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Our first foreign port of call... if only we could see it, eh!The coast of Maine from Schoodic on is rather remote, dramatic and teacherous. Rocks at 5 feet surrounded by 200 feet of water. Waves breaking in the middle of the "ocean" are a real clue. Petit Manan Island, a tall lighthouse on a flat surface in the sea, has a huge colony of birds, including puffins but we didn't see any from where we were. No tourists in sight at all. Except us of course.We spent a lovely night in Eastern Harbor in the "hamlet" of Addison, ME. It was the first real quiet we heard since starting our cruise. No saws, no hammers, no trains, no boats, no human sounds at all. The occasional cry of a bird. The occasional rise of a fish. The pounding roar of surf against rocks just outside the harbor. All the boats in the harbor were fishing or lobstering boats. There was one tiny sailboat on a mooring. There's only a very-well-used fish dock and fuel pump there. We bought 6 gallons of gas for the dinghy. "We don't sell much gas here," the owner said. "Can we please leave our garbage bag here?" "Nope, gotta truck it to the next town." They let us post our mail from their box at the end of the driveway. There were real letters already in the box and the flag was up so we were all set. Ah-Yep. We left yesterday at about 1100 h and arrived Shelburne, NS at about 1300 today (local Atlantic time 1400). Yep, 25 hours of fog. Dense fog. Can't-see-an-eighth-of-a-mile famous Canadian maritime fog. For you landlubbers, this is why sailors say it is safer to be out at sea. There are far fewer hazards to run into out there, especially when you can't see 'em! And there's no fog out in the middle of the ocean! The first 12 hours were spent beating upwind under full sail in 18 knots and a rather confused sea. Ian's gift of Dinty Moore was very welcome and just the ticket. Then suddenly, someone just turned the wind off. One second 18, the next second 0. Seems Big Bertha sucked all the wind out of the Atlantic. People from the Azores to Bermuda to Newfoundland were complaining about the light air on the SSB net. There was a lonely stretch across the Grand Manan Banks where we had not one contact on radar for 12 hours straight. Normally, that's good. Here in the fog and remote wilderness it was eerie. Very alone in the universe feeling at 2 am on deck with no visibility and no contacts. Twilight Zone like. Then of course, just as we were to round Cape Sable, that infamous stretch where the tide rips make the Race look meek, the radar was loaded with contacts. Tugs and barges, freighters, fishing vessels (at least that was my imagination's take) and all in the way of the heading we wanted. Weaving this way and that, we got through the melee. At least the current was with us. And it was cold! Frigid wet condensating fog. The sails were weeping over it! Thank goodness for double backup chartplotters and radar. Finally, in the morning gray light of the all encompassing fog, we approached Shelburne by braille. We followed the chartplotter, picked up the land contour on radar, and confirmed with the bottom depth contour toward the harbor. We knew there were fish farms out here but we didn't know where. Magically, the fog lifted completely in one moment and the warm sun lit everything up so we could see the approach, the mussel and salmon farms, the town and the entire harbor (which we later learned is the third largest natural harbor in the world). I ran for the camera to get a dramatic shot of the umpteenth dramatic lighthouse of the trip. As I snapped, the fog wiped the lighthouse away again (most dramatic shots yet.) I am not making this up. I have pictures to prove it! Hence the 26th hour was not in fog. So we finally got through to CANPASS to clear customs after calling for days. Our clearance was a little tricky. We are transporting our shotguns to Ireland. So they sent the nicest agents in the world on a three-hour road trip to pick them up. They'll bring them back to wherever whenever we decide to leave. Onyx also performed admirably, showing off her electronically implanted credentials and welcoming the agents uncharacteristically warmly, one of whom also has a black cat! Most people who enter Canada just call in and never see an agent. These guys were really nice. They told us our gear was quite valuable. Bought long ago we had no clue. We got our clearance number, lowered the Q flag and raising the Canadian courtesy flag. Alas, the AYC burgee has now moved to a lesser position of prominence to allow for the recognition of our host country. It happens to be the 225th anniversary of the town's settlement by Loyalists who fled the American Revolution and there are big celebrations under way. The militia did exercises on the wharf today. Privateers in period costume are out in longboats in the harbor right now staging an attack on the Loyalist outpost and there are cannons and muskets being fired into the harbor (uuhhhh, kind of just inside where we are anchored). Apparently, back then the population here was 10,000 and today it's 528. They were all out watching - all 528 of them. We're surprised they allowed us yankees in here today! People are incredibly warm here. At the Shelburne Harbor Yacht Club, we were instantly welcomed by the manager, the self-proclaimed welcome committee, and various members, including a couple from Milford CT who also have a large ketch, a camper and a new house in Cape Bretton. The SHYC is pretty special. It was a movie set for the Scarlet Letter several years ago and the YC bought it for a song after the movie company completely redid it in period style. There's an AYC burgee flying front and center. The place has a good feel. So tomorrow there's a low heading our way. First rain since we got Down East is predicted along with gale force winds. We'll see if we venture out or stay put. There are worse places to stay put for certain. Cheers from Canada, Daria + Alex + Onyx s/v Aleria |
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