Home at Last

‎1078 nautical miles, one close encounter with a ferry, lots of whales, dolphins and seals, three thunderstorms, fog, great sailing, some motoring, wonderful sights, and 39 days living on the boat. That sums up the trip up the coast with our new boat, My Obsession. 

We have been home in PEI with the boat for a week now. In our last blog, we were travelling overnight from Halifax to Port Hawkesbury. It was a magical night on the water.  We arrived just after lunch in Port Hawkesbury and saw family that evening. It was a treat to stay at a marina for a night after all the nights at a mooring or anchor.

The next day we passed through the Canso Canal Lock and into St George's Bay. About halfway across the Bay we were treated to an incredible sight, 30 or so whales and porpoises. It was amazing to see these sleek creatures of the sea. One minke whale passed about a boat length in front of us. I tried to take a few photos, but the batteries on my camera were low and I was too enraptured by the sight of them to go below for fresh batteries.

About an hour later we found ourselves in a thunderstorm - the third one of our trip from New Jersey, but definitely not the worst. The rain was not heavy, nor was the wind strong, and visibility was at least a mile. However, one lightening bolt came uncomfortably close. My brother who came aboard in Halifax for the trip home swears he could have thrown a baseball and hit it, but I know it was more likely 3/4 of a mile away or so.  Luckily, only the one strike was that close. The others were much further away.

That afternoon we arrived in Ballantyne's Cove and enjoyed a visit with a friend. The next day was calling for patches of fog, so we got an early start. About an hour out of Ballantyne's Cove we were in a patch of fog that followed us the rest of the way to Souris, our home port this season. We saw nothing on the radar until we were almost in Souris. We arrived just as the ferry to the Magdalen Islands was leaving and we ended up directly in its path. We each sent off blasts of our fog horns and I made a quick course correction. Unfortunately, the ferry changes its course once it rounds the buoy and I had to make a second quick course corrrection to stay out of the way.  I was very happy for the aid of the radar! Visibility was about 3/4 of a mile. Yet in a few minutes we entered the Souris Marina and there was no fog at all.  

In the week since we have been home we have only been able to take one short day sail with friends. However, we are already planning another cruise for August around the Maritimes, so stay tuned for more adventures. I can't wait!