Day Three Schooner Sail Adventure
July 4, 2007
Will and Captain Bart pulled an all nighter taking turns at the helm. Kathy got up at sunrise. The sky was golden. We arrived at the Canso Lock around 9am. A big cargo ship appeared behind us; we circled letting him go in front of us. While he locked through we docked at huge round cement thingies near by. Our lines got crossed high in the main mast and Bart and Paul climbed up on the cement thingie and using drift wood boards duck taped together they managed to rearrange the twisted lines. Kathy occupied herself watching the red jellyfish in the water. They would bop up to the top of the water taking in or letting out a bubble of water. Their long tentacles floated on the current. We were in communication with the lockmaster and were told that when the pilot ship exited the lock we could enter. The walls of the lock are tall, maybe fifteen feet. We didn’t tie up; we just held on to the ladder. The tide was not very much and rose only a few inches. In just minutes we were going out the other side. Will and Bart headed for the bunks; Kathy took the helm steering 330 north toward Alligator Island. Paul sat watch with Kathy. We saw whales off in the distance. About two hours later with Alligator Island still a long off, Bart, now adjusting sails and Will at the helm,a whale crossed right in front of us. Paul was hot in the afternoon sun and asked if he could take a quick dip in the calm waters. Just as the whale arched the second time Paul jumped in the water. He swam away from the boat. The boat was drifting with the current in the opposite direction. Bart looked around for a rope, threw it, but it sank too quickly and Paul missed it. Will yelled, “I’m sorry Wilso,” a line from the movie Castaway when the ball is drifting away fro the raft. Bart had gone below and came up with a yellow life ring and threw it out. Paul was on his back trying not to panic seeing the boat float away. Will started up the engine and we circled back for Paul. We got him back aboard and he laid flat out on the deck. He said that was just not a good feeling seeing the boat drift away from him. With Paul safely back aboard we motored on. We spotted more whales; one got close enough we could hear him blow out air and suck in more before he arched and went back to the depths of the ocean.
The day was calm with little winds so we had the motor going most of the time. We would see wind on the water, little ripples and slow the motor to see what our knots were, but the winds were just not strong enough to push or pull us along. We would say, shhh listen I think the wind is picking up, but just not enough. Cape Breton faded as we traveled through Saint George Bay. We ate shrimp feeding the tails to the sea creatures.
We put the fisherman’s staysail up through the last leg. We motored through Northumberland Strait toward plums of smoke from the paper mill in Pictou. The water is deceiving. We looked close, but we were still a day away. We could see the little lump on the horizon, Pictou Island. We tried several times to go under sail alone, but it was just 2 knots so we would start the motor again. We finished up the dry sandwiches, ate some peanuts and chocolate rather than stopping to make a meal. Pictou was just ahead….several hours ahead.
We got our wish for just one more wind so we could sail into port. We shut down the motor and the winds took us. At first the winds were gentle and we had to tack, move from one direction to another to keep the wind in our sails. But the waves came up with more winds and rocked and tolled and twisted us. Kathy was below hugging Teddy. She was slammed into the side then had to hold on so she didn’t get dumped on the floor. Paul would yell down when they were going to tack and she would switch sides. The guys were up on deck wrestling with the sails. Captain Bart was on the helm. The eight-ten foot swells would bring us up and slam us down. We would rock a bit then raise up again. Darkness came and Bart put on a safety line. He went out and took down the sails. We continued to motor over the swells. Hee Haa. What a ride! Will got a few winks between switching sides during tacking with Bart on the helm and Paul on watch.
Will and Captain Bart pulled an all nighter taking turns at the helm. Kathy got up at sunrise. The sky was golden. We arrived at the Canso Lock around 9am. A big cargo ship appeared behind us; we circled letting him go in front of us. While he locked through we docked at huge round cement thingies near by. Our lines got crossed high in the main mast and Bart and Paul climbed up on the cement thingie and using drift wood boards duck taped together they managed to rearrange the twisted lines. Kathy occupied herself watching the red jellyfish in the water. They would bop up to the top of the water taking in or letting out a bubble of water. Their long tentacles floated on the current. We were in communication with the lockmaster and were told that when the pilot ship exited the lock we could enter. The walls of the lock are tall, maybe fifteen feet. We didn’t tie up; we just held on to the ladder. The tide was not very much and rose only a few inches. In just minutes we were going out the other side. Will and Bart headed for the bunks; Kathy took the helm steering 330 north toward Alligator Island. Paul sat watch with Kathy. We saw whales off in the distance. About two hours later with Alligator Island still a long off, Bart, now adjusting sails and Will at the helm,a whale crossed right in front of us. Paul was hot in the afternoon sun and asked if he could take a quick dip in the calm waters. Just as the whale arched the second time Paul jumped in the water. He swam away from the boat. The boat was drifting with the current in the opposite direction. Bart looked around for a rope, threw it, but it sank too quickly and Paul missed it. Will yelled, “I’m sorry Wilso,” a line from the movie Castaway when the ball is drifting away fro the raft. Bart had gone below and came up with a yellow life ring and threw it out. Paul was on his back trying not to panic seeing the boat float away. Will started up the engine and we circled back for Paul. We got him back aboard and he laid flat out on the deck. He said that was just not a good feeling seeing the boat drift away from him. With Paul safely back aboard we motored on. We spotted more whales; one got close enough we could hear him blow out air and suck in more before he arched and went back to the depths of the ocean.The day was calm with little winds so we had the motor going most of the time. We would see wind on the water, little ripples and slow the motor to see what our knots were, but the winds were just not strong enough to push or pull us along. We would say, shhh listen I think the wind is picking up, but just not enough. Cape Breton faded as we traveled through Saint George Bay. We ate shrimp feeding the tails to the sea creatures.
We put the fisherman’s staysail up through the last leg. We motored through Northumberland Strait toward plums of smoke from the paper mill in Pictou. The water is deceiving. We looked close, but we were still a day away. We could see the little lump on the horizon, Pictou Island. We tried several times to go under sail alone, but it was just 2 knots so we would start the motor again. We finished up the dry sandwiches, ate some peanuts and chocolate rather than stopping to make a meal. Pictou was just ahead….several hours ahead.
We got our wish for just one more wind so we could sail into port. We shut down the motor and the winds took us. At first the winds were gentle and we had to tack, move from one direction to another to keep the wind in our sails. But the waves came up with more winds and rocked and tolled and twisted us. Kathy was below hugging Teddy. She was slammed into the side then had to hold on so she didn’t get dumped on the floor. Paul would yell down when they were going to tack and she would switch sides. The guys were up on deck wrestling with the sails. Captain Bart was on the helm. The eight-ten foot swells would bring us up and slam us down. We would rock a bit then raise up again. Darkness came and Bart put on a safety line. He went out and took down the sails. We continued to motor over the swells. Hee Haa. What a ride! Will got a few winks between switching sides during tacking with Bart on the helm and Paul on watch.
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