From there we spent several lazy days going up river 20 miles to Bridgewater at the head of the La Have, it’s the only town we’ve ever been in where there are loons downtown! It’s also a much different climate, inland by 20 miles the temperature soared to over 30 degrees, out in the islands it can be as much as 10 degrees cooler. Bridgewater has excellent provisioning and services, access to downtown and the mall is a just short walk from the water. There are many graceful old maple trees and clapboard and shingle homes.

The La Have Yacht Club down river just before the bakery and ferry dock has the perfect blend of climates of up and downriver. We came in on race night with a dozen boats in a race against the diminishing evening breeze and out going tide as well as one another. It’s a friendly club situated in Pernette Cove, they have fuel, water and a small bar and restaurant.

We’ve just spent another day walking and exploring “La Have” after returning to the bakery, there is a beautiful walk up the forested hill to the old school and then onto Dublin Shore 6 kilometers away. Heading back to Mahone Bay today.

Our first break from the 25 to 30 degree temperatureswe’ve enjoyed since arriving in Nova Scotia. We depart under a rainy sky and motor 6 miles over across Mahone Bay to Chester. The Chester Yacht Club provide us with a mooring, as we dodge race boatsparticipating in a weekend event. There is a beautiful fleet of classic Bluenose sloops as well as other mixed vessels racing. Dinner at the”Rope Locker”, just a 5 minute dinghy ride away is superb, Jayne and I both have fresh halibut and dad tries the seafood pasta, lobster, scallops, mussels and fish, a litre of Annapolis wine to wash it down. We’re just about to start making our own version on board Phantasia, it’s 1830, time for a beer.

Next stop Lunenberg.

Moored at the Chester Yacht Club

A perfect six hour sail from St. Margarets over to Mahone Bay in light to moderate conditions, we sail right up to the entrance to Deep Cove under spinnaker and enjoy a quiet night at anchor in this mile deep, fjord like bay, where the evenings mosquitoes drive us into putting socks and citronella on.

Mahone Bay, NS

After struggling to re-rig Phantasia, we seem to haveforgotten how the furlers work, we depart on a brief 10 nm. shakedown cruise to anchor in St. Margarets off of Troop Island where Jayne makes her first painting of the trip. It’s a fine spot with goodholding and protection from all sides. A family of Osprey Eagles nestingon the island keep us entertained catching fish and calling to one another.

Painting St Margaret's Bay

Bought $300 worth of food and $300 worth of beer and wine, then went out for dinner at Shining Waters excellent restaurant. Jayne and Dad managed get a big smile from the server.  The view of St Margarets Bay as the sun set, boats sailing everywhere of all descriptions.

St Margaret's Bay, NS

Arrived at St Margarets Bay, NS, Shining Waters Marina, byrented Dodge Charger with 3.5 litre engine, we’ll need it for a few days running around to provision the boat and to pick my father up who isflying in from Vancouver on Tuesday evening to sail with us for a week.  That’s Phantasia with our wee neighbour MegaHurtz.

Phantasia II on the hard

]]> http://www.nauticalmind.com/blog/2010/07/phantasia-down-east-day-3/feed/ 0 http://www.nauticalmind.com/blog/2010/07/phantasia-down-east-day-1/ http://www.nauticalmind.com/blog/2010/07/phantasia-down-east-day-1/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:34:34 +0000 Peter http://www.nauticalmind.com/blog/?p=200 Mike Evan, creator of the Gone Sailing DVDs is sailing Down East again and blogging about it here.

Day 1

Departed Cobourg by Via Rail for the 30 hour trip toHalifax. The train ride was fun, relaxing, goodfood and an interesting group of passengers to meet, from Australians to Texans, many friendly people from the Maritimes make up the staff.

Aboard a Via Rail train from Cobourg to Halifax

Day 2:

A night on the town in Halifax, managed to make a 2130 pm dinner
reservation at The Press Gang and enjoyed Bill Stephenson’s trio while
dining. It’s the last night of the Halifax Jazz Fest.

The event, begun 20 years ago, has gone through many changes. The first race had 67 double-handed boats racing from the west end of the lake to around Main Duck Island and back. It was considered quite an achievement just to complete the course. Today with three times the participants, it enjoys the support of commercial sponsors, has real-time particpant tracking during the race, and has been split into two courses—a short course for whitesail (300 km) and a long course for spinakers (300 nm). It is one of the five long-distance, offshore races held on the Great Lakes including the Chicago to Mackinac Island Yacht Race, The Bayview to Mackinac Island Yacht Race, the Trans-Superior Yacht Race, and the Trans-Erie Yacht Race.

Will this year be a blow or a drifter? Will the boats be tossed in the wash-machine conditions of the long fetch at Main Duck Island or will they have to wait out a calm that can prolong the race to four days or more? Lake Ontario can throw up conditions that are as tough as many ocean races.

There are no published accounts of the Lake Ontario 300, but you may be interested in Tom Ervin’s stories of the Mackinac races in Victory: A First-timer Relives the Fastest Bayview Mackinac Race Ever or A Class of Their Own. Or you can have a look at out many other salt-water race accounts.

* Participants are required to have charts and a list of lights on board.

TS Playfair and Europa alongside Toronto's HTO Waterfront park

More pics after the fold…

Ross and Mark at our booth

STV Pathfinder and Europa

Pride of Baltimore II

Europa

Send your tallship photos to books@nauticalmind.com and we’ll post them here!

Over a dozen beautiful tall ships will be plying the waters of the Great Lakes this summer as part of the American Sail Training Association’s Great Lakes United Tall Ships Challenge.  Ships like HMS Bounty, Germany’s brig Roald Amundsen, and Toronto’s own STV Pathfinder and TS Playfair will be competing in a race and series of events around the lakes, designed to spread knowledge of water conservation and youth sail training.  They’ll be tied up alongside The Nautical Mind in Toronto between June 30th and July 4th.  If you come to Harbourfront to see them, be sure to stop by our store to check out our fine selection of books about Explorers and Old Ships.