Ingonish to Sambro

We entered and left Ingonish skirting lobster pots. We should have put a line cutter on our prop !!! We will in Maine...We had tide and current with us as we entered the entrance to the lakes and we were flying at 10.4 knots (19.3 km/hr). Our fastest speed ever!!!

Entering the lakes is always exciting when you sail under Seal Island Bridge. This is the first of many bridges.

Bras d’Or Lakes is one of those secret gems that not many really know about. It is an inland sea with brackish water with little tidal influence. The water is shallow and the lakes heat up well for swimming. The bottom is mud and it makes anchoring easy. There are so many coves to hide away in and often you are the only one there. It is absolutely paradise. We stayed a night at my favourite anchorage. In Maskells Harbour you have great protection and it is so peaceful.

In the morning we radioed the Bridge Operator for permission to enter Barra Strait Bridge. This bridge opens vertical after traffic is stopped. We went through the bridge on our way to our favourite town with the most friendly people; St Peter’s. This was our 4th time there. Gerry from the marina was there to welcome us and provide fuel and water. There were activities on the go and the ladies had free hotdogs ready for us. With laundry done and a great supper at MacBouch Restaurant we were ready to go through the canal in the morning.

St Peter’s have such warm and caring people. Anytime they see a stranger in town they stop to ask if you need a ride or even if you need a lend of their car. They are amazing.

Early the next morning we exit St Peter’s Canal. Unfortunately the current was strong and we now are in need for a fibreglass and gelcoat fix!!! Oh well... no one was hurt. Once we got through we realized the winds were now blowing 30 knots and we decided to take refuge until they settled in D’Escousse for a few hours. Once we left we had a lively sail to Port Howe. This was not such a great spot to drop the hook as it had real deep water with kelp on the bottom. The next morning we continued on with winds in our face to Liscombe. We had a shorter day that day as we were
tired and needed time to recharge. It was a beautiful secluded spot.

We decided to leave early the next morning to make our way to Sambro. This was the hardest day yet. We fought big waves and again those headwinds in our face most of the way until the last couple of hours. Then we ran into mechanical problems. The engine was leaking antifreeze!!!!! As we navigated our way into the anchorage the alarm began chirping. Byron turned off the engine and I begin to freak out. Once I came to my senses I realized I better drop the anchor or we would be on the shore. So my pride and joy anchor (Rocna)was released with 150 feet of chain to try to keep us in place until we could set the anchor. We quickly got the dinghy off the boat and put the small outboard engine on it so Byron could pull C Whisper back to try and set the anchor. I was not happy as I was not sure it was set. So we waited for the engine to cool and topped up the antifreeze so we could turn it on long enough to set the anchor properly. Then we called our good friend Robyn to see if she would go get supplies for us in the morning. Thank god for friends!!

And we are off to Mahone Bay for a few days to visit our good friends Anna and Igor❤️❤️❤️

Please look at the link favourites to follow our track and our gallary for pictures