Bob and Tarja's Adventures Page
Our sailing voyages, trips, and hikes
Interesting sail past some shore caves at the mouth of Lunenburg Bay. Sunny day with little wind until we couldn’t use it (of course!)
After going up river to get fuel at the Lahave YC we came back down river a few miles to dock at a bakery. That’s right, a bakery! Building also has a wonderful old bookstore and reading room as well as a crafts room. Lovely late lunch and we were able to pick up scallops for dinner.
Decided we had the time to spend 2 days here so we didn’t have to rush too much. First day visited the 3 marine shops within easy walk of us although they were all rather minimal. When paying for our extra night the young attendant offered to drive us to the liquor store as well as wait and bring us back. Now that’s service!
We visited the Maritime Marine Museum which, while a little run down, was very useful to understand the history of the fishing industry here. They also have two ships to tour which illustrated the progression of the industry’s ships.
As Lunenburg is now a UNESCO Heritage site building and renovations are tightly monitored. Even the local grocery store is in the Lunenburg style. 
The only sore thumb is the CIBC bank in the heart of town in an ugly, nondescript 1960s building. Probably it’s been grandfathered in but it’s a shame they haven’t felt the need to be part of the community. The waterfront has several tourist things like the museum and, of course, parking but it is still very much a working harbour. This is part of its attraction.
Linda and Debbie went for a horse-drawn (romantic?) carriage tour of the town. Chris and Bob stayed behind to do boatie things.
Local restaurants, while touristy, nonetheless offered very good meals with wonderful views of the harbour.
Nice breakfast at the local coffee shop, Eli’s Espresso. Then off on a gloriously sunny day with not too much wind, well not much at all. Did put the jib up but the we had some very weird wind thing: the pennants on our starboard side showed the wind from the starboard while the jib out on the port side was back winded! It was too much of a mental strain so we furled the jib.
While still heading southish a fly bridge fishing craft coming our way changed course several times so we headed off to stay out of his way. When finally abeam of us he radioed us to look out for the several sunfish ahead. We did see them or rather just the fin. Did take pics which are ok if you like black triangles sticking above the water. ?
Turning around East Point to head up Lunenburg Bay we were joined by two schooner type boats with full sails on a close reach. Sadly we were head to wind so no sailing for us.
Thought we’d be on a mooring ball but Ramble On found a wharf on the east side of town that we tie up at for our time here. Makes being here easier for everyone to explore. Lunenburg is still very much a working port. The other side of our wharf is a boat building shed and a large trawler in dry dock.
We spent several hours wandering the town. I had forgotten how steep it is walking further into town and just how large the historic part of town is. Completed the day with dinner on the patio of the Salt Shaker overlooking the harbour. There is something very special about a harbour filled with moored boats.
Woke up again to a foggy morning. Decided to leave anyway and half through it did lift.
On the way into Mahone Harbour we passed Indian Point where the author of our guide book, “Down East Circle Route”, Capt Cheryl Barr lives.
We docked at the town wharf and went off for lunch at Oh My Cod. The chap clearing our plates heard us talking about Navionics (digital chart provider) and asked us where we were from. He replied that he was from Hamilton. I said that we arrived by boat and he said he had too. Apparently, he and his wife had sold up everything and set sail for the Caribbean stopping at Mahone Bay town because of weather. They liked it so much they bought the restaurant! Now that’s a flexible approach to life.
Mahone Bay town is a more bustling place and perhaps even prettier than Chester. Many lovely, well kept homes and certainly more shops.
After lunch Debbie’s brother and wife (Bill and Leslie) with friend Curtis dropped by along with their daughter and granddaughter. Crowded cockpit pit but good conversation with lots of hints on sailing this part of the world and the better ports and restaurants to try. After all the snacking and beer we didn’t need dinner!
Layover day in the charming town of Chester. Foggy in the morning but cleared up in time for Chris and I to dinghy to town to pursue some engine oil for our dinghies late morning. I knew my engine’s propane was low and sure enough it quit before the dinghy dock and we had to row the rest of the way : 30’. Were able to get some oil and do a bit more of a toodle around the town. Back to the boat for a nice lunch in the cockpit and then some boat maintenance. About 5pm we all headed out in Ramble On’s dinghy for dinner and theatre. Our dinner at the White Gate was wonderful: food, service and ambience. Although as we left the owner standing at the door we left by was too busy texting to say goodbye. ? Just down the block was the theatre where we saw, “God is a Scottish Drag Queen” with Mike Delamont. Very amusing non-politically correct swipes at many religions including Scientology, the Mormons and the Westboro Baptists plus many nationalities. All good fun.
Tomorrow the beginning of Chester Race Week but we felt it best to move on and not join the drinking sailors! ?
Luckily we weren’t too cranky from last night when we left about 9am. We were dragging our dinghy with its engine but as we neared the ocean it was not riding the swells well. Decided to stop and haul it up. That involved getting in the dinghy to attach the securing lines as well as the davit clips. Not the easiest thing in a rolling sea next to a rolling boat. But kept my weight low and my movements slow and deliberate so both I and the dinghy survived.
Passed some very nasty rocks and shoals on the way into Mahone Bay but the bay itself was very broad and lovely. About noon we arrived in Chester’s back harbour and dropped anchor just outside the mooring field. Ramble On rafted to us and we both dropped our dinghies and headed into Chester for lunch. Chester is deservedly well known for the quaintness of its village. There is a lot of money here to make it so. It is a popular yachting community and Chester Race Week attracts a lot of CDN and US race boats. The races begin next week and the boats begin to arrive today hence we are anchored out.
Upon returning from lunch we felt the boats were a wee bit into the channel so we raised the anchor and replanted it with both boats still rafted … it was like having twin screws !
Set off mid-morning for an easy motor down St Margaret’s Bay. Passed an anchored Coast Guard cutter along the way but it did not launch any ribs to check us out this time —- perhaps they’ve tired of us?
Reached our cove about noon. If you hadn’t seen it on the charts you wouldn’t know it’s here. There’s a small boating club on the shore that has many mooring balls out. So many that it was very difficult to choose an anchor spot where we wouldn’t hit the shore or a mooring ball. After checking out the whole cove we settled on the entrance just after the last moored boat. Before we dropped the hook a kayaker came by to give us some tips on the water levels: good on the right side, very shallow on the left at the entrance. It was 40’ of water but I was leery of letting out more than 110’ for fear of swinging into the rock side of the cove. 80’ was chain with light winds so thought we’d be good. At dinner another boater (a ship pilot from Halifax) came by to further warn us of the shoals on the left. There was a family of seals there all day so we figured it was shallow. Sure enough at low tide in the late evening we could see a ledge awash.
There were irregular swells coming in so our two boats, rafted together, made loud bumpy noises all night ?
An easy out mid-morning. Had a 38’ US boat, Monarch, running parallel to our port side decide to head into a bay to our starboard. Rather than delay a minute he rushed by our bow causing some concern on our boat. When visiting other countries it’s better to remember one is an ambassador of one’s own country.
We passed within 500’ of Peggy’s Cove at mid-day. Lots of tourists milling around the lighthouse rocks. Then it was jib up and a pleasant run into the head of St Margaret’s Bay. There was no room at Shinning Waters Marine so we continued around the corner and anchored in a nicely sheltered cove. No fishing boats here but plenty of expensive homes and boats!
Off late morning after Debbie arrived and Ramble On called into the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron for a $48 pump out. That’s right, $48! Whew!
Slowly sailed out of Halifax Harbour after motoring fond the wind shifty Arm. Once back in the Atlantic the cool winds came up with lottsa wave action. Luckily we weren’t going far. We stayed close to the coast and north of the famous Sambro lighthouse. We went carefully through small channels to get to our anchorage at the top of Sambro Head arriving about 4pm.
Had forgotten what a beautiful city Halifax is with its well treed streets, history and polite people. If jaywalking, drivers will stop for you!
We had two dinners at the Armdale Club and enjoyed both: limited menu but great tasting food. The balcony overlooking the harbour is a gem.
We visited Pier 21 the immigration museum (updated since my last visit in 2008) gives a realistic impression of what the 860,000 people who arrived here would have experienced. We then walked along the Halifax Waterfront. Unlike Kingston, Halifax has maintained its waterfront for people. We arrived at the Marine Museum which has good displays of Halifax’s maritime history from the British founding in 1748 to the 1917 explosion to the convoy formations through both world wars.
On the Sunday Chris and I spent a few hours at the Citadel (worthwhile visit) before heading to Debbie’s brother for a salmon bbq …. now that was tasty! Always a good experience to visit with locals to hear their experiences and feelings. After dinner we walked over to Halifax Common to listen to the live music. Along the way we passed the Emera Oval a speed skating track originally built for the 2011 Canada Games. It’s now a permanent year round track with many things for young children to enjoy.
