June 11^th

There was very little wind today but it was right on the nose so we left the sails down and motored. We began at first light and were underway by 5:30. The short steep waves of yesterday were gone to be replaced by longer, deeper ocean swells. Some of the biggest were 12 to 15 feet high but they are generally far apart and rise and fall gently so they are actually comfortable. We made pretty good time and later the wind shifted so we added a reefed main and jib. This added a little speed. We just sat around the cockpit and left Otto to tend helm. 

Otto at the helm.

There was nothing to report with the exception of one other sailboat doing the same thing we were. It flew the flag of Sweden and the skipper sailed off and on the land so we crossed paths a couple of times during the day. At dusk we were almost at the juncture of the Nova Scotia Mainland and Cape Breton Island. The sky was clear, the wind was light and sea conditions had not changed so we decided, once again, to sail on through the night. Our Swiss friend turned in to Tor Bay (yes NS has one too) at dusk but we made the turn at the cape and headed for St. Peter’s. The sky was clear and stars were coming out when I took the first shift off at 10 pm. I came on deck at midnight to find a thick cloud cover and although the swells had subsided the boat rolled uncomfortably. Worst of all the chip of all Canadian maps for the GPS had a gap in the information for this area. Nevertheless Gary had plotted our course, had the radar running and we each stood two hour shifts. Sleeping is not easy on these night passages for two. Two hours is not a lot of time to sleep and in addition you are constantly cold and damp. We could have arrived at St. Peter’s earlier but reduced speed to lengthen the trip so that it would be light when we got inshore so we could see the lobster floats.

Approaching St. Peter's

We arrived at St. Peter’s at 5:30 after 24 hours on the water. The engine had run without pause and without incident. A group of anglers had braved the early morning damps and were catching mackerel at the entrance to the canal as we motored in and tied on. By 6 am I had collapsed in the cabin and Gary had gone for a walk. I don’t know where he found the energy.

Gary

Another overnight!!  This time we were traveling almost blind for a while.  We didn’t have a paper chart for the area around Isle Madame and the traffic zone into Canso, and, as Don mentioned, the electronic chart seemed deficient.  I have little experience with the Radar, but having played with it a few times over the past couple of weeks, I could get it to show me what I couldn’t see in the black night… fortunately, there was very little to see.

St. Peter’s, when we arrived at 5:30, seemed to be already well into its day.  People fishing, people walking dogs, Tim Horton’s had people who seemed to be just passing time with one another, and with little else to do… they really are operating in a different time zone.

It’s an interesting little community. The locking, although only a two foot lift, was fun, and the St. Peter’s Lions Club Marina is one of the best I have been in.