Thursday 15 June 2017

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

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