Covered & Tucked Away Until May 2011

Covered for the Winter in Bayside, NB

The Last posting until Spring...  The boat is covered and put away until early May.  Projects over the winter will include a few mechanical/electrical maintenance jobs and the regular routine of sanding & re-finishing some of the deck teak.  All else seemed to fair pretty well this past season.

Until then...

Dave & Danielle

"Wind is to us what money is to life on shore". -- Sterling Hayden

On The Hard for the Winter



Beating up the Passamaquoddy Bay



Well the season is officially ended.  A lot of good memories made.  The boat is on the hard at Bayside and the process of winterizing and covering begins.  After an excellent sailing season, it's now time to think about the projects to work on over the winter and spring.  ...only 6 months to launch!  I'll update from time to time the blog as work is done in the fall & winter months... To bed with her for now!

Fair winds to those lucky enough to be able to sail south or later in the season.

Dave & Danielle

"The only way to get a good crew is to marry one." -Eric Hiscock

Back in St. Andrews (A Week Ago)

Finback Whale surfacing off
Campobello Island

Lighthouse off Head Harbour,
Campobello Island, NB

Just getting around to finishing the blog from the trip.  It was a great sail back home from Yarmouth.  Lots of whales were sited between Brier Island, NS and Campobello Island, NB.  My sister came aboard for the rest of the trip home at North Head, Grand Manan.  A few Finbacks were seen on the trip out from Head Harbour, Campobello.  We dingied out to the Quoddy Head Light and enjoyed an hour of sea glass hunting on a beach. Some very interesting pieces were found that will be made into nice Sterling Silver Jewelry.  All in all the trip was a beautiful.  Good weather, Good Friends, and of course good food...

Cheers,

Dave & Danielle

Seals on the Ledges off White Horse Island

Outting to Cape Forchu Aboard Kauwela Ohana

Kauwela Ohana at Anchor in John's Cove

Yarmouth Lighstatioin at Cape Forchu

Yesterday was another beautiful day in Yarmouth.  We all boarded Kauwela Ohana and headed about a mile out of the harbour to John's Cove to enjoy a white sand beach and hike to the Yarmouth Lighthouse.  With 2 dingys in tow we proceded from the Yarmouth Town docks to the mouth of John's Cove and set the hook in about 25 feet of water, then dingy'ed in to the beach.  The only thing missing were the palm trees...Kristian, Conoer and Caden ran into the water...and promptly ran right out...so the water was a bit cold...  After that experience in the water, we hiked down the road to the lightstation where we hiked over some of the rocks...took a few pictures. We watched several vessels from the Herring fleet heading out to the banks off the coast for the night.  Upon getting back to the beach, the crew headed back out to Kauwela Ohana and Danielle and I walked toward the breakwater to be pcked up by Danielle's cousin, Angela, to have supper at Paul & Angelas' place just outside of Yarmouth ... what a meal!!!

Beached Dingys at John's Cove

Today is our last planned day in Yarmouth before heading back to Westport, Brier Island, and back to the home port of St. Andrews.  Weather is calling for a bit of change...we'll have to watch...

Cheers,

Dave and Danielle

On the Docks... Yarmouth

Mysterious Ways, Kauwela Ohana, Gryphon
& Zoom at the Yarmouth Town Docks

Weather has been really nice for Yarmouth...no fog as of yet.  Looks like the long range is calling for a bit the first of the week.  The Yarmouth Shark Fishing Scramble is finally over and we now have places back on the docks...  a bit smelly, actually the worst I've ever smelled at the docks... Could be blowing off the herring boats on the next dock over.  Today is a relax & enjoy day.  We are now looking at departing Yarmouth on Tuesday weather permitting.  Today will be a trip to the Beach (John's Cove) and visiting some relatives.  Last night was a little social on board Mysterious Ways...  Thanks to a friend back home (Mike C.) we celebrated with a bottle of Pussers.  We toasted you buddy!  Danielle's cousin has picked her up and they are making plans for us for supper.  Hoping to get a visit to Sweeney's Fishery Museum today or tomorrow.

More Later...

Dave and Danielle

At Anchor: Yarmouth Harbour

At anchor in Yarmouth Harbour

Part of the Shark Scramble Fleet

The evening on the hook in Yarmouth Harbour was just like a floating on a mill pond... not a stitch of wind all night... A beautiful sunrise...only the peaceful sound of a thousand gulls squawking on Doctor's Island not to far from where we sit.  No surprises on the boat from above...which is amazing.  Today is the weigh in for the annual Yarmouth Shark Scramble...  17 boats have been occupying the docks for the past few days.  From what I've heard they have caught mostly Blue Sharks some in and around the 10' range...  we will know today at 1300hrs who will have caught the trophy...  Department of Fisheries & Oceans will attend the weigh in for research purposes.  The sharks are then used for some sort of cancer research.  Today will be a day to relax and take in some of the local sites.  The ladies from the other boats are getting ready for an expedition to shore to boost the local economy.

Later,

Dave and Danielle

In Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

Westport, Brier Island, NS

We made it to Yarmouth under beautiful skies and favaourable winds from the North East.  We are in the company of four other boats: Marty, Gretta & Vaughn on ZOOM : Kristian, Jocelyn, Conner, & Kaden on KAUWELA OHANA:  Carl & Mary Ellen on MYSTERIOUS WAYS.  The first part of our crossing saw winds from the south that were steady at 32 knots...gusting to 40.  We ran a small jib from Head Harbour, Campobello to North Head, Grand Manan.  After spending a night on the mooring in North Head, with the mooring ball banging off the hull all night, we decided that staying on the docks would be what we would be doing here after.  The third day we set sail from Grand Manan to Westport, Brier Island... This little island is one of our favourites to visit and re-provision.  A neat little community home to the first man to sail around the world alone...Joshua Slocum.  The trip across the Bay of Fundy was rather uneventful with very little wind...a motoring day. We spent two nights in Westport. 

Mysterious Ways & Kauwela Ohana off
Yarmouth, NS

Yesterday, 12-August, was another beautiful day with NE winds 10-15 knots.  We Jib sailed the whole day until reaching the mouth of the harbour.  Past the Forchu Light House, then my fathers homestead, Johns Cove, the Yarmouth Bar (not the local drinking hole) & finally to the Killam Brothers Wharf.  All boats arrived in port with Captains & Crews in good spirits. 

Today is a clean up the boat and reprovision day after a peaceful night on the dock.  Plans are to be here until Monday or Tuesday.  More later... 

Dave & Danielle

"S/Y Gryphon"

Tomorrow (Sunday) is the departure date for our 2 week trip over to Yarmouth.  Between Grand Babies & Weddings its been a busy summer so we have not ventured too far this sailing season.  We are in the company of three other boats that are making the passage for the first time.  Weather & Tides both look pretty good for the next little while.  Updates & Pictures to follow as we get internet access.

Fair Winds!!!

Dave & Danielle

Launched for the Season!

Seems like a long time happening, the spring was unusually warm and dry it felt like the boat should have been in the water a month ago.  The crane in happened at the Bayside Wharf just outside of St. Andrews, everything went smooth for all.  She's in, afloat, rigged and on her mooring in front of the town of St. Andrews.  Everything work as expected as we motored for an hour and a half down the St. Croix River in the company of her sister ship Zoom.  Let the sailing summer begin!

As Joshua Slocum once said: "To young men contemplating a voyage I'd say go." -Joshua Slocum

Spring Prep Work Underway

Spring prelaunch work is well under way...doesn't look like it from the outside, but the inside is taking shape well.  Launch date is set for 28th-May.  The hull needs to be cleaned & waxed and the bottom paint applied.  Everything else seems pretty much ready.  Next post will be on launch day.

"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." -William Arthur Ward

Awaiting Spring -On the Hard

Well, there she sits. The winter has been slowly passing. February has brought some unusally warm weather. Daytime temperatures in the +1 to +5 C instead of the normal -20 to -30 temperatures that we see. I spent the 13th of February doing some measuring and poking around looking at the work to be done to get ready for the launch in May. The Halifax boat show runs this weekend and that signifies, for me, the beginning of the preseason boat work. Already have some of the varnishing of projects done and have started any of the jobs that can be done from home.

-Anxiously awaiting the sailing season...

"Houses are but badley built boats so firmly aground that you can not think of moving them..." by Arthur Ransom