We had diner with our friends on Friday night and, I think that we have finally wrassled this bear to the ground.

Given the short times that they have for their holidays, it makes far more sense to play everything by ear and see how we make out each day. If we can get them as far as Bar Harbor that would be great but even if we don't leave Canadian waters while they are with us we can still have a really good time introducing them to some places that we know, and discovering still other new places together.

So, our itinerary now runs something like:

28 Aug - Party at AYC
29 Aug - Sail to La Have River and the Bakery Dock
30 Aug - Sail to Carter's Beach
31 Aug - Sail to Shelburne and dinner at Charlotte's Lane
1 Sep - Sail to Sable Island - Barrington Passage or Clarke's Harbour
2 Sep - Sail to Yarmouth
3 Sep - Sail to Digby Neck
4 Sep - Sail to Digby
5-6 Sep- Visit Digby
7 Sep - Our friends return home and we leave fro Grand Manan
8 Sep - Grand Manad to Eastport and clear US customs
9 Sep - start gunkholing down the coast of Maine

We will plan for a couple of weeks to get down the coast as far as NYC, taking our time and taking advantage of weather when we get it. We'd like to visit som eof the offshore inhabited islands that are all along the Maine Coast. Much of Nova Scotia used to be like that but now there are only a couple.

Then we'll spend a couple of days at NYC before heading down to Cape May to explore the architecture and decide if we want to go up the Delaware to the Chesapeake Canal. If the weather permits and conditions are right we'd both like to explore the Chesapeake from the top heading south too. I figure that we'll be in teh area of Annapolis for the boat show whichh we'd both like to take in if we can find some place to anchor or moor. I'm hoping that some of my military connections will be able to help out with that.

We'll spend a week in Norfolk and then slowly head down the ICW to Oriental and Beauford. Our insurance won't cover us for "Named Storms" if we go south of Chesapeake before 15 November.


Anyway. That's the latest iteration of "the Dream". We have our fingers crossed for NELLEKE, for our health, and for good weather.


06/19/2008 05:43:23

More things to consider.

The SW most point of NS is a pretty volatile body of water. There are the Fundy Tidal currents that can rip as much as 3 knots even in open water and upards of 5 in some constricted areas, shoal waters extending quite the way out from shore, and frequently conflicting winds. All of which can, and oftern does, combine to produce very confused seas witha current that knocks your speed way way down if it doesn't stop you dead or actually have you heading backward.

In our case, the Tidal Gods are just flat out not cooperative on the date that we will want to head around Cape Sable. It will either involve us planning to make the trip over two days with a stop en route, or swininging out wide to sea and still taking the two days.

I believe that I will try to convince the crew that our best option will be to head for Bar Harbor directly from Shelburne. That way the effect of the tide will be to move us port or starboard but with minimal effect on our SMG.

Probably the best plan will be to keep all of the options open and select the one that best fits the conditions at the time.

06/17/2008 05:43:23

Well. Only to be expected, but surprising nontheless, I guess. Our friends and crewmates, Pat and Lisa have had their holiday/cruising plans changed by work commitments.

Gee - that sounds familiar. Used to happen to us all the time.

Anyway, Lisa now has to be back at work on the 10th of September as opposed to the 15th so we have to revise the plan. After our initial dissapointment it suddenly hit us - at that point we will be retired! We don't care about changes to plans! The only people negatively affected are our friends. Oh well. Their day will come one day.

The change does have its good points. We are no longer bound by a schedule that is supposed to get us to NYC in time for their return flight; they save themselves a honkin' amount of money on airfare; and our new plan will allow us to stop and smell the roses en route.

What is the new plan?

Well, tentatively, and I do mean tentatively, we will depart AYC in the wee smalls of the 29th Aug and follow as best we can or deside the following agenda:

29 Aug: La Have, Lunenburg County
30 Aug: Carter's Beach, Queens County
31 Aug: Shelburne Yacht Club, Shelburne County
1 Sep: Yarmouth, Yarmouth County
2 Sep: Digby Neck
3 Sep: Grand Manan, NB
4 Sep: Eastport Maine - Clear Customs
5-6 Sep: Travel to Bar Harbour where Pat and Lisa will get the ferry back to Yarmouth and a bus to Halifax

and alternative would be:

29 Aug: La Have, Lunenburg County
30 Aug: Carter's Beach, Queens County
31 Aug: Shelburne Yacht Club, Shelburne County
1 Sep: Yarmouth, Yarmouth County
2 Sep: Bar Harbour to clear US Customs
3-5 Sep: Cruise the coast of Maine
6 Sep: Bar Harbour - where Pat and Lisa will get the ferry back to Yarmouth and a bus to Halifax

The big thing now, looking at the situation from a positive point of view is that we are now much more flexible. For instance, if the weather is really in the crapper, Pat and Lisa don't even need to leave Nova Scotia. There is more than enough to see and do, more than enough places to visit along the coast that would be fun to share with the four of us.

One crew member will be particularly happy - Periwinkle. He won't be facing a two day trip without a fire hydrant.