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