East by Northeast.
Idyllic home in Maine.
Leaving Provincetown we had initially planned to sail east, directly to the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia. A chance remark by our friends, wondering if we were going to find enough to interest us while waiting for weather to make our crossing over to Ireland, made us reconsider. Yes, Nova Scotia is a beautiful cruising ground, but we have been up and down this coast three times now, and to be honest, our favorite thing to do is explore new places, not revisit old favorites. We therefore headed northeast toward Maine, dipping our toes into this area just briefly, to see if the horror tales of endless lobster traps would spoil what we knew could be a beautiful coastline and cruising experience. It is somewhere we are interested in exploring in depth at a later date.
The public dock in Pulpit Harbor, North Haven, Maine.
We had a gentle overnight sail toward Maine, choosing to get our taste of this area right in the middle, in Penobscot Bay. The cruising guides described Pulpit Harbor on the island of North Haven as an idyllic spot, and indeed it was; Well-sheltered with good holding, lovely summer residences surrounding the bay.
We were pleasantly surprised that the lobster pots were just being relaid for the summer. Some had been out the whole winter season. But in just the 10 days or so we were in Maine, we could see the number out there increasing significantly. It was manageable, but you had to stay alert. For those unfamiliar with lobster pots, there is a line that goes from a float down to the pot on the ocean floor. There is then a secondary, sneaky line with another “pick up” float that trails out from the main float. That line can be anything from 6 to 40 feet. The fisherman may have set up to 15 or so traps in one small area so you have to determine which pick up belongs to which main float. Do not sail, or worse, motor, between the two or the line will rapidly wrap around the propellor and bring that beautiful day sail to a screeching halt. Who really wants to go diving in Maine waters in late spring to cut off a wrap? We were fortunate that was never an issue, but as I said, we were early in the season and the fishermen were just beginning to put the bulk of their pots out.
Our first outing on North Haven was a walk upstream, along the river. The gentle hills and lush grass were a delight. We stumbled upon an oyster shack where Adam Campbell was selling oysters that he farmed just below in the tidal inlet. After a nice chat and a quick sample, a dozen oysters came back to Helacious to be enjoyed that evening.
The evening view out of Pulpit harbor.
Our neighbor in the anchorage.
The following afternoon we walked into town. We passed a nice mix of summer residences and full time island dwellers. The latter frequently had boats on trailers and stacks of lobster pots in the yard, waiting for the lobster season to begin in earnest. We had heard of a wonderful brewery and pizza restaurant, only open one day a week. We got lucky.
A boathouse able to accommodate the large tidal range.
Sunset from Pulpit Harbor.
We had a nice gentle sail the following day over to Isle au Haute. The anchorage we chose was called Duck Harbor, and was on the southwestern tip. The only way in and out is by boat. A dock was provided for the ferry bringing in hikers and campers. We used it the next day to go on an amazing hike up Duck Mountain and around the coast.
Aerial of Duck Harbor looking north.
The following day we left Maine - we will return! We sailed overnight to Shelburne, Nova Scotia. We paid close attention to the tides; the Bay of Fundy, which we had to cross, has the worlds largest tidal range. As a result the currents were very powerful and we did not want to encounter a wind-over-tide situation. We rounded Cape Sable, safe from the currents, and sailed on into Shelburne harbor. Here, OCC friends James and Wijnanda were waiting for us. We checked into Canada easily over the phone and went out for dinner at the local fish shop, catching up on our travels since we last met.
Shelburne is a lovely small town with a long history. Once the largest town in Nova Scotia, it is now a center for fishing, with some shipbuilding and barrel making. We saw the piles of gently curved wood drying in the sun.
We sailed on east, up the coast toward another favorite anchorage, Port Mouton and Carters Beach, where we met up with Nina and Thomas on Maribelle, Swedish sailors and OCC members we had met last year in Newfoundland. We spent a day exploring Spectacle Island adjacent to the anchorage.
The next port of call was Lunenburg, another favorite town. Here we welcomed Lori and Dan, friends who sail their Amel BeBe in the warmer Caribbean waters. We spent a few days sailing around Mahone Bay, trying to persuade them that cooler weather sailing is just as much fun.
As the fog rolled in on the last day, I am not sure they were convinced. Oh well, we will just have to visit them in the Caribbean.
While we were in Lunenburg, a tall ship, Niagara, came in to port in the middle of the night with dangerously loose rigging. The boat had recently been restored and was being delivered to Erie, Pennsylvania by captain and fellow OCC member, Heather. She saw our OCC flag flying and came over to introduce herself. We heard the story of their arrival and went over the following day for a tour.
Onboard the tall ship, Niagara.
We also visited a number of the very active wooden boatyards in Lunenburg. The large “Big Boat Shed” was part of the Museum system and was in the business of restoring mainly large historical vessels. The smaller Old Town Boatworks was in the process of building a hard dodger for a Spirit 47 yacht. It was so nice to see high quality craftsmanship was still appreciated.
That poor fishing boat in the last picture was a recent tragedy, the haul out ramp collapsed under it as it was being pulled up. They are still trying to work out how to get it upright again.
After our friends left we were not alone for long. While waiting for the fog to clear and the wind blow in the right direction we had a get together with the crew of Adela, Spooky and Sya.
It was now time to get down to the business of preparing for our upcoming passage back to Europe. We sailed over to Shining Waters Marina at the head of Margarets Bay and arranged for a haul out. The boatyard was very professional and accommodating. We were uncertain if we would need to stay on the hard or not. Did our cutlass bearing really need replacing? With help from their experienced mechanics we determined it did not, so a much cheaper quick haul allowed us to clean the bottom, grease the prop, change anodes and lubricate all through hulls. All below the waterline jobs that need doing, but in the cold northern waters are not “in water” projects. The overnight view from the slings was quite nice and the marina restaurant served Indian fare, a change from the usual hamburgers.
We were surprised to find yet another OCC friend in the yard. Marylou was in the process of recommissioning her boat, Kiviuq. We had previously met Marylou in Scotland last year at an OCC gathering on the shores of the Sound of Jura. It was great fun catching up on future sailing plans.
Glad that job is done.
We departed and moved east. All of a sudden, the gently forested islands with thick undergrowth changed to a pale rocky coastline, reminiscent of the Swedish west coast. It was quite lovely. We pulled into West Dover anchorage and were joined that evening by the crew of Sya, the Dutch boat we had previously met in Lunenburg, also OCC members.
Rocky shoreline.
The following day we went for a hike together.
We had such fun, the following day Brian got a lesson in CAD design, and a bonus 3-D printed clip for his flashlight (Robin has a 3-D printer onboard his boat!). The boys also went fishing and we enjoyed fishcakes for dinner. Good times, Robin and Kayleigh.
The weather seemed to be settling down finally, the storms of spring were less frequent. We went to Halifax for a few days, tied up to a dock to re-provision, get laundry done (thank you Eric and Angela) and do a few more maintenance jobs like changing the oil, check the rig and visit the chandlery. And then it looked like we might have a weather window. Not perfect by any means, but something we could work with. The next day we left, hopefully the next stop will be Bantry Bay, Ireland.
We will miss this coastline, it is such a great cruising ground. Something for all tastes. Follow our progress below.