Author: BobS

Loaded into the two cars (Peter & Ze’s, Bob & Tarja’s) to start our two day tour of Cape Breton planned by Ze, our local knowledge tour guide. Our first stop was a tour and tasting at the Glenora Inn & Distillery – a beautiful place with a stream running through the property and a high hill behind the buildings. We then drove to the Cape Breton HIghlands National Park along the iconic Cabot Trail with its amazing views. Our specific destination was the Skyline Trail, about a 40 minutes walk one way on mostly well maintained gravel paths ending at a headland with wooden steps and platforms to make it safe to climb down. Ze told us she used to walk the trail as a kid when it was just a goat track. The views of the Cabot Trail from the headland were spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After breakfast at Bean There we walked to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. It sits on a hill with a wonderful view to the Baddeck lighthouse. The museum provides an excellent portrait of Bell’s amazing accomplishment which are so much more than just the telephone.

After the museum Linda and Tarja walked the town’s main drag checking out all the great craft shops while the guys relaxed. Linda was getting reports from Peter & Ze who were enroute from driving from the Halifax area to join us. They were caught in a huge rainstorm that was tracking towards us. The rain hit us not long after Peter & Ze arrived but at least we didn’t get thunder & lightning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a fine pancake breakfast on Ramble On we left the dock about 9:30. Linda joined Finnish Line 2.0 as crew today and kept the sails well trimmed as we clipped along under variable winds and beautiful sunny skies. Passed under the Barra Strait bridge … the operator is a real pro and has the bridge opening timed to the boat’s pace so no time is lost.

Arrived in Baddeck mid-afternoon. It’s a very pretty setting with many boats anchored out or on mooring balls. Tarja had arrived by car and had enjoyed a good local lunch in time to meet us on on the dock. Very hot here in the high 20s with a feels like in the 30s. Gives us empathy for the suffering folks back home. At dinner spoke briefly with a chap from Kingston whom I met playing bass in the LaSalle Adult Band. It IS a weird world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off the anchor at 7am — it took taking the boat up to 2500 rpm to break the anchor out of the mud —— oh the mud, great gobs came up in the chain and on the anchor. Maybe we do need a deck wash. Tarja and Chris M off about 8am …. Tarja driving Chris to his car in Shediac and then picking up Ben for Ramble On at Moncton airport before returning to the boat. A lobster mac’n’cheese awaits the travellers. For those remaining on the boats it was a workday hosing off mud, filling water tanks, doing laundry and the many other boat jobs that are always on one’s list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lovely Finnish pancake breakfast followed by another lovely sail. Our friend Chris from St Petersburg is heading home tomorrow so we anchored just two miles from the marina where our car is. Pleasant evening with a steak dinner followed by very good scotch. Cruising is just brutal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovely sail in the lakes to our anchorage. We went by Marble Mountain but weren’t sure what the attraction was ? Winds had picked up to high teens and were set to swing from SW to NW overnight so we tucked up as closely to the island as we dared. We buddy anchored which keeps life simple. Chris M tried out our inflatable kayak from Advanced Elements and blessed its tracking and nimbleness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light winds and sunny skies. The bridge through the shortcut still under repairs so we needed to go around Isle Madam an extra 10 miles. But this gave us the chance to have the asym up for an hour or so reaching over 7 knots —- nice ride!

 

Arrived at the St Peters Canal and lock early afternoon and had to hang to wait for a down locking boat to come through. We had two fishing trawlers then locked through … a 2’ rise.

 

 

Once out the St Peters Marina was just around the corner. Great marina with good facilities and a very friendly, easy-going manager, Jerry. Lots of sunshine and heat! so all hatches open. Tarja arrived a short time after our docking.

 

 

 

 

Our evening meal was at the MacMouche where local talent was playing guitars and singing …. a fun evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off the dock at 8 with sunshine and light airs to cross St George’s Bay to the Canso Strait, the Canso lock and then Port Hawkesbury on Cape Breton.

Both boats used their asyms for awhile but eventually the breeze died to below 2 knots. Of course the wind picked up to 15 knots as we entered the Canso Strait. As it was on our stern this caused real problems in stopping inside the lock. Several bruised/cut hands on both boats trying to keep hold of the line. Why not tie or at least wrap to a cleat? By the time I got control of it I only had 5” of line! With Chris’ help we managed to obtain enough slack to get it on the cleat. The lock was only going down a foot so no fear of ripping the cleat off! The exit wasn’t much better as the woman throwing the stern line onto our boat missed and it all went in the water. Quickly retrieved it to save it from being prop meat. I returned to the wheel to find us at a 45 degree angle to the lock. A quick application of power fixed that although had to then throttle back to maintain a slower lock exit speed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off the dock just before eight. Once out of the river it became a bumpy ride. Winds good enough to sail but after less than an hour they diminished and turned on our nose. At St George’s Bay the winds came up along with some rather large swells. Lots of banging as the hull dropped over waves and a fair bit of water coming over the deck including the coach roof. Arrived at the very small fishing harbour of Ballantyne’s Cove mid afternoon. Tied up at a dock and went to help Ramble On come in just as a huge rain storm hit. Storm was apparently local but brought lots of water which washed down the hillside giving the harbour very brown water. Very limited services and washrooms are a very long walk but then it’s only $1 a foot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stayed an extra day due to the slop in the Northumberland Strait. One distraction was a 100+ Model T Ford Rally. It starts here on its Red Dirt Tour.

Tarja left today to visit family in Moncton and will meet us in a few days in the Bras d’Or lakes on Cape Breton.

New friends in car. Note the GPS on the windscreen.