed to meet up for evening meal. I figured we needed the stop time as were were not going to until she was rigged. I got very overheated and so made sure we managed that for the rest of the day. 

Mast up, Rig secured and tightened, Sail on and then shower and meet for dinner. We were exhausted!

 One tired "Q" flag.

Noel raising the Ensign.

Securing the halyards and double checking all is in order.

Monday we had to return the rental car but first wanted to see if we could get Noels hearing aid fixed....we were there at 9 and left in the hearing aid. Then back to the DYC as Ryan needed us to move slips. The hearing aid is dead...needs to go back to the menders so we have to wait till we are back in Ontario. Ahh peace and quiet finally!  Then off to the shops for some Old Sam and groceries before meeting Jeff at his work as he offered to drive us back to the boat.  Have we not got amazing friends, just wonderful! 

 Departing Dartmouth Yacht Club.

 Coast Guard base, Halifax. 

 Under the Angus L Macdonald Bridge

 Next bridge is the Angus MacKay Bridge 

 Naval yard with floating dry dock. 

 A Sub along side.

 Tug, Pirate ship and Ferry

 For the first time we can now actually see the diesel bug. The surface of the water looks like the surface of a cauliflower . This exists between the water and the fuel. 

This happened  while we were still within the harbour limits. Noel drained the filter, re filled and started with out needing to bleed the engine nor change the filter. This cut the time down to seven minutes.  

Then again drain and fill one hour later.

 Entering Tangier bay for the night.  

Refuel at anchor.

 Sunset at Tangier Bay

 Under way with morning tea.

 Large schooner sailing by, not the Bluenose but similar.

We figured it out, part of the Gloucester Schooner Festival. The Schooner Adventure. The festival is August 31st to September 4th. (Facebook advertising helped us)  

 Port Issac Light House.

We think that this is not longer in commission due to the tree growth. Likely replaced by an automated light. 

Underway from Port Isaac the next day. 

Light wind on the nose so motoring and then motor sailing when we rounded the corner of Canso. 

 Hot dog lunch, YUM!

 We went through the inner channel instead of out and around Cape Canso. It was very lovely, similar to northern Ontario. 

 Beautiful evening in Port Hawksbury, NS.

We had our pals in St. Peters all set to come for a visit the next day and Jeremy was all set to join us sailing. May join us some where in Quebec. We spent the day looking for a water pump part with Jez driving all over the province. No luck but we had a great visit. The next day Jeremy and son Simon stopped by on their way to the race. Wanita and Larry met us for dinner. With our buddy joining us this gives me (Sally) hope of getting to the wedding in Ireland though faint as time is running out fast. 

Join us with the next chapter, Sure we have yet to live it ourselves!