"Ever After" Cruise 2007

Friday August 3- On board at 0900, Andy and Kim on hand to see us off! Winds light, SW 5-10 knots sunny and HOT! Underway @ 1000, motorsailed to Gull Rock buoy, had a great view of MV "Confederation" on her way to Wood Islands, PEI. Arrived Hector Heritage Quay Marina 1600 and tied alongside. The Truman (Trap) Stright Memorial weekend is happening with an in-harbour race. Watched the race from "Ever After" as a huge gust pretty much flattened the race fleet for a time! Went to the Salt Water Café for supper. Watched TV and had a few beverages with John, Gary, Mitch and Eric from "Decision", Trap's former X-95 from Montague, PEI. Had a good time, turned in around midnight or so. Miles today- 37, cumulative miles- 37
Saturday August 4- Up at 0600, put coffee on. Winds NW 20-25. Decided discretion IS the better part of valour and to stay put for the day. Calling for light winds Sunday... MUCH better! Patti did the Pictou shopping extravaganza while Grace had a vicious nap. Went over to "Decision" and had a few beverages while waiting for Jill and Paul to show up for dinner. Did nothing all day, but it worked out because it took all day to do it!
Sunday August 5- Up at 0600, coffee on and underway at 0645. Winds SW 10 knots but a following sea. By VU2 at Cape George at noon, decide to head for Port Hawkesbury. MANY whales in St. Georges Bay today! (Fin and humpback) Poled out the genoa and cruised along around 5.5 to 6 knots. Saw a waterspout east of us which dissipated after about 15-20 minutes. Arrived Canso Canal just after 1600, had to pin the engine in reverse to get stopped in the lock! In the Strait of Canso virtually calm and arrived at Strait of Canso Yacht Club at 1700. Had the obligatory celebratory beverage and watched TV for awhile. WiFi internet was available (don't know from where) Turned in around 2300 Miles today- 62, cumulative miles- 99
Monday August 6- Up at 0600, coffee on and underway at 0645. Rounded C16 at Bear Head and called Lennox Bridge. The bridge IS operating today! (Unusual, according to the locals) Arrived Lennox Bridge at 1015, bridged through and continued along the Lennox Passage where D'Escousse Harbourfest was in full swing. About 6 power vessels and 3 Sea-Doos bombed around for awhile. "Inside Edge", a Beneteau 42 came alongside and led the way into St. Peter's Bay. Locked through at noon, arrived St. Peter's Lions Club Marina at 1230. The marina has expanded to the west again and plans are well underway to acquire a 30 tonne Travelift and vessel storage facilities are being prepared. (Baddeck/Dundee had better look out! There has been nothing favourable said about those clipjoints for years now... I believe they'll be paying for it for some time to come.) Miles today- 25, cumulative miles- 124
Tuesday August 7- Up at 0700, coffee on. Went into St. Peter's for supplies, our main mission today seems to be to go hunting for a bodhran. We're able to get one at the Kiltmaker's, stop for supplies and head back aboard.came back to the Marina and cleaned up. Showers, laundry and ice/beverages (not necessarily in that order). Winds piping up from the west. A gorgeous day and HOT! "Mary Lee", the Pace's former C&C 27 is here. "Kittiwake" a CS 30 from Pugwash arrives in the afternoon. Chester and Katherine visit for a bit later in the evening.
Wednesday August 8- Up at 0640, coffee on and go for a shower. It's supposed to blow this afternoon to 45 knots. A few more boats will undoutedly arrive looking for a place to hide! A bunch from the Yacht Squadron wisely decide to stay put for another day. Winds start around noon and blast all day and most of the night with driving rain! We're well protected by a 34' power boat to windward but still heel to 20°+ in gusts, one of our wine glasses comes tumbling out of the bar. "Kittiwake" borrows our mega fenders as they're rather exposed on the fuel dock. All vessels and the Marina are unscathed by the gale. Spend the evening watching "Discovery Channel" on the computer. (WiFi is NICE to have aboard!) Turned in around midnight.
Thursday August 8- Up at 0745, coffee on shortly afterwards. Winds are still honking 15-25 knots so decide to stay another day. Update the Yacht Club homepage and check out the latest photos of "Prospector", Andy and Kim's new C&C 99 being commissioned in Chester. Didn't do a whole lot except watch TV and socialize with Bill and Jean Thomas on "Bella Rosa" for awhile. They're heading for Barrachois tomorrow. Turned in around 2300.
Friday August 9- Up at 0800 and put coffee on. We're ordered by Gerry and Marvin not to leave because of impending company arriving. Spend the afternoon watching "South Park" and having beverages. By 5pm, company hadn't arrived, (Jill and Paul were planning to come for the weekend but cancelled unbeknownst to Gerry and Marvin.) Turned out to be good that we stayed... "Mad Violet" are having a concert at the Bras d'Or Lakes Inn tonight! Greg and Denise are going, as are Joe and Carol from "Palm Breeze", an O'Day 272 beside us. The concert was VERY good!Joe and Carol drove us back to the Marina. We turned in around 0100.
Saturday August 10- Up at 0720, coffee on and getting ready to go "somewhere". "Mary Lee" is following us out of St. Peter's Inlet. Winds are light and variable. Made way (albeit sloooow) to MacKinnon's Point (C52) and turn to port to head for "The Boom" to anchor for the night. Took a look around Orangedale and decide to backtrack a bit to Martin's Cove to set the hook. An eagle seemed to be not the least bit pleased at our intrusion. A lovely anchorage, maybe 4 boats maximum could anchor here and it is well-protected. Around 0300 Patti is awoken by the "Orangedale Whistle"... we'll find out exactly what causes the phenomenon, but it is spooky! (Almost like the winds are blowing over a chimney stack.) Miles today- 27, cumulative miles- 151
Sunday August 11- Up at 0800, Patti made coffee and breakfast. We're underway at 1000, planning to head into the Little Lake. We're just about to Barra Strait Bridge, when the winds decide to shift to right on our nose. We gybe and head for West Bay. Sail by the Crammonds to Ross Pond. Enter the well-marked channel and set the hook in 10' of water. Extremely well-protected in here. BBQ chicken for supper and a few beverages. Later in the evening there were a few meteors. Turned in 2330. Miles today- 26, cumulative miles- 177
Monday August 13- Up at 0730, coffee pot on shortly thereafterwards. Underway at 0830, heading out into West Bay, winds light SW. Head towards Cape George and spot "Misty Cat" with Greg and Denise aboard around 1130. Take a few photos of their boat under sail, to e-mail to them later. Arrive Cape George Harbour shortly after noon and set the hook. While we're having a beverage, "Misty Cat" arrives and anchors. Beautiful harbour and WELL protected. Grace runs around the deck for awhile, fascinated by a seagull who is intent on getting a free meal. (Gets one and THEN some!) Greg and Denise arrive on board after supper on "Misty Kitty", the Zodiac. Rainshowers are the order of the rest of the evening, we have a few drinks and "Misty Kitty" heads home around 2300. Miles today- 19, cumulative miles- 206
Tuesday August 14- Up at 0700, make coffee, weigh anchor about 0815. Head into St. Peter's Marina to get cleaned up, restock and get ready for the trip home. "Misty Cat" arrives in the afternoon and we go aboard for a beverage or two, then we go back to "Ever After" to have a beverage with Gerry. He heads up to the Lion's Rec Centre and we go to the Marina clubhouse for a kitchen party! Denise, Greg and Patti entertain the Marina clientele with fiddle and bodhran. Back aboard around 2300, an early day coming up to get to Lennox Bridge before "heat of the day" closes it. Miles today- 8, cumulative miles 214
Wednesday August 15- Up at 0630, coffee on and deploy big fenders for St. Peter's Canal. Arrive at the Canal at 0745, Chester and Katherine "Kittiwake" order us to tie up alongside them, as the canal wall is full. "Tina", a 47 footer (with a REAL captain) is first, we go in second, "Kittiwake" third with "La Casa Verde" a BIG powerboat ending the procession. Lock through at 0900 and head down the Lennox Passage, arriving at the bridge at 1030. Continue down the passage to the Strait of Canso and get to the canal at 1315. "Kittiwake, "Tina", us, "Virga" (a trimaran out of Montréal) and a powerboat lock through together. St. Georges Bay was favourable, so we made the decision to make for Ballantyne's Cove rather than stay in Port Hawkesbury. Cleared VU4 at 1500 and hoisted sails to make for Ballantyne's. Tied up in Ballantyne's at 1815 and were landed by Jim Johnston from "Thrumcap III" (a CS34), they're on their way home to Montague. Boat-hopped for awhile after supper, then went aboard "Kittiwake" for drinks along with Dénis and Andrée from "Virga", arrived back aboard around 2300. Miles today- 53, cumulative miles 265
Thursday August 16- Up at 0600, winds SW 15 to 20. We head out after coffee at 0800, round VU2 and find wind, chop and current right on the nose. Bravely retreat to Ballantyne's. (We have delay days built in and decide to spend one.) Back in Ballantyne's at 0930. Socialized with Jim and Alex ("Thrumcap III"), Sam ("Mighty Mouse") and Chester and Katherine ("Kittiwake") for the rest of the day. Miles today- 6, cumulative miles- 271
Friday August 17- Up at 0700, underway at 0740. Winds light and variable. MUCH better conditions to head for Pictou than yesterday. After rounding VU2 (again...) we find no leftover sea and rocket along (with tide assist) at 6.4- 6.9 knots SOG. Visibilty rather limited in showers and mist, but not too bad. We hear "Footloose and "Anhinga" on VHF and they're about an hour or so behind us. Reach Pictou fairway buoy and find a MAZE of trap buoys, even in the harbour! After picking our way through, watch sailing school and arrived at Hector Marina at 1430. "Kittiwake", "Anhinga", "Virga" and "Footloose" arrive a couple of hours later. Have the obligatory celebrational beverages and head to the Salt Water Café for supper. Socialize at the Marina for awhile, then decide to call it a night around midnight. Miles today- 37, cumulative miles 308
Saturday August 18- Up at 0700 and underway at 0745. Winds light and variable again and showers. "Kittiwake" right behind us heading out of Pictou Harbour. We both bear off at SP2 (Gull Rock light) to clear m/v "Holiday Island" on her way to PEI, then resume course to Cape John buoy (UE2). Motorsail with genoa up and round Cape John in time to see "Prospector", "Full Tilt 2", "Shadow" and "Back in Blue" heading out for the around Amet Island race. We shoot some pictures of the race and head for home, arriving at 1300. No sooner do we tie up than the heavens open up with mega amounts of rain! "Shadow" retires from the race, arriving at 1430, followed by "Back in Blue" around 1530. The rain was so heavy that it was difficult to see ahead of the mast, let alone the marks. "Prospector" garners line honours, followed by "Full Tilt 2". We decide to get a pizza from Big Al's and stay aboard one more night, socializing on board "Prospector". We turn in around midnight or so, and thus ends our cruise for the year! An EXCELLENT time! Miles today- 36, cumulative miles 344