Enetai - Nova Scotia Cruise, 2017
Part 4: August 8 to August 15, Port Hawkwsbury Nova Scotia to Shediac New Brunswick, 203 nautical miles
Tuesday, August 8, Port Hawkesbury to Ballantynes Cove, 28nm.
We had heard when chatting with the dock volunteer at the yacht club that the Canso Strait swing-bridge was having "software problems" and was causing a lot of grief for traffic and people trying to get on and off Cape Breton. There is no other way since the ferry that crossed at Port Hawkesbury stopped running when the causeway and bridge were built. Called the bridge and lock operator who assured us that the situation was resolved and the way would be clear for us in the morning. And it was.
We called from buoy C28 as instructed, and they opened the bridge and south lock gate for us. The lock operator was very friendly and chatty. We were invited to tie up or hold station in the center of the lock. The water level difference was less than a foot (can't remember if we went up or down) so we elected to motor in place during the brief adjustment before the north lock gate opened.
We motored up the Strait until it opened up into St. Georges Bay. This is an exposed place that looks like a wind funnel on the chart but there was no wind in the Strait. The wind filled in from the South as we exited the strait and blew strong and steady. We blasted across the bay about 25nm under reefed sails and as the rain began to fall.
We used the autopilot motor-sailing up the Strait:
Too much for the autopilot as we cross St George Bay:
Ballantynes Cove is too small to make out along the hills and it wasn't obvious where the entrance would be, but we followed the line on the chart plotter and there it was, under Cape George. Ballantynes Cove is a snug harbor that is divided neatly into fishing on the right and recreational boating on the left. It is on the way to or from The Strait of Canso and Cape Breton with the Bras d'Or Lake, so they get a steady stream of transients. We got a steady stream of rain, it just poured. But the rain was needed, we'd heard people talking earlier in the trip about their wells were going dry.
Wed, August 9, Ballantynes Cove, 9nm.
We headed out in the morning but the wind was hard on the nose as we rounded Cape George. We tried to motor into it but the boat slammed alarmingly on the wind waves. As we considered how much of this we could take, the dinghy came untied from her cleat and blew off down wind, back the way we'd come. Never had that happened before. We turned around and chased her with the boathook. Once she was secured (better, this time) we put up the mizzen and sailed back around to Ballantynes Cove in the lee of the Cape.
Back on shore, this gave us the opportunity for pay for moorage. The previous day, the two teens at the office were un-communicative and never said a thing about paying for the dock! We spent most of the rest of the day (a beautiful, sparkling blue-sky day on shore!) walking the trails on Cape George. We eventually came out at the light house which overlooks the scene of our dinghy escape. It was still blowing strong out there!
We took a rest on a bench most of the way up the hill and overlooking Northumberland Strait.
We came across this pile on the trail. They have bears here? Big ones, it looks like! We talked a little louder as we walked.
Click to see larger picture of Ballantynes Cove.
What does this sign mean? You shoot the gun while I drink the beer?
We were famished by the time we got back down to the cove via the highway. But we knew Ballantyne's Cove's culinary secret: The modest little ice cream shop at the head of the cove is really an excellent take-out fish and chips joint. Yay! Showers took a couple of loonies, good to know before walking all the way around the harbor to get to them.
Thursday, August 10, Ballantynes Cove to Caribou Point, 40nm.
Try again? We set off again around Cape George. It was still quite rough. The wind was more westerly. After motoring most of the way around the end of the cape, we were able to sail close-hauled down the shore.
Gina searched the charts for someplace we could duck in and take a break. The guidebook didn't have much detail on this part of Nova Scotia, but she spotted Arisaig (Air-i-Sigh) and looked it up in the Canadian Sailing Directions to find there were some services. The breakwater was being updated and the docks looked quite new. There was a small restaurant/deli which made great sandwiches. The harbor is somewhat shallow, so that's probably why it's not mentioned prominently, because it was a lovely little place with a nice beach, partly marked off where visitors could go swimming.
We managed to get fuel from the fishermen's co-op, the fellow guesstimated the cost as it wasn't really set up for transients.
Then we headed back out for what we thought would be Pictou. It was getting late as we approached and the wind went light so we opted for Caribou Harbour. We rigged our awning for the first time this trip during the airless crossing from Arisaig to Caribou.
We had been there in 2009. There's a lot more activity in Caribou than there was last time. A big development on the east end and a fishermen's wharf mid-shore, with some buoys that might have been marking aquaculture. But it's a lovely harbor with a lovely sunset back-lighting the ferries as they came and went to PEI.
Friday, August 11, Caribou Point to Pugwash, 49nm.
The North Shore of Nova Scotia is a series of shallow estuaries with towns here and there. We recalled from our 2009 visit that the towns are often not at the harbors. The Barrachois harbour is an example of the shallow estuary entrances, and the harbour and marina/yacht club are some distance from the town of Tatamagouche. We explored some of these harbors in 2009. Our boat is ideal for these waters, with our shallow draft, however, we were concerned that adverse weather could pin us down and delay the end of our cruise. There was no wind today so we turned on the motor and tiller pilot and headed for Pugwash, which we'd also visited in 2009. It's a pretty little town - which back then had a café with the best coffee along the whole coast.
We twisted and turned our way into Pugwash via the long, winding channel, and tied up at the Pugwash Yacht Club, Thinkers Landing. Only one gentleman was there and he was new to the club and didn't know about tying up. So we put our money in the envelop in the slot and headed in to town.
Alas the café is no longer! But the visitors' center, which was open late, recommended the Inn the Elms. We walked to the Inn and they were fully subscribed for dinner time with a large party due in half-hour, but they relented and sat us in a quiet dining area off the main room where we had a fabulous dinner! The co-op store is right there too. We hadn't realized the big salt operation is actually mining a salt cave. They don't do tours anymore. Pugwash Salt Mine
Saturday August 12, Pugwash to Shediac, 58nm.
Considered the weather and wind predictions. Lots of rain. Low visibility. Wind today would be with us and even turning the corner by Cape Tourmantine. That was for today, however, it would be strongly against us for the next few days. We were winding up our trip. We powered our way out of Pugwash against the tide. We motored, sailed and motor-sailed, in the rain, along Northumberland Strait to get to Shediac. Under the Confederation Bridge, fog and rain mist were such that we could not see either end of the bridge. Had to put in both panels in the companionway to keep the rain out of the cabin.
As an aside, check out the muddy Fundy waters in the lower left corner of that satellite image. This is the Isthmus of Chignecto between the Fundy and Northumberland waters. Hmm, tempting to flat-bed the boat a few miles across the isthmus and sail back to St Andrews.
We got into the Shediac Yacht Club at 6:45 PM, We had radioed ahead for a slip but could not find it. The dock was hard to read, we ended up in a better spot than the teens who were working that evening suggested. Later, they were quite helpful finding a cab company for us to get to Moncton.
Hey, we're done!! Wow, we've closed the circle, completed the loop, gone all the way around the "island" of New England-Gaspé Peninsula-New Brunswick (& most of Nova Scotia)!
We took a little time the next couple of days as we drove home to sight-see the town of Alma on the Fundy Shore (where we had thought of possibly moving the boat and launching there three years ago) and to go for a little fresh-water sail on Lake Kennebecassis.
Sunday, August 13,
Arranged taxi, bus, bus and taxi to fetch the truck and trailer from St Andrews to Shediac. Called up Roger McNabb so that we could thank him, say goodbye and give a donation to the St. Andrews Yacht Club (he wouldn't take one at the beginning of our travels). Long drive back to Shediac.
A detour to the Provincial park and the town of Alma was fascinating along the Bay of Fundy. We were so hungry by the time we got there! But got some great take out, chowder and burgers, which we ate by the monument to Myrtle (Molly) Kool , the first woman sea-captain in the New World (1939!), as the fog rolled in with the night.
We slept in the boat in Shediac.
Monday, August 14, Trailer from Shediac to Lake Kennebecasis. 19 nm.
The drive south was marred by some confusion in the roundabouts. But we did drive part of the way on a very scenic route along the Kennebecasis River Valley, where the river is more like a stream. Launched at Meehan Cove park in Quispamsis, where there's a really nice, new ramp and dock. We sailed out on the Kenebecasis with a fairly strong wind, tacking up toward Long Island and crossing the cable ferries. We circumnavigated little Mather Island through the very narrow slot between it and Long Island, then whoosh, downwind past the cable ferries and into quiet Foresters Cove for the night. Swimming in near-70 degree water was amazing.
Tuesday, August 15, Trailer boat home.
In the morning there was a little fawn trotting along the beach to the south, wow.
We unrigged the boat at anchor and tidied her up for the road before we motored back to the ramp. We pulled out and headed home. Back through customs and the long drive back to Massachusetts.
Hey, hope you enjoyed reading this. We enjoyed writing it. We would like to think that this narrative will prove useful to other sailors and we will get linked to in their stories.