An Interlude

You wouldn't know it by some of these pictures, but it's been getting colder wetter and windier. Add shortening to the list, and you get to asking, "Why am I doing this?". After trying to make Halifax a few days ago, we realized that we would be running at night to make some of the long passages to get across the Gulf of Maine and down the coast. Ew.

So we have decided to put the rest of the trip on hold. Sheet harbour is a great place to tie-off for the season, and we can come back to Picton, at least for a while. We are now trying hatch a plan to travel on asphalt until we return to the boat in May.

I will be putting a last post up with a nice picture of Pilger soon. And for the record, we are feeling pretty good about this. Looking forward to a Spring/summer tour through Nova Scotia, New England and the Chesapeake Bay. Hopefully we can make the Greater Antilles November.

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Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia

I am writing from yet another excellent library, this one located in a renovated primary school. The community of Sheet Harbour has 800 people right in it and more around, so finding something free to do is quite easy: just look at the bulletin board at the Post Office! So tomorrow we shall attend a church service at a united church right beside where we are anchored in The NorthEast Arm, Sheet Harbour. Then at 3, there is a free concert at the local pub featuring more gospel, hopefully a choir. I don't have any photos just yet, sorry!
We are waiting for better wind to go to Halifax, but none is scheduled to come for four days. If we get the right wind forecasted for long enough, we must keep going, however, and make some serious tracks south! The weather patterns have featured four days of west at 25-35 knots, whew! That's a lot of days at a stretch to be socked in! But all is well on board, the skipper always seems to find great places to anchor to hide out from big wind. And I am so very glad I brought lots of nice yarn to play with! I have finished my custom-piece for Rose Haven Farm Store and have already cast on a pair of merino-alpaca socks. And they are for ME! yay.
The people we meet are so very friendly, offering rides to get provisions etc, giving us hardwood from their own pile, just being human!
We are starting to see Christmas Consumables in the stores now, even more impetous to put the jets on. Please indulge me in some low-carbon Christmas meaning: give something hand-made that you don't have to pay a lot of money for. Sometimes we are moved to give something special to a certain person, but not everyone, it's true! Let it be! The rest of us will feel great for that special someone, so don't worry about "playing favorites", it'll save you lots of time and money not having to shop out of guilt for the rest. Trust me.

Les lles de Madeleines

It's really different in Les Illes. They are so far from anywhere in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, they are able to remain true to themselves; Acadian. Deeply French. The names of people and places, their sensibilities, the way they take care of each other, even the landscape.

The first picture shows the great care people take in making sure nothing can blow away in some of the terrific winds that can blow through. If anything is left outside (rare), it is actually tied down. Although the lobster fishery seems to be alive and well, we could not afford a feed, but we have enjoyed halibut steaks, cod feesh, shrimpies and pan-fried haddie.

Picture #2 depicts the general feel of the place. House paint is bright and cheerful, cheeks are bright red like the soil and people look you in the eye to say "Bonne Journee!". #3 shows a developers' sense of humour. Or the photographers'. #4 has a church on a hill with its ubiquitous lighted cross for mariners to take a bearing and come into the harbour on.

While we waited in the harbour at L'Etang du Nord for some rather strong winds to pass, we were adopted by a retired fisherman, un pecher, and his wife. Gaston et Margot took us into the town of Cap aux Meules for groceries and to do our laundry. On Thanksgiving Monday, they came by to take us for the only forest walk on their island and a turkey dinner back at their place. With our very best french, we admired how they had such a small, sensible house for a retired couple, using small amounts of the earth's resources and such. It was not until I took a good look around that I understood they funny look on their faces. ALL the homes are small. Very small! It costs so much to ferry building supplies over that in general, most homes are very, very small. Way to go Les Illes! Make it work!

I am writing from Port Hawesbury, Nova Scotia right now. We left Les Illes (a term not unlike the way we call our own island The County) and landed in Souris, Prince Edward Island for the night, then headed here the next day. We were so long in French Speaking Canada that we began thinking and dreaming in French, so the switch back to English was rather abrupt, but we got through OK.

Now we are in yet another harbour, waiting for weather to get our heinies to Halifax. We are beginning to feel very pressed for time and are realizing we need to move a LOT faster to stay ahead of the colder weather. Also, we don't feel ready for a passage to Bermuda, and have decided to sail coastally so we can make shorter hops rather than 6-12 day passages. Autumnal instability is with us, and we are beginning to lose more days to opposing and high winds than are getting fair weather, so our motto has now become "South, south SOUTH!!"

Don't be surprised if my next story is posted from New York State!

Remember; eat locally and pay a bit more for good food, it's worth it for your health and also the well being of other Canadian families.