It has been a long time since we posted and a lot has happened. We came back to the boat and rented a car for Thanksgiving so we could be with our family in Virginia, but due to a snafu we lost the car and we were stuck without any way to travel. So we made the best of it, went to the store and got a turkey breast and Melanie made stuffing and all the fixings; homemade cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling without the crust and we grilled the turkey breast on the grill. It was a chilly day, but we stayed warm and dry. We had a great meal but really missed being with family.

We left Norfolk the next morning around 11 after picking up some ice. The wind was very light so we motored all day. We passed through the Norfolk Naval base and saw numerous ships; aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, the display of power was very impressive. As we approached the southern end of the bay we started to see a lot of trawlers and sailboats converging on the river, all heading down to the Waterway. We motored until about 4:30 and then dropped anchor right on the intracoastal waterway (ICW) about 2 miles from the lock that takes you into the Chesapeake Canal. While searching for an anchorage we managed to run aground, but we got out of that quickly by doing a 180 and heading back where we came from.

It was very calm at the Anchorage, but quite cold. The temperature got down into the upper 20s. We all slept in the salon with hot packs in our socks. Between the three of us, Melanie, the dog and me, we were able to stay warm through the night.

In the morning we woke at 7, hauled anchor to a beautiful sunrise and headed off to the first lock. We went through the lock with five or six power boats and then motored down the Chesapeake Albemarle canal towards the Pocaty River. Although it was chilly, with the sun, dark clothing and little wind to speak of, we warmed up nicely through the day. We continued down the ICW and it eventually widened, allowing us to motor with both jibs up. We passed through Coinjock and anchored just south of there in the North River. It was very very calm. We saw one other sailboat who had run aground, and while trying to help them we ran aground as well. They did have a swing keel, so they lifted up their keel, took their sails down and anchored for the night where they were stuck until the tide came in.

Sunday morning we awoke to a glorious cloudless sky, ate breakfast, hauled anchor and were on our way. We motor sailed for a few hours, then decided to go to Manteo. We changed course and headed over towards the channel into Manteo where it got quite shadow, only six feet and in one case we even ran aground in the middle of the channel! We were thinking that we would have to avoid going there and head back, but we were able to make it in and dock safely at a free dock for the night.

We went to the Manteo Christmas shop and then went to Stripers for dinner where we had a good plate of mussels along with a fish taco dinner, a big salad and a pretty decent bottle of wine, not too expensive. Then we headed back to the boat and watched TV and went to bed. We went to Piggly Wiggly’s on the way home for some groceries and met a wonderful lady named Ann. We talked to her for quite a while before heading back. She came over to the boat the next morning and we gave her a bottle of Walleye White as she is a white wine lover.

We headed south from Manteo under the bridge to Nags Head and just beyond there ran aground AGAIN! We were in the channel so it took us by surprise, but we were able to do a 180 and motor off, third time since we left Norfolk. Thank goodness for sandy bottoms! The wind did not cooperate for most of the day, so we motor sailed the whole time and ended the day by anchoring in open water just south of Engelhard. It was very very calm and not as cold, but around 4 a.m. the wind picked up and it started to get a little unruly.

We hauled anchor at 7 and took off again, and by 9am we were motoring again due to a complete lack of wind. We crossed Pamlico sound and headed towards the canal for Beaufort. We saw lots of birds, and a dolphin swam alongside the boat for a while which was very exciting. Later in the afternoon we saw what appeared to be the Marines doing military live-fire exercises with helicopters. We could hear the 50 cal machine guns rattling off from quite a distance, probably five or six miles.

Once out of Pamlico Sound, we found the ICW again and ahead of us there was a line of boats all going in the same direction – South. We motored until about 4:30, and dropped anchor about a mile inside of Adams Creek which is the entrance to the canal down to Beaufort. We ate dinner and then went to bed.

Adams Creek

Next morning we woke up very early around 6:15, and headed out towards Beaufort. Our goal was to fuel up and do a load of laundry. It was an uneventful trip down the canal with beautiful scenery and huge homes. On the way we encountered a pod of dolphins and they swam with us for a little while. There are a lot of tannins in the water, so the water is very murky and you can’t see anything under the surface. We managed to get a few pictures of the dolphins as they surfaced but it was very very difficult because you had no idea where they were going to come up.

We pulled into a marina in Moorehead City, fueled up, then did a load of laundry and departed. We motored out of Beaufort Inlet and headed towards Wrightsville Beach. Just South of Beaufort our trip meter clicked over to 3000! There was a light wind and very calm seas with gently undulating swells about 2 to 3 ft. We saw lots of bird life, and the Coast Guard announced on the radio that there were whales off Wrightsville Beach. We saw a beautiful gorgeous sunset with a purple band. The sunset lasted forever, and the sky and the water were painted with oranges and reds for a good hour or so. The wind died down near sunset until the water was almost glassy. Melanie made us a wonderful dinner of sauerkraut, collard greens and pork chops. We ate just as the sun set and enjoyed a wonderful dinner.

We motored through the night on mirror like seas with gentle swells until we reached Wrightsville Beach around 1 am in the morning and then slept after anchoring behind the beach in a narrow channel. Next morning we headed out and motored up and down the beach so that Melanie could take a look at it; she has fond memories of visiting friends there with her children. Then we headed south towards Frying Pan Shoals off of Cape Fear. It was very very calm, no wind to speak of. We put up the main and the staysail to help us try and catch any wind that might be there to help us along our way, but they were of little help.

The wind pretty much stayed away. It was quite calm all night and when it did pick up it picked up from the wrong direction. We saw two or three pods of dolphins, and later in the afternoon a single dolphin left one of the pods we saw and came over to the boats and surfed the bow wave for a few minutes. It was quite spectacular to see another animal enjoying itself. The night was calm and slowly became overcast. Around 4 a.m. the clouds moved out to the East and the skies cleared and we saw a spectacular sunrise. When the sun came up we were about 25 miles from Charleston. The water was completely calm they were almost no swells. No ripples on the water, dead calm, so we continued motoring until we got to Charleston.

We anchored there off of Patriots Point. There is a battleship and an aircraft carrier museum just north of the marina we anchored near, we will have to give it a visit on the way back. The anchorage was well-protected, but close to the channel so it was a little rolly until dark. We slept very well, the temperature only went down to about 60, but we woke next morning to fog, ate breakfast hoisted the sails and motored out of the harbor. The tide was going out so our speed was 7 to 8 knots. Once outside the harbor we set a course for St Augustine’s and put the Spinnaker up.

We were able to turn the motor off for a change and average around 5 to 5.2 knots. We were very happy to have a nice quiet sailing ride for a change. We have motored all the way from Norfolk. Skies were partly cloudy and temperatures were in the low 60s climbing into the low 70s. It still felt a little chilly on the water but very comfortable. Looks like our winter travels might be finally coming to an end.

Of course the wind gradually died and we eventually ended up running wing on wing with the spinnaker so that it would stay filled and not get collapsed by the main. We were making a good 4 and to 4.5 knots. The swells were much bigger than the one to two foot that they said in the weather forecast; we saw some swells 6 to 8 feet high! We flew the spinnaker until sunset and then doused it and put the 2 jibs up. During the day a catamaran gradually caught up with us and then slowed down to sail with us. The wind slowly died until we were forced around 7 p.m. to turn on the motor. We motored all night until 7 a.m., when the wind finally woke up again. So we put the spinnaker up again and were off between five and six knots.

Right at sunrise a pod of dolphins visited us. What a beautiful sight! It seems they like surfing the wake of the boat and are much more likely to do it when we are sailing and not motoring. They played in our bow wave for almost 40 minutes before disappearing into the ocean. The water now has changed from the browns of the ICW to deep blue and now is a turquoise color. It is also getting clearer, we can now see 15 to 20 feet under the surface!

The wind gradually increased until we were forced to take the spinnaker down. Its only good up to 10 knots and once the wind started hitting 14 to 15 I decided it was time to get it down. We struggled to get it down and then unrolled the Yankee. We were still able to maintain between 5 and 6 knots. We had a few visitors during the day, pods of dolphins would swim up and play in the bow wave before pushing on. It was cloudy with patches of sunshine sparkling on the water. Temperatures were quite nice and I think that we have a finally broken through to warmer weather and won’t have to worry about freezing anymore. Good thing because our little heater packs are all used up!

The wind gradually died during the afternoon, and we realized that we would not be able to make it to St Augustine’s before the tide turned. Outgoing tide against a North East Wind creates a very ugly breaking wave situation at the entrance. Looking at the charts we decided that Jacksonville would be the next best alternative. It was only 30 miles instead of 50 to get to Jacksonville, so we changed course and headed there. By 5:30 we were anchored and settled in for the night. We spent a day and two relaxing nights there. Sun was out pretty much all the time except for a little bit of morning fog and we had numerous visits from pods of dolphins.

Cruise ship coming into Jacksonville – actually its a “condo ship” – you buy your cabin and its yours forever.

Windsor has become very very interested and now knows the word dolphin. When you say the word he gets up and scans the water immediately looking for that tell tail fin. Tuesday morning we hauled up the anchor and motored over to a marina to refuel and re provision. Then we were off once again. We motor sailed for about 2 hours, and then turned the motor off and sailed. Our destination was Cape Canaveral. It was just over 120 miles and we figured it would take about a day and a half. Of course the wind was blowing exactly from where we wanted to go, so ended up beating, tacking back and forth to get us to the destination.

The motor was acting up again and it looked like we may have to replace the raw water pump. So while the wind was blowing we decided we would run it as little as possible and try to rely on the wind which will take us longer to get to our destination because we are zigzagging instead of sailing a straight line. The full moon rose around 8 p.m. and it was just beautiful in a cloudless sky with a myriad of stars. The shoreline was lined with lights and it was a beautiful sight with gentle winds and we made good progress towards our destination.

We sailed all night, and early in the morning the wind pooped again. So we went back to motor sailing. We did not make a lot of progress during the night because we were tacking. Our previous trips saw lots of bird and sea life; the trip to Cape Canaveral was almost devoid. We saw one turtle and a few birds and a single dolphin and that was all. It was quite a contrast.
We had three stoppages due to engine problems. After the third stoppage we realized that there was a water supply issue. I took the raw water system apart and found that the impeller was burned up. We had sucked in some seaweed which clogged the strainer and that cut off the water supply. The impeller lubricates with water so it burned out and that was our issue. After messing with it three times and losing about two hours or so trying to find the problem, I had issue fixed and we were on our way again.

This delayed us so that our arrival to Cape Canaveral wasn’t until almost 11 pm. We tied up and went to sleep. Next morning we moved our boat into its proper a slip and then spent a weekend with friends who visited from out of town. Saturday was cold and miserable so we went to the Kennedy Space Center. What an experience! Going through and seeing all the history and then seeing the physical accomplishments of this country was quite inspiring. Their next adventure is to Mars. We’ll see how that goes.

We left on Tuesday morning, the wind was very strong, almost 40 miles per hour. We decided that we would take the ICW and headed through the lock at Cape Canaveral and into the canal towards the waterway. We were stopped at a bridge which was closed between 3 and 6 p.m. and so we anchored and watched nature. We saw numerous different water bird species, some Dolphins which really interested Windsor, and just marveled at the nature around us. When looking at the weather forecast we realized that it had changed drastically and that Wednesday would be a better day for sailing offshore.

By the time Bridge opened it would be dark and we did not want motor on the ICW, so we headed back to the lock and anchored for the night. Next morning we passed through, fueled up and popped out and we were on our way. Winds were light at first but increased and switched to a favorable direction and soon we were doing 6 to 7 knots. After sunset both Melanie and I were treated to a glorious meteor shower.

Meteors fell from a cloudless sky on and off all night long. Some were just faint, others put on a huge show streaking across the sky before fading just before it looked as though they were going to hit land. Around 4 a.m. on my watch we were pulled over by the sheriff patrol boat! I guess its odd for boats to be out sailing in the middle of the night, and so all southbound boats were being pulled over and inspected by the local sheriff right around Port St Lucie. Quite understandable since this area is rife with drug running in all manner of boats. When the moon came up it was a quarter crescent waning, and right as it came above the Horizon it was an intense orange color, it looked quite spectacular on the water but In the beginning it took awhile for me to figure out what it was, it looked almost like two devil horns sticking out of the water at first.

The wind gradually pooped, so by 9 am we had to fire up the old motor again, and that is where our troubles began. The batteries were flat and the motor would not start. We fought for a good 20 minutes and when it did start, it ran for about 30 seconds and you could tell it was going to stop. White smoke poured out of the exhaust, it stopped, burped a half cup of oil into the bilge pan, gurgled and died. I suspected a blown head gasket. We called the towboat and they towed us into West Palm Beach to Riviera Beach Marina. It was sunny and 80 degrees and we were really stuck, but that story is for another time….

The first part of our journey is now over and we are now back in Norfolk after visiting family in Columbus and California, celebrating a wedding and now we are back preparing for the next part of our trip.

We have seen some amazing things thus far; stars so numerous in the heavens that it it looks like someone painted clouds into a deep dark dark sky, beaches so white with water so clear that you could see the bottom 20 feet deep, giant tuna jumping 6 ft out of the water, myriads of different types of sea birds, twinkling water, whales, seals – the list goes on.

When we were sailing late at night, our bow wave twinkled with microscopic luminous animals. It was amazing to see the beauty and the adaptations of each species as they coexist; Dolphins swimming and chasing fish, Gannets diving from great heights, crashing into the water and swimming down to spear and eat their prey, Lobsters, crabs, mussels, clams – so many different things and they are each unique in their own right.

From gentle winds and calm seas pushing us along at night to furious gale force winds whipping up huge monster waves that tossed our boat like a little cork; we were so insignificant and helpless against this power and might.

We as humans are fools to think that we can tame nature, God has complete control and nature is so powerful that we cannot resist or conquer it, we can only coexist and learn to get along with it. I can only look forward to what lies ahead; new, beautiful sights and places that we will explore and we will continue to see The Wonder of God’s creation first hand.

During the night the fog lifted, but by the time we woke up and were ready to leave Plymouth in the morning, it was back down again and thicker than ever. We motored out towards the Cape Cod Canal, making our way out of Plymouth Harbor and almost ran into a lobster boat in the fog, missing him by about 300 feet. That was the extent of our visibility! When we got closer to the canal the fog lifted and we were able to see. We motored through the canal and the fog burned off completely and it became a nice sunny day. Once through the canal we decided to head straight for Newport, so we set our course and off we went. The wind came up a little bit, but as usual it was from the nose so the only sail we could fly was the staysail.

We motored on into the afternoon and while the wind did make an appearance, it was never more than 5 knots on the nose so the iron genny worked hard all day. Right as we turned to come into Newport around 10pm, the fog descended and we were motoring into a strange place in dense fog with less than 200ft visibility. We radioed the Harbor Master and he helped us find our mooring ball, then stopped over to give us some info on the town. We crashed and slept soundly.

After breakfast the next morning, we motored over to Goat Island and asked around for a good cup of coffee. They told us the name of a restaurant which it turns out was in the Newport Shipyard. We walked over there and had a tasty breakfast again; eggs, sausage and toast along with a good cup of coffee, and walked the yard looking at boats in and out of the water. WOW – that is all I can say. There were some sailboats there that were easily $100 MILLION boats. There were all kinds of J-boats, power boats, monster boats where the tenders were parked INSIDE the transom using boat lifts – it was overwhelming to see such a huge display of wealth.

There were little minions running around everywhere washing boats, scrubbing decks, hauling sails which are all stored on shore in shipping containers. On Lake Erie our boat is in the top 20% size wise, here we were the smallest boat by far – most of the smaller boats are 50 to 60 ft, the medium sized ones are 80 ft plus and large boats are 100 to 150 ft! Truly amazing. The largest boat we saw was a 3 masted schooner that was 220 ft long! After walking around we returned to the boat and then headed over to the showers on shore. They converted an old armory over to a boating center, so even though we were on a ball, we had access to showers and facilities you would typically find at a marina.

We showered and then headed over to Goat Island, where we met up with Joan and Donna; 2 of Melanie’s class mates from high school. Joan now lives in Newport, so we shared a delightful evening with them before turning in for the night.

Next morning after breakfast it was “fix the prop” time. When we were coming into the mooring ball, I put the motor in reverse to slow the boat down and the engine started to stall. I quickly put it in neutral, then forward – no problem – reverse – stall. So I made a large circle to bleed off speed and came up to pick up the ball. One more issue to deal with… Next day we noticed something odd under the boat and when the water was calm, we saw some rope wrapped around the prop. It was caught between the prop and the fitting it turns on so it was jamming and preventing the prop from switching from forward to reverse. I climbed into the chilly water and untangled the line using my toes (good old African trick). The line was still jammed, so I had to dive and cut the rest of it free. Then we tried the engine; forward, neutral and reverse – all worked, we were fixed! Thankfully I did not have to fork out any money for the fix. We headed in to the community boating center where I showered and the after dressing walked to West Marine for some goodies and the auto store for a new V-belt. It was 3 miles each way and by the time I got back I was famished; I met Melanie, had a cup of coffee and then we ate at an outdoor restaurant before heading back to the boat. We got the things we needed as well as getting the laundry done.

Joan and Donna met us again on Friday morning over at Bells which is in the Newport shipyard and we enjoyed a tasty breakfast. We had a nice time with the 3 of them reminiscing about high school and enjoying one another’s company, then Melanie left with them and they went shopping for groceries. I went back to the boat to fix the bow light which was no longer working. We needed some new wiring as the wire that passes through the pulpit had worn through and broken. Melanie picked it up on the way home and I spent the afternoon fishing it through where the old wire was and getting it hooked up so we had navigation lights once again. It was too late to leave for the next leg of the journey, so we anchored out in Newport Harbor.

Next morning we hauled anchor and headed over to the maritime Center where we got a free pump out and filled our water tanks. Then we went and filled up with diesel and departed. It was a Saturday morning and it was race day. Everything from Optimists to 12 meters were out in the bay sailing, it was a spectacular site. It was also a Royal Caribbean cruise ship there in the thick of it all. We headed out on a North wind and the wind changed quickly to the East and storms started to roll in. We were able to dodge them, but about 12 miles out realized that we did not have any ice for the cooler, so we made a bee line to Block Island, and picked up a dock in front of an inn where they were preparing for a wedding. We picked up the ice and just as we were getting back to the boat it started to rain. Very very heavy rain. It rained cats and dogs for 3 hours, if completely filled our Tervis tumblers with water and they were both under the bimini!

We left the dock about 6 p.m. after the rain had passed and headed towards New York City sailing parallel to the Long Island coast. The wind moderated doing the night to about 15 to 20 knots. We only used the staysail and were doing 7 to 9 knots! When I came on for watch the wind dropped even more until it was under 10 and we were only doing 3 to 4 knots. When the sun came up I unrolled the Yankee and we put up the main. We were moving around 5 knots with an 8 knot breeze on a broad reach. After sunrise we decided to change course and aim for Atlantic City; it was only 10 degrees further South than the point we were originally aiming for, so we set our way point and off we went. I went down for a nap as I had not slept at all that night before due to the rough nature of the ride. I slept until about 12:30, then came up and relieved Melanie and she took a nap as well.

It was just beautiful and sunny; a few clouds dotted the horizon but overhead it was clear. The winds were substantially lighter than the previous night and the ocean was starting to calm down. When we started we had 10 foot waves pushing us, but the wind gradually died during the day and switched around to the northwest. By mid afternoon we were forced to start up the iron Jenny because our speed was below 1 knot and the sails were just flopping uselessly. Melanie took a good nap and after that made us a hot meal; baked beans on toast, and a quinoa salad. It is always a morale booster to have a hot dinner when underway. She also made a good cup of coffee and we enjoyed some time together in the late sunny afternoon.

As the Sun moved westward it created a shimmering Road of jewels in front of us that blinded us as we rode it. The seas calmed down even more until they were just a few 1 to 2 foot lumps that pushed us a long as we motored towards Atlantic City. We enjoyed the warm Sun in the afternoon; it felt good to not be shivering. The wind gradually shifted around until it was blowing right on the nose; not enough to move us but right from where we were headed so we had no choice but to continue to motor into the evening. It was a calm evening; a beautiful Starry Sky and gentle winds all night long until we saw the lights on the shores near Atlantic City. Venus showed herself and then the palest of dark blue showed on the horizon which gradually turned into a red stripe as the sun prepared to make a new dawn. By the time the sun came up we were about 10 miles from the city. We motored in and anchored in a small sheltered cove across from the city.

We spent the day relaxing on the boat and I caught up with work. During the day a number of trawlers and sailboats joined us and anchored there for the night. Late in the afternoon we dropped the dinghy and motored it to the entrance of the lagoon where we anchored and took a walk on the beach. Windsor got to run himself ragged – it felt good to be on shore. Then once the sun set we returned to the boat and watched an episode of MM before turning in. The lagoon turned out to be just as advertised – sheltered and calm; we slept like babies!

Next morning we took the dinghy into the state marina on the other side of the channel. It was fun crossing and battling a 2-3 knot current, but we made it over, had a cup of coffee and walked around our old stomping grounds – yes – we have been here before, in our Catalina 22 for Roy Williams’ wedding in August of 2015. We had talked then about bringing Southern Cross here and it was neat to be able to pull in to the channel and realize our dream. We dinghied back over and relaxed on the boat all afternoon but it was chilly, so we were bundled up and actually spent most of the rest of the day below in the cabin. The high was only 62. We splurged and watched 2 episodes of our favorite show before turning in.

In the morning after breakfast, we motored over once again and took a walk down to a pharmacy to get a new phone charger as one of ours died. Having one charger for 3 devices was not working 🙂 Once back we went into the Golden Nugget and bought a Fish and Chips special for each of us and enjoyed our long tradition of nothing but seafood when eating out. We putzed around until about noon and then returned to the boat, once again challenging the 2-3 knot current in our little dinghy. It was a calm cloudless day and MUCH warmer than yesterday, so after work we took the dinghy back to the beach with some liquid libations to enjoy some sand under our feet and to let Windsor run. He had a blast, sprinting around the beach like a crazy dog – back and forth until he was so tired he could hardly move. It was good for him to get some land time.

After breakfast the next day we motored in to the casino on the other side of the channel, bought some coffee and took a walk around before coming back to the boat where I worked and then we ate dinner and watched an episode of our favorite show. Thursday we decided to go over to the other side of the channel into Gardner Basin. There were numerous restaurants and shops there, so we decided to head in and eat breakfast at a restaurant called Gilchrist’s. It was right on the water, outside seating, very nice atmosphere and inexpensive and to top it off the food was very good. Thursday evening we decided to go to happy hour at the casino bar which was above the marina. We went in and had two expensive drinks and decided it might be more fun over in Gardner basin, so we motored over there and sure enough, there was a nice mom and pop bar with indoor and outdoor seating where we had a good seafood dinner along with some tasty drinks before heading back to the boat.

Next morning we motored the boat over to the marina, filled up with diesel and then went to the courtesy dock in Gardner Basin and tied up so we could eat breakfast at Gilchrist’s again. Then we left and motored all day into a headwind to Cape May. The wind was about 15 so it was not unpleasant although we both hate the sound of the motor drumming all day. About 5 miles from Cape May the wind came up to 25 on the nose and the Seas got very choppy. We took one or two waves over the bow, but thankfully we were able to make it into the channel and anchor before sunset and before the ocean got too rough. Melanie made a nice hot dinner, and then we watched some TV before going to bed. The anchorage was about a hundred yards off of a coast guard training camp. It brought back memories of my basic training in Kroonstad; you could hear the chanting of the cadets, the officers yelling at them over megaphones as they “tortured” them at all hours of the evening. Then in the morning just before 8; reveille and at 8 they were at the parade ground and the Star-Spangled Banner was playing. Aah memories – glad I am done with that part of my life.

We hauled anchor and motored out into the ocean toward Ocean City. Melanie made breakfast for us while we were under way and we enjoyed a nice hot bowl of oatmeal. As usual the wind was on the nose again, so we ended up motoring all day. We crossed the mouth of the Delaware Bay and motored down the vacation coast towards Ocean City. Once again, as our destination came into sight and we were anticipating anchoring, the winds came up and the waves began to slow our progress. Seems like it goes like this every time; you are sailing or motoring at a certain speed – say 6 knots and there are 12 miles to go; 2 hours you say. So you motor or sail for a half hour and suddenly you are only doing 5 knots and there are 10 miles left – 2 hours. So you motor for a half hour and then your speed is 3.5 and you have 7 miles left – 2 hours. Believe me – day after day of this repeated pattern and it becomes VERY frustrating.

Then, as luck would have it, the tide was against us, so as we approached the channel entrance, there was a current pushing you out of the channel and another one pushing you up or down the coast. These 2 currents coming together made a very rough, muddled mess of water, with steep 4 foot waves coming at you from literally every direction. They tossed the boat about like it was a cork – 18000 pounds like it was nothing. We had to fight through that until we were about half way down the channel and then things smoothed out and we were just fighting the outgoing tide. We came to the spot we were planning to anchor and Melanie called out the water depth – 4.4 – well at the same time I looked down and realized we weren’t moving. Our draft is 5.5 so we were aground on a nice sandy bar not advertised on the chart. We spun the boat around and throttled up and that along with the outgoing current helped us off. We motored towards the shallow spot (3ft) on the chart and the water depth increased to 11, so we dropped anchor there for the night. We were in the lee of Assateague Island, a hotspot for locals to picnic. Its also inhabited by wild ponies though we did not get to see any. We finished listening to the Buckeye football game, ate dinner and then watched some TV before turning in for the night.

This was the roughest anchorage we have been in for a while. While relatively calm and sheltered, the combination of wind against tide when the tide was coming in turned the boat broadside to the wind and waves and we rocked around quite a bit – to the point that both of us felt a little queasy when we turned in. When the tide was going out we had no issue as they were in the same direction and that smoothed things out. We woke to a howling wind after a restless night. West Ocean city has terrible GPS coverage and the cell coverage was not much better either. Our 4G signal kept going off and on. Those 2 things meant that our anchor alarm kept going off during the night. Our circle was set for 100ft, but it would pull in a signal with a 70ft error, so our location would be out the circle and the alarm would go off. 6 or 7 times during the night it got triggered. Then, add to that the rocking because we were off wind, and the wind howled at a nice 25 so even the sheltered spot we were in had 2 ft waves battering the boat on the beam all night long. We woke in the morning bleary eyed from lack of sleep to a quick downpour and I decided then and there we were staying put. It did clear up later and the sun put in a weak appearance, but the wind howled all day, I was glad we decided not to head out; it would have been a cold, wet, ugly day out at sea. At least behind the shelter of the island we were somewhat protected and MUCH warmer.

The plan was to leave the following day, but the after effects of hurricane Nate moved through early Monday, so with howling winds out of the South and rain to boot, we decided to stay put for a second day, even though we could taste Norfolk. The weather the following day was supposed to moderate and swing to a favorable direction, so the plan was to do an overnight and knock out the last 90 miles in one swoop. I worked and Melanie spent the day preparing food for the trip so that we would not have to cook too much while under way.

Tuesday morning we hauled anchor and went into the marina to fuel up for the trip back to Norfolk. The temperature was 77 when we woke up, it was very sticky and very humid. Melanie got sick during the night; she had severe vertigo and what appeared to be a sinus infection. The marina graciously said we could leave our boat at the gas dock as long as we needed. They helped us to hail a taxi and off we went to an urgent care. She did have an infection, was given a prescription and then while we waited for the taxi, I went to the grocery store and picked up a few things.

We took the taxi back to the boat and then headed out. We left around 3 p.m., the wind was out of the East at about 10 knots and with full sail we were making between 5 and 6 knots on a pretty calm sea with some very gentle rolling swells. This was the first time in a long time that we have been able to sail without the motor! The forecast was for East winds through the night between 5 and 15 knots. Out away from land it was much cooler and more tolerable. Even though the air temperature was still almost 80, the cooling breeze off the water really help to make things comfortable.

Melanie took some of her medication and laid down to rest so it could take effect. After motoring out of the channel I hoisted the sails and we set a course South. Once it got dark, we were surrounded by blackness with the occasional flashing light to guide us. For the first time in a long time on watch I was not cold.

I could see flashing bioluminescence in our wake. It was quite fascinating, as the boat plows through the water and makes bow waves it causes microscopic organisms in the water to emit light. The wake behind the boat was twinkling like a Christmas tree. Thank goodness for the compass and the autopilot; at night without any point of reference you feel like you’re going around in circles even when you are going straight.

Early on in the evening the Wind held up quite nicely and we were making 5 to 6 knots in 11 knots of wind. There was a gentle swell that would disrupt our speed once in awhile, but in general it was quite smooth and calm. Once again, about an hour after sunset our friend Mr. Fogg joined us. We were wrapped in dense fog with visibility of about 100 feet for a few hours. I was joined by a flock of birds flying over the boat squawking in a way that sounded like flying frogs. I did use my flashlight and was able to see them and they looked like egrets. It was a very odd sound to hear when you’re sailing and the water is just swishing by and then suddenly you hear this squawking like a whole bunch of frogs having a sing-along. I looked them up in my bird app and they were cattle egrets – migrating.

Another strange thing I saw as I was looking over the rail watching the bioluminescence in our wake; there were flashes of light underwater, two or three times close together in quick succession. The only thing I can think of that would do that would be squid. I remember seeing somewhere where certain species of squid come to the surface at night and then flash in order to attract and catch prey. It was very strange to see. Four or five different times I saw groups of flashes; it almost looked like lightning underneath the water, they were a bluish white in color, sometimes large like 1 to 2 feet long and maybe a foot wide, sometimes small maybe 6 or 7 inches across; always in groups.

Around midnight the fog lifted enough for me to be able to see the horizon. The clouds parted as well and that allowed the moon to cast a little bit of light On the water. It was comforting to be able to see the Horizon again. Then it clouded up to the South of our track and it started raining. So I had the moon and stars behind me, fog around me not so thick though, and rain. I was glad it was not cold and fortunately it did not rain for very long. Once again high humidity along with the rain caused my life jacket to go off and inflate while I was on watch. This is the second time it has happened to me, I think I’m going to have to replace the automatic inflate with a manual inflate. These cartridges are not cheap!

Then it rained again, hard, for about 20 minutes. The few flashes of lightning and then it all stopped. The wind briefly increased to about 15 knots and our speed increased to 6.3 knots. Just when I started debating in my mind whether to reef or not, the wind dropped down to about 10 and continued to go up and down all night long. We had a few rain squalls with a little bit of lightning, but nothing that lasted more than 20 minutes or so.

Then around 5 a.m. the wind switched about 30 degrees towards the nose and we were sailing parallel to our destination. It also started to die, so reluctantly I started the motor. The sails were flogging and the wind was being shaken out of them with each passing wave, so we had no choice but to start motoring. We had sailed a good 80 out of the 110 miles, so I did not feel too bad. The rain started again just after sunrise, and we ended up motoring the last few miles in light fog and drizzle. We were challenged by a military boat just before coming into port – with all the military presence around it wasn’t surprising. We motored into the Little Creek area and tied up at Bay Point Marina. All choices in the area were a little disappointing quality-wise, but we got a good price for a month’s stay and now we head home to visit family, our chiropractor and enjoy some time ashore with friends.

We ate breakfast at anchor off Cranberry Island, then sat around for a while planning our next move. The engine did not leak when cold, so we hauled anchor, unrolled the two jibs and took off without starting the motor and picked our way through the lobster pot obstacle course across the channel to Southwest Harbor. After radioing for a dock we rolled up the two jibs, motored in and docked. The engine did not leak as it only ran for about 5 minutes in slow, so it did not reach operating temperature. Once docked we had to wait for the customs people to clear our boat which took about 3 hours, after which we took a walk and then went out to dinner at a local seafood restaurant above the marina.

We ate seafood; mussels, salmon, scallops, wine – it was a delicious dinner and the view of the harbor was fabulous. There was a couple sitting at the table next to us, and he was wearing a Lake Michigan T-shirt. We struck up a conversation with them and it turned out they had the exact same boat we do, and they sailed out of Cheboygan, Michigan! So we spent the evening chatting to them about our various sailing adventures. They are here in a camper exploring Maine. Small world!

We went to breakfast at a local diner the next morning and then bought a few odds and ends for the boat before heading home to work – me on the computer and Melanie doing laundry. I found all the boat parts we needed and had them overnighted to the marina. We did laundry, cleaned and otherwise laid around until mid afternoon when we decided to go grocery shopping. We walked into town to the small grocery store and stocked up on necessities. $200!! For a few bags of groceries, we were shocked! The prices were 200% more than what we pay back home. I guess that they can do it because they are the only game in town, but there was a lot we did not buy. We had a quick treat of ice cream, and then headed back to the boat. We ended up having dinner at the same restaurant as the night before, but we each ordered something different; clams for an appetizer, then Melanie ordered Halibut and I got a lobster dinner. Then we headed back to unwind and get ready for bed.

Next day we finished off our laundry and decided to go to into Bar Harbor. There is a bus shuttle around the island sponsored by LL Bean and it is free, so we took advantage of it and went into “Bah Ha Ba” as they call it and nosed around for the afternoon. It was quite a place, in many ways like Put-In-Bay where we spend a lot of time in the summer, only larger. We ate a late lunch in Bar harbor, seafood of course, and then came home to the boat. The weather was beautiful, sunny and close to 80, and the ride through the Acadia National Park to and from Bar Harbor was spectacular. There are smatterings of fall color here already!

Our engine parts did come, but we got home too late to do anything about it, so we stayed for a 3rd night and spent the evening watching a movie before going to bed.

Next morning we walked into town for coffee and then came back so I could fix the motor. We did some house cleaning, filled the water tanks, topped up with diesel and got a pump out and then picked up a mooring ball. A local lady docked at the marina let us use hers as there was no one on it. We were so grateful, another way God is taking care of us and helping us to save money. After installing the parts, we realized that there was still fuel leaking, so we decided to replace the entire fuel filter housing, got that ordered as well as a new water pump and spent the next few days exploring town and taking the free bus service around the island.

Every morning we walked into the village for a good cup of coffee and to chat with the locals and the tourists. Windsor is such a handsome pup – he attracts attention wherever he goes. Friday was a farmers market in town, so we went and checked it out. We chatted to the locals and picked up some goodies there. We worked on the interior boat upholstery which we had taken off the cushions to wash because of dog and wine stains and got them all assembled back together so the inside of the boat once again looks the way it should.

Saturday we took the free bus to Bar Harbor and spent the day walking around admiring the sights and talking to people. We had lunch at a restaurant called Cherrystones – seafood of course – and then headed back to Southwest Harbor. We got off at the grocery store, an IGA we had seen on the way to Bar Harbor, picked up some goodies and then walked the 2 to 3 miles home. This store although further away was much cheaper than the one in town, so we bit the bullet and walked. Once back at the boat, we turned on the Buckeye football game. We had to listen to it on the radio as there was not enough bandwidth on the wi-fi to get a decent enough connection for a TV signal.

After breakfast the next day, we walked into town and took the road around the bay to the other side opposite where we docked. There was a place called Beal’s Lobster Dock, a place where you could buy lobster right off the dock. There was a restaurant there as well, so we came back later in the day on the dinghy, wallet in hand and had a seafood lunch. Scallops, Mussels and a lobster roll, which is basically a pile of lobster meat with some mayo in a large deli bun. We really enjoyed lunch, and after relaxing on the boat for the afternoon, headed in to have a final drink at the Upper Deck prior to our departure the next day. We chatted with a couple from New Brunswick who were also cruising on an Irwin 32 – they followed a similar path as us down the coast of Nova Scotia but were about a week behind us.

We watched an episode of Midsomer Murders on Netflix before turning in and awoke the next morning to the thickest fog we’d seen yet. Our final part, the water pump arrived and we got that installed but with the fog not lifted by early afternoon, we decided to wait until Tuesday to depart to give us more time to navigate in the fog – all while dodging lobster traps. As a side note, since Port Mouton, we have had fog every day – 10 days! I think we have had our fill of fog – forever…

Tuesday morning we left early and spent the whole day weaving our way under engine power through a maze of lobster pots in dense fog. We crossed Hill Bay, weaved our way through the narrow Casco passage into the Eastern side of Jericho Bay and headed North East up Eggemoggin Reach. The fog lifted when we neared the bridge from Little Deer Island to the mainland. As we rounded the NW corner of Little Deer Island, we were greeted with a view of endless islands, both small and large, rocky and tree covered, some inhabited, some not stretching out before us. There were 3 or 4 Gaff rigged schooners and ketches slowly sailing in the light wind. We picked our way carefully through the islands and made our way into the Eastern side of Penobscot Bay where we found the narrow entrance into Pulpit Harbor on North Haven Island. We arrived around 5pm, anchored, ate dinner and then watched a movie before heading to bed. As we were entering the harbor, to our left we saw a wall of fog starting to roll in, and there was a schooner sailing through it, looking ghostly as it surfed the fog towards us. They ended up pulling in and anchoring near us in the harbor. It looked like a charter; where you pay to spend a week on the boat and you go sailing – there were about 15 to 20 people of all ages aboard.

Next morning we awoke, yes, to fog. After breakfast we motored out and set our sights on Boothbay harbor. We motor sailed as the winds were light and we wanted to make the 50 mile trip and arrive before dark. Once again we played lobster pot pinball, dodging in and out of the pots as we tried to stay on course. Once out of Penobscot Bay, the Atlantic swells greeted us again, and we were being lifted and pushed along towards our destination. The seas were confusing; there was a long, big swell from the South, presumably from Hurricane Jose, then there was a swell from the South East and one from the South West; probably a reflection off islands. This made for a rolly, rather bumpy ride, but we made good progress averaging about 6 knots. When we entered the channel headed up to Boothbay Harbor, the fog lifted and we were able to see our way in. We found a mooring ball and tied up for the evening. We toasted our arrival with a shot of sipping whisky before heading into shore to register and go out to eat. We had dinner outside, close by at a Lobster wharf; mussels, clams, scallops, cole slaw and sweet potato fries with a glass of wine. The wharf was a simple place, a counter where you pick up the food and a whole bunch of picnic benches with umbrellas – we were able to bring Windsor along and he garnered much attention. We were treated to a beautiful sunset as the sky started to clear.

Next morning we awoke to glorious sunshine – NO FOG!! Temps were in the low 60s and headed up to 75. We walked to the grocery store to pick up some supplies, and along the way passed a church where a beagle was tied on a long leash. He and Windsor played with each other for a good half hour, chasing each other around – he really needed that. We took all our damp stuff out and laid it on the deck to dry in the sun, and just enjoyed the sunny, warm day. After work we walked into town and browsed through the stores before ending up in a restaurant on the 4th floor outside for a drink. Then we walked across the bridge and headed back to the lobster wharf for more mussels and clams before heading back to the boat. We were treated to another gorgeous sunset before heading back to the boat to watch some TV before bed.

Friday was cloudy to start, but no fog thankfully – 2 days in a row! After breakfast we borrowed the courtesy car and went to the grocery to pick up some last minute supplies, then showered and did laundry before heading off to our next stop. We filled up the water tanks and said our goodbyes before heading south to Cape Cod. We left Boothbay Harbor, motored out and set sail. Swells were 10 to 15 feet with a period of 10 seconds. The wind started out around 15 knots, but dropped gradually and switched to the South East, so once again we ended up motor sailing. Near sunset the wind increased dramatically from 5-10 knots to 30 knots in about 2 minutes. Seas got very rough and confused, and the 12 to 15 ft walls of green water were gently rising and falling to before were now rapidly becoming huge breaking waves!

We decided to bail out – the waves were rolling in from the East and we were headed Southwest making us very vulnerable to being dumped by a breaking wave. We turned so the waves were pushing from behind, a far safer and more comfortable motion. We headed to shore; running with the waves the closest port was Portland Maine, so we headed there and once we had picked our way down the channel into the harbor, found a Marina and hooked up for the night. Next morning we filled up our diesel and headed out. We motor sailed all day. Winds were very light out of the South. We listened to the Buckeye game, and then towards Sunset found an anchorage in the Isles of Shoals. We tied up to a yacht club mooring ball in a sheltered bay – they said we could use it for free.

During the day the Seas had quieted down, but swells were from the East and with our direction being South, it was a very rolly ride. Next morning we awoke early and were on the water on our way by 7 a.m. Seas were almost calm with one to two foot swells and there was little to no wind. We motor sailed all day, first to Cape Ann just North of Boston, then on to Plymouth. It was a nice sunny day so we did not have to dress up in our winter gear. The sky was hazy and there was lots more boat traffic. We saw many sailboats motoring and there were Lobster fisherman and pleasure fishermen as well. We listened to our pastor’s sermon from last week which was a real treat. You don’t realize how much you miss your church family until you are away for a while.

We made good progress over a glassy sea with gently heaving swells of 1 to 2 feet. It was calm, not even a ripple of wind disturbed the sea surface. Melanie saw a HUGE whale surface but by the time I looked, all there was was a dorsal fin, a bit of back and then it was gone. She said it was easily the length of our boat! Largest animal we have seen on the trip thus far. We were able to make good time and came into Plymouth around 5:30pm and picked up a courtesy mooring ball (free) that was about a half mile from town. We dropped the dinghy off the back of the boat, motored in and walked around for a bit before heading to a restaurant for a celebratory drink and some seafood – Oysters and scallops. Then we returned home and after an episode of Midsomer Murders, turned in for the night. It was dead calm and the boat barely moved all night. It was quiet and calm and we enjoyed much needed rest.

After work on Monday we went into town and explored historical sites in Plymouth. We saw the church erected on the site of the original church from 1620, walked the cemetery and then strolled through the old part of town, picking up a good cup of coffee and some marmite and piccallili. We went down to the waterfront to Plymouth Rock and walked along the bay, eventually ending up at the Blue Eyed Crab for dinner – the same place we went the night before. After dinner we went next door to a wine bar called 1620 to sample a flight of wine each. We ended up staying until about 9; live entertainment showed up and it was open mike night, so we sat and chatted with the entertainers and thoroughly enjoyed our evening.

While we were there, lo and behold the fog rolled in again! We were one of the farthest boats out from town, so the boat wasn’t even visible to us. We left to head back and when we got to the dinghy dock the tide was out and our dinghy was hard aground. We had to drag it a good 30 or 40 ft to get it to float and then motored out gingerly through the mooring ball field out of the harbor and in the general direction we thought our boat was moored. There was a power boat coming towards us down the channel using a flashlight to try to find his way in the fog which did a god job of blinding and disorienting us a little; thank goodness our dinghy has a compass! We also saw the dim reflection of a green channel mark light flashing so we headed towards it and ran aground! I managed to push us off the sandbar with one of the oars and we once again aimed for the green mark.

I pulled up the nautical charts on my phone and realized that the mark we were aiming for was beyond our boat; we had gone too far. We turned around to head back towards the harbor and the light from the city reflecting off the fog was enough to cast a shadow of the boat on us so we found her and thankfully boarded and settled in for the night.Next time we do this I will add a waypoint into my phone marking our location so we can find it if it gets foggy when we are on shore.

Our stay at Canso was marvelous. We anchored in a cove dotted with rocky islands, our only neighbors were Loons, Seals and Cormorants. They all watched us carefully as we anchored, and the minute you looked their way the seals would duck under water – almost like a game. Some of the more curious would edge closer to get a better look, but as soon as we looked they would disappear. After our nap Melanie cooked dinner, and we had a marvelous spread consisting of grilled Mackerel, mashed potatoes and veggies. The fish didn’t look that big, but we over estimated. The Mackerel did not shrink as much as other fish do when you cook them, they were more like a Tuna, meaty and delicious. By dinner’s end we were stuffed and after cleanup we went to bed. The cove was so calm we didn’t even rock, it was heavenly and we slept hard!

Next morning after breakfast we hauled anchor and picked our way out of the cove and between the rocky islands, then headed South West towards Halifax. We had a gorgeous wind from the NE which pushed us along quite nicely. We made good ground during the day, and saw a pod of Dolphins, a few whales and numerous Gannets fishing for dinner. It was a nice sunny day and even though it was chilly in the shade, we ended up peeling off all our warm weather clothes and basking in the warm sun. Later in the afternoon the wind fizzled completely, so we motored the last 2 hours until we came to the Liscomb River where we anchored for the night.

We pulled in right at sunset; Melanie cooked Haddock and veggies for us so we could eat early around 6, and by the time we were done with eating and cleaned up, we were pulling into the mouth of the river. This too was a gorgeous spot, rocky conifer lined shores with a few houses spotted here and there. We anchored in a cove off the main channel of the river and once again had a calm, restful night. The sky was clear and the heavens were littered with stars, the Milky Way looked like it was painted it was so bright – it was truly a beautiful sight.

Next morning the sun woke us, we ate breakfast and then hauled anchor to start the day. We motored out of the river, put up the sails and started to zig-zag our way to the next stop. Winds were light, but without the chop from powerboats like we encounter on the lake, we were able to make a good 4-5 knots in under 10 knots of wind. It was from the South West, our destination, so we had to zig-zag down the shore which was littered with numerous rocky islands and shoals. Every available flat rocky space was crowded with seals, who promptly took to the water when we got too close. They would watch us from a distance, carefully noting our progress away from them until they felt it was safe to climb up and sun themselves again.

Hit by a wave, my life jacket went off!

The wind gradually increased during the day until it was in the 20 knot range. We still carried full sail and were moving along nicely between 5.5 and 6.5 knots. Towards evening I looked in Active Captain and found a cove nearby called Shelter Cove. It was on an island near the mainland and got good reviews for shelter and quality of scenery. We pulled in and dropped anchor in the cove; there was a trawler anchored there already, we had seen him leave in the morning from Liscomb. We dropped anchor a respectable distance away and Melanie made some more Mackerel for us to feast on. After a filling dinner we turned in for the night.

Shelter Cove was sheltered! It was very calm and the scenery was spectacular. We shared the cove with the trawler and some campers on land, and we were far enough apart that it felt like we were alone. The goal for the following day was Halifax; we wanted to get there ahead of the next storm coming up the coast. We motored out into a calm sea with swells gently undulating under us. It felt like the ocean was breathing; up, down, up down – ever so gently. Some of the swells were quite large, 8 ft or so, but they were so far apart that you didn’t really notice. Not much wind though and with a low fuel situation, I wanted to ensure we had enough to motor into the harbor, so we raised the sails and suffered. 1.9 knots, 1.5 knots – progress was painful, but the wind backed so it was more from behind and we were in a situation where we could fly our asymmetrical spinnaker. We hauled that baby up and got it set and our speed went up from 1.5 to 5! Its amazing how it helps your downwind speed – just that and the mainsail and our speeds were almost as fast as the apparent wind at 6.5 knots. We sailed along making good progress towards Halifax, and the skies gradually clouded up in advance of the oncoming storm.

We sailed for a few hours and when we were about 15 miles from Halifax, the winds gradually died. Our speed dropped slowly; 4.5, then 4, then 3.5, then 2. So our 3 hours left to Halifax was now 6 hours and the weather was moving in. I tried to sail the boat more directly towards the harbor entrance which meant the wind was from behind – spinnaker on one side and mainsail on the other. That gave us a short boost in speed – all the way up to 3 knots, then the wind pooped even more and the sails were just flapping every time a wave passed under us. We took down the mainsail so the spinnaker was completely unblocked and that helped for a while, then the wind began to switch and it started to rain. We were now sailing away from our target, so we gybed the spinnaker, a long, painful process, and within minutes of doing that the wind came up to 10 knots and we were sailing with just the spinnaker at 7knots! We sailed into the Halifax harbor entrance until we were about 2 miles from our destination, then doused the spinnaker and fired up the engine to motor in.

We made contact with Marc, someone I met on facebook – he is part of the Cherubini group we belong to (our boat was designed by John Cherubini) and he also runs a group called Cruising Nova Scotia. He has the same model boat as us, only ours is a 79 and his is an 84. He motored out in his dinghy to meet us and guided us through the narrow channel to his mooring ball which he graciously let us use for the night. After tying up he climbed aboard and we chatted about our journey, our boats and toasted a new friendship with some Canadian Maple Whisky before turning in for the night.

We spent the next 3 days exploring the local area, land bound because of heavy unfavorable winds. The area where Marc lives is a little fishing village, and he got us a free dock with water and power behind his boat. The channel was quite narrow, so docking was a challenge, but we made it in safely and tied up and then spent the morning chatting before going out for a long walk which ended up in a dinner date. We shared a fisherman’s platter; 2 huge pieces of Haddock, 6 sea scallops and 4 huge shrimp along with chips and coleslaw. We were stuffed. After walking home we spent the evening with Marc and his girlfriend on their boat, enjoying a few drinks and getting to know them.

Next day we took a long walk on the boardwalk that runs on the shore from the village out to the beach, then we came home so I could work, and after dinner we entertained Marc and Elsie on our boat. It was his birthday; he was born the day before me in the Congo in 1959, so he is a day older. After they left, we listened to the Buckeye game on the radio before turning in.

Next day Marc ran me out to the Yacht Store (yachtshop.ca), and I hate to say it – they put West Marine to shame! Sailors take note – they have an online store and they ship to the US, orders over $99 have free shipping. It was cold and windy (30+) so we delayed our departure date until Sunday, and laid around watching movies all afternoon.

Sunday morning we rose early, took care of business and said our goodbyes. It was a calm, sunny day and we motored north into Halifax bay and around McNab Island to the Royal Nova Scotia yacht club for a pump out. WOW – there were some seriously large boats there, we felt quite puny in our 37 ft “dinghy”. There was a sailboat from Rhode Island there – every bit of 70 ft – this was the wealthy yacht club of Halifax for sure. We motored out of the channel and hoisted the sails, tacking back and forth into a South wind to get out of the harbor. Marc told us of a short cut – it was a well marked channel so we took it – and it saved us a good 2 hours given the wind direction. We were initially headed towards Lunenberg, but decided after looking at the weather forecast to try and go as far as we could, so we changed course and headed towards the Lahave River area. The wind gradually increased until we were in 20-25 knots, but we were on a close to beam reach (90 degrees from the front) so it was not too uncomfortable. The odd swell would hit you wrong and bounce you around a bit but we were able to hold speeds between 6.5 and 8 knots.

We arrived in Lahave and given the wind direction, anchored between 2 islands so they would block the wind and waves. To a large extent they did, but wrap around swells made sleeping that night rather uncomfortable until the wind switched to the south west. Right after sunset the clouds opened and it poured for a good few hours before letting up – we were thankful to be inside out of the weather.

Next morning we awoke, and after breakfast decided to move the boat into the lee of a larger island that would give us calmer water. We stayed in this area 2 nights because there was a gale warning issued and they weren’t kidding. We saw winds around 45mph, so moving the boat to a calmer spot was a good idea. Although we could hear the wind howling through the rigging all day, a soft moan that got a lot louder when the gusts hit, the water was very calm and so we enjoyed a sheltered day and night. I worked and we caught up on correspondence with family and friends. The sun did peek out and warm things up a little as well, so that helped raise our spirits.

One thing I do know, day after day after day of heavy unfavorable winds really wears you down, especially when its cloudy and cold. You have nowhere to go. You can’t go back to the dock which is now almost 1900 nm away, you just have to endure and hope that the next passage doesn’t beat you up too much and that the anchorage is sheltered enough that you will be able to rest. I do hate motoring, so some nice, warm trade winds in the 15 to 20 knot range would be great! Since leaving Quebec city, we have had very little in the way of that type of wind, for the most part it has been 20-30 and from forward of the beam, which makes for a pretty rough ride. Leaving Perce and leaving Canso we had a few hours of that type of breeze, but it has howled the rest of the time we were on the water. Nova Scotia is definitely WINDY!

And so, after watching a few DVDs on day one of our stay in Lahave River (we are going through “The Bible” series), and enjoying some sunshine in the late afternoon with mildly moderating winds in the low 20s, we turned in for the night. Our anchor spot was a good choice, the wind did come up again during the night and by morning it was howling at 30-35 again and the rigging was moaning in response, only this time we had fog and visibility was around a half mile! The waters were calm and protected in our chosen spot so we slept well, but once again we were held by the weather. Even the short distance (150 meters) between us and the shore was long enough to generate whitecaps. Our Destination is to the South West and the wind was 25-35 knots (30-40mph, or 48-65kmh) out of, you guessed it, the South West. So prudence reigned and we sat for another day in our sheltered anchorage. Sometime around late afternoon the previous day, we had a visitor. A C&C 30 sailboat pulled up behind us and anchored as well, we’re not sure where they came from but I am sure they were hiding from the weather as well.

The weather lived up to its billing, the fog burned off eventually, but the wind moaned and howled through the rigging all day long. After work we watched another movie and then turned in for the night. The wind did moderate, and in the morning we woke to 10 knot winds with pea-soup fog. This was the first time we had seen fog this trip. It was THICK!! We hauled anchor and motored out, measuring against a buoy on the chart how far we could see – our visibility was less than 300ft! Very disorienting as everywhere you looked was just bright white.

We motored out of the cove into a gently rolling swell; 6-8 ft swells about 150 ft apart, the left overs from the previous day’s gale. We put up sail and were able to make between 4 and 5 knots straight down the coast. The wind gradually faded away and the fog cleared out in the ocean; we were about 5 miles from shore. We had some bright sun but land was shrouded in a thick layer of fog. We reluctantly fired up the motor and started motoring. About 2 hours into our trip, the wind came up again, a solid 15-20 and close hauled we were able to make our mark for the next evening. We hoisted the sails and killed the motor and got in a good 4-5 hours of quality sailing. The wind however gradually shifted in the span of a half hour until we were headed almost perpendicular to our next stop, so we tacked and within 5 minutes of that we were headed back in the opposite direction away from our destination! Sails in, motor on. We motored the last hour or so and the fog rolled back in again with visibility around 200ft.

Right as we were coming into the cove we got a couple of warm gusts of air off the shore and the fog lifted so we could see where we were headed. We slowly motored into the anchorage and dropped anchor at Carters Beach outside Port Mouton. It is known as the Bahamas of Nova Scotia and I can see why! The beach was creamy white sand and the water was that famous Bahamas Azure color. We anchored in about 20ft of calm, glassy water and I saw the anchor on the bottom – that’s how clear the water was! After setting the anchor, we dropped the dinghy in the water and motored in to the beach so that Windsor could stretch his legs. The sand was like flour; soft, white fine grains – warmed by the sun – it felt good to be in shorts and not dressed up like Shackleton!

After a good spell on the beach we came back to the boat around sunset and soon after that, the fog rolled in again, so we closed up the boat to keep the humidity out and were able to watch a DVD movie before turning in for the night. Next morning we woke – to dense fog and a howling wind as forecast. Winds were 25-35 knots which for us was good as we had issues with the batteries being charged. Our batteries had run down low enough that we had to hand crank the engine to start it! Turns out the controller which converts the electricity from the solar panels and the wind generator into power to charge the batteries was not working properly. The charging port was actually discharging the batteries! With the howling winds our batteries went from 13V down to 10.9V! There are direct power connections on the controller, so I hooked the batteries up to one of them and now our solar and wind are actually charging! The bad thing is I have to monitor the batteries to ensure that the direct connection does not overcharge them; I will have to disconnect the controller when they do get full. One thing we will have to replace in Norfolk I guess.

We went in to the beach to take Windsor for a walk after breakfast, and were able to refill our water jugs courtesy of a kind lady who saw our boat anchored in front of her beach front home. I came back and worked while the latest gale howled itself out during the course of the day. The fog lifted a bit in the late morning, but rain moved in so we were cooped up below while the wind shrieked and howled through the rigging all day. Late that night the wind finally blew itself out and after taking a walk on the beach the next morning, we hauled anchor and headed out. In thick fog. We rounded a huge island that we couldn’t see and the fog then lifted for just a minute or two. There was a fishing boat aground on the point of the island about 10 ft above the water, a sobering sight. Then the fog closed in again. We motored to Lockporte about 20 miles away and when we were about an hour from our destination, the fog lifted so we could see our way in.

We fueled up, then motored out towards Brazil Rock on the South West corner of Nova Scotia. The wind was in our face, so no sailing, just motoring. The fog closed in once again about 10 miles from the rock, and that is where things got strange. We saw a sailboat on our plotter, and it looked like it was going around in circles. We thought perhaps there was a mechanical issue or worse yet, a man or pet overboard. We hailed them on the radio and there was no answer. We decided to investigate as they were about 10 miles offshore and if in trouble, we knoew they would appreciate the help. After unsuccessfully trying to contact them, we hailed the coastguard and told them the situation. They tried hailing them too without success. As we crept closer the boat started to move away from us, always remaining about a half mile away. This of course is happening in fog with about 100 yards of visibility.

After chasing them for a while, we hailed the coastguard and they told us to continue on our way, so we headed towards Brazil Rock again, and the other boat did too – converging courses. At one point we saw them briefly as they cut in front of us about 1/8 mile ahead of us, then they sailed parallel to us for about a half hour, just out of sight in the fog, every once in a while coming towards us, then swinging away. Almost like drunken sailing. We hailed the coastguard twice more to report in what was occurring, as we were a little wary. Then they dropped behind us and followed about a mile behind for a good 2 hours, and then slowly they dropped off our screen. We turned to the Northwest towards the coast of Maine, and they went Southwest. We were actually relieved, I had visions of piracy flitting through my head.

The night was calm, no wind but large heaving gentle swells lifted the boat as we motored through the fog. Next morning it was still foggy, and the wind was still a no-show. Late morning the fog lifted temporarily and then the wind came up for a short while. Then our trouble began. We smelled diesel and sure enough, the fuel filter housing on the engine was leaking diesel. We stopped the engine and drifted around for a half hour or so while I repaired the problem. We had the issue previously and I thought I had it fixed. So I did the same thing again. We started up the motor and no leak, so off we went.

An hour later, diesel smell, same thing. So I tried tightening the seal. We motored for about a half hour and then realized it was still leaking. Our filter was clogged so I thought it could be pressure buildup and I took the fuel filter out. Then I made the mistake of starting the engine before filling the fuel bowl with diesel, so I spent a half hour bleeding the lines to get going again, then realized that the leak was still occurring. We were about 50 miles from Maine, and once again stopped in the water. I took the fuel filter housing off and flipped the O-ring over. Then I greased it with vaseline. Still no luck. After motoring for about an hour, the fan belt wheel for the water pump fell off! Stop engine. Fix that. Start engine – now the leak was getting pretty bad, so we stuck a pot under the engine to catch the leaking diesel to help us figure out how bad the leak really was. We figured it was leaking about 3 gallons an hour, which would have run us out of fuel about 20 miles from shore.

The fog lifted thankfully and we could see storm clouds over the Maine coastline. So, I drove while dodging lobster pots, and Melanie caught diesel in the pot and used that to fill a bucket. Once we had a gallon, she would pass it up, we would stop, I would pour it into the tank and then we would be on our way again. We did that for 6 hours until we hit the 100ft water depth. Then the lobster pots got VERY thick – and we both had to be up, one to drive and one to spot pots. We made our way up a channel and anchored in the lee of the Cranberry Islands around 3am, exhausted but we made it. The boat stunk of diesel and we both had headaches from the fumes. We slept like babies and woke to a beautiful view the next morning; sunny with a cool breeze. Back in the USA and glad to be “home”!