22 July 2017: Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside, PEI

 Road trip to Halifax.

Marc- We took the rental car over the Confederation Bridge again but turned left into Nova Scotia this time.  Our first visit and we proceeded directly to Halifax.  The Capital City is built around the large harbor with lots of large commercial shipping traffic.  The entry is over one of two very high suspension bridges (smaller versions of the Golden Gate Bridge).  Our first stop was the Art Museum.  They had a phenomenal exhibition of painting by local artist Maud Lewis.  Her folk style painting are renowned and really grasp life in this Province in her lifetime.  Her house has been transported and is a permanent exhibit.  She painted it in her own way to come and grab the onlooker.  She suffered from childhood onset arthritis and suffered much of her life.  It did not prevent her from being a prolific self-taught artist that sis well commercially.

Next stop was lunch.  Sue had dreamed of a broiled seafood meal and the watertfront had mostly expensive fried seafood.  We found a wonderful restaurant two blocks back from the harbor with various broiled options.  even a vegetarian could be happy here with wonderful salads at the Bluenose II..  Further exploration at the harborfront brought us to the famous COW"S Ice Cream and then the Marine Museum of the Atlantic.  The focus here was on the many shipwreaks including the Titanic.  This was the closest port to the sinking and ships left from here to do the grim task of retrieving the dead and whatever else remained.  Most of the deceased were brought back to Halifax and buried in local cemeteries after all receiving proper funerals.  Another exhibit showed where pirates were hung in this seafaring town (yes there were pirates even this far North).

We had hoped to visit Grand-Pre, the memorial to the 1755 deportation of the French Acadian population in 1755 by the British.  Whole families were loaded on ships, their villages were burned, and they were sent to the 13 Colonies to the South (later to be the United States) where they were not welcomed.  Eventually deportations occurred in other French colonial areas including Cape Breton Island (Ile Royale) and Prince Edward Island (Ile St. Jean).  Some returned years later when the British allowed some migration back.  They found there lands had been given to others by the British King and they had to lease there old farms.  The Acadians survive today in some of these provinces and are united behind the Acadian Flag:

 The flag is the French flag with an additional golden star in the left corner in honor of the Virgin Mary.  We did stop to visit one Acadian museum.  Our return trip was marked by thunderstorms and a ferry crossing of Northumberland Strait back to PEI.  The ferry crossing is free and we ate dinner aboard.  Both ends of the Ferry open up (roll on roll off design).  sue discovered that one of the ferries had been built in the Quincy Shipyard in Massachusetts.  The ferry leave a small fishing community Pictou and crosses to another small fishing village on PEI. The trip across the Strait was smooth with a beautiful sunset.

PEI and beyond

19 July 2017:  Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside, PEI

Marc-  This day  we were off to discover more things to do in Summerside.  We visited the local museums and historic houses.  This region was known for its silver foxes that were raised here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  This brought much fortune to the region as fox furs were in style in Europe.  A single fur could cost $ 50,000.00.  I did see two  foxes crosses the roads in Summerside at night.  The highlight of the House tour was the home of Wanda Wyatt.  Dinner was at Sharky's seafood on the harbor.

20 July 2017:  Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside, PEI

Marc-  With Marie Bedard's help we obtained our rental car early and went off together to visit Charlottetown, PEI.  This is the Capital of PEI and its only city and a fine one it is.  The downtown is full of shops, restaurants, the Provincial Parliament, a performing Arts Center, major port facilities including the Cruise ship terminal and several marinas. We walked all over and enjoyed lunch with Marie.  She departed for Halifax and we drove down the coast to the small fishing village of Victoria.  Victoria is a gem.

It has two fishing piers and is an active fishing port. There are two restaurants on one pier.  It has a lighthouse to guide the mariners into port.  The water is quite warm and the village beach is bright red.  One shop did a big business of renting kayaks and paddle-boards.  I noticed lots of people swimming here, old and young alike.  We walked up and down the several streets stopping in to see local artist's shops, a coffee house, and a general store.  There was even a used book shop and an Antiques shop.

21 July 2017:  Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside, PEI

Marc-  Another car travel day today with a trip back to New Brunswick over Confederation Bridge (this huge structure is 9 miles long). We went south to  Fundy National Park.  Headquarters indicated the best camping areas:   Chignecto and Point Wolfe.

The view coming down from the mountains of the Bay of Fundy was stunning. You can see clearly over to Nova Scotia.  We decided on Shiphaven as it had good hiking trails as well as a noted campground (Point Wolfe).  We first stopped a beautiful waterfall trail (Dickson Falls).  The 3 kilometer hike was well worth it.

Next stop was just after the Covered Bridge.  This was the location of a sawmill in the gorge.  The tidal river through here is very impressive with 40 foot tides.  We took the hiking shore trail from here along the cliffs to the campground.  The abundance of  yellow birch and fir trees kept us in the shade on this very warm day.

 The Shiphaven campground was very well done with bath facilities with showers and shaded campsites.  We toured an Otentik site with a Ranger.  This is a rather large tent that sleeps 6 in real beds and includes a wood floor with furniture. It even has electric heat.  This all comes at a cost of about $ 100 (Canadian) per night.  Back to the trails and the beach.  We found several ravines with water flowing down small streams.   Cairns had been built in a few of the streams.  The vegetation in the ravines has everything from lime colored mosses to flowers and the ever present fir trees.  The trails were narrow but well maintained and they went all the way to the Sea.  The beach was rather elusive as we arrived at low tide and it was about a mile away.  The river bed was mixed of red sand and gray stones.  The shore was high and rocky.  I ventured all the way to the Bay to find cool water.

Our last stop at Fundy was near the fishing village of Alma. Here we found what a New Brunswick fisherman does with his boat at Low tide.  The harbors all dry out here so boats are built to withstand sitting on the bottom.  We found a local eatery for Oysters and other fine food.  

Our next stop was the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park nearby.  This rocky shore is outstanding for its cliffs, caves and very interesting giant rocks.  We walked along the rocks that towered above us, through caves and into the sea.  Near Moncton, NB we found a roadside restaurant:  Log Cabin Family restaurant with excellent seafood and fair prices.

10 July 2017, Gaspe , Quebec.

Marc- Beautiful day for a departure.  We left the Marina at 08:30 with a 15 knot Northwest wind.  Perfect for sailing towards Perce Rock.  Just after leaving we encountered a Spanish Galion that is part of the Tall Ships 2017 fleet heading for Quebec.  Sara was at the helm when we passed and felt as if we were being drawn towards this ship while passing her. (The El Galion is about 250 feet long and quite tall with its three square rigged masts.)  As we passed closely we saw a very large painting of the Virgin Mary on the transom just below a very ornate bronze stern light. I had toured the ship yesterday and she is impressive in size and detail.  

The wind held up as we sailed passed Perce Rock and Bonaventure Island.  We did see many Gannets.  What I had not expected was the beautiful colored rock formations on the Perce cliffs / hills just to the west of the Rock.  Different shades of red juxtaposed with gray and topped with many shades of green.  At Perce we met several other Tall Ships, both Schooners and Square rigged, all headed north.  They are a beautiful sight.

We had planned on stopping at Anse-a-Beaufils for the night but had been warned that the marina/port was somewhat closed due to ongoing dredging operations.  We stayed away and headed west to Chandler.  The slog from Perce to Chandler was under power as the wind had changed and was now on the nose (10 knots).  We were warmly greeted by the Marina people in Chandler.  A nice marina dealing with reduced docking due to shoaling over the winter.  There is 6 feet of water at the outer pier so no worries for us.

I had some banking to do as well as time to stretch our legs.  Sara and I went walking along the shore to a very nice beach area on one side and the Pabos River delta on the other.  The Salmon were running so the shore fisherman were out and about in the river in waders fly fishing.  We stayed a second night in Chandler due to bad weather conditions.  One of the residents took us to a very good restaurant in the neighboring village but part of the same town (excellent fish).  The second night we ate at the Marina restaurant with a beautiful view of the bay.  We invited  Philip who had driven us the previously to join us.  He recounted his sailing to Europe three times and passing through various canals across France from the English Channel to the Mediterranean.  He also gave us some advice on ports in this area.  Philip also explained that the Marina is run by its residents.  They provide coverage for each other.  The current director, Raymond, is also a local Judge.

12 July 2017, Shippagan, New Brunswick.

Marc-  We departed Chandler at 07:30 to take advantage of favorable winds out of the Northwest forecast for 10 to 20 knots.  Lucy III sailed perfectly in ever increasing winds all the way across the Baie des Chaleurs.  The coast of N.B. is low and sandy somewhat like Cape Cod.  We first made the end of Miscou Island around noon.  The seas subsided in the lee of the Island but the wind rose to 20 knots with gusts perhaps to 30 knots.  We approached the beach at Wilson Point just to the North of the Miscou Pass for a reprieve.  The conditions were not ideal so we did not anchor but did take time for some lunch before heading south along the shore.  We made for the Shippagan Gully entrance.  Its white lighthouse is easily spotted.  Unfortunately the bouys are more difficult to find and they are not charted since the channel is a moving target due to the shifting sands.  We had no difficulties and headed up the gully to anchor just south of the drawbridge.  Sara and I took the new Highfield dinghy ashore for a visit.  This new dinghy is made of aluminum and is much lighter than our old fiberglass Caribe model.  The marina people were very friendly and told us where to find the local grocery nearby.  We walked along a bike path/boardwalk that is several kilometers long.  The local restaurant along the way had a live band.  Sara suggested that we cut through the cemetery on our way back.  It was well maintained and had many flowers.  We noticed some of the tombstones indicated “lost at sea”.

13 July 2017, Shippagan, NB to Escouminac, NB.

Marc- Beautiful sunny day with light Northwest wind.  Sara made the most wonderful roasted maple toast for breakfast….Yummy.  We spent the morning walking around town and doing some minor shopping.  The locals were friendly.  We weighed both anchors and off we went back down the Gully to the Sea.  One anchor would have been all that was needed here given the thick black mud that held us well.  Departure was at 11:30.  We set about raising all sail with the initial wind of 5-10 knots out of the Northwest.  Once out into the Gulf of St.Lawrence the wind shifted to Southeast at 5 building to 10 knots.  Given our heading of South we ended up motorsailing the majority of this 7 hour trip to Escouminac.  Indian Summer led the way for 2/3 of the trip while we passed them upon reaching Mirimichi Bay.  We entered the Port cautiously concerned with depth and asked the fisherman on the wharf where to go.  They suggested the far wall and that is just where we went.  Richard arrived about 30 minutes later and rafted up with Lucy III.  Another sailboat from New Richmond, Quebec arrived around 1 hour later and tied to the one floating dock.

Sara and I headed off to the nearby beach before dinner.  We met this wonderful lady who ran the campground and beach installations.  She is also  an artist that does beautiful paintings on driftwood.  There were several whale skeletons at the campground.  Seeing these bones really gives an idea on the size of these creatures.  Sara went for a swim (she was not the only one on the beach).  We returned back to the boat for a dinner.  It ended up costing $ 17.00 for dockage with electric included.  I did have to find the circuit breakers on the end of the pier on my own,  Very quiet port since the loberstering season just ended.

14 July 2017  Escouminac, NB. - Bouctouche, NB

Marc- Another beautiful calm day.  Winds are forecast to be light out of the west.  We plan on leaving this morning for Bouctouche, NB.  Departure at 9:30 with light on shore breeze.  We motorsailed around Escouminac Point and then headed South down Northumberland Channel for Bouctouche (42 miles).  We could see the windmills on Prince Edward Island off to our port and the NB coast on our starboard.  Arrived at 17:00 at Bouctouche Marina (aka Sawmill Point Marina or the marina that Irving built).  We were warmly welcomed to our slip by Jean and his two helpers for docking and getting connected.  The main marina building is a work of art.  The wood work in very well done and there is etched and stained glass in almost every window.  The leather sofas in the lobby and beautiful wood tables covered with books and information are most welcome.  I was particularly impressed with the curved grand stairway.  Bath facilities are first class.

Sara and I took off our bikes and then headed to “Le Pays de la Sagouine”.  This is an eclectic reproduction of a prohibition-era fishing village with music and cuisine on a small island here.  We both had a New Brunswick Moose Light beer.  Refreshed we departed on our bikes for the Iring Eco center at the Dunes on the beach.  We took the road 10 kilometers along a beautiful bay that was mainly a oyster farm a far as you could see.  People in small boats seemed to be tending to the oysters growing in wooden boxes.  The beach Eco Center was very nice with an extensive winding boardwalk for several kilometres.  There is no shortage of wood around here and they build lots of things with it.  Our return trip was through the Irving forest trail.  !0 kilometres of winding forest bike path crossing  a few open fields covered in violet flowers and sweet smelling trees.  We crossed over a floating bridge over a tidal river.  Very cool trip.

Dinner was not waiting upon our return but we made do with some homemade pasta.  Then off to the showers for us.

15 July 2017, Bouctouche, NB – to Shediac, NB

Marc-  Cool morning with a few clouds.  We are off to the farmers market this morning after breakfast.  Then visiting a few of the remarkable churches here.  Before departure we made use of the free pump-out and filled both tanks with fuel (naturally it was Irving gasoline).

Departure at 12:00 with and ebbing tide and a south wind of 9 knots and sunny conditions.  At least the tide helped us.  This was a solid motoring leg of the trip since the wind shifted from South to Southwest just as we turned Southwest to enter Shediac Bay.  We were welcomed by the young staff here speaking french.  Everyone is bi-lingual but this is definitely a french dominant area.  Sara and I did some exploration on foot , first to the nearby village and then to the beaches at Parlee Beach.  Parlee was really nice with dunes, expansive beaches, sand bars and sand islands.  The added benefit was the warm water.  We also checked out the pier at Pointe-Du-Chene.  There is a very nice Marina here with all the amenities.  Most of the pier is occupied by tourist shops and bars catering to a load crowd.  I am happy we chose the Shediac Bay Yacht Club near town for our stayover here.  There were also two Acadian bands plying outdoors in town.

16 July 2017, Shediac, N.B.

Marc-  Today is a day to stay in port and explore as Sue arrives this afternoon from Boston via Montreal on Air Canada.  Sara and I cleaned up and did a few maintenance items during the early morning.  There is always something to do on an old sailboat.  The fenders needed a good cleaning and the deck needed some paint in spots.  Our friends Marie, Maryline and William came over to visit with us at 11:00 and showed ius around the town,  Really nice people to have some fun time with.  They even picked up Sue at the Airport and then we all enjoyed dinner together in downtown Moncton at The Tide& Boar Restaurant.  Downtown Moncton has a very interested river flowing through it.  As the tide comes up from the Bay of Fundy it creates a .standing wave, of about one meter, that breaks but continues upstream.  People surf up the river one this wave.  Unfortunately we just missed the wave or "boar".  Fortunately Maryline had a video of it to share.  The weather had been perfect all day.  A heavy rain squall come through just as we returned to the Marina cooling things down about 20 degrees.

17 July 2017, Shediac, NB - to Summerside, PEI

Marc- FOG.  Thick fog this morning at my early bird start time 06:00.  Hope that it burns off by our planned departure time of 09:00.  Arrived at Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club at 15:00 with bright sun, 85 degrees and zero wind.  Welcome at the marina was fine. We walked around a bit to explore and had an early dinner at Sharky's by an in the harbor water park.  A city with water clean enough to swim in?  The major export is potatoes.  There was one Navy Destroyer Escort ship in port and one Coast guard Cutter.  There is a maritime College right next to the marina.  It is unusual to see so much emergency gear set up on shore including a full lifeboat with launcher.  We went to one art Gallery.  The highlight was going to watch the College of Piping Show in town.  It is a bagpipe and dance extravaganza that is a cross between a concert with an excellent female vocalist and outstanding band playing for a dance show:  The Highland Storm.  https://collegeofpiping.com/events/highland-storm/




18 July 2017 Summerside, PEI

Marc-  Sunny and hot.  We toured the local historical houses and museum today.  We rented one bike from a local hotel and then all three of us biked in the rural countryside for about 30 kilometers.  Very scenic with all of the potato fields, carrot fields, wheat fields and even mustard fields.  PEI has red earth.  The main crops are potatoes and carrots.  There are some bugs that has been affecting both.  The wire worn is the worst affecting produce in the ground directly. The cure is in the mustard seed.  That is why you see the yellow field in the distance.
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