Coldwell Creek, Saint John River, NB
From Drury Cove, we began our exploration of the Saint John River and its tributaries and offshoots.
But first, a visit and provisioning. Leaving Drury Cove, we motored in the quiet morning calm, running through Milkish Channel, separating Kennebecasis Island from Kingston Peninsula. It is a quiet passage, no current and excellent protection from all winds, so we passed a number of boats rafted in the quiet morning.
Up the river to Westfield, where we checked with the ferry before crossing its path. The ferries run on cables, so to avoid snagging one, it is best to contact them. And they are very cooperative, usually telling the pleasure boats to go ahead while they wait. Safely across, we anchored and called our good friend Dianne MacDonald, visiting her mother just a mile away from our anchorage.
After a great visit, an excellent lunch and some grocery shopping, we were off again. Destination for the night was not fixed, but as it was a weekend, we checked out a few on the river, found them too crowded or noisy, and by dusk, found ourselves in Kingston Creek, a small creek off Belleisle Bay.
Here we anchored with a few US visitors, including , Shearwater, a Hinckley Southwester 42, who we first met in St Andrews. In bed early after a long day, we were quickly up again to witness a spectacular fireworks show put on by a family reunion further up the creek.
Sunday morning, we headed further up-river, reaching the tiny village of Gagetown. We had read that there were moorings or marina space available, but the moorings were carried away in the spring runoff, and the guest docks carried away in Hurricane Arthur. So we anchored and took the dinghy ashore. Here we found a quiet town with one restaurant, one craft shop and the former home of Sir Leonard Tilly, a father of Confederation. The tour of his former home was interesting, but concluded our brief visit to Gagetown.
Downstream a few miles (crossing the third ferry of the day) we headed into Coldwell Creek, finding what can only be described as a "bucholic" scene, right out of an old masters painting... cows grazing at the water's edge, framed by the farmhouse with three small barns and green fields sloping gently down to the water's edge, all in a still calm evening. By the way, the water temperature is 77F, compared to 46F in St Andrews.