Retracing Our Steps
Shelburne is a lovely little town. As soon as we were ashore, and I mean like 45 seconds, a couple walking their dog came up to us and talked like we were old friends letting us know what we should see in town and asking about the trip and inviting us to their wooden flute workshop. Definitely didn't feel like we were in cold New England any longer!
We were mainly on the mission of getting Jacksyn back to Boston somehow so we were literally just walking into shops asking people if they knew anyone going to Yarmouth where there is a ferry to Miane. Within 2 shops we had a lead on a medical van which passes through before going to Yarmouth and also the best brewery in town. And if we didn't confirm anything there the yacht club bar was the next best bet.
Off to the Boxing Rock brewery and within half a tasty beer Jacksyn had confirmed his spot on the medical transport van in 2 hours from, yup, the Yacht Club Bar parking lot. Over there we headed and he was off.
Finally! Other Cruising Boats!
The following day we were hoping to get some life logistics done. Now being abroad again and for an indeterminate amount of time we wanted to have the most robust bank card setup for both of us so we couldn't end up in the scenario we did in Mexico two years prior with no ability to get money out at all.
The cute upstairs yacht club bar as big ole tables, tasty beer, and wifi and is accomidating for visiting yachts so after setting up shop and taking a sip of something Canadian we were right away in conversation with a friendly fellow who joined us. About half an hour later he was off, turned out to be Bruce, the treasurer of the yacht club. He left just in time for Fernanda, a Brazilian/Danish lady who just arrived direct from the Bahamas aboard, with their family of 5, to join us whilst she sewed a Canadian curtosy flag for their yacht, O'dara. By the time she was off we were invited to the Boxing Rock Brewery in an hour or so to meet with them and the Norwegian yacht SeaFinn and their crew of 7.
Sounds like a better way to spend a day than sorting out banking information.
Northbound Plans
We had a few boat jobs now that we did a shakedown after the winter stagnant in Newport so we spent a few days waiting for wind sorting out some small changes but mainly making plans to get to Halifax and get busy with the real boat logistics.
We were invited for an impromptu breakfast aboard O'dara where we learned about their 2 year North and South Atlantic route from Denmark down to Tierra del Fuego and back up this way before heading ultimately over to Denmark again. We promised to return the pancake favor at the next port we crossed paths at as they have roughly the same idea as us as far as where they're going.
Lovely weather had us out walking around and seeing some trails we had missed during our south bound stopover in Shelburne. It was also the first time we had been out walking in proper woods since last October which was a strange realization. The working life really does just suck one into a routine without any time to get away it seems.
Anchors away
The wind was right, O'dara had left 2 days before and SeaFinn yesterday, and we decided we'd take off for however far we could make it in the not too strong of winds. To the fuel dock for less fuel than we were expecting and we were off.
Being as Shelburne is up a 12 mile channel it is always longer to get out into the actual ocean and real wind than expected. We thought, as the wind was funneling directly up the channel, it'd be a good time to try and raise the new to us storm jib on the solent stay we hadn't yet used. It was a surprisingly easy process being as the sail is so small. We had to fiddle with where we ran the lines for a bit to get them run inside and outside everything else without issue, but it was pretty smooth especially now as we know where to run them.
We tacked up and out of the channel then turned down wind on a reach up the coast. We had a lovely sail where we somehow did most of it wing on wing heading directly the right way. Usually we end up with too much sail banging around as the boat rolls and spills the wind from the headsail but it must have been just windy enough for this to work. We should really learn and get comfy with the whisker pole.
As the day wore on we were approaching Carter's Beach, another stop we had made on the way down, and we could see SeaFinn on AIS heading in there. We decided to convoy on in there as we wouldn't be able to make it much futher before dark and it'd be a good spot for the no wind over the next 48 hours.
We tacked up and out of the channel then turned down wind on a reach up the coast. We had a lovely sail where we somehow did most of it wing on wing heading directly the right way. Usually we end up with too much sail banging around as the boat rolls and spills the wind from the headsail but it must have been just windy enough for this to work. We should really learn and get comfy with the whisker pole.
We were in and anchored just at dusk in front of the strangely white and sandy beach. SeaFinn was in the background further off shore and we packed it up after a solid day's sail and at least a few more miles made to the north.
