(11) St. Peter's Harbour. Nova Scotia

You can probably see from our tracker that we are holed up at St Peter's Canal alongside.  Sitting out a warning for Northerly winds today and tonight.  We hope to get a weather window to cross the Strait to St John's Saturday 28th. a distance of about 400NM.  Possibly take us about three and a bit days, less if we get a favourable slant.

All's well here, crew asleep right now, however breakfast is looming and as soon as they hear the kettle sing they'll be up and about.  Then we are off to explore the town and find a grog shop... Very scarce in Canada it seems.  We could only find one in Halifax and it was shut.  The Jameson is holding up well, though the beer supply is sadly diminished. (Many visitors).

Right now at St. Peter's Harbour Nova Scotia for a few days probably until Sunday PM the way the maps look.  Have reasonably good Cell and good free WiFi at Tim Hortons (Think Canadian McDonalds) and lousy stewed coffee that I'm prepared to buy but not drink in return for access! (Nothing in life is Free)

This is a sort of country town on the far north coast of Nova Scotia, a little run down at the edges, French, English& Gaelic speaking and no tourist traffic except for the odd group of guys and gals on very shiny, noisy Harleys!  The traffic rules have to be seen to be believed.  If you even look like you might be thinking about crossing the road all the traffic stops politely and waves you across. ..  No wonder they all drive so slowly.  

We are novelties in town!  It's hard to shop or sit in the cafe without some local striking up a spontaneous conversation.  Soooo... it takes a long time to walk the few hundred yards from the dock to the Main Street of the town.  Passers by stop and offer lifts and ask if we need supplies ferried from the local shopping centre... "Where have you come from?", "where are you going?", "Australia! so far away!"  "Did you buy the boat in Halifax?", "You didn't sail it all the way!", "What about the dark?"  Oh and the one that I really like, "But you're so old!" 

A little overwhelming really! 

(10) Rum, Jameson and a cautionary tale from my old mate Captain Brooks

It will probably not surprise anyone that knows me even slightly that I/we couldn't do all this without someone pulling the strings and helping us puppets move.  Technically we refer to this as "Shore Support"  DRINA'S Shore Support crew includes a number of very special (to us) specialists.  They are scattered around the Globe and are called on from time to time to provide assistance and advice within and without their particular area of expertise.  As the adventure progresses I'll introduce each of them to you as circumstance bandwith allows.  

Just now my old mate Captain Brooks  (Drina's Weather Guru in Sydney)  has provided a piece of advice that has come in very handy.  So handy in fact that I've decided to share it with you all!  Earlier in the day I wrote to John by way of an update on our suitation, being weathered in at St. Peter's Harbour.  I included a few other details including a commentary on how well the supply of Jameson was lasting!  

Quick as a flash John replied with a cautionary tale that, for the sake of accuracy, I've included here verbatim.

"Kerro,

Defiance & the rum barrel:  Marshall Phillips had owned a string of competitive ocean racers named Sweet Caroline. After selling the last one he bought Defiance, a Swan 46, in which he planned to cruise around the world. Before leaving, however, he decided to do the 1985 Sydney-Hobart Race with most of his old Sweet Caroline crew, plus me. This beautifully fitted-out yacht had a wooden keg, about 5-6 litres in size, built into the furniture. Marshall’s racing boats had always been “dry”, but he consented to filling the keg with rum on the strict proviso that nobody touched it until we got to Hobart.

 

Defiance pounding south

 

In this race Col Betts was the navigator, with Marshall Phillips, Norm Hyett and a forward hand on one watch and Jimmy Bourke, “Kooka” and I on the other. On the first night out we ran into a hard southerly and after coming off a cold and wet watch at 03:00, Jimmy, Kooka and I eyed the rum barrel and decided that a tot each would do no harm, but not a word to Marshall or we’d be in big trouble. So we had our tot and bribed the navigator, Col Betts, with one to keep his mouth shut. It turned into a couple of tots and we repeated this practice each night when the other watch wasn’t looking.

When we got to Hobart the rum barrel was broached in Constitution Dock with much ceremony only to run dry after a shot or two each. Jimmy and I looked at each other nervously – surely we couldn’t have drunk 5-6 litres of rum over 3 nights. It took some tongue-loosening hours at the Customs House Hotel later that day for the truth to emerge – that the entire crew, including Marshall Phillips, had been getting into the rum barrel from the very first night at sea. It’s a mystery how Col Betts ever found Hobart as he was being bribed with rum by both watches."  John Brooks.

I've just checked the Jameson supply, someone has been putting the empties back in the grog locker! Probably to stop them rolling about while we are at sea....

PK, alongside the Canal at St. Peter's Harbour, Nova Scotia. 

(09) AYC Halifax to St John's 25/06/14

PK blogging late at night....

It seems we continue to be very lucky with the weather, the locals tell us that they usually see very little sun at this time of the year, it's mostly foggy damp and cold.

Today dawned a little chilly but with clear bright blue skies.  First order of business was filling up water tanks so we upped anchor and made for the club fuel dock.  There the crew showered and shaved with hot running water in a proper shower facility.  Something that's becoming more of a rarity the further north we travel.  Soon after 0900 we slipped the mooring lines and  backtracked down our incoming track of a few days ago to Halifax Harbour proper and then out through the approach leads and Drina was at sea once more.

The day passed quickly enough, Rossco now feels confident to stand a watch alone so we have split into 4 watches of three hours each, 3 hours on and 9 off, "sheer bloody luxury..."

Late in the morning the wind increased and we rolled out the headsail and motor-sailed for a while.  by 1400 hrs the wind had increased and we sailed with full main and Genoa for the rest of the day.  As darkness set in the wind eased and we rolled up the Genoa and stowed the main and continued under motor.  Soon afterwards the fog rolled in and soon visibility was down to 4 or 5 hundred meters.  We then relied on the Radar and the AIS systems to keep watch.  It proved a busy night with many fishing vessels and cargo boats to keep track of.  we often had as many as 7 or eight targets to plot at any one time.  The wind died completely by midnight and the sea was glassy with a small Atlantic swell rolling under our Starboard quarter.

The fog lifted at about 1000 on the 26/06/14 and the wind began to build again soon we were motor-sailing, making about 7 kts straight to the bottom of Newfoundland.

A forecast of adverse headwinds from the Canadian Coast Guard at 1230 caused us to change course radically and we are now running for cover as a result of a  strong wind warning for Northerly head winds.  (Gentlemen don't sail to windward) .  In a few hours we expect to make landfall at St Peters Hbr. approximately 30 miles away to the north and hide for a day or so while the front blows through.

As luck would have it, Drina has cruised these waters previously (2013) and so Michael has had the benefit of first hand knowledge of the layout and attractions.  These include being able to tie up to the Canal wharf, a short walk from the town of St Peters and within striking distance of the pub!

PK on Drina at sea 1405hr 26/06/2014

  

(08) At anchor, Armadale Yacht Club Halifax 23 & 24/06/2014

Matt's Thai Red Curry.... Yum, Yum..

As we manoeuvred to drop anchor out the front of the Armadale Yacht Club, Michael noticed an Australian Yacht at anchor.  It was Max and Sandy's Alloy sloop Vollo.  They had crossed paths with Drina in the past and been to many of the same places but Michael had yet to actually meet them properly.  As soon as the anchor was set we swung the dinghy out and Michael set off at high speed to invite the Aussies over for drinks onboard Drina (the club being shut).

The crew tidied up and made ready for visitors.  Max and Sandy joined us a little later and the remainder of the evening was a heady mixture of cruising adventures and swapping tips on the best places on the coast to visit and avoid.  All very enjoyable.

The following morning Tuesday 24/06/2014, dawned bright and clear.  After a breakfast of Matt's pancakes he and Rossco set off to explore the old Halifax about 7 kilometres away they intended to walk for the exercise... (two very fit boys)

Michael and I planned a visit to the local ship chandlery to pick up a few items on our list and top up our charts.  Then a visit to the Halifax Shopping Centre to see if we could get a Canadian SIM for one of our iPads, have lunch and visit the Halifax Wholesale place to stock up food for the next long leg to St John's.

We failed at the first objective, didn't have a Canadian Driver's Licence, Social Security Number and best of all didn't have a credit history... All we wanted was a Pre Paid SIM.  Lots of sympathy and understanding from the very helpful Cody Tanner at the Source Bell shop but no cigar.

Lunch was more successful, I had a Korean Noodle dish and Michael had something I couldn't identify from the Japanese stall.

Later we went shopping for supplies at a great barn of a place with limited range but great prices, Campbell's might be the Aussie equivalent.

We piled a very large trolly full of food into a taxi and headed back to the AYC.  There we were greeted by a Dave Campbell an old crew member of Drina.  While Mike and Dave chatted about old times one of the local members (Greg Aikins) approached us looking for assistance with his dinghy outboard.  I was delegated to assist so I set off with Greg to help with the outboard.

While I steadied the Outboard Greg set about changing the gearbox oil and we got to chatting.  I mentioned our earlier brush with Bell Telephone Canada in some detail, by way of passing the time, Greg looked up from the gearbox and said "I've got all those things, why don't we pop into the store when this is finished and I'll get the SIM for you"

And so it was that once again we are the beneficiaries of local hospitality.  Later, Greg drove me to the Bell Shop, I renewed my relationship with the helpful Cody and in a matter of moments Drina was the proud owner of a Canadian Data SIM.

Thanks again Greg.      

Dave Campbell and his girl friend joined us for drinks on board (the pub was shut again)     The boys returned from their 14 kilometre walk, we had dinner and an early night.  Tomorrow we are off on the long leg to St John's

PK on Drina at anchor, AYC Halifax Nova Scotia.  

(07 Lunenberg to Halifax 23/06/2014

Dental hygiene on board... 

Hi all,

First a bit of housekeeping: there we we a few typo's in my last update, thank you those that pointed them out.

1. The link to the blog should be : http://paulfkerrigan.blogspot.com

2. The MapShare site may ask for a password. The Password is: NWP (all caps).

3. The link to ShipTrack is working but no positions are being displayed for the last 

60 days.  Yotrep has been informed and they are working on whatever is causing the problem, so patience is required. As soon as it's working again I'll let you know.

4. Some on this list have elected to receive our automatic Satellite reports three times a day. I expect this may become tedious after the initial excitement wears off.  We can manage this list and remove any that so elect.  I like a clean inbox myself so don't be afraid to ask.

5. All of us enjoy getting your SMS via the Delorme InReach site, our Inreach tracker/communicator resides in the cockpit and all the crew have learned to use it to send and receive short messages.  It's something to do on the long night watches, so keep them coming whenever you find the time. 

Drina is at sea again enroute to St John's in Newfoundland about 500NM up the coast of Nova Scotia and  across the Laurentian Channel.  But I get ahead of myself, first let me tell of our adventures in Halifax.

We reached Halifax later than planned on Monday evening and dropped anchor just outside the channel about 100 meters from the Armadale Yacht Club (AYC) situated at the end of a long narrow channel off the southern arm of Halifax Harbour proper.  Think Northbridge or Cammeray arms of Middle Harbour as the Sydney equivalent.

The trip from Lunenburg to Halifax was a very easy sail, We started early and in glassed out conditions, left the very picturesque harbour of Lunenburg for the 65 mile leg to Halifax.  The breeze filled in as the morning wore on and by about 1100 we were sailing nicely on a fine, sunny and very flat sea.  By 1700 we were making the turn onto the approaches of Halifax Hbr. and on schedule for quick beer at the AYC, when Michael suddenly jumped to his feet and started pointing excitedly at something in  the water to our port side.  The skipper disengaged the autopilot and swung the boat round to close on the object in the water.  On closer inspection we were all left more that a little surprised.  A deer, or as Michael described it a Santa Deer was swimming steadily and determinedly headed for the open sea.  A quick calculation showed us to be more than a mile offshore and at the RATE THE DEER WAS SWIMMING WOULD SOON BE TWO.  We decided that the deer had lost it's way and that we should convince it to reverse course and head back to shore!  We swung the Dinghy out for this purpose however Murphy struck and we were unable to start the outboard.  So we swung it back onboard and set about herding the reindeer in Drina.  About an hour later after much coaxing we had the little fella ashore.  Good deed for the day accomplished, we resumed course and dropped anchor later than expected only to find the pub shut.

Drina at sea 25/06/2014   

(06) Drina NWP attempt - Shelburne to Lunenburg Hbr. Nova Scotia, Sunday 22/06/2014

After a big night at the Shelburne yacht Club,where we were made very welcome, we set off for Lunenberg about 65 miles further up the coast.  It was a perfectly beautiful crisp morning as we were escorted clear of the port by a Canadian Coast Guard cutter.  As soon as we cleared the no wash zone the cutter opened her throttles and surged ahead soon to be a dot on our horizon.  A little while later we made a left hand turn up the coast, the sea breeze started to fill in and we hoisted the main and rolled out the Genoa.  

We followed the very pretty coastline for the rest of the day, sometimes escorted by small dolphins and wheeling gulls.  

12 hours of very relaxing sailing later we dropped anchor in Lunenburg Harbour.  One of then prettiest little harbours I have ever seen. Even Michael, who has been here twice before was speechless as we sat at anchor looking up towards the town with its pastel coloured timber houses dotted up the hill dominated at the summit by the church spire.  We quickly hoisted out the dinghy and took off to explore.  

Up close the buildings were even more impressive.  We walked to the end of the harbour to explore the local graveyard and inspect the headstones.  

Originally settled by French settlers know as Arcadians after the discovery of the port by the French explorer  De Razilly in1603.  He built a fort at the nearby LaHave as the capital of New France.  Sadly tension between the early settlers and the British Crown forced many of the Arcadians to move further north to distance themselves from the Protestant settlers that King George II had transplanted from his principality of Lunenburg in Germany.  By 1750 when Lunenburg was named a town only one of the original French families remained.  The street plan laid out back then remains almost unchanged today and many of the buildings date from the that time.

At sunset we headed back to Drina and dinner aboard.  Being Sunday all the shore options were closed to us, however we promised ourselves another visit in the morning, when we were assured the town would be "Open for business".

Drina at anchor, Lunenburg Habour Sunday June 22 2014.

Drina NWP attempt - Another day at anchor in Gloucester 18 June 2010

PK Fully Cold Proof... Thanks Captain Brooks...

Michael was unwell this morning (He's caught my cold) and decided to delay our departure for a day.  We the crew, were very sympathetic of course and while disappointed not to make a start on our next leg to Halifax, the upside was that we had an unexpected extra day to explore this beautiful little town. 

After a fairly smoky breakfast of delicious burnt toast spread with avocado and sprinkled with spice (Matt's secret recipe) the crew stole the dinghy and went ashore.  There we split into two parties.  Matt and Rossco turned right to explore the town and inner harbour and walk around to the eastern point, while I turned left towards the Western harbour.

My intention was to further explore the the area as far as the famous Blyman canal cut between the Western harbour to seawards and the Annisquam river.  This canal has an opening bridge and I was curious to have a look close up as well as explore the esplanade for the memorial to "Those left behind".

The canal was dug by a local churchman, from whom it takes it's name, in 1643 and the bridge was built in 1907.  We were told later (in the pub) that it is the second most frequently opened bridge in the US!  Maratime traffic having priority.

When I found the canal and bridge I was surprise by how small it was, probably not more than 40 meters wide at the bridge.  The tide was flooding and the sea was rushing thro' the canal into the river at, what seemed to me, a ferocious pace.  I simply couldn't believe that it was navigable.  As if to prove me wrong it opened as I watched to allow a police launch upstream with the tide and a coastguard cutter down stream against the tide.  Both seemed unconcerned and when the bridge reached it full height they both crossed successfully at full throttle sending big wakes up the embankments.       

From there I walked along the esplanade to the have a look at the memorials to those lost at sea and those left behind.  Pictures when I get bandwidth.

They are very moving memorials.  Between 1860 and 1906 at the height of the cod fishing boom some 600 ships and 3380 men were lost at sea, the other statistics were just as awful.  Men lost and commemorated by the memorial 5368. Total ships lost 1,000.  Lost with all hands 265.  

Further along the esplanade was an equally moving memorial to the thousands of widows who struggled to survive and raise their fatherless children.  Many of whom entered the trade of their lost fathers!

I turned up Washington street and climbed to the lookout at the aptly named Lookout street.  From there I could see the whole of the outer and inner harbours stretching away to the  south east to the lighthouse on Eastern Point to my right and the inner harbour with it's busy fishing fleet to my left.  The harbour is littered with buoys marking lobster pots and I'm told (in the pub again) it's little changed in the last hundred years.  A truly beautiful sight on a rare sunny day.

The afternoon was spent drinking coffee in a little Italian coffee shop on Main Street (very good coffee), crowded with locals all talking at once and not a word of english did I hear in the hour or so I spent sucking up their free WiFi!  

Stones Pub was last stop where Rossco joined me for dinner.  On his advice we had   hamburgers with crispy bacon and peanut butter and a side of sweet potato fries washed down with a couple of local craft beers from Belfast Bay called Lobster Ale.  We were assured by the bar staff that no lobsters suffered in the brewing process!

The pub was a mine of useful and surprising information (see above) as well as a small window into a very close and hardy community.  Rossco and I had a "cool time"

Back onboard we were surprised to find we had a visitor, Mike, an old mate of Matt's, who lives on Eastern point and commutes each day to Boston.  He had paddled several miles up the bay on his board to catch up with Matt.  

The rum was splashed about after our guest had departed and Michael (now somewhat recovered) filled us in on his day.

More later PK  

Rossco Keeping watch...

Drina NWP attempt - Gloucester to Halifax via Shelburne 20 June 2014

Drina NWP attempt - Gloucester to Halifax via Shelburne 20 June 2014

Overnight we alternated between sailing Main and Headsail when the wind was in to Motor-sailing with Main only when wind deserted us.  We averaged about 5Kts for the 12 hours.

Today the wind has been  light and variable mostly from behind.  So a slow day with about 50% Motor-sailing.  Beautiful weather, sunny with clear skies and no swell.  Very comfortable.

While standing on the back deck after dinner we had a humpback breech several times about 100 meters away.  Very spectacular indeed, what a sight to see such a large animal vertical in the air, tail clear of the water each time!

Tonight Rossco and I will be standing the midnight watch and we expect to see the light on Cape Sable on the bottom of Nova Scotia before the end of the watch at 0300hrs

An hour or so ago we polled out the headsail to port and set the staysail so we must now be quite a sight. 

PK at sea on Drina

Drina's NWP Adventure, the end of day two..

The day started well, nearly 5 hours sleep in a flat bed that didn't move has worked wonders. 

We are getting into the higher latidudes, the equivelent in Aus might be Melbourne.  In terms of out attempt this leaves us some 25 degrees below our goal of the Artic Circle at 66.5N  and we haven't started sailing yet!

Michael and Rossco arrived for breakfast of pancakes and some wonderful mapyle sticky stuff washed down with Matt's wonderful Jamacian coffee and I mean WONDERFUL!  (Result of long association with  Lisbeth I suspect). 

Breakfast was followed by:

Review of the wider strategy.

A visit to a marine consignment store. (pictures when I can)

Shopping for computers, we bought another printer...

Planning a food shopping list...

Making a small start on the list.

More coffee.

Lunch at DD's  (that's Dunkin Doughnuts for the not so widely travelled.)

Wonderful dinner on the back deck at Matt & Lisbet's

More coffee!

Jamesons and back to bed, where it all started.

New Bedford to Onset Bay - Joshua Slocum, Whale Museum. 15 June 2014

After an early Sunday Morning breakfast at anchor in New Bedford Harbour we swung out the dinghy and set off up river to visit the site of Joshua Slocum's departure for his famous circumnavigation.  He was the first man to to circle the world single handed in a small yacht.

The 37ft sloop, Spray was launched from a little beach in the harbour in 1895 and returned 4 years later to the same spot.  He wrote a book about his travels (Sailing alone around the world) that was a huge success and made his fortune.  He later left, again alone, to sail to South America and  explore the Chile Channels.  Some say to escape his wife who wanted a share of the book royalties.  Whatever the reason he was never heard of again, presumed lost at sea!

Later in the Morning we visited the New Bedford Whale Museum where we spent the remainder of the day. what men those whalers must have been?  If you're ever in New Bedford I recommend a visit to thiis museum, we four thought it really cool! One of the best museums I've ever visited.

after a few very expensive beers for lunch we went aboard and found the wind had returned and was now in a favourable quarter for the next leg of our journey on up to Boston through the Cape Cod Canal.  So we stowed the dinghy on deck, and made our way out the gates to overnight at Onset Bay, an anchorage just on southern end of the channel.   There we were attached by a swarm of midges, tiny black things that soon covered every surface including us.  Thankfully soon after we anchored darkness fell and with it the little black things disappeared as well.

Mike soon had dinner on the go, roast beef and veg with some beer starters and later a little snifter of Jameson to help us all sleep, we retired for the night after what had been a reasonably long and very enjoyable day.

Drina's North West Passage attempt: Almost Ready...

Here we are the 9th June 2104, almost ready to take off on QF107 bound for JFK to catch up with the good ship Drina again.  Michael and Drina are presently waiting patiently in Newport Rhode Island for myself and our two other crew members (Matt Jensen Young, ex pat Aussie presently in the US and Rossco Booker a young ex pat Pommie, who has been living in upstate NY for the past 12 years and recently qualified from Stonybrook University, Long Is.) to join.  

After a couple of days restocking and laying in an adequate supply of the Jamesons we four plan to cruise the Maine coast for the next couple of weeks then via Halifax and St Johns depart for Greenland later this month planning to be there about the first week in July.  

There we will sit and await the melting of the ice and the opening of the Passage.  We've been planning this for about three years and while there was talk of making the attempt last year, birthday celebrations got in the way.  So 2014 it is!

Now, after a long flight to New York and car drive to Providence, Rhode Is., here I am sitting in Matt's kitchen waiting for him to return with Michael and Rossco for breakfast and the first of what will undoubtedly a long series of morning briefings over the next 3 to 4 months.  Despite all the effort on our collective and individual parts lots still needs to be decided and executed before our departure.

Still, this morning the fun part really begins.

Rohde Is. June 10 2014.