Cheticamp – Hurricane Earl

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Bigguy

Paul and Joanne just sent me these pictures of  “Pas Du Fake” taken by a local photographer during Hurricane Earl. She was tied to the dock but the lines broke and she fortunately put her head to the wind and was held by one line (a chain) otherwise she would have been dashed to pieces on a nearby dock.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

Wolfville, Nova Scotia – Sept 8

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Bigguy

Wolfville is a small town in the Annapolis Valley and the home of Acadia University. We came here primarily to see the tides of the Bay of Fundy. The best place to see this phenomena is at Hall’s Harbour. Tides are smaller (Neap Tide) and larger (Spring Tide) based on the phase of the moon and the season of the year. Tomorrow will be the highest tide of the year with a maximum of over 40 feet (at Hall’s Harbour). Bigger tides have been recorded in the bay (54 feet) but they are very rare.

We arrived at high tide (12:15) and ate lunch  had a sleep and walked on the beach. After about 3 hours (Half Tide) the harbour had already drained and the boats were sitting on the bottom.  The beach continued be more and more exposed. Margaret decided to have a lobster before she left the Maritimes (I prefer crab and or fish) so we stayed for another hour and a bit and took a few shots at low tide around 6:20.  The whole process is very interesting. The Bay of Fundy Tides are in the running for  “Wonder of The World” status.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lunenburg – Sept 7

Posted on September 7, 2010 by Bigguy

Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage historic fishing and boat building village. 80% of its buildings are original giving it the UNESCO designation. It is also the home of the famous Bluenose II schooner. For almost 30 years the Bluenose (the original boat) was the fastest sailing vessel in the world.  She was challenged 4 times and overcame all the best comers. Hence she was put on the Canadian 10 cent piece, the 50 cent bill (yes bill) and several editions of stamps.

The Fisheries Museum is the place to find out about the Bluenose and fishing over the years on the Grand Banks -it is a very good museum (and I am not a museum fan).

The Bluenose II replaced her and was used to demonstrate the era of schooner fishing in the Maritimes. One of the captains was Don Barr a sailor we met in Cuba last winter. While we were in Lunenburg, we connected with Don and his wife Trisha. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet their daughter Cheryl who wrote the 2 cruising guides we used extensively on our trip down the St. Lawrence.

Nearby is Mahone Bay – a classic and beautiful little fishing village also worth visiting.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Peggy’s Cove – Lunenburg – Sept 6

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Bigguy

I was right, today was a great picture day!! We went to Peggy’s Cove on a road through some pretty fishing villages. We then drove around Margarets Bay and Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. The pictures speak for themselves.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Halifax – Sept 5

Posted on September 5, 2010 by Bigguy

I was amazed at how beautiful a day it was only hours after Hurricane Earl blew through here. The sun was shining so we went downtown to the waterfront. They were having a festival with music and costumed performers. Some of the music was really quite excellent. Halifax is known for its strong musical community and great live performers. With this being the Labour Day weekend there was music in every little pub.

We met up with Bruce and Moira Allan and their son Matthew for dinner and a reconnect after many years – we worked on a film together in the 80s. It was great catching up again.

Tomorrow we will check out Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg and just poke around the pretty spots Bruce and Moira have recommended – stay tuned it should be a good day for pictures.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Halifax – Sept 4

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Bigguy

We arrived at the airport around 4pm yesterday (Sept 3) and rented a car and headed into Halifax. There were a lot of students around and people were hanging out before the storm hits. We went to “Niche” for dinner and to listen to some local Jazz – very good on both counts.

This morning the wind and rain woke me about 9:15 but nothing really happened until around 10:30. The pictures below were taken from our hotel in Dartmouth (across the river from Halifax) at about the peak of the storm. The power went out and came on again right away several times. They say it should all be over by about 2 pm. Other than tree branches there doesn’t seem to be much other damage as of yet.

Marg and I are enjoying a quiet day – reading and surfing the internet!

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cheticamp to Halifax – Sept 3

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Bigguy

We drove to Baddeck and returned our rental car and took the bus to Halifax in perfect weather. Hope to see some live music in the city as well as amuse ourselves indoors while hurricane Earl makes trouble. Looking forward to also visiting Lunenburg, the Bay of Fundy, and Wolfville before catching our return flight on Thursday.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

The Cabot Trail and Baddeck – Sept 2

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Bigguy

We have been trying to make our plans based on when we can travel to Halifax by shuttle or bus. Hurricane Earl has been threatening to disrupt our travel plans and it is a long weekend. Today we are seeing the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck (a charming little town on the Bras D’Or Lake) then do the Cabot Trail. The pictures tell the story……

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

Cheticamp, Cape Breton Island – Sept 1

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Bigguy

We went to Baddeck this morning and rented a car and drove to Louisburg and the famous historical fort. The Fort is one the best historical sights in Canada (IMHO). After we took the lighthouse scenic road and looked over the Atlantic Ocean – a beautiful location.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

Cheticamp, Cape Breton Island – Aug 30-31

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Bigguy

We really needed a day to rest so on Sunday (30th) we emptied the boat, went out for lunch and visited Joanne’ s aunt Rita – a slow and easy day.
Today, we went for a picnic and drove through some of the world famous Cabot Trail.

We will rent a car tomorrow and spend the next four days visiting the Graham Bell Estate and Museum, Louisburg (historical site), Baddeck on the Bas D’Or Lake and the rest of the Cabot Trail. Hope to have some amazing pictures for you!

Saturday we will attend a JP Cormier concert (he lives about 5 miles from Cheticamp) – should be a blast. Here are a “taste” of the pictures of this beautiful Island.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | 1 Comment

Iles De La Madeleine to Cheticamp Cape Breton Island – Aug 29

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Bigguy

We left this morning at dawn (6 am) to a beautiful sunrise. The islands were bathed in golden sunlight as we cleared the harbour and set our course for Cheticamp (157 degrees – south east). The Madeleines were still in sight when we first saw Cape Breton. We called ahead on the cell phone and the VHF radio to get dockage and Willie Joe and Joanne’s mother met us on the dock.

When we left Hamilton we blew the airhorn (protocal for leaving port) so I sounded the one long blast from our airhorn as we came into Cheticamp harbour.

Joanne’s mother has prepared for us an Acadian receipe called “fricot” (chicken stew) with wild blueberries pudding with brown sugar sauce – mmmmm good!!!

We plan to stay here in Cape Breton for about a week exploring the Cabot Trail, Bas d’ Or Lakes before heading for Halifax and home. – stay tuned – more to come.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

L’Anse A Beaufils to Iles De La Madeleine – Aug 27-28

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Bigguy

Today about noon (weather permitting) we will leave for the Magdelen Islands (English spelling). It is a 25 hour trip (125 miles). We plan to spend a day there before sailing the 60 miles to Cheticamp, Cape Breton Island – our destination!!!

We left at 11:45 AM in beautiful weather. It was sunny and warm with only a few clouds. It did get a bit “lumpy” later in the afternoon but it settled down and became a beautiful evening and night with almost a full moon and lots of stars. We arrived to this beautiful and charming island in the middle of the Gulf about noon in perfect weather. It seemed the whole island was celebrating the exceptionally warm and sunny day they were having. We went for lunch and showers and then exploring. Tomorrow we will leave early for Cheticamp (10 hours).

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

L’Anse A Beaufils – Aug 26

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Bigguy

The crappy weather kept us in port today with rain and overcast skies so we cooked and explored the village. The poor fishery and the closing of the paper mills have created the need to re-found this community through visionary development of an arts business. They founded a local museum which we visited. They also bring in the leading music and comedic arts in Quebec, offer local artist a venue to reach tourists and make their own local brew (beer). They have done this through a group of 40 community (visionaries) leaders/investors. They have made tremendous advances in the 11 years they have been developing this business – good on them!!

Tomorrow, we will leave for Iles De La Madeleine.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

Riviere Au Renard to L’Anse A Beaufils – Aug 25

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Bigguy

Today we will travel the last leg of the mainland portion of the trip although we many have to wait for weather before crossing the 125 miles to Iles De La Madeleine.
I think this stretch of the Gaspe is one of the most beautiful. The shoreline started out with mountains and changed to shear cliffs (with Lighthouses) and the famous Perce Rock and concluded with a beautiful Gaspe typical fishing village.

The people are friendly and helpful and very happy to have us anglophones visitors. We have always been able to find someone who can help us communicate (our French is a bit shaky). I was wondering why people go to Europe when rural Quebec and the Gaspe offer so much culture and scenery.

Tomorrow we will wait out the East wind and the rain – a day in port is always welcomed and busy with so much to do. Hope they have Internet.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Riviere de Madeleine to Riviere Au Renard – Aug 24

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Bigguy

Today was the warmest day we have in a few weeks. It was beautiful and we all stripped down to catch as many of the rays as possible. We haven’t seen very many commercial fishing vessels in this area until the last few days. Riviere Au Renard is one of the biggest fishing villages in the Gaspe. We are looking forward to the fresh fish which we purchased on the dock. We will be going to Perce Rock tomorrow and then we will wait for weather before we cross the Gulf to the Magdalen Islands.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saint Anne Des Monts to Riviere de Madeleine – Aug 23

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Bigguy

We started out today with a little bit of caution even though the waves had settled down and the wind had slowed. We motored since it (the wind) was on our nose again. It was one of those days that just needed time to “ripen” into its full beauty. At one point, the sea was like glass as we watched little Gaspe villages pass by our boat. The mountains create high cliffs which run right up to the water leaving room only for a highway and the occasional village.

We saw more whales and seals and birds that could be mistaken for seagulls. They dive from 100 feet (30 m) to catch fish – amazing! We also had a few other boats pass us going west which has been rare.

Most of our trip has been on a course of North-East, but today as we rounded the Gaspe we hit  due East. As we continue around the peninsula we should also get a heading of South-East and even South.

We arrived in Riviere de Madeleine about 6pm just to catch the day’s last rays and to meet crab fisherman Benoit. The village is quiet and beautiful and the people are kind and friendly. Benoit treated us to a huge bag of crab…which we ate tout suite. All is well!!

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saint Anne Des Monts – Aug 22

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Bigguy

What a difference a day makes!! We left around 9:15 with a wind on our nose and seas 3-5 ft. but the wind increased. With the waves and the wind increasing and more than 4 hours before the next harbour we decided to turn back and wait the weather out in port. Lesson learned.

This next leg is around the Gaspe where the ports at fewer and further away. Should take about 4 more days to get to the place (near Perce Rock) from which we leave to cross the gulf for Cape Breton.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | 1 Comment

Matane to Saint Anne des Monts – Aug 21

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Bigguy

We started the day with a weather report which was checkered at best. We had some ports to land run to if the the predicted rain and wind came up but it didn’t happen. As the day went on the weather got better and better until it was a gorgeous day.  We enjoyed the little french villages along the coast and sailed out to see some big whales. We arrived at Saint des Monts in time to buy scallops and to have a pasta dinner as we watched the sun set……yet another wonderful day.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rimouski to Matane – Aug 20

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Bigguy

The weather was better today – a wind at our back instead of in our faces. We sailed for a while but eventually fired up the engine to get to Matane before dark. We were hungry and tried so we went out for a seafood dinner (Matane is noted for its great seafood). Shrimp, salmon, clams, and lobster were prepared and enjoyed to its fullest.

We are still heading north and making our way toward the Gaspe. Tomorrow we will leave for Cap Chat….

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tadoussac to Rimouski – Aug 19

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Bigguy

It was a beautiful calm sunny morning as we left the marina for Rimouski on the south shore. We timed our departure to take advantage of the tide as it was going out which helped us move down and across the river. The whales were out feeding again and a few seals as well. Later in the day a breeze came up from the north and the temperature dropped. By the time we made it to the harbour in Rimouski we were very cold – I thought this was August. The girls made a wonderful salmon steak dinner and I had a long hot shower – another wonderful day on the water.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saguenay Fjord (Baie Eternite) to Tadoussac – Aug 18

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Bigguy

It was a calm night and the huge cliffs in the bay were like a geo-thermal furnace so it was a very nice night and morning. We took our time enjoying the beauty and a great breakfast. We sailed most of the way down to the bay where we saw the belugas on the way up the river with the hope that we would see them again. Sure enough they were nearby and when they saw us it was “time to play”. The young whales swam deliberately under the stern of the boat and blew air from their blow holes. A mother and her baby came to take a look (at what I am not sure). They are curious I suppose because they are very smart. I can’t image any of the whale watching tours getting as close or connected as we were.
We went back to Tadoussac for the evening to add some provisions and then we will head to Rimouski (across the river) in the morning.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saguenay Fjord – Aug 17

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Bigguy

Today was a day of days. Just when I thought it couldn’t get better – it did!
The fjord is a unique experience which transforms you into a postcard setting of beauty and awe. The walls go straight up on both sides with the most amazing rock you have seen anywhere.  We came to a bay about mid afternoon and there they were – a pod of belugas. We cut our engine counting on our yellow dinghy to do its magic. We drifted and eventually they saw it and came to see and play. For about 20 minutes they circled the boat and played and looked and “talked” to each other. A mother brought her baby to the boat to see the “mystery”. Some of them seemed to put on a show just for us. We drifted almost to shore before we could start the engine and then headed up the fjord to Baie Eternite. As we arrived, we had a rain shower and then the sun came out and produced a double rainbow over our boat and the bay. You had to be here to fully appreciate the beauty!!! But you can only get here by boat……

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Tadoussac – Aug 16

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Bigguy

It was a foggy rainy day today and we decided to do a few jobs in port and catch up on our sleep. The water has been so cold in this area (6C) that the boat (sole) floor and hull are getting very cold. I wore long pants for the first time since May. The other thing I noticed was the length of the days has increased as we have gone north. In SW Ontario (Kitchener) the longest day is about 15.5 hours on June 21; yesterday in Tadoussac the sun came up around 4:30 and set at 8pm for 15.5 hours of daylight. We have not only gone east but a lot north as well.

Tomorrow we are going up the fjord.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Malbaie to Tadoussac – Aug 15

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Bigguy

Today was one of those “over the top days” that I will remember for the rest of my life. We left the marina with the water like glass and light fog hanging on the water – it was beautiful. As the sun warmed the earth the wind came up and we sailed with just the jib and a following current at 10+ knots. Then we started to see whales. The belugas started to surface…..all around us! We cut the engine and coasted and waited then they came! They literally circled our boat. I think the yellow dinghy made them wonder what it was we were because they came near the boat surfaced and looked. I had eye contact with one of them as they looked right at me. I will never forget it. The rest of the day was awesome but pale compared to those moments of awe.
We pulled in at Tadoussac which is the start of the Fjiord. We needed some human fuel and went to the local constabulary where the local french artists offered us an evening of creative song writing. We went back to the boat and talked about how awesome a day we had. Pinch me……..

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Quebec City To Malbaie – Aug 14

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Bigguy

I think we broke our record for early starts with a 7:30 lock and then the 70+ miles down stream to Malbaie. We had to leave when the current was in our favour. There is so much tide here that when it is coming in you make 3.5 kts an hour but when its going out you make 10 or 11 knots an hour. The scenery has changed a lot and near the end of the day the water temperature dropped from 24C to 12C. The cold water and warm air makes for fog. This next leg the water should drop even further (as low as 4C) and that is what the whales like or at least the food they eat like (plankton). Should see some whales tomorrow. We are also planning to take a side trip to Saguenay River (google it) – it’s an amazing place!!!

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Montreal Panoramic photo of harbour

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Bigguy
My friend Dennis Lehto has offered to make some panoramic photos if I shoot and send them to him. Here is the first one, shot of the harbour in Montreal.
Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

Quebec City – Aug 13

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Bigguy

We spent the morning being good tourists then had lunch in the Old City. After, we came back and cleaned up the boat (trying to make a good impression on Joanne who will join us today). We have planned a warm welcome for her with a nice meal and then we will take in Cirque du Soliel (Totem) – absolutely amazing!!!

Tomorrow we will start a new chapter of this trip, We have a new member of our team and the second half of this trip will be quite different in many ways from the first half. We are hoping to see whales as early as tomorrow.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Quebec City – Aug 12

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Bigguy

Today was a day of rest and restocking the boat with provisions and some visiting in the Old City and Port. There always seems to be so much to do when you get into port that has “stuff” available. Quebec City is a very cool place – a place that you could come for a few months and just absorb the atmosphere. The neat cafes and European style shops and a strong cultural and artistic community make this city a really important aspect of Canadiana.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trois Rivieres to Quebec City – Aug 11

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Bigguy

This part of the trip was all about the current and the wind. We had current that took us to a high of 11.4 knts as we ran through the Richelieu Rapids. The wind was blowing against the current which makes for a nasty chop. We bounced around a bit in a few places but Quebec City was worth the discomfort – it is a real gem. There is 18 feet of tide here so they have the marina behind a lock which minimizes the extreme tide. The marina is right in the old city area. There was an artisan’s event which we will go back to tomorrow and they projected a film about the history of Quebec on a huge granary next to our boat – very creative!!!
Looking forward to just seeing the city and taking care of a few things and possibly seeing Cirque du Soliel (next to the marina) if they have tickets.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Montreal to Trois Rivieres – Aug 10

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Bigguy

We started early with a beautiful morning and the expectation of some strong current to carry us downstream at quite a rate. I think there was about 5 knots of current right near the marina.

The commercial port goes on for 5 or 6 miles then the river opens up wide with peaceful small communities dotting the shoreline – very pretty. We had a small squall about mid afternoon and then later it rained for about 2 hours as we crossed Lac Saint Pierre. It cleared up just as we got to Trois Rivieres.

This is the beginning of tide waters. There is only a 1 foot tide here but in the next 70 miles to Quebec City the tide goes to 18 feet. With that much water coming in and going out we have to time our departure to take advantage of it instead of fighting it – should have some good pictures tomorrow.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Montreal – Aug. 9

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Bigguy

We didn’t plan on being here another day but taking care of all our shopping just took too long and it ended up being too late to head for Trois Rivieres. We decided to get smoked meat at Schwartz’s as a special treat and it was awesome – the best smoke meat sandwich ever. Sorry we didn’t have time to connect with Rob and Bec Abbott while being here!!!

I couldn’t believe what happened at the Schwartz’s – anyone’s worst nightmare in a restaurant. I was trying to get the catsup going but instead it squirted on Tim (the guy next to me) right in the face and arm – I couldn’t believe it!!!!! …..He was very  “kool” about it and even posed for the picture below.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lac Saint Louis to Montreal – Aug 8

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Bigguy

We spent last night on the sea wall near Melocheville in Lac Saint Louis. We met a really friendly couple (Pierre) from the upper St. Lawrence who helped us with a lot of information about our trip. There is a real fraternity among sailors. One lift bridge, a long canal. and two more locks to navigate before Montreal. In the locks we were rafted to Julian and his family – another example of a sailor who went out of his way to help us. People have been great!!! After the last lock we had to turn upstream to get to the marina in old Montreal. 5 knots of current made the trip both rough and long, but we arrived in a downpour to find friends from Hamilton on the next slip.
Margie is making steak, pasta, and salad with Hagen Dazs (Mayan Chocolate) dessert – we’re ready!!

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cornwall to Lac Saint Louis – Aug 6-7

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Bigguy

We had a day taking care of business which included changing the oil, buying food, and setting up some of our electronic systems – a nice day relaxing. Also, the wind was blowing at 35 knots so it was a good day to do our work in port.

Today we had two locks, two lift bridges, and two lakes to experience and it was a beautiful day after the low blew through. The 2 locks dropped us 42 feet each. There are just 2 more to go before Montreal. The St. Lawrence has two lakes along its course. They open up to about 4-5 miles wide in each of them. There are a lot of homes along the lake and since this was Saturday, there were a lot more people out in their boats. We waited for a while to get into the lock and galley mate Marg served caesar salad and penne primavera with grilled chicken and sauteed red pepper, tomato, and garlic – worth waiting for any day!

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brockville to Cornwall – Aug. 5

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Bigguy

This is the start of the lock system of the river. We went through 3 locks today. They do it differently than on the Trent-Severn so it was all new. We also had a 15-20 knot wind on our stern which made controlling the boat in the lock a challenge. We made it through the first 3 locks without scrapping our boat our someone else’s. It was a pretty tense day and 30 C and 80% humidity – I think we all need a shower and a cold drink.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Brockville – Aug. 4

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Bigguy

After a little more than a week we had a list of “to dos” to keep us busy for half a day. We worked on a few repairs on the boat in the morning then my friend Bob came and picked us up. We are feeling “whole again”.
Brockville is the home of “Keen” shoes and sandals so we got a deal on some of the best footwear available anywhere. Another great feast at Hillcrest and then we are back down the river first thing in the morning.

P.S. The city let us know we are tied up in a restricted area, but where gracious enough to ask us to report into them tomorrow morning (when we are leaving). I think they knew there was no room in any of the marinas.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Grenadier Island to Brockville – Aug. 3

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Bigguy

We had the wind behind us so we ran wing on wing down the river about 10 miles to Brockville. Our friend has a home at Hillcrest (the Brockville Narrows) where we will put in for some good food and a nice time hanging out – nice having access to a car and a shower after a couple of days on the “hook” (at anchor). Not sure what we will do for an encore after this – we may stay for a day or head back to the US side.

P.S. We hit 7.5 knots going through the Brockville Narrows – great wind, wing-on-wing and a bit of current and we almost hit the top hull speed for Pas Du Fake.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Gananoque to Grenadier Island – Aug. 2

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Bigguy

We stayed at the public dock overnight (usually not allowed) then motored up to Alexandria Bay (US) and Heart Island. We checked in (US Customs) so we could get fuel and ice cream but couldn’t get it together to do Bolt Castle. I think we are still adjusting to the sun and wind. We went down the river to the eastern tip of Grenadier Island and threw the anchor in a nice quiet bay – had a drink and a tenderloin steak and watched the sunset (pinch me). Tomorrow we are going to connect with a friend at the Brockville narrows (Hillcrest).

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Kingston to Gananoque – Aug. 1

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Bigguy

We needed a pit-stop to get a few things taken care of. We did our shopping and hung out at the Confederation Basin Marina in downtown Kingston (triathalon day). Later we motored over to Gananoque (3 hours),  got an ice cream and made plans to hit some of the Thousand Island high spots over the next few days – stay tuned – I think this is going to be good.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Belleville to Kingston – July 31

Posted on July 31, 2010 by Bigguy

Another perfect day except for the wind on the nose – again. The North Channel is one of the really pretty places in Ontario. Adolphus is a place Marg and I often came through on our way home from Brockville and said how nice it would be to sail the Adolphus Reach. Today as we sailed the Reach, I realized we were living our dream (pinch me). We are staying tonight at the Collins Bay Marina next to the penitentiary. Freedom and no freedom side-by-side.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coburg to Belleville – July 30

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Bigguy

On land everything happens from the horizon down but at sea everything happens from the horizon up. The clouds and the horizon are beautiful and a constant check for every sailor.

We decided to cut through the Murray Canal from Lake Ontario to Quinte Bay because we thought it would be more interesting – and it is! Not much sailing with the wind on our nose for the second day in a row……

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Whitby to Coburg – July 29

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Bigguy

It was a perfect morning and we were able to soak it in. One of the best parts about sailing is the interesting people you meet – one of them was Armand.
We ran up the lake in near flat water and a light breeze just enjoying the weather and the water. There is a line from a Crosby Stills and Nash tune called “Southern Cross” that goes like this:  “When you see the Southern Cross for the first time you know why you came this way” – that’s how it was today (beautiful -perfect!!).

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Toronto to Whitby – July 28

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Bigguy

We have been really tired with the new schedule, activities, and bed. There were threatening thunderstorms and a bit of a roll out there today so we came in early, made a big lunch, and had an afternoon snooze. We are finding a lot of small things to fix and change every day to make the boat more sailing friendly – so we worked on a few of those.  Whitby is a nice clean harbour with great facilities – the best I have seen in any marina so far. Tomorrow we are going to get more serious and take a shot at getting to Coburg.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Day 1 – July 27

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Bigguy

The rest of the pictures

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

Finally Underway – July 26-27

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Bigguy

We left the dock about 5:30 on Monday afternoon and motored over to Bronte (about 2 hours away). We had to take care of some last minute details before we left hence short travel day. Today we took care of what we hope will be the last issues and sailed up to Toronto Island for the evening…looks like we will be taking off early tomorrow – running ahead of some thunderstorms up to Coburg. Here are some of the pictures from the first leg of the trip.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | 1 Comment

Shakedown #2 – July 10

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Bigguy

Pas du Fake (meaning: the real thing) is getting a major refit which includes a new Volvo engine, some very cool navigation electronics and a set of sails. The sails arrived the other day and we were looking forward to trying them out. It was a beautiful day for sailing with perfectly clear blues skies and a light breeze. The foresail (a 140% Genoa) was a treat – with  amazing performance in light wind.

The electronics are almost installed and in a few days we should be able to shakedown the radar and the new chartplotter. Just 2 weeks to castoff. I have been reading the cruising guide for the St. Lawrence Seaway with anticipation of this trip being amazingly beautiful.

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

Shakedown #1 – July 1, 2010

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Bigguy

A SHAKEDOWN is a trial run. With all the new stuff being added to the boat we decided to take a couple of days and hang out getting to know Joanne and Paul as well as “Pas du Fake” (the boat). There will be a couple more “shakedowns” before we leave…..still a great way to spend Canada Day Weekend!!

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Leave a comment

New Adventure – Lake Ontario to Nova Scotia

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Bigguy
We have just committed to help fellow sailors move their boat from Hamilton ON, to Cheticamp, Nova Scotia (Cape Breton Island).
The boat (a Columbia 38) is being refitted with electronics and when ready (July 26th) we will depart for about a 4-5 week journey up the St. Lawrence through the Thousand Islands, Montreal, Quebec City, the Gaspe, possibly PEI and then on to Nova Scotia.
The trip will offer a slightly different perspective (from the water) of some of the most beautiful and remote locations in Canada. We will be posting the pictures and the stories here…..please join us. We hope to inspire you with beautiful pictures of this part of Canada.

Marg and Paul

Posted in Lake Ontario To Nova Scotia | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Florida, March 15

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Bigguy

The sun and sea are a powerful medicine. We have spent a lot of time in Florida, but this time it did not capture our sense of adventure. We entertained the idea of just “hanging” for a month or two but even that didn’t excite us. We even connected with a sailor friend who was heading to Cuba to shoot a sailing video and we still couldn’t become engaged. We decided after a great deal of discussion that after 4 months on the move we just wanted to be home.

On Saturday evening we had dinner and danced at our favorite Fort Lauderdale restaurant, Mangos. Sunday we loaded our car and headed home. With a few stops planned we should arrive home late Tuesday evening.

We have spent much of our driving time talking about the “wonder” of our fantastic adventure and our plans for moving forward with The Forerunner Project, our ARC Project and next winter’s “plans” – the future looks like another great adventure!!! Stay tuned……

Blessings,

Paul & Marg

Posted in Mexico and Florida | Leave a comment

Laredo Texas, March 3-5

Posted on March 6, 2010 by Bigguy

We arrived in Laredo expecting to cross the border in the morning. That evening the local news covered a major shoot out which happened that afternoon just across the border in Nuevo Laredo between the police and a caravan of “soldiers” from the drug cartel. Until now, the “trouble” had been contained to one city near El Paso, TX. On Wednesday the “drug war” took a new turn. In every border town there were shootings between the military and the cartel. The US Government has warned people to not cross into Mexico unless they have to.

We decided to take a few days to see how things progress. We traveled to Corpus Christi and continued to monitor the news (which is extremely limited due to the cartels habit of killing journalists who report on the shootings).

March 5th – Additional events and a chance meeting with a sailor (owner of a restaurant) who has been traveling to Mexico regularly, and who now has stopped, left us settled that our decision to cancel our trip to Mexico was the right thing to do.

We’re now driving  I-10 across lower Texas and Louisiana (enjoying the Texas BBQ and Cajun food) on our way to Florida.  We will update as the story unfolds.

Posted in Mexico and Florida | 6 Comments

New Hamburg to Guadalajara, Mexico – March 1

Posted on February 28, 2010 by Bigguy
We have been planning the trip with our Lonely Planet book and the internet and here are a few places that we will  visit in Mexico – they are marked in red on the map. We have done a lot of research and plan to visit many of these places because they have something amazing to offer.
We will cross the border at Laredo, TX and then proceed to Guadalajara to visit our friends Norm and Joanne from Collingwood. On the way we will pass through Monterrey, Matehuala,  and San Luis Potosi. We hope to visit and sight see in the the Guadalajara area.

After seeing the story of the migration of the monarch butterflies in the film “Four Wings and a Prayer” we knew we wanted to go to Mariposa to see the phenomena.  In March, millions of monarchs wake up from their winter sleep, mate and eventually fly back to Canada – we hope to be there to see this miracle!

The Pacific coast is amazingly beautiful. It is dotted with tourist cities like Puerto Vallarta and Acupalco – places we will visit briefly. There are, however, places we have more interest in like Puerto Angel,  Salina Cruz, and Puerto Escondido where we plan to spend about a month just chilling and visiting the surrounding beaches and fishing villages. Marg and I were also intrigued with Oaxaca (pronounced –  O -Wa-ca) a city know for its artists and musicians.
For more details check out the Google Map ( http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl ) or the map below
Click the map to enlarge

Click to enlarge the map

Posted in Mexico and Florida | Comments Off on New Hamburg to Guadalajara, Mexico – March 1