Picture shows: Quilcene’s track across the Atlantic

More pics on Google pics; https://photos.app.goo.gl/mv14NLzWMJUgGMs58

Quilcene is back in Plymouth UK - sixteen years after we set off on our ‘Big Trip’. We were there to greet her when she arrived back at 0130 on 26th July 2023 with a crew of three aboard. We’d agonised about it, but sailing her home from Nova Scotia ourselves was not a sensible option – time marches on and unfortunately we get no younger!

We’d engaged Halcyon Yachts, a Cornish company to provide us with a delivery crew. There were a lot of hoops to jump through with our insurance company but they were eventually happy with the skipper and crews’ credentials.

We flew out to Halifax at the beginning of June to prepare Quilcene for the Atlantic. Arriving during a 28C heatwave with wildfires burning just inland, getting to Quilcene in Shining Waters marina was touch and go, as land to one side of the highway was a no-go area due to fires. Air quality was poor for a couple of days and the flames came to within a mile of the marina. Luckily a sudden change in the weather brought heavy rain which helped to control the fires, although the drop in temperature to 10C left us shivering.

Everything had to be in working order for the crossing and inevitably our checks revealed one or two pieces of equipment that had to be repaired/replaced. Once we’d cracked most of the jobs we began pole-sanding the hull to prepare it for anti-fouling. It was an exhausting task but we managed to complete it after a long mornings work. Our reward was a trip to visit Peggy’s Cove, a tiny picturesque fishing port just at the bottom of the Bay. We had to sail past it the previous year as it is too small to host visiting yachts, but now we had the rental car, so set off down the coast road, passing lots of beautiful properties and houses along the shore.

At Peggys Cove we wandered over the flat white rocks worn smooth over time by pounding seas, and enjoyed a delicious and well deserved dinner of local fish and mussels.

We finished the boat preparations relatively quickly although time was getting short when we finally launched. We needed to sail 43 miles around the headland to Armdale yacht club, Halifax, to rendezvous with the crew who would be flying in from the UK. But first we were determined to have at least one night at anchor in pretty St Margarets Bay before they arrived.

We left the marina on a bright sunny day and sailed down the bay towards our chosen anchorage. Ominously, we could see a distant bank of fog moving in from the Ocean. We dropped the hook off Franks Georges Island, a favourite spot from last year, and spent a pleasant evening enjoying the scenery despite our anxieties about the fog closing in.

The following morning we were up and ready to go at 4am; with strong winds due next day we couldn’t delay. It was pitch black and foggy with no wind when we pulled up the anchor, turned on the engine and followed the chart plotter carefully. Luckily we had a saved track from the previous year to guide us, and boy did we stick to it! The passage took us through the Sambro channel, a narrow rocky route marked by channel buoys. We strained our eyes to spot them through the dense fog but could see nothing, even once it became light. However, every now and then we could hear their warning bells or whistles (‘all the bells and whistles’ – another nautical term in common use). Visibility didn’t clear all day; at one point a yacht passed us coming the other way and we didn’t even see it – just a blip on the AIS radar! In Halifax approaches we had to change course to avoid a large ship that was leaving harbour, again we only saw it on the radar screen as it passed close-by. Definitely not a trip I’d like to repeat!

It was a huge relief to arrive at Armdale yacht club in the afternoon and pick up a mooring buoy, the fog cleared toward evening but we were too exhausted to go ashore. The delights of the yacht club could wait next day. …and it was as delightful as we’d found it the previous year. After spending the day picking up a hire car and clearing and cleaning the boat ready for the crew, we had dinner in the clubhouse restaurant – lovely food at a reasonable price.

We’d booked an Air b’n’b close to the yacht club and moved in the day before the crew arrived from the UK so they could stay aboard straight away. Halcyon informed us of a last-minute change of crew, which was a bit worrying, but our insurance company soon approved the new guy and it was all settled.

Waiting at the airport for three people we didn’t know felt a bit strange, but once their plane arrived I spotted a ‘Halcyon Yachts’ cap and we were soon acquainted. We dropped them off at the boat with a run-down about her equipment and returned later to have a pint in the clubhouse with them. After chatting and getting to know them a little we felt fairly confident handing our yacht over into their care; particularly the skipper, Andy, who was levelheaded and experienced.

As we had a car, we took them shopping for supplies next day. It took two trips to get everything; if they sailed direct it could take over three weeks to cross to Plymouth. 3 men x 3 meals a day + snacks x 3 weeks; the car was loaded down, and I swear that Quilcene sat lower in the water!

Soon they were all set to leave. On 22nd June we wished them ‘Bon Voyage’ and watched Quilcene pull away without us. It was quite a wrench but we were so looking forward to having her back home and enjoying her a lot more than we’d been able to for a few years. A couple of hours later we had a phone call from Andy, he wanted to say before he lost phone signal that Quilcene was sailing really well and he thought she was a great boat. Such a nice gesture.

We stayed another week in the air b’n’b, it was the middle floor apartment of a lovely old 3-storey house in Purcells Cove, a pretty, quiet neighbourhood. We still had the car so had a lovely time exploring the area, taking some beautiful coastal walks and visiting the Halifax Maritime Museum. Vince Purcell, the owner of our air b’n’b lived opposite and one evening he kindly invited us aboard his motor boat for a cruise around Halifax Harbour. It was really interesting and Vince was a mine of local information. His family had lived there for several generations hence ‘Purcells’ Cove!

The infamous Nova Scotia fog was never far away though; a bright sunny day would suddenly transform into dense swirling mist, as cold water from north of Newfoundland flows down the coast (the Labrador current) to meet the warm summer air on the land. We later heard that Quilcene was enveloped in fog for several days after leaving Nova Scotia, in fact they hit a whale whilst in the fog! Luckily they were only travelling at three knots at the time due to the poor visibility and there was no damage to boat or whale!

We were able to follow Quilcene’s progress via a tracker and it was the first thing we looked at every morning, checking their position and speed. The UK, on the other side of the Atlantic is actually about 300 miles north of Nova Scotia but they couldn’t turn north until they were clear of the iceberg field. Along with the cold water, icebergs flow south on the Labrador current. Even in June there is a strong possibility of meeting them off that coast; the NAIS (North American Ice Service) publishes regular reports of the ice limit and the estimated iceberg limit.
Halcyon Yachts provided Andy with routing and weather information, and they would relay occasional messages and questions to us. We soon heard that they were crossing the freezing current and wanted to know how to operate Quilcene’s heater! I imagine that information was most welcome, along with the fact that there were several warm hats and gloves on board!

Leaving Nova Scotia we travelled on an overnight train to Ontario to visit Kit’s brother and sister-in-law, Peter and Pat. The route took us along much of the St Lawrence River that we’d sailed down in 2019, but unfortunately we missed most of it during the night, although in early morning we did spot the final lock on the Seaway as we passed through Montreal.

It was great to see Peter and Pat again, and as it was Canada Day on July 1st we celebrated with a big family get-together.

Meanwhile Quilcene was making good progress. We checked her position daily and once we were back in the UK it seemed she would be home in good time. However, the unpredictable weather scuppered that! Two low pressure systems were deepening between Quilcene and the UK and it was decided that the safest option was to divert to the Azores, a few hundred miles south of their position.

We watched the tracker anxiously as Quilcene headed south trying to avoid the worst of the storms. It took them five days to get to Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel. They’d taken quite a battering in gale force winds and huge seas, but both crew and Quilcene were OK. Whilst they waited for a good weather forecast for the final leg, Andy arranged a rigging check and we were highly amused when he sent a picture of the rigger arriving on his bicycle and trailer.

It was a week before they were able to set sail, and another ten days before we greeted them in the early hours of the morning in Plymouth. In all the passage had taken 34 days and covered 3626 nautical miles.
It is so good to have Quilcene back home and we’re planning a bit of refurbishment over the next few years. For now we have been spending a lot of time aboard, enjoying the last of the summer and taking a couple of local trips along the south coast.

Our sixteen-year travels in Quilcene has seen us sail 21,442 nautical miles (24,675 statute miles) and visit 36 countries. We have had such a great time cruising and met lots of wonderful people from all over the world, many of whom have become good friends that we still keep in touch with.

With our feet more firmly on solid ground we’ll sign off from our blog now, but our friends will always be welcome in Devon.

Keep safe and Bon Voyage!

Picture shows: Lunenburg Waterfront

More pics on Google pics: https://photos.app.goo.gl/a2qY7VL39QmdxmVn7

The first thing we noticed in Halifax was sirens and traffic noise. Souris had been so quiet; we didn't even see a police car whilst we were there, let alone hear sirens! However, Armdale yacht club was friendly and welcoming and we loved watching the evening racing from their terrace whilst enjoying a sundowner.

Someone had to go up the mast to replace a broken lazy-jack line and I wasn't keen on hauling Kit up there, nor for that matter going up myself - I don't like heights. No rigger was available so were just about to draw lots when Patricia, who has a yacht in the marina, suggested that a guy on one of the boats would do it. Sure enough ten minutes later Don came by and decided that it was an easy job that he could do immediately.

We scrambled to rig up a hauling line, and with Kit on the winch and me tending the safety line, up he went. It was a fiddly task but Don managed to feed the new line, with a weight, through and down the inside of the mast. Kit was waiting with a piece of wire to pull it out of the slot at the bottom - job done!

We were expecting to pay Don anything between CAD50-100, but he said he enjoyed it and refused to take a cent; he wouldn't even accept a beer. Yet another example of the kindness and generosity of people in the Canadian Maritimes.

The fee for our mooring included a free water taxi which was great; a quick call on the VHF radio and our chariot arrived! Easy access to the shore to use the yacht club facilities and stock up on supplies. The supermarket, coffee shop and liquor store was half an hour walk away, and if we had heavy bags there was a bus that stopped right outside the yacht club.

In Canada the only place to buy alcohol is the Liquor Store, in fact the Liquor Control Board runs the stores and controls the prices. It seems odd to us, when in the UK we can buy it in every corner shop and we're used to special offers and cheap supermarket deals for our booze. It's certainly not cheap here!

From our mooring we often heard the cries of Osprey and saw them diving for fish. Although quite rare in the UK Osprey are numerous here, in fact many people view them as a pest. In the vicinity of Armdale Yacht Club they have taken to landing atop yacht masts from which lofty heights they can spot prey fish just below the surface. Unfortunately, having a wingspan of up to five feet, the Osprey are responsible for damaging many mast-top wind instruments and VHF aerials. Just as well there is a chandler close by!

One Osprey took a liking to Quilcene's mast and would wake us in the morning with its high pitched cries, we had to jump up and bang on the shrouds before it would fly off. Luckily we sustained no Osprey damage, although we did have to scrub the decks after it'd left its calling card!

We spent a week at the yacht club before deciding to move on and check out Shining Waters Marina in St Margaret's Bay, where we planned to haul Quilcene out at the end of September. Shining Waters was only 13 miles away by road, but 43 nautical miles around the headland by sea. The route involved a passage through the Sambro channel and looked on the chart like a narrow pass between rocky reefs. The alternative was an extra 30 mile detour outside the reefs. Patricia again came to our rescue and assured us that all the locals safely use the channel so with a little trepidation we plotted the course and set off.

Leaving Halifax we had to use the main shipping channel initially and dodged several huge ships until we were clear. Reaching the Sambro channel we found that it was, in fact, well marked and easy to navigate, especially as we'd chosen a relatively calm day. Despite this the ocean swell rolled us as we rounded the headland and we could see breaking seas on the off-lying reefs. Luckily it was also a clear day; Nova Scotia is renowned for fog and poor visibility but by late August and September the incidence of fog reduces.

Soon we were sailing past Peggy's Cove and turning north into St Margaret's Bay. Peggy's Cove is a popular tourist destination, with colourful houses and churches. From the sea it looked very pretty in the sunshine, but it's a tiny cove and not possible to visit in a yacht.

The Nova Scotian coastline is beautiful; extensive pine covered hills and white sun bleached rocks, but the rocky nature renders it quite inhospitable. Conversely the large bays of St Margaret's and Mahone have numerous small islands and sand or mud bottomed coves - ideal for anchoring. It was a long slow sail past the islands up to the head of the bay. Shining Waters marina is appropriately named - the reflection of the evening sun on the water was dazzling as we approached and picked up a mooring. The area is indicated on charts as an anchorage, but like so many places the good spots are now filled with moorings, pushing those who wish to anchor out into deeper, less sheltered water.

We dinghied ashore to check out the facilities. The showers and laundry looked pretty good, always a bonus, and the boatyard seemed OK so we set a provisional date for lifting out.

It was pleasant out on the mooring and we stayed a few days. There is always something to keep us busy; Kit started rubbing down and varnishing some of the faded woodwork whilst I had more canvas repairs to do. The weather was good and the water was 21C and clear enough to swim. In the evenings we watched Osprey fishing out in the bay; at least here they didn't land on our mast.

The only bugbear with Shining Waters is that the closest shops are 6km away and there are no buses. We're used to cycling to shops but the only route is along a busy road with no cycleway. The marina staff gave us a couple of taxi numbers (the only two in the area) and we did manage to get our shopping done, but the taxi firm charged CAD 50 which is a little excessive! Life without a car can be difficult here!

The weather seemed settled so we set off for Lunenburg to the south of Mahone Bay, overnighting en route at an anchorage on Frank's George Island, a small island on the west side of St Margaret's Bay. It was the first time we'd used the anchor winch for three years, and it protested loudly as Kit deployed the anchor so he spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning and servicing it.

Frank's is a beautiful island with only one house on the shore; the beach looked inviting but we'd been warned not to land. The owner does not allow anyone to land and apparently has a reputation for getting very mad with trespassers. However there seemed to be no-one living in the house and we only saw one man on the shore clearing fallen trees - and he gave us a friendly wave later as he and his dog left in a little boat.

It was lovely bobbing about on the anchor, and there was only one other yacht there. I had a lovely swim before we sat in the cockpit with sundowners, gazing at the beautiful scenery. The whole area is sparsely populated and it was very quiet despite being a Bank Holiday weekend. It was tempting to stay another night but we'd booked a mooring at Lunenburg, a UNESCO world heritage site and home to wooden ship building, so we set sail early next morning. Seals occasionally popped up their heads to watch us pass but didn't come close enough for a picture. We had a good 25-mile passage but once again the ocean swell rolled us as we rounded the exposed headland.

Sailing into Lunenburg was brilliant, the seafront is lined with colourful wooden buildings and we could see a couple of large square-riggers on the dock. Going ashore, the first thing we noticed is that the docks are all wooden too. Nova Scotia has an abundance of wood so it's a natural choice for building material.

The town was busy with Bank Holiday crowds so we just took a short walk along the docks to look at the wooden ships, then found a quiet(ish) bar for a drink before heading back to Quilcene for dinner.

Next morning we watched from our mooring as the 'Bluenose II' sailed in. Horns and bells sounded to welcome the ship back to its home port. The original 'Bluenose' was a Grand Banks fishing and racing schooner built in 1921 in Lunenburg, and was a Canadian icon. It was lost on a reef in 1946 but the legacy lived on, and 'Bluenose II' was built in the same shipyard in 1963 - a reminder of a glorious sailing era.

Again we went ashore and wandered along the docks looking at Bluenose II and the other lovely old wooden ships, including the ‘Pride of Baltimore’, which we’d also watch sail in under full sail - quite a sight! Kit stopped to chat to the skipper and get the low-down on his ship. We found a lovely cafe called simply 'No 9' and had tea and cake - very British!

We loved Lunenburg and planned to stay for a week, but were keeping a close eye on Hurricane Earl, currently threatening Bermuda. It was projected to move east and out into the Atlantic, but as we know too well, hurricanes are not always predictable!

We received a text from Zac and Jayda on 'Danu II', who we'd met in Souris. They were anchored nearby so we arranged to meet next day. It was great to see them again and we had lots to talk about. They were heading down to the Bahamas and we'd given them some charts, so they treated us to drinks and snacks in a nice little out of the way pub. They too were concerned about the hurricane and had anchored in a 'hurricane hole' north of Lunenburg until it had passed.

Later Kit and I stocked up on supplies as we'd decided to hightail it back around to St Margaret's Bay. Hurricane Earl was forecast to pass by Nova Scotia causing dangerous coastal swells and rip currents and we didn't want to round the headland in that!
We left early next morning, sad to cut our visit short but hopefully we can visit again next year.

The wind was light but perfect for a lovely slow sail up St Margaret's Bay. As were sailing we received messages from our family Whatsapp group with the sad news that the Queen had died. It felt strange to be so far from home at such a sad time.
We anchored at Frank's George Island again as it is sheltered from the southwest wind and swell. This time we were the only boat in the bay - perfect. Next morning we saw flags flying at half-mast on the surrounding islands – of course – we forget that she was Canada’s Queen too.

There was lots of wildlife here; seals groaned and sang their eerie song on the nearby reef. Yes, they sing! Salty old tales of the ‘sirens’ song luring sailors onto the rocks is generally explained as the singing of seals. In the evening we saw a pair of Bald Eagles swoop down to land in a treetop, and Osprey circled above the island. It was so peaceful there that we stayed a few days. The man (who we dubbed 'Frank') and his dog came to the island daily but never went to the house so we assumed that the 'mad' owner wasn't home!

Hurricane Earl actually passed well offshore so there were few effects up in St Margaret's Bay. When the wind changed we moved to Redmond Cove, another pretty anchorage that was more sheltered from the North. We couldn't get enough of the beautiful scenery and atmospheric sunsets - and I loved having a daily swim.

However all good things have to come to an end and it was soon time to go and prepare Quilcene for lifting out. After a final sail up the bay we picked up a mooring ball at Shining Waters and began to take everything apart that we'd so recently put back together. The weather was changing, more wind and rain, and nights had become decidedly chilly.

With our lift out date rapidly approaching we moved onto a dock so that we could take the sails off - and just in time too; Hurricane Fiona was heading up from the Caribbean and forecast to cause 110mph winds over Nova Scotia on Saturday 24th September.
The marina was suddenly working overtime to haul all of the boats out before Saturday, which is also the date we’re scheduled to fly to Toronto and visit Kits brother Peter.

We got lifted this morning (21st) and we’re currently on the hardstanding winterising everything and emptying our cupboards – nothing can be left as it freezes so hard here that any cans or bottles would split.
It was a very short sailing season for us but it's been so good to be aboard again.

Picture shows: First sight of Quilcene after three years

More pics on Google pics: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KDNW1MVd7huMPN9k6


We were finally reunited with Quilcene at the end of July 2022, almost three years after we'd left her in Souris on Prince Edward Island in the Gulf of St Lawrence. Covid travel restrictions then medical problems had prevented us from returning sooner.

It had been a three-day trip from Devon, beginning with a long bus journey to a Gatwick Airport hotel as the rail workers were on strike, a flight to Halifax Nova Scotia next morning where we picked up a hire car to drive to Pictou for an over overnight stay, then a ferry to PEI and finally a drive to Souris. It all went well except for a few anxious calls to the ferry company to rebook our ferry – the one we were booked on had caught fire!

We both felt quite emotional when we pulled into the boatyard in our hire car and saw Quilcene; despite a thick layer of grime she still looked pretty good to us! We climbed up and opened the companionway with trepidation, unsure of what to expect - mould, water, insects? However, the interior was almost exactly as we'd left it, with hardly any mould, only a small water stain on the cabin sole where rain had found a way in, and no unwanted guests! Such a relief!

We set to immediately, cleaning, washing and sorting, and by nightfall we had a clean, fresh bed to sleep in and a spotless galley.

The next three weeks passed in a blur of activity, we worked from dawn to dusk restoring Quilcene to her former glory, or close enough to make her safe and seaworthy. We washed or replaced lines, repaired canvas, and ensured all systems were in working order. We cleaned and sorted through all the lockers and cupboards, rediscovering forgotten clothing and all sorts of personal stuff. It’s surprising how much can be stored on a 40 ft yacht!

Three of the four marine batteries had to be replaced along with countless bits and pieces, the local chandler loved us!! Kit serviced the engine and we spent a despondent hour when he thought the engine was kaput. Zac, from another boat in the yard came to take a look at it and two heads being better than one, they figured out the problem; the engine was soon running sweetly - crisis over!

The time came to return the hire car to Halifax Airport, a 400km round trip involving two ferry crossings. We were working out how to get back from Halifax when Julie and Andrew, who have a yacht in Souris harbour, offered to pick us up from the airport as they'd be over that way. People are so friendly and helpful, we have found this everywhere, but especially travelling around the Canadian Maritimes. And a bonus - the local lobster company was holding a promotion at the airport so we took one back for supper!

We managed to find a local guy to repair the gel coat damage sustained in hurricane Dorian in 2019, but finding other labour to give us a hand proved very difficult. We normally sand the hull ourselves and paint it with antifouling, but with so many other tasks lined up we tried, without success, to find help. Eventually we decided to launch without antifouling, reasoning that Quilcene would only be in the water for a maximum of two months which shouldn't be long enough to attract heavy growth.

Finally she was launched and we tied up in the harbour where we could breathe easy again. Bobbing around on the water felt so good, much easier than living on the boat up in the yard. We had a little time to socialise and share a few sundowners in the marina office and aboard Quilcene. It was great to mix with other yachties again and swap cruising tales.

We bent the sails on, plotted our route, stocked up on supplies and eventually were ready to go. All we needed was a few days of fair weather, but ironically we got several days of heavy rain and wind instead!

Cindy, the marina manager had been wonderful, giving encouragement and advice, but sadly we wouldn't return to Souris. We hoped to leave Quilcene nearer to Halifax for the winter, get a couple more repairs done and return next spring to collect her.

The evening before we set sail Cindy and Dave in the marina organised a 'Corn Boil' for the boaters. This was literally boiling corn; Andrew cooked a huge pan of corn on the cob and we all took salads, bread and drinks. The corn was delicious, crunchy, sweet, and slathered with butter. The second course was a large bowl of mussels!

A great way to spend our last evening in Souris.

Early next morning we set sail; the 220 nautical mile route would take us across the Northumberland Strait, through the Canso Canal which divides the Strait from the Atlantic Ocean, and on to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

It was wonderful to see the wind in the sails and hear the swish of the waves as we cut through the water. The weather was fine and dry, although a little more wind would've been good. T'was ever thus: not enough wind or too much! With such a long way to go we alternated between motorsailing and sailing to keep our speed up.

We docked at Port Hawkesbury for the first night, after negotiating the Canso Canal. We were pretty exhausted after our first (long and hot) day at sea in three years so we just showered, ate supper and fell into bed.

Next morning we refuelled and set sail for Halifax. This would involve an overnight passage and included heading more than 12 miles offshore into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving Canadian territorial waters and entering International waters.

Quilcene had overstayed her permit to remain in Canada, through no fault of our own, and had to leave and re-enter to satisfy Canadian Customs and Border Patrol requirements. It was a long motorsail before we emerged from the sheltered waters of the Canso Strait as the wind was right on the nose. We tacked this way and that for an easier ride but to no avail, we were battling both wind and current and our boatspeed was dishearteningly low. Eventually we cleared the headland and turned southwest, picking up a fair wind to sail. This was more like it! As night fell we had curry for supper ( Kit cooked it as we'd battled into the wind) and dressed warmly for the night.

Fortunately, we'd picked the right weather window and the Atlantic was kind to us, with waves only about one meter high. We sailed into the darkness leaving a trail of glowing phosphorescence in our wake. It was magical! There was no moon for the first few hours, and the stars were bright and vivid in a clear sky.

We were picking out the constellations when Kit spotted a very strange string of lights moving across the sky. There were dozens of them strung out in a straight line, not evenly spaced but moving at the same speed. After a while they disappeared behind a cloud. We couldn't imagine what they were, War of the Worlds came to mind! An alien invasion!

Later a Google search revealed that they were nothing more alarming than a string of satellites, SpaceX Starlink to be exact. Our world was safe!

Another mystery was an extensive loom of bright light toward the southeast, we knew that the only land for many hundreds of miles was tiny Sable Island, which is unlit according to our chart. Kit decided that it must be an offshore oilfield, which was later confirmed by Mr Google! Strange that it isn't marked on the charts though.

We took two-hour watches throughout the night, managing to snatch a little sleep whilst off watch. Experience has shown us that one overnight passage is not enough to get into a proper sleep pattern but taking even a short nap is essential.

We entered International waters after midnight, faithfully recording our position in the ship's log book, then stayed well out of Canadian waters for two hours before setting a course for Halifax.

This felt like the longest leg of the passage, with daylight bringing dour grey skies and little wind. We were feeling quite tired as we motorsailed on toward our destination on steel grey seas.

Things looked better after a bowl of porridge and a pot of coffee for breakfast, and later the sun made an appearance to cheer us.

We hoisted the 'Q' flag as we approached Halifax, this signified that we were a foreign vessel arriving from outside Canada and required Customs clearance.

We docked at Armdale Yacht Club, on the Northwest arm of the Halifax inlet at 3pm. We'd heard that they welcome transient yachts and indeed they made space for us on the fuel dock. It was the last week in August and, like everywhere, they had a lot of visitors.

Our first task was to call Canadian Customs and announce our arrival, and we were baffled when Kit was told we were cleared. We expected CBP officers to visit us and carry out a lot of form filling before giving us a report number and clearance to stay. Difficult to argue this on the phone with an official tho' and we felt uneasy about it. However, we were so tired that we just lazed around for the rest of the afternoon and were in bed by 9pm!

Next day we walked up to the local chandler and the supermarket, and on returning to Quilcene spotted two Customs officers visiting a Dutch flagged yacht that had just arrived. We spoke to them as they were leaving, explaining the situation. They agreed with us that the correct procedure had not been followed and suggested a different number to call. This time they sent the Customs Officers back to Quilcene and we filled out the correct paperwork.

One officer studied our chart plotter track and log book to check that we'd actually left Canadian waters. She chuckled when she noticed that I'd written 'porridge for breakfast' alongside one early morning log book entry!

So we were legally checked into Canada again.

We laughed when we read through the paperwork, the section dealing with our last port and country before entering Canada read 'The High Seas'!

Picture shows: Sailing into Etang-du-Nord, Iles De La Madeleine

More pics on Google pics: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CYMt4Jdpwm8b4Wba6

The Best of Times!

After two nights at anchor outside Gaspe Marina the weather looked good for an overnight passage to Etang-du-Nord on Isles De La Madeleine, 135 nm out in the Gulf of St Lawrence. We'd heard that the Madeleines were 'not to be missed', and from there it would be a shorter hop to the east end of Prince Edward Island or Cap Breton, Nova Scotia.

Craig and Zena on 'Adriana I' contacted us to say they were underway from Riviere Renard and would also be crossing to Etang-du-Nord overnight so hoped to see us 'out there'! We set off in the afternoon with fine clear weather, and saw one last whale blowing in the distance as we left the Gaspe Peninsula. The passage went well, despite 'lumpy' seas in places and at 1330 next day Kit called 'Land Ahoy' as he spotted the Islands in the distance. By 1530 we were tied up in the fishing harbour of Etang-du-Nord next to Adriana.

The Madeleines are a dozen islands interconnected by sandbars that enclose large shallow lagoons. The 36-mile long archipelago is shaped like a giant fishhook. Narrow entrance channels and dredged fairways allow access to the ports. They are part of Quebec Province therefore the residents are French-speaking, although many are bi-lingual with English as a second language. The islands are particularly beautiful with green hills, red sandstone cliffs, white sandy beaches and blue waters - at least the waters look blue when the sun is shining!

Set around the port of Etang-du-Nord is a cluster of brightly coloured houses, with a fish market, restaurant, café, a couple of gift shops and a kite shop that advertises itself by flying a huge kite hung with coloured streamers high in the sky (see Google pics). We loved the place immediately and spent a few days socialising with Craig and Zena and enjoying the pretty scenery. Whilst we were there the remains of Tropical Storm Erin passed through, giving us strong southerly winds that produced quite a chop in the harbour. Tropical storms, even their remains, do not normally reach as far north as Canada so this was an unusual event - we didn't know it yet but there was far worse to come!

Wishing to see more of the islands before we headed off once the swells had subsided. Adriana and Quilcene set sail for Ile Havre Aubert, to the south of the archipelago. We sailed right around the south west corner and made for the approach channel to Baie de Plaisance, before sailing along the inside of the south shore sandbar and into Havre Aubert as evening fell. The pilot book describes Havre Aubert as 'a natural haven protected from all winds'. There's a small fishing harbour on the approach, a small marina on one side and an anchorage in the bay opposite where we dropped the anchor and looked around to admire the scenery - and were immediately attacked by mosquitos! Retreating into the cabin we spent a peaceful night and next morning decided to go and tie up in the marina so we could visit La Grave, a small town on the 500m x 100m isthmus.
We were welcomed into the Marina by marina manager Réal, who pointed out the facilities, gave us a key to the showers and told us that the café/bar at the head of the dock is almost always open - result!

La Grave is delightful! Former fishing cabins have been transformed into cafes, restaurants, a bakery, a fish market and a few craft and gift shops. There are also a couple of small art galleries displaying the work of local artists and the Musée de la Mer.

We loved having 'elevenses' or lunch in the friendly Café La Grave, a lively, place where a solitary pianist entertains the clientele with pleasant background tunes every lunchtime and there is live music most evenings. We shared sundowners in the Marina café/bar with Craig, Zena, and many locals who meet there for a drink and chat (see Google pics). As visiting yachties we were warmly welcomed into the conversations, despite our poor grasp of the French language!

We were having such a good time that we weren't in a hurry to leave as it was still early September. Pilot books told us that September would be a good time to cruise in Nova Scotia; we expected good weather and fair winds until the end of the month when we would put Quilcene in winter storage and fly home to the UK.

The Worst of Times!

We hardly noticed a blot on the horizon in the form of Hurricane Dorian which was currently battering the Bahamas many miles south of us. However we began taking it seriously when there appeared to be a possibility that Dorian might possibly track across the Canadian Maritimes.

Locals reassured us that wouldn't happen, hurricanes didn't reach the Madeleines and storms invariably fizzled out or passed by at a safe distance. When Dorian was subsequently downgraded several times we began to feel safe, However we watched with growing horror as instead of heading out into the Atlantic, Dorian was upgraded again to Category 2 and apparently making a bee-line for Nova Scotia and the Maritimes.

We looked at our options - run for Nova Scotia or back to the Gaspe peninsula, both at least 24 hours away and in less than perfect conditions. Both were also within the 'warning cone' on the NOAA hurricane website. Alternatively, we could stay put and hunker down until the threat had passed. We felt like rabbits trapped in the headlights.

After much agonising we decided to stay; On 6th September, with 24 hours to go before it reached us, Dorian was predicted to track across the Gulf of St Lawrence as 'a hurricane force post-tropical cyclone' - a hurricane by any other name - and the Madeleines were right in its path. Although not as strong as when it pummelled the Bahamas, we were in the path of a hurricane!

Craig and Zena decided to sail Adriana back to Etang-du-Nord as they thought it might afford more shelter. After sad hugs and farewells they cast off - none of us knew exactly what to expect when the storm hit and we wished one another well.


The weather that day was strangely calm as we set to work preparing Quilcene as best we could - removing the sails and canvas and lashing everything down, ensuring that no rope ends could come undone and flog. Any loose items were stowed below decks. Kit removed the blades from the wind generator and fixed the solar panels down horizontally. We were moored to a fixed concrete dock and although the tidal range was only around half a metre, we were concerned about the possibility of a storm surge. The people of Havre Aubert were wonderful, they made us welcome and found us a B&B close to the marina to stay for two nights until the storm had passed. Someone offered us the use of their car and they assured us that help was on hand should we need it.


In the marina café/bar that evening the approaching hurricane was the main topic - would it really hit? Which direction was the wind going to come from? How strong would it be? What about surge? So many questions and just as many opinions. We tried to sleep that night but our heads were buzzing as we lay awake wondering what tomorrow would bring.

On the morning of the 7th September at 5am there was an incredible red sky to the east as the wind began to rise. The NOAA hurricane website showed that Dorian would make landfall at Halifax, Nova Scotia, then pass over Nova Scotia at the Canso strait and move across the Gulf of St Lawrence close to the Madeleines - there was no escaping. Réal came to tell us that he and a couple of others would help us to move Quilcene over to the floating east dock as a big storm surge was predicted.

I (Belinda) am quite brave but was upset and anxious so went ashore to have a few minutes to myself. Despite the now-strong wind blowing the boat onto the dock Kit, Réal and the others managed to pull her off the dock with Réal's skiff and within a few minutes she was tied up on the eastern floating dock. Finally we could do no more so we gathered up all our papers, computers phones and a couple of changes of clothes, put the washboards in and with heavy hearts, left Quilcene.

Arriving at the B&B Ginette, our host could hardly open the door to let us in as it faced the easterly wind. From Ginette's house we could see the marina but couldn't see Quilcene as the west dock with moored boats was in between. As darkness fell the spray and water from the bay were being blown across the road. The wind was wailing and rain hitting the windows sounded like hailstones. Ginette said she was glad to have company during the coming hurricane and gave us dinner although we were only booked for Bed and Breakfast.
Checking the news on the internet we saw that Nova Scotia had 200,000 homes without power due to the hurricane. Later the lights flickered twice and power on the island went off leaving us in darkness.

It was a terrible night as the storm raged and gusts of wind shook the walls of the house. Kit managed to sleep somehow (I always said he could sleep through a hurricane!) but I sat downstairs reading my e-book to try and take my mind off things. Ginette appeared now and then, checking around the doors and windows and mopping up water that had found a way in. We were both frightened and we chatted a bit but couldn't even make a cup of tea or coffee as Ginette's house is all electric!

Emergency vehicle lights were flickering across the bay, but we couldn't make out what was happening. At 5am the wind seemed to drop a little, so I turned on the phone data and looked at the NOAA website. Tracking showed that the eye of the storm had just passed over the Madeleines from south-east to north-west. The wind picked up again from the west but the house was more sheltered from that direction and it was not as noisy so I dozed a little.

Morning light was slow to arrive but when it finally did we looked across to the marina and beheld a scene of devastation; the western dock was no longer in place. The whole dock with around 20 yachts and motor boats still attached had broken loose and was washed up on the shore. A trimaran that had been on a mooring was beached along the shoreline, as was a yacht that had taken its chances anchored in the bay. Part of the road outside Ginette's house had collapsed onto the beach and the rest was covered with silt and seaweed.

We could just make out Quilcene on the eastern dock; she was still afloat, but we feared the worst. Shredded sails were streaming from many of the remaining boats on the dock and masts appeared to be at odd angles. We rang Réal and he said that no-one had been hurt - thank goodness. Some of the links holding our dock together were partially broken, and it was midday before we were allowed on to it briefly to look at Quilcene. Walking carefully down the dock we saw that many of the yachts had broken and twisted pulpits and stanchions, some had holes in the bow and the side, one mast was snapped and the yacht next to Quilcene was partially sunk.

Miraculously Quilcene appeared to be OK. We couldn't believe it! On closer inspection there was some damage to the fibreglass on the bow and the wooden toerail. All in all, very little compared to damage sustained by many of the other boats. However no-one had been hurt and that was a relief.
The marina café/bar, which doubles as a community hub and meeting place had been flooded in the storm surge. Despite the shock of the devastation it wasn't long before locals began arriving with mops and buckets to help with the clean-up. They said it had been the worst storm in their history. The winds had reached 130 km/hr.

As soon as our dock was made safe and we were allowed to stay on the boat, we began the task of putting Quilcene back together; there was a forecast of fair winds to sail to Prince Edward Island and we knew that Havre Aubert Marina would be busy sorting out the repairs. Despite their own problems people came to help us with the sails and gave us lifts to nearby shops etc.

Just three days after the storm hit we bade a fond farewell and sailed away from these beautiful Islands and the people who had been so kind and helpful throughout our stay. We will return; the Madeleines really are a special place, even in a hurricane!

Picture shows Riviere Renard, Gaspe Peninsula, from the hilltop. Spot Quilcene!

More pics on Google Photos; https://photos.app.goo.gl/7uCPpGw44GWcwtKDA

Once the thunderstorms were over we ventured out and about in Rimouski. Shorts weather resumed and things looked much brighter. We met locals Andrew and Diane, who were very helpful with advice and information about the area. Andrew took us to get a propane refill and offered to pick us up for a spot of sightseeing. He drove us all around the area stopping at local points of interest including Pointe-au-Pere Lighthouse, Onondaga submarine, unusual carvings of figures emerging from the sea by a local artist (Gagnon) and Pointe Luce beach where we indulged in a very decadent ice cream!

As we continued our journey along the Gaspe Peninsula stopping at small ports, this type of hospitality became an everyday occurrence - people were so friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble. We encountered a few foreign flagged yachts so began to meet other cruisers again, something we'd missed during our time on the Lakes.

Most of the places we stopped were principally fishing ports, and we were usually one of only two or three visiting yachts. The weather stayed fine and dry and we were often motorsailing on flat calm sparkling waters. We saw numerous seals, porpoise and dolphins. Whales are abundant on this stretch of the St Lawrence and we became almost expert on identifying them by their blow shapes. There were regular sightings of Right Whales, Pilot Whales, Blue Whales, Minke Whales and most spectacularly, Humpback Whales; famous for displaying their tail as they dive. Unfortunately, they all kept their distance and we kept ours so any pictures we managed to take are of distant blows and fins. However, it was a wonderful experience to see so many of these magnificent animals in the wild.

Riviere Renard was one of our favourite places; Patrice at the Marina offered to drive us to the supermarket, and en route drove around to show us the fishing port and the best place to buy fresh fish and seafood. The fresh Halibut we bought there was absolutely delicious! In Riviere Renard we met Zena and Craig from Australia on 'Adriana I', and Margot and Eduardo from Quebec on 'Wooloomooloo'. The six of us instantly hit it off and shared several sundowners on one another's boat.

Zena, Margot and I walked up the hill to the little chapel, enjoying the wonderful views over the marina and port. We spent our last evening together in the local microbrewery, watching live music and sharing a tasty supper.

Vowing to keep in touch we left for Gaspe, and Margot and Eduardo left for Shippegan where they would lift out their yacht until next year. Craig and Zena were waiting for windlass parts to arrive so had to remain a few days longer.

We sailed along the coast and around the point into the Bay of Gaspe. Gaspe Marina was a long way in at the end of the bay and taking advantage of a light breeze we sailed slowly in to arrive and anchor in the designated anchorage just before dark.

From here we could either sail across to the Isles De La Madeleine or go into the Northumberland Strait and behind Prince Edward Island - the former would be out into the Gulf of St Lawrence and the latter would entail dodging numerous lobster pots as the season was still under way.