Hi everyone, we are finally in civilization again with cell phone coverage and internet! We made it to Halifax today (July, 28) at about 4 p.m. and are quite happy to be on a dock again after 5 nights on anchor. The last few days have thrown everything from fog to wind and waves to sunshine, from cold to hot temperatures, just about everything except good sailing winds. Bruce is getting a little frustrated and he actually mentioned to me that he can see why some people end up buying a trawler as we seem to motor more that we sail these days! We are at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Club and it has a pool and a nice clubhouse so we plan to stay a few days, do a few repairs to the boat and see some friends and family.

We left St. Peter's on Monday and we were disappointed that we did not have more time to sail the lakes but we did see a lot by car and the weather did not really co-operate and with our generator and dinghy engine in need of repair, we did not want to anchor out but wanted to get to Halifax where we could get the work done. We also met a couple from Denver who were headed to Halifax and then to Maine and we liked the idea of travelling for a bit with another boat. We have really enjoyed their company and will miss them when we go our separate ways in Halifax. We forgot how fun it is to travel with another boat and it is comforting to know that you are not alone out on the water in fog and heavy weather! Our first stop after leaving St. Peters was an anchorage past the town of Canso in Whitehead Harbor. The weather had finally turned sunny and we had an uneventful, enjoyable trip. We have decided that we much prefer shorter days with lots of time left in the day to enjoy once we have arrived somewhere. We have been having dinner back and forth with Susan and Richard (our new friends from Colorado ) and are using their 2 horse power engine on our dinghy and it is working great! Unfortunately they don't want to sell it or trade it for our 9.9! The next day we left for Liscomb Harbour but we ran into quite a bit of coastal fog so decided to go into Country Harbour and anchor for the night. We left the next day and did make it into Liscomb but had a ruff trip with wind, waves and fog. Once inside the bay and then up the river, your would never know how bad it was on the water. We anchored in front of Liscomb Lodge in the river that has about a 2 knot current and is very narrow. Not something we ever would have done before this trip or believed we would have done. The lodge was beautiful with a pool, hot tub and great restaurant, which we made reservations for the next night as we decided that we could use a down day out of the wind and fog. It was an excellent decision as it was a beautiful, hot sunny day and we took full advantage of the use of the facilities. Chester, the marina manager, lent us his car and we drove into the small town of Sherbrook for lunch and some groceries. The one thing that has really made this trip has been the kindness and generosity of the people everywhere we go. We have been offered cars and rides by complete strangers who let us use their vehicles without even knowing our names! In St. Peter's the 2 guys who run the marina made us feel completely at home and invited us for fish chowder at the club one night and a pancake breakfast the next day.

We hated to leave but knew we probably only had one more nice day before the rain was back so we lifted the anchor early and set out for our next port, which was a small bay in Popes Harbour that a charter skipper had told us about as we would not have thought there was enough water in the bay by looking at the charts. It turned out to be a beautiful spot and it was also Susan's birthday so we had a bit of a birthday party that evening on their boat! We decided to try to leave by about 7 a.m. as the winds seem to be calmer in the morning and by midday pick up and make things uncomfortable as now you are in fog and waves. It was a good decision as by the time we turned into the Halifax Harbour it was getting rough again. The fog just sits off the coast so we are constantly in it as the wind has been from the Southwest and the water temperature is about 12 to 14 degrees, so it doesn't take much warm wind to create a fog bank. It does tend to stay just off the coast which makes it a lot easier to get into a harbour that is clear. The radar has been working great and we are getting fairly comfortable sailing in fog now. The locals say that around the 15th of August the winds will change and be out of the North so we should have better sailing and no fog by the time we start the South shore of the Island.

We have not decided how long we will stay here before heading on towards Mahone Bay but will soon make those plans as well as plans to go home for a week. Today Bruce's friend Billy Graham (not the preacher)is picking us up and bringing us to his house for the night. We are looking forward to a night off the boat as it is really damp here today.

We had a change of plans in St. Peters, as often happens when you are sailing, and we decided to leave the boat here and drive to Baddeck with Bettyann and Ray. We had got the boat fixed in St. Peter's and thought that instead of wasting a day for Bettyann and Ray, we would get started on our road trip right away. It was a beautiful day and we made it to Baddeck by lunch. We found a really cute hotel called the Telegraph Inn, had lunch there and made our plans for the day. We booked a lobster dinner at a nearby hotel and bought tickets for a ceilidh, which is evening of Cape Breton fiddle music, piano music and traditional dancing. That afternoon we visited the Alexander Graham Bell Museum as well as a few shops in town .

Our lobster dinner was great and they even had entertainment during dinner so we had a very long dinner as we wanted to stay and listen to the singer. (see photo above) After dinner we went across the street to our first, Bettyann and Rays second celidh. The music was really great but there wasn't any singing or joke telling and Bettyann and Ray said that the first one they went to was a lot better, but since we didn't have anything to compare it too, we thought it was good. We will have to try to get to another one again.

We left Baddeck early the next day as the guys had tee off times at 2 p.m. to golf at Highland Links, a course that had been highly recommended by everyone they had talked to so they were quite excited to try it. Unfortunately it poured rain all the way on the drive to Ingonish and we were really afraid that their game would get rained out. Neither Bruce or Ray had brought any rain gear with them so we stopped at a store and found a pair of rain pants for Bruce. He figured if he went there prepared, he wouldn't need to use it! After finding a cute 2 bedroom cottage to rent for the night, Bettyann and I drove the guys to the golf course, and yes by then the rain had stopped and the sun was actually in and out of the clouds. Talk about lucky!

Bettyann and I were left with nothing to do so we decided to check out the spa at the Keltic Lodge and was it nice! We booked a pedicure and they told us to come back in time to use the whirl pool and the sauna! They didn't have to tell us twice. We quickly got our chores done which included getting groceries to cook dinner at the cabin and beer and wine for apres golf and headed back to the spa for an afternoon of relaxation. It was great!

The guys loved the golf course and Ray played exceptionally well and beat Bruce. They are now tied at a game a piece with no time for a tie breaker.

We left our cabin on Friday for a very busy day. We finished driving the Cabot Trail, which was disappointing as the weather was rainy and foggy so we were not able to see a lot but we didn't have much choice but to leave when we did. We got to Louisbourg in the afternoon and went on a hour and a half tour and then browsed around for a couple of hours but it was a bit cool and damp. It would have been much better if the weather was nicer. We then drove back to the boat and ordered pizza for dinner as we were all exhausted!

Today is rainy and foggy (again) and the forecast is for rain for the next few days. We had planned on taking Bettyanne and Ray out on the lakes for a couple of days but have now changed our plans again as the weather is just too bad. They will now leave in the morning and we are just taking it easy today. Ray got an oil change and we will get groceries as we will loose our car after today. Our generator problems have returned and we now realize it is not the easy fix we thought it would be and may need a part from Halifax. We will decide on Monday where we will go from here. Hope the weather gets better.

Entering the Bras D'or Lakes via the St. Peter's Canal

Bridge in the Canso Strait between the mainland and Burnt Island

sunset at our anchorage behind Caribou Island

Bridge from P.E.I to New Brunswick

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We are now in the beautiful Bras d'or Lakes. We left Summerside and had a good crossing to Nova Scotia and we anchored behind Caribou Island. It was a long day but we set the anchor about 7 p.m. and had a very peaceful night and a gorgeous sunset. The next day we left early to go to Ballantynes Cove as we couldn't make it all the way to Port Hawkesbury as St. Georges Bay was too rough. We had 20 knot winds all the way but they were offshore so even though they were strong with gusts sometimes to 25 knots they were no waves so we had a great sail with a reef in the main and headsail. This was the first day that we were able to sail the whole way! We arrived at Port Hawkesbury and had to pay $18.00 for a dock for the night. What a steal, however we did not have power or water. Bruce's sister and her husband met us here and brought us some groceries etc. It really is great having a chase car with us! We left Ballantynes Cove with plans to meet up with Bruce's sister and her husband again in a Port Hawkesbury. When we arrived in Port Hawkesbury we decided to anchor as we would only be staying one night and then heading out again. We had the dinghy engine on the bow of the boat and when we dropped the dinghy and put the engine on, the engine would not start! We were in a bit of a pickle as we needed a dinghy to pick up Bettyann and Ray so we had to make arrangements with another boat that we travelled over with to pick them up. This is also where our generator started giving us problems as it died and we could not re-start it. We were not having a good day and neither did Bettyann and Ray as the golf course that they chose was horrible and they got lost getting back to the boat. None of us were in a very good mood by the time the sunset that night.

The next day we decided to continue on for 2 more days to Baddeck where we could get a mechanic to look at the generator but first had to go to St. Peter's. Before we had even arrived here Bettyann and Rae had secured a slip at the marina and even found a mechanic that could look at the engine here. We were by this time in a lot better mood. The mechanic who was 71 years young stopped by but had to go to the dentist and said he would be back later in the afternoon. When he returned, he was not on the boat 5 minutes when he had located and fixed the problem. He charges us $50.00 and now we were in a really good mood and decided we should all go out to dinner.

Tomorrow we will sail to Baddeck and our chase car will follow us there. We will decide tomorrow after checking the weather if we will sail for a few days or take the car around the Cabot Trail and then sail for a few days when we get back. Bettyann and Rae do not have to leave until next Monday or Tuesday so we can enjoy having a car and a boat for a while longer.

The weather has finally started getting warmer so this a good thing. We are really surprised by the lack of other boats travelling in this area. Bruce is having trouble meeting his quota of 10 new friends every day but I'm sure as we get further into the lakes, he will meet some. Talk to you soon!

We are back on the boat and now in P.E.I. We had a great time at home as we were able to see friends, family, and a few new boats at the club that we had not seen yet. Everything worked out at the doctor so we were able to leave again on Thursday. Nancy drove us to the airport as Lindsay couldn't and Danny picked us up in Moncton and drove us to Buctouche. Thanks also to Nancy for supplying us with groceries and dinner for our return to Mississauga!
We left Buctouche at 0700 and had a short day for a change to Summerside. When we got here, we decided to do a bit of went to the historical district and took a tour of a couple of homes that were built in the 1800's and left to the city when the last family member passed away. After getting a few groceries, we returned to the boat and I did laundry and Bruce canged the oil and filter on the engine. We then took a port apart and re-calked it as it had been leaking. What a way to spend you Friday night!!
Tomorrow we will leave again for a longer day and try to make it to Pictou if the weather co-operates. We are trying to meet up again with Bruce's sister Bettyann and her husband Ray and spend a few days in Cape Breton Island with them. Will keep you posted!

Sand dunes of Buctouche right before a huge hailstorm hit!

La Pays de la Segouine

Perce Rock is on of Canada's most famous and most photographed landmarks. It is 290 feet high and has a large hole at the eastern end.

Cap de Gaspe. One thousand foot high cliffs with a lighthouse on top that was built in 1858 and is the tallest in Canada at 112 feet. The walls are 7 feet thick at the base and taper to 3 feet at the top.

First time tying to a fixed wall, not an easy task, especially in high winds

We made it to New Brunswick! Our 90 mile crossing was uneventful and we anchored in behind Portage Island in Miramichi Bay in a nice sand bay and the books told us that this spot was good holding and protection from current and wind however this was not the case as we had just gotten into bed when the boat started rocking and rolling. The tide was coming from one direction and the wind from another which makes for a "tempest in a teapot." This continued all night so needless to say neither of us got a lot of sleep that night. We got up early for what was suppose to be a short day to Shediac. The weather ended up turning on us and we decided to stop in Buctouche for the night which was 15 miles from Shediac as it was getting late and we would not make it to Shediac before dark. The marina ended up being a beautiful spot with an amazing clubhouse with a complete kitchen and gas fireplace and wrap around deck! We decided we liked it here so much that we didn't feel like moving the boat the next day as it felt too much like work and we were ready for some relaxation!

We called our friends Danny and Pat who live in Moncton and made arrangements for Danny to pick us up on Friday and take us to their house for dinner and the night. What a dinner it turned out to be. In true Danny fashion, he had picked up lobster, scallops, steak, salmon and halibut! What a feast it turned out to be. You may be thinking that they invited the whole town of Moncton for dinner but no, just one other couple were invited also with their children but the kids had pizza! Luckily Bruce's sister and her husband ended up coming over for dinner too and we still had no shortage of food. By the way Bettyann ate 2 lobsters! It was great to see everyone and especially Lauren who is growing up to be a beautiful girl who reminds me a lot of Lindsay at her age!

We left Danny and Pat's on Saturday morning and picked up Ray and Bettyann at their hotel (they had taken a cab back as Bettyann was too full to drive.) We visited Magnetic Mountain in Moncton and then continued back to Buctouche and went to the Acadian villiage of La Pays de la Sagouine built on a winding boardwalk over the marshland and to the farmer's market in town. Sunday the guys had booked a game of golf in the morning and Bettyann and I went to the Irving Memorial Church for Sunday morning service. We thought that would make our mothers happy! It was a beautiful church built in 2004 and our mothers would have really enjoyed the service. We had lunch and then picked the guys up at the golf course and went to the Buctouche Dunes and the Irving Eco-Centre.

Tomorrow Ray and Bettyann leave for P.E.I. for a few days and they will take us to the airport so we can fly home for a few days. Hope we can see some friends and family. We will be home for at least 4 days. Hopefully when we get back we will also go to P.E.I. and then the Bras d'Or lakes!

The last 2 days have been the best we have had so far! We are now heading south and are in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and tomorrow we will cross Chaleur Bay and enter New Brunswick.



We left St. Anne des Mont at about 0530 to do a 90 mile trip to Grand Riviere. The winds were finally calm and we actually were looking forward to a full day of motoring! Yes, even Bruce! We had just settled into the trip and were in the cockpit having our breakfast and happily listening to he hum of the engine when we heard a huge swooshing sound. We both immediately perked up and looked outside just in time to see a huge whale surface right beside the boat! It startled us and unfortunately we did not think about getting our camera as we were too intent watching him roll and spout beside our boat. We saw many other porpoises and whales along the way but none as close as this one. We need to get a better camera as ours just cannot capture them in the water as the water is just so dark and so are the whales. We arrived in Riviere au Renard at 1830 and anchored in the large harbor for the night so we could again get an early start to take advantage of the currents.



We left Riviere au Renard at 630 this time as we had a hard time getting our anchor up as it was buried in mud and weeds. Again this was a very smooth trip with some of the best scenery yet! The Gaspe is just beautiful and again I would love to travel it by car and spend more time in the little villages and try some of the great seafood restaurants. We didn`t see as much sea life but did see a bunch of seals sitting on a rock. The lighthouse at Cap des Rosier was great. It is the tallest in Canada and I will post a picture when I can load the pictures on my computer. Right now I am using the computer at the marina we are in. The caps on the Forillon Peninsula were breathtaking. From here we went on to Perce Rock which is one of Canada`s most famous and most photographed landmarks. It is 290 feet height with red cliffs and a large hole at the eastern end. What a sight! We continued our trip and went into Grande Riviere but could not find a place to stay so we went an extra 8 miles to Chandler which is a great little marina.



Tomorrow we will cross the bay and again have a 90 mile day which will take us to New Brunswick. We haven`t decided where we will keep the boat while we go home but will make a few phone calls to a couple of places outside of Moncton. Hope the weather continues to co-operate! I also hope we can get some pictures out soon too. Muriel, we should be around your area by the 5th of July and leave after we get back which will be about the 13 of July. Is your friend in the yacht club or the marina? Hope to see you there if you come back.

Since the last blog posting, we have experienced 3 days of highs and lows. All I can say is thank goodness we did not have the Internet available yesterday as the tone of this blog would be a lot different!

In Ramouski we said goodbye to our friends, restocked our groceries, Bruce got a much needed haircut and I did a bit of shopping at a real mall! We left Ramouski on Thursday morning and headed to Matane. This was probably one of our best sailing days yet. By the time we got anchored in the main harbor the wind had started to pick up and it continued to blow all night long. The next day we determined that it was far too windy to start out and decided to stay put. We dropped the dinghy in the water and decided to row to shore as it wasn't too far away. We walked into town and were pleasantly surprised to see that it was a lot larger town than it looked. They even had a Walmart store. There was a great fresh seafood store along the route so we bought some fish, shrimp and scallops and headed back to the boat for a late lunch. The wind was still howling and we were glad we had decided to stay. We loaded our stuff in the dinghy and thought that the boat looked a lot further from shore than it looked when you were on the boat looking to the shore. We knew we were going to have a hard time rowing the dinghy back to the boat as we had to row directly into the wind! It seemed to take forever and we were afraid to stop rowing as we would immediately be pushed back or sideways by the wind. We did eventually make it but we will not be doing that again any time soon! We had a great lunch and dinner of fresh seafood.

The next day was again quite windy but we foolishly decided to start out and when it got too bad we would stop. We were hoping to make it to Ste. Anne des Monts but after about 25 miles we realized that it again was just getting too ruff. We decided to go into Les Mechins and stay for the night. We thought that we could anchor just outside the harbor but the anchor kept dragging. I think that the bottom was really rocky and hard. There was a pier that was empty so pulled up the anchor and decided to try the pier. It was low tide,the pier was really high and there was no one around to catch a line so we had to try to grasp hold of a tire that was hanging over the edge . We made one approach but I missed the tire. The second attempt was successful and we managed to secure the boat, however the barbecue that was hanging over the aft rail kind of collided with the cement pier and we almost lost the barbecue lid over the side! I managed to grasp it at the last minute, but when Bruce tried to fix it, he dropped a piece from the bottom of the barbecue overboard so now we can't attach it to the mount on the boat. We will have to wait till we can get to a marine store again to try to fix it. We were stuck here for another night and we were afraid to go for a walk as we weren't too sure how our fenders and lines would work as the tides went up and down. Neither of us slept much that night as we kept getting up to check on the boat. This whole trip Bruce had been wishing for more wind so that we could get more sailing in and now we had 3 days of so much wind we couldn't go out in it! By this time I am now getting homesick and am starting to wonder what we are doing here anyway, so far away from our family and friends so I have a good cry and can't even call anyone as we haven't had cell phone coverage for 3 days. I do know that these feelings will pass and there will be better days ahead. We haven't made much progress in 3 days and this alone is frustrating.

Today, we woke up to rain and wind again, but decided to try to make it another 22 miles to Ste. Anne des Monts. The weather picked up as the morning progressed and we actually lost most of the wind and had to motor the last half of the trip. The sun is now shining but the wind has picked up again but we are at a dock and have made reservations to eat out tonight. I think Bruce is trying to pick up my spirits. This place is lovely and it is the last larger town we will come to before Gaspe and we do not plan on going into the Bay, so we again stocked up on some groceries and went for a long walk. We were able to call home, but as it is a long weekend could not reach everyone that we wanted to.

We hope to leave very early tomorrow and do 90 miles, if possible, to try to make up for some lost time as we would really like to be in New Brunswick by next weekend so that we can fly home from Moncton for a few days. I hope the weather starts to turn and we will have better travelling days. We have almost turned the corner and will start heading South again so that is a good thing! We will also be coming home for a break in 9 days! Things are looking up again.