Halifax - The Beginning

Since arriving in Halifax, we have been hopping. While trying to prepare for our next adventure, we are enjoying this place immensely! Here are the first two weeks of living the life of a Haligonian...

"The people here are so nice!" We say this at least twice a day. Since our arrival in Halifax on October 7th, we have been on the receiving end of some exceptional Maritime hospitality. 

Nahanni V in Purcell's Cove

John and I spent a year refitting Spartina from 2000-2001 in Purcell's Cove, a small community in the Halifax Regional Municipality. We returned again in 2002, after visiting the Caribbean the first time. The Cove is a special place, full of characters and colourful tales. It is located in the Halifax Harbour, at the entrance to the Northwest Arm. Removed from big city noise, it is surrounded by forest; some of which is protected by the Nature Trust. There is a network of trails and an inland pond, which is great for swimming. In the Cove, you have a perfect view of the comings and goings of ships in the harbour; smaller boats bob cheerfully at moorings. There is a small cooperative marina now called The North Star Yacht Club, where Captain Ed's Marina once sheltered Spartina for a year.

We have lots of good reasons for coming to Halifax. There are lots of people here we really like. Our family connections include my sister Susanne and John's cousins Nancy and Janice.  

Susanne hiking on East Coast Trail, Newfoundland

Janice and Nancy

Ben and Lana are intrepid offshore sailors we met while preparing for our first offshore passage in 2000. Their family is complete with Seamus, Miranda and Samantha.

Ben aboard Antares

Lana and daughter Miranda docking Antares

John with Wavey, Seamus, Miranda, Sam, and Simon

Our friend George (who once loaned us his basement to sew a sail for 3 months), is forever curious, knowledgeable and kind.  

Hanging out with George and Helen for dinner

George's friend Helen (who makes awesome cookies!)

There are still so many other friends that we have not yet caught up with and new friends we have made. It feels like home in many ways.

Upon arrival to Halifax, we were invited by Ben and Lana to stay at the private dock they share with fellow sailors and friends Julien and Nina. Julien and Nina are also avid sailors who own a beautiful ketch, Andromède. The dock is attached to a boathouse (or "the shed") that they built a few years ago. The neighbouring boathouse is owned by Kim and Paul, whom we met in our Spartina years.

The Shed

Neighbours Kim and Paul's boathouse

Once we were tied up and reacquainted, Ben and Lana whisked us away to their home overlooking the harbour. There, we found soup, showers, and friendship. Simon and Wavey were warmly welcomed by the energetic trio of Miranda, Seamus and Samantha. We were soon to meet Julien and Nina's delightful duo, Nolwen and Leo.

Simon and Wavey with Leo and Nolwen

It was very appropriate that we arrived in Halifax prior to Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for. It was an honour to be invited to Ben and Lana's for Thanksgiving Dinner. They set up their living room with tables to fit all twenty-five guests in comfortably. The food was divine (all gluten free!!) and the guests were delightful. The kids were in their glory with heaps of other kids to roam around with; many of them sailing kids. We returned to Nahanni V after this feast of Thanksgiving, oozing with good feelings.

Lana, Ben and Sam

Setting for wonderful Thanksgiving dinner

Julien carving Lana's beautiful turkey

Art!

On the Thanksgiving Monday, it was not wise to remain at the dock when the remnants of Hurricane Matthew blew through. We were grateful when Julien and Nina offered us their mooring to ride out the 45 knots of wind. Julien and Ben assisted us to bring the boat to the mooring in high winds. Supplied with sleeping bags and air mattresses, we hunkered down in their boathouse for the night, and watched the boats pitch around on their moorings.We felt extremely lucky that we had not experienced the destruction that Matthew had brought to so many areas south and north of us.

It wasn't long before we started to explore the city. The kids were amazed with the generous offers of vehicles to use. Ben and Lana handed us the keys several times and my sister Susanne offered us her car while she was off hiking in Newfoundland. We wasted no time getting to the farmer's market, checking out the local libraries, and finding some new places to eat. Kim from next door even arranged for a trip around the Cove on her son Steven's working boat.

Simon and Wavey getting a ride on Steven's boat

We managed to get into a bit of routine in Bomeschool activities during our first two weeks in Halifax. On some days we worked at the boat, but discovered more options including the boathouse, Susanne's home, the library, the forest, and the beach to hold school.  We also discovered these great Eco Packs at the Spryfield Library. These backpacks come complete with the materials to explore and learn about a local ecosystem in regions close to the boat. We signed out the Ocean Shore pack and spent three days learning, including one beach day.

Wavey at the new Central Library right after we got our Halifax library card!

Bomeschool at Spryfield Library

Doing math at Spryfield Library

Eco Pack from Library

Exploring the beach

School at Crystal Crescent Beach

Exploring sea life

Back at the lab...(my sister Susanne's dining room table)

Forest Bomeschool

Checking out the composition of stream foam

Recording findings

Ben and Lana have been generous in providing opportunities for family outings. This family knows how to play. (I think they should start a family adventure and wilderness program.) One day, they loaded their truck up with borrowed bikes for us and their daughter Sam. We spent an afternoon riding on the Rails to Trail in Tantallon (http://www.halifax.ca/trails/StMargaretsBayRailsToTrails.php).

Cycling on Rails to Trail

John, Simon and Sam having a snack on cycling afternoon

More snacks at end of Rails to Trail

Another day we went hiking in Truro, and climbed up a waterfall. After that, we watched The Happy Prince, a wonderful ballet performance by Miranda and her ballet school.

Simon and the waterfall

Starting to cross the stream

Kathryn's boots were almost tall enough to cross the stream

At the top!

Ben and Lana also have great ideas for fun stuff to do, like sailing downtown to the dock at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and spending the night. While there, we attended Nocturne -- "An annual evening of art at night in the heart of Halifax." http://nocturnehalifax.ca). 

Antares and Nahanni V docked outside the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

Docked right next to Theodore...Cool!

Theodore Tugboat

The kids loved hanging out on The Wave, and swing on quayside hammocks.

Kids on The Wave

Under The Wave

Sam and Wavey under, you guessed it...The Wave

Hammock rides at the waterfront

After two weeks of exploring and playing, we started to get serious about planning for our offshore passage to Bermuda. 

More to come soon!

Fishing Ports, Anchorages and a Little Bit of Maritime Heaven

After casting off the lines in Charlottetown, we made one last stop before leaving PEI at Wood Islands. There is a ferry that runs from here to Caribou, N.S. The cruising guide said there was not much else to do. How wrong they were.

Wood Islands turned out to be an interesting and educational place to spend the night. Prior to dusk, we tied up at the wharf surrounded by fishing boats. There weren't many folks around until the sun went down. Then, the pick-up trucks started arrive. The boats came alive with crew, donning warm clothing while engines started. Turns out it was a night for herring fishing. The boats left by around 8 pm and returned at dawn.

Tied up on wharf at Wood Islands

In the early morning, there was a flurry of activity with boats returning, forklifts unloading, bins of fish being weighed, and trucks loaded with the catch. We were told that the herring would be sold for their roe, and also used for lobster bait. Despite the fact we were milling around their workplace, the fishermen regarded us kindly and took some time to explain the fishing process. A pleasant young man and woman who had been fishing all night told us about their experiences, and stories from past generations of fishing adventures. Hardworking island folk they are.

Local fishermen

Unloading the catch

Weighing the catch

A stone's throw from the fishing wharf, stood the Wood Islands lighthouse and museum that is part of Wood Islands Provincial Park (https://www.tourismpei.com/provincial-park/wood-islands).  On the way to the lighthouse, the kids enjoyed the tidal pool with all its ocean treasures. There was also a play village that was constructed in the 1970's. I was amazed at the condition of these little village buildings with very little graffiti.

Children's "Village" in Wood Islands

Tidal pool and play village

Very cool little buildings 

Kids seeking low-tide treasures

The lighthouse museum was staffed by very knowledgeable women who guided us through the exhibits that included info about the fishing industry of PEI, history of rum running, and ice boats that people used to cross the Strait with to the mainland in the winter. Brrrr. The lighthouse had been inhabited by a keeper as recently as 1989 and at once held a family of seven. See great photos at:  http://www.woodislandslighthouse.com/

We literally had to drag ourselves from the museum if we were going to cross the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia before dark. We waved goodbye and motored off to Ballantyne's Cove.

From previous travels, John and I recalled that it had been tuna season the last time we had been in Ballantyne's Cove this time of year. We found a place to tie up across from several fishing boats geared up for tuna. 

Tied up on floating docks opposite wharf with fishing boats

In the early morning, fishing boats motored out on smooth seas. Around 0930, Simon went out to explore and came back yelling for the camera. "They caught a big tuna...come!" We scurried out to see a crowd forming around one of the boats, and big grins on the crew. We watched as they weighed and measured a 1000 lb tuna.

Happy crew of tuna fishermen

That is some fish!

Off to market somewhere

We heard that this fish was likely to be on a plane later in the day bound for Japan, and under the knife of a sushi chef.

Sadly, this centre was closed during our visit, but we peeked through the windows anyways.

We left the tuna crowd and hiked up to the lighthouse that we sailed under the previous night and got some great views!

We wished we could have seen more fishing action here, but we felt the pressure to keep moving in order to get to Halifax before it got colder.  We also started to see hurricane reports about Matthew and were keeping a close eye. We left by noon to motor through the Canso Canal; a short canal with one lock. The causeway and bridge connects Cape Breton to mainland Nova Scotia. We tied up in Port Hawkesbury, Cape Breton.

In the Canso Canal

There is a Yacht Club in Port Hawkesbury that has a nice clubhouse and facilities. Unfortunately, when we arrived at dusk on Saturday night, no one was present to let us in or give us the gate codes. Lucky for us, there was an open washroom with a shower and we were content until someone arrived to the club the following day. We stayed for a day to do Bomeschool, provision, and rest a bit. The kids were happy with a boat park across the road that they took breaks playing in.

Going across the tracks to the park

While in Port Hawkesbury, we kept a keener eye on the weather in preparation for open ocean on the rugged Eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Hurricane Matthew had gone from a Category 1 to a 4 in one day and we wanted to get to Halifax before he did. The kids were game to do another all-nighter, so with moderate northwest winds, we headed out. We sailed downwind all day and into the night along the coast. 

Around midnight, the wind died near the mouth of the Liscomb River. The moon had gone down, but the stars were twinkling. We had two options: motor the rest of the night or go to Liscombe Lodge.

Our last visit to Liscombe Lodge (http://www.liscombelodge.ca) with Spartina was delightful. There is one dock that sits at the base of this government-run resort. There is a great restaurant and boaters have access to all the facilities at the resort included in the very reasonable docking fee ($40 a night).

Thoughts of the games room, swimming pool, hot tub, kayaks and planked salmon, made the decision. We decided to navigate up the river in the dark. By 2:30 am we could see the dock with our searchlight, but we were having  trouble figuring out whether the buoys in the channel were mooring buoys or channel markers. Then, we saw car lights and someone walking down to the dock. Turns out, the night security guard saw us dithering in the channel and came to light our way in. With his help, we motored in, tied up, plugged in, got the heater going and had a snack without the kids stirring or making a peep. Whew.

Tied up at Liscombe Lodge

Morning on the Liscomb River

Fire where they cook the salmon on cedar planks

Frost on Wavey's running shoes left overnight on the dock...yikes!

Still keeping an eye on Matthew, we decided to stay a full day at the Lodge and do it all. After a hearty breakfast on board, we slid kayaks into the river and paddled upriver to the rapids above the Lodge. Next we donned helmets, and with borrowed bikes, explored the trails around the resort. After a bite to eat, we went for a hike in the woods. The ground was covered in a sea of velvety moss, and the leaves dropped out of the trees with swirls of yellow and orange. Still energetic, we plunged into the pool for a long swim followed by hot showers.

Wavey in the woods

Clean and ravenous, we dressed in our "city clothes" and arrived at the restaurant for our 8:00 pm reservation. We sampled the traditionally prepared planked salmon the restaurant is famous for and tucked in for a good night's sleep.

Hungry family!

We could have stayed here a few more days, but we wanted to explore some of the pristine anchorages in this beautiful region. Our friends Ben and Lana in Halifax recommended we visit Shelter Cove, (also known as Sally's Cove) and we are so glad we did!

Shelter Cove is protected by Nova Scotia Nature Trust. It is a treasure of beauty with rugged rocky shores, back-to-back sandy beaches, and magical forests. Once we arrived, I felt as if I was in a place that no one had ever been. We anchored easily in the protected cove just an hour or two before the night sky burst out in starlight glory. 
See: http://nsnt.ca/ourwork/campaigns/sheltercove. 

The next day, we set out in the dinghy to explore.  Simon rowed us all ashore and beached the dinghy at high tide. We found the trail our friends had told us about and hiked until we found the twin beaches.  We were startled by the beauty of the beaches. Immediately, the kids doffed their boots and ran along the sand looking for sea creatures and examining the kelp. The water was completely clear; the views stunning.

Nahanni V in the distance anchored in Sally's Cove

As beautiful as any Caribbean beach (if not more?)

Wavey's opinion about the place

After several hour of beach life, we returned to Nahanni V to get supplies for our next adventure. Our know-everything-cool-to-do friends told us about another beach they had aptly named, "S'mores Beach." Sadly, not provisioning for a campfire agenda, I only had dried out mini marshmallows, stale graham crackers, and whitish chocolate chips on hand. 

I was relieved there was no mutiny with the pitiful s'more offerings. The crew were full of anticipation as we beached the dinghy and found the right S'more fire pit. In a jiffy, we had a fire blazing. Once the coals were ready, we tried to shove about ten of the little marshmallows onto a stick. That was not satisfying as they burned up too quickly. Then we got the hang of blobbing them together and they roasted up just fine.  (We had a few blobs lost to the fire, but no one seemed to care.) 

Dinghy beached on "S'More" Beach

Marshmallow fire

Roasting marshmallow blobs

At dusk, the hungry mosquitoes arrived (in October !!), so we doused the fire and headed back to the boat before we lost too much blood.

We rose early the next morning, weighed anchor, and left for Halifax. Matthew was sadly wreaking havoc a few days away. We were excited to complete this leg of the journey and see friends and family. 

It was a gorgeous, sunny day on October 7, 2016 when we motored into the Halifax Harbour and were warmly greeted by dear friends in Purcell's Cove.

Coming into Purcell's Cove (photo by Ben Garvey)

Tied up on Ben and Lana's dock in a little bit of heaven (photo by Ben Garvey)

Now, to prepare for sailing to Bermuda!