Playing on the Bras D'Ors Lakes

So with Just Dreamin at her new home in the Northern Yacht Club we had to resort to motor boats. This lead to fun days wake boarding and tube riding in Loree's dad's boat.

Bringing the boat to its new marina

Sun July 9th
Justin, Vada, and I used my father's motor boat to shuttle us from our wharf to the boat.  Then Justin returned the boat to the wharf and swam back to the boat, squealing from the cold as he jumped in.  We lifted anchor at 11:30 am.

We headed downwind down the Great Bras d'Or Channel towards the Seal Island Bridges, gybing to go under the bridge.   We had 20 to 27 knots of wind.  We traveled at knots and we had a knot of current with us.  We passed Big Bras d'Or amd Black Rock on our starboard and New Cableton on our port.  We saw Bird Islands as we exited the channel.

 Once we reached the ocean and went around the point, the wind dropped to 10 to 15 knots.  We rounded around the point on a broad reach, passing Point Aconi, Alder Point, Little Pond, Big Pond, and Sydney Mines. We entered Sydney Harbour at 3:30 pm, sailing upwind.

Just Dreamin in her new home at the Northern Yacht Club

We arrived in North Sydney at 5:00 pm.  Mom met us at the wharf to drive us home.

Joining the local yacht club

The Northern Yacht Club

Everyone at the Northern Yacht Club was very welcoming and I discovered an active sailing scene. So while my boat was around in the Bras D'Ors Lakes I got to go club racing with Steve and Holly. They were great hosts and we had a fantastic Wednesday night social sail. With club members like this and an active sailing scene I joined the club right away.

Excursion to Baddeck

On the afternoon of July 3rd, we went out for a day sail.  My brother,  Gerard,  and his girlfriend,  Yara, my uncle Mike and my Aunt Cathy,  and my cousin Andrew joined Justin, Vada, and I.  It was a perfect  day for sailing: sunny, 20 knots of wind,  and 1 to 2 ft of waves.

Justin shuttled us all from the wharf to the Just Dreamin using Da's motor boat.  He then kayaked out to Just Dreamin.  We left around 2:00 pm.  We tacked up the Bras d'Or Channel to Baddeck, pulling the kayak behind us.

We tied up at the main wharf in Baddeck at 4:30 and walked up the street to get ice cream.  As we were not planning on stopping, nobody but Gerard had their wallet.  So he treated us to ice cream.

Waiting for ice cream

 We sailed downwind back to the wharf.  The kayak flipped on us twice,  making us stop to dump it out and slowing us down.  We arrived home at 8:00 pm.

A bit of history here with Alexander Graham Bell's home

Andrew at the helm

Halifax, Nova Scotia to Ross Ferry, Nova Scotia

We left Halifax at 6:30 am on Thursday, June 15th.  Justin saw a cruise ship and a tall ship as he was leaving Halifax Harbour.  Justin spent the morning watching episodes of "Bones."  I woke up at 11:00 am.  It was sunny and cool.  Justin and I got out all the flags and tied them on ropes so that we can dress the boat up for our arrival home.  Justin went to bed at 2:00 pm.  We had 8 to 12 knots of wind all day.  We moved along at 3 to 4 knots, with Nova Scotia to our port side.  I watched episodes of "Hornblower, " and the movie "K19, Widowmaker."  It was cold over night.  We were bundled up as much as possible.   We could see our breath.  We ate soup and drank tea to keep warm.

Justin tying the flags together

Dressing up the boat for our home arrival

The next morning, Justin saw dolphins just after sunrise.  We had enough wind to sail at 2 knots, but we wanted to make the canal before it closed at 4:00 pm.  So Justin switched back and forth between motoring, sailing, and motor sailing to maintain over 5 knots.  I woke up at 1:00 pm while we were coming around Isle Madame and approaching St. Peters Canal.  The sun was shining and I took off my jacket once we got out of the channel winds.  We entered the canal at 2:30 pm and exited at 3:30 pm.  The canal had just opened for the season that day after replacing the swing bridge.  Just Dreamin was the third boat through the canal since opening.  We dropped about a foot and a half in the lock.  Afterwards, I wrote the blog while Justin navigated the channel to the Bras d'Or Lakes.  We were in home waters, only hours away from where I grew up.  Justin made dinner as I kept watch.
After dinner, Justin asked me to marry him and I said yes!  We went through the drwabridge at Grand Narrows at 7:00 pm.  We anchored for the night in Maskell Harbour at 8:30 pm.

Justin before entering the St. Peters Canal

St. Peters Canal

Justin guiding the boat into the canal

Just Dreamin in the St. Peters Canal

Myself manning the mooring ropes as the level in the lock dropped

Justin as we exited the lock

Approaching the swing bridge

Exiting the St. Peters Canal

Bras d'Or Lakes

Highland Village in Iona

Barra Strait Bridge at Grand Narrows

The drawbridge at Grand Narrows

Justin as we went through the Barra Strait drawbridge

Justin and I on the Bras d'Or Lakes after he asked me to marry him

And I said Yes!

We left Maskell Harbour at 6:30 am on Saturday, June 17th.  We motor-sailed down the Great Bras d'Or Channel towards home. We arrived at in front of my home at 9:00 am.  My mom was waiting for us on the wharf.  We circled around a few times,  mapping the bottom and finding a place to anchor.  After anchoring, we dropped the kayak into the water.  My brother Gerard had arrived at this point with our dog Vada.  We kayaked into the wharf.  Vada became very excited once she saw us and greated us as we climbed up the wharf from the kayak.  My grandmother and sister were waiting for us at the top of the hill at the house.   We're finally home!

The link to the video of us arriving home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMVeUGNsZG0

Justin as we sailed home

Ross Ferry Wharf and Marine Park

Home!

My mom, Vada, and my brother, Gerard, waiting on the wharf to greet us

Just Dreamin in front of its new home on the Bras d'Or Lakes