Thursday, August 17, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Just another shakedown cruise….Bras D'or Lakes, Cape Breton
Mid July, Xcelsior, Pat, Ted and Topaz headed out with six other boats for a leisure trip to Bras D'or Lakes. The fog didn’t fail us…it trailed along all the way to Canso. Radar comes in handy and over worked. In other words, more fog than any of us wished to see. The radar’s would get rested every evening as we are at anchor in a quiet protected cove only to wake up to guess what? More fog.
There was a lot of motoring, as we went through some back routes. The scenery was gorgeous; if it weren’t for the fog, we could have seen more. Amongst all the fog we did find Santa in a row boat, on the rocks in Little Dover Run. He didn’t look to upset as he was waving at us….sure hope he gets off the rocks before they miss the deadline for the toys in the north pole.
Once in Canso most boats had gone there own way, there were four boats entering St. Peter’s Canal. The others departed for Port Hawkesbury and Magdalene’s. This trip to Bras D'or Lakes would have been about our seventh trip. One never tires of this cruise as there’s always a new cove to venture. There were three anchorages we’ve been to before and the rest where all new for us this time. Xcelsior, was in a great location while sitting out tropical storm Beryl. Our best friends Wendy & Bill’s parents, Carm and Frank, have a cottage in Pringles Cove. Which is very well protected by mountains to the South and Pringle Island to the North? One very young eagle had flown inches away from the stern of the boat, being chased by a small black bird. Of course the camera is never handy to get a picture. You had to be there to appreciate the beauty and the irony of it all. Frank (retired navy, sorry Frankie) said he had arranged the fly past for us. We enjoyed a nice day visiting and great food including fresh baked date squares MMMMM good.
We had met some interesting cruisers and saw some wild life. Jellyfish heaven in Port Howe, if you look over the side of the boat you’d see them coming to surface. They started off relatively small and would increase on every movement. When they finally surfaces they’d be 12 plus inches in diameter. Topaz and I were entertained for hours….supper was delayed because of it. Just off Tor Bay, were approximately fifty dolphins and just as many albatrosses. They must have been feeding off of herring; the Albatrosses would dive in the ocean like bombers. Then in the background were three seals looking on or cheering not sure which. There was no shyness of Baldheaded eagles, ospreys, herrings etc.
Xcelsior preformed quite well, sluggish through the waters, as she’s bow heavy. This causing us to lose in most cases about two knots in speed. The weight up forward is two anchors along with 350 feet of chain and the 27 gallon water tank and up on deck is two jerry cans of diesel and one jerry can of gas for the outboard. Apparently rumor has it that we are going to cut back on the chain…not. In each case, neither items can be downsize or dispose of. Solution…add more weight in the stern. Therefore, Ted is going to get a fuel tank custom made to sit upright in the cockpit locker and place a “T” valve on it. This would work the same as a reserve tank in a car or truck. That would eliminate the jerry cans of diesel being stowed on deck. As well, give us the fuel capacity to cross the Gulf of Maine completely by engine. The engine would be required if the wind is not in a favorable direction. Or lack of wind. Experiencing last year’s attempt of the Gulf of Maine, we were becalmed for three days making us divert our plans by going into Yarmouth.
Our target date for departure for New York is August 20th at the latest. We will radio a couple that we had met from Etobicoke, ON, to find out their location. They are heading for New York and going back through the Hudson River and canals to Ontario.
There was a lot of motoring, as we went through some back routes. The scenery was gorgeous; if it weren’t for the fog, we could have seen more. Amongst all the fog we did find Santa in a row boat, on the rocks in Little Dover Run. He didn’t look to upset as he was waving at us….sure hope he gets off the rocks before they miss the deadline for the toys in the north pole.
Once in Canso most boats had gone there own way, there were four boats entering St. Peter’s Canal. The others departed for Port Hawkesbury and Magdalene’s. This trip to Bras D'or Lakes would have been about our seventh trip. One never tires of this cruise as there’s always a new cove to venture. There were three anchorages we’ve been to before and the rest where all new for us this time. Xcelsior, was in a great location while sitting out tropical storm Beryl. Our best friends Wendy & Bill’s parents, Carm and Frank, have a cottage in Pringles Cove. Which is very well protected by mountains to the South and Pringle Island to the North? One very young eagle had flown inches away from the stern of the boat, being chased by a small black bird. Of course the camera is never handy to get a picture. You had to be there to appreciate the beauty and the irony of it all. Frank (retired navy, sorry Frankie) said he had arranged the fly past for us. We enjoyed a nice day visiting and great food including fresh baked date squares MMMMM good.
We had met some interesting cruisers and saw some wild life. Jellyfish heaven in Port Howe, if you look over the side of the boat you’d see them coming to surface. They started off relatively small and would increase on every movement. When they finally surfaces they’d be 12 plus inches in diameter. Topaz and I were entertained for hours….supper was delayed because of it. Just off Tor Bay, were approximately fifty dolphins and just as many albatrosses. They must have been feeding off of herring; the Albatrosses would dive in the ocean like bombers. Then in the background were three seals looking on or cheering not sure which. There was no shyness of Baldheaded eagles, ospreys, herrings etc.
Xcelsior preformed quite well, sluggish through the waters, as she’s bow heavy. This causing us to lose in most cases about two knots in speed. The weight up forward is two anchors along with 350 feet of chain and the 27 gallon water tank and up on deck is two jerry cans of diesel and one jerry can of gas for the outboard. Apparently rumor has it that we are going to cut back on the chain…not. In each case, neither items can be downsize or dispose of. Solution…add more weight in the stern. Therefore, Ted is going to get a fuel tank custom made to sit upright in the cockpit locker and place a “T” valve on it. This would work the same as a reserve tank in a car or truck. That would eliminate the jerry cans of diesel being stowed on deck. As well, give us the fuel capacity to cross the Gulf of Maine completely by engine. The engine would be required if the wind is not in a favorable direction. Or lack of wind. Experiencing last year’s attempt of the Gulf of Maine, we were becalmed for three days making us divert our plans by going into Yarmouth.
Our target date for departure for New York is August 20th at the latest. We will radio a couple that we had met from Etobicoke, ON, to find out their location. They are heading for New York and going back through the Hudson River and canals to Ontario.
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