Headed for Bermuda

Wednesday, 3 May at 1:35 Xcelsior throws it's dock lines on the boat…stowed them away with intentions of not being required for at least ten day, when we arrive in St. George Harbour…Bermuda. Horn’s were honking, Wendy and Bill (adopted Sister and Brother for 30 years) along with a large number of fellow sailor’s from Dartmouth Yacht Club, were waving at the end of F dock. We motor off, secure the boat for sea and raise our jib pointing towards the Atlantic.

As always the wind shifted going through the narrows, which meant we’d be tacking all the way up…therefore we hauled the jib in and motored to the mouth of Halifax Harbour. The local weather report was not entirely correct as the winds were blowing at Chebucto Head 35 knots with sea conditions 8 to 12 feet. This meant pushing us back into Halifax Harbour and gaining nothing. We both agreed that it’s foolish to go into those conditions (different if we were already out 100 miles and had to where to duck). One of our favourite places to anchor is up the North West Arm at Dingle Towers…so there we settled down for the night with intentions of getting a fresh start early morning.

For the past twenty years, Xcelsior has had oil lanterns as a source of heat. Never had a problem with them until…..sometime through the night while we were all tucked away and sleeping like babies, one had began to give off black soot. I can’t stress how much and how far this soot covered the entire interior of the boat. Topaz, was a brilliant white and gold tabby….soon became a dull gold and dark grey cat. Her paw marks were everywhere! She doesn't care for a bath and I soon learned that her claws dig into fibreglass and wood, strong as anything to get away from me. We should count our blessings that we even woke up to tell this story. I need not say that our boat no longer has oil lanterns on board.

While at anchor, after two hours of cleaning, we decided that we’d may as well turn back and dock at Dartmouth Yacht Club. There was a minimum of two days clean up ahead of us. The ceiling took four scrubbings, the floor three, all setee (seat) covers and drapes had to come off and get dry cleaned, four bags of laundry came off. There wasn’t an item or spot on the boat that didn’t get covered with soot.

Saturday, and the boat is starting to get back together….most of the soot came out of the setee’s, however, there are a few spots that tell the tales. We went through seventy-five gallons of water, $75 dry cleaning, $27 laundry, $25 miscellaneous cleaning supplies and about twenty hours of labour each. WHAT A !!!##!!! MESS!

Now that that’s behind us…we hope to try again tomorrow. Everyone keeps asking when and what time…we’re just saying “next time we will go for a trail sail…if we come back that’s the way it is…or if we continue to sail south…we’ll let you all know when we arrive and update the adventures’.