Halifax Port and Excursion
Moving right along, the ship is cruising at 17 kts or about 20 mph around the peninsula to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our stay in Saint John, New Brunswick was excellent but a bit tiring due to the bus driven excursion. I have come to the conclusion that when the cruise includes a number of ports, bus riding on tours is not avoidable if you want to see the area. We may return via land in the future to spend more time exploring the area and coast. We arrived in Halifax docking about 10 am. with planned sail time at 8 pm that evening.
Halifax is a major city in Nova Scotia with an excellent port facility for all manner of ships and boats. Cruising overnight included much fog again. Sitting in the Schooner Bar we count not see the ships bow, yes this did include some good wine. Once again, I wonder about the electronics on the ship and how well the captain can see to dock. Of course a pilot boat came along side to deliver the local pilot to assist the ship. As we docked the rains continued, our first day of rain along the cruise. Not
We had chosen the Big Pink Bus Hoponhopoff tour option. This is good in that you purchase the ticket and can hop on and off the bus which passes your area every 30 min. The operaters can actually herd cats, in that they can manage a number of passengers, speaking several languages, to board and enjoy the tours. We had an insightful conversation with a couple from Chile. The wife did not speak any English but the husband was near fluent and to make matters better is a wine broker for Chilean wines. He did give us a short education on Chilean wines, encouraging our wine intake on a meal by meal basis. It remains a wonder how we can communicate without an interpreter in so many languages. Just propose a toast and raise your glass and all will follow.
Our first stop on the tour was the Maritime Museum along the waterfront of course. Here is the best Titanic exhibition with many photos, messages and pictures. It seems Halifax was the nearest port when the Titanic called for help and ships were send to pick up passengers and bodies. One interesting fact, at one point a ship captain had to stop embalming victims due to ship capacity and buried at sea many victims. The captain stated he continued to embalm first class passengers with identification in that their survivors may inherit an estate. While the 2nd and 3rd class victims had less and were buried at sea. Think about this when you book your cruise!!!!
I must say, the museum was excellent with many exhibits for steam and sail, along with two ships at dock you can tour. The rain continued, However, we did attempt to view one ship but after challenging the rain, we discovered the ship was closed. Not to be discouraged, we took photos of the ship and a large yacht docked on the pier. Just across the pier was a small sailboat which was dwarfed by the yacht. This sailboat would reappear soon in our visit.
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After our museum tour we debated our next stop and decided is was time for lunch and a pint of the local beer. One must enjoy the flavors of each port you know. We asked about a good pub and were directed to the Old Triangle! As our Irish luck would have it we found a wonderful bartender with all the local knowledge of brews, spirits and wines. He entertained us with stories of the area and samples of the local wine, vodka, whiskey and of course beer. In the midst of this we tried the local Haddock and potatoes. We did not know the area is known for its potatoes (Irish remember) and made a wonderful vodka from the potatoes.
While being entertained at the Old Triangle we met two interesting couples. Denise visited with a couple who are retired Navy and have cruised the world. They are from Florida and continue their journeys after leasing their home to the returning children. What a great idea. They told children who wanted to return home due to quiting school, etc, that they could move in but had to sign a lease. We will keep this in mind for our experience with adult children. The other couple sat next to me with quite a bit of news. It seems they own and sail the small sailboat docked adjacent to the SUPER YACHT we viewed at the museum. They have sailed from Toronto on their way to Florida and Cuba. While part of this is our planned adventures, sailing in the Maritime offers a different adventure and challenges. Sailing at 45 deg. latitude includes colder weather, whales, shipping and new currents. They explained the Labrador Current flowing south, which they will ride to gain speed.
They spent last winter on board the boat, iced in the Toronto Harbor and now live full time aboard. It seems the wife has helped deliver boats in several areas of the world and has much experience. They did explain how we could sail our trawler up the Hudson River to Quebec and follow their journey along the Maritime. This would expand our cruise to an area of the world not many private boats cruise. That Great Loop cruise just gets larger! See you at Prince Edward Island.
HAPPY SAILING,
aboard "Explorer of the Seas
Denise and Barry, Deckhands
Another day of touring is planned with a 6.5 hr. bus tour. Whew! We are learning the only way to view a port of any size is a bus tour with narrative guides. This does required
Hoping on and off many times during the tour. However, if the guide is good, the journey is much more pleasant. Today with have the top 10 locations in Saint John. Our day began
at 8 am. to board the BIG YELLOW BUS.
Now I must say the bus is modern and equipted with restroom, air conditioning and all sorts of people from around the world. My French
i.e. Redneck was not spoken on this bus. However, we did meet a couple from Kentucky who live and have boated on Kentucky Lake. Small world.
Our guide, Kelley is Irish by decent and moved to Saint John from L.A. She was the highlight of the tour being ever present and full of whit. One of the more interesting features of
Saint John is the reversing water falls or rapids. We managed to view the rapids on the outgoing tide but returned near the end of the tour to witness the incoming time. Alas, we were too early
for the change. The tide changes in the Bay of Fundy up to 50 ft. each tide. We did view several fishing boats laying in the mud waiting for the incoming tide. Handling lines
here is an art. The Bay of Fundy is between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and has been a major ship building area since the 1700's. We did not meet any of the first sea captains
but most are in "retirement" and now work on the Royal Caribbean cruise lines. We are now cruising at 44 Deg. North latitude, being the furthers north of our experience. Fog has followed us most of the
cruise but seas are pleasant with a little roll.
One of our stops was an Irish Pub for a free pint of Moose Head beer along with some "Irish" songs, i.e. John Denver and such. Great little pub and would have enjoyed additional pints
except for the moving of the BIG YELLOW BUS. After several short stops to view architectural features of the community we proceeded to St. Martin beach area for some of the world
famous sea food chowder. Seems this restaurant makes over 5,000 gallons of chowder annually feeding thousands. The location is adjacent to the tidal caves on Bay of Fundy. You can see
the force of the tides by the large size of the caves. You do not want to be inside a cave when the tide is in coming for the force of the water will not permit your exist and they
may find your body on the out going tide. We walked the rocky beach enjoying a new awareness of the changes in the world we do not see from Kentucky. Now, BACK ON THE BUS.
The views are stunning. The fog lifted after our tour start and permitted good views of the harbor, our ship and the working area of the Bay. Lobster fishing is predominant here along with
shad, clams and some mussels. Lobster fishing has 2 seasons, one of which is December to March with very cold and windy conditions. The median high during the winter is 25 Deg. Fahrenheit.
Colder than a well digger's rear. Seems the local think this is comfortable along with the 6 ft. of snow annually. Water Temp is near 45 deg. near constant during the year, so no swimming
along the beach. Some do use jet skis but wet suits are mandatory.
We would recommend Saint John for a cruise or just fly in to enjoy this part of Canada. We will continue our cruise further North to Halifax and later to Corner Brook. Corner Brook is the
town located further north than any other in North America. I do not have the latitude as yet but will post upon our arrival. No icebergs as yet but we will be visiting the Titanic Museum in
Halifax.
HAPPY SAILING,
Aboard Explorer of the Seas
Adm. Denise and Capt. Barry
"no deckhands" currently serving a sentence in a kennel.
Our first port on the New England-Maritime cruise found us in Portland, ME. Like most cruises we have enjoyed rest time, party time, adult beverages and much food. We are aboard the Explorer of the Seas with veranda cabin and great service.
Sunset was in route to Portland, ME via the north Atlantic with a gently rolling sea and spectacular view. The above pic is the view from our veranda prior to the formal dinner. I must say, I do clean up well. Of course, Denise is always beautiful and needs limited prep time
We scheduled an excursion aboard the 1912 schooner Mendeena, 82 ft. wooden schooner with crew of 3 and supervised by the Adm. Denise. The quiet harbor offered smooth sailing with gentle swells and good air. The boat is a marvel with mahogany britework and fir masts. I did not get to sail her but spent my time in the cockpit and had many questions of her Captain. The Captain has a good gig here in summer and after October moves to St. Thomas for sailing in the Caribbean. Not a bad schedule.
Our bus tour took us to several monuments and covered much history of Portland. However, the highlight is the Portland Head Light. Seems a ship wrecked and sank here in 1886, the Annie McGuire, on Christmas Eve. All hands were saved but rumors are the Captain sank the ship to avoid unpaid costs. Who knows, he may have been in our tour group!
We depart in 2 hours for an evening sail up to Bar Harbor, ME. for more explorations tomorrow. Oops, I almost forgot, we did enjoy our first lobster rolls after touring today. It did taste a bit fishy? It seems they are to be found in every street vendor, restaurant and nursing home in the area.
Sail away with use to Bar Harbor, ME and the martimes.
Happy sailing,
Adm. Denise,Capt. Barry and no deckhands this trip.
As readers of this blog may remember, I experienced 6 weeks as crew on the Nina, the Columbus Ship about 3 year ago. Well, my ships are back at Green Turtle Bay Marina.
Fortunately, I must have passed the test as crew, for my former crew invited me along for the arrival event. The ships arrived 1 day early at 9/30 pm. to a very dark marina. Kathy, the advance person and I met the ships at end of pier 5. After much work for the crew and push boat, the ships were docked for the evening. Tomorrow is the scheduled arrival with press and welcoming party.
The morning arrived with planned press reps at 7 am. Jim and Tom were the photographers/reports for the arrival for our local newspaper. Jim boarded the Nina for the event and Tom ventured aboard 0 Regrets (our trawler) for the cruise. The sail time was somewhat delayed but the ships departed the marina at about 9:30 AM to get in a short sail. The wind prevailed out of the west. The ships must have a stern wind due to square rig sails. The ships motored to the Canal between Kentucky and Barkley Lakes, turned around and sailed back to Lake Barkley.
The Nina is on the right, being the smaller ship but the size of the original Nina. They sailed with mainsail and foresails at times. This is an event for the locals for rarely can the ships sail in lakes. We idled the trawler ahead to capture this picture of my former ships. I must thank the crew and captains as they relayed plans via VHF radio and permitted this Old Sailor a chance to recapture some of his memories aboard these great ships.
The above photo is of Captain Vic aboard the Nina.Yes, even the Captain must swab the decks. Vic joined the Nina in southern California about 4 yrs. ago and has lived and worked aboard since. Vic is a good sailor and leader of the crew. Of course a daily ration of grog is in order.
Prior to this morning sail, the crew had to clear the flags and ship yardarms in order to loose the sails. A crewman scaled the mast, cleared the flag and other crew hauled the "yards". All working portions of the sails are handled by lines, no windlass or electric wenches here.
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Well, as the long day ends, please visit the ships. They are self supporting and tours are very informative and fun. Green Turtle Bay at Grand Rivers, KY. will welcome you. Tours continue from 08/29/2013 through 09/08/2013. Do not miss this chance to see the best and most accurate replicas ever constructed. Oh!! Tell them Barry sent you.
Happy sailing,
aboard "0 Regrets"
Not being of sound mind or body I repeatedly encountered a word yesterday. This all began as I was enlisting the aid of a fellow boater and river rat, our good friend Brad aka. "Doc". It seems that Doc is currently anchored on the Little Tennessee River after a cruise to Tellico. This river diverts from the Tennessee River near Knoxville, TN. Doc has sailed the Ohio, Cumberland and now the total Tennessee River. Doc travels in solitary fashion without a pet or companion.
Doc travels in a 28 ft. Albin Family Express Cruiser with all of 110 Sf living area. Cruising speed is about 5-6 mph with a 60 hp diesel engine. We met Doc almost 2 years ago at Paris Landing Marina on Kentucky Lake. Quite an interesting fellow to say the least. That conversation brought up solitude.
solitude may imply a condition of being apart from all human beings or of being cut off by wish or circumstances from one's usual associates.
Doc volunteered that in the past 4 days, he had only talked to one other person, while buying fuel. Now Doc is an excellent conversationalist but cruising for more than 2 years alone, I think Doc has the solitude thing down. By the way, he mentioned he had just finished his "river" bath prior to my call. "I just hop in the river with my body wash and one of the sponge things".
This brings to my mind, how I have dealt with solitude in past years. I do not do well alone and I am fully aware of my short coming. Bailey, my trusted spaniel can attest to my LONG conversations with her on many evenings. I am more of an extrovert, meeting people easily and not retiring in my quest for conversation. Yep, I can be a bore.
I have grand plans to cruise the Tennessee River to Chattanooga starting early October. While Denise and I cruised 2 weeks last October, a good portion of this cruise will be solitary(with dog & gatorhead). Of course not like on a deserted island for cell phone and Internet service will aid in the need to BOTHER other people. As indicated in the above pic, we can get real inventive.
I tend to like moving most days on the river. We anchor each weekend and occasionally I will take a short cruise with dogs and anchor overnight. The river cruise will be about 900 miles at the blazing speed of 6-8 mph depending upon current. I have invited a number of "friends" to join me along the way until Ms. Denise boards in Alabama. Our boat can handle 3-4 hands with room for all. However, this brings back the solitude factor.
I think I can, I think I can! Fortunately, the Tennessee River includes a number of marinas placed about 30-60 miles apart. I do not know how much I will anchor, depending upon the talkative nature of Bailey(spaniel) during the running hours. She does not work, cook, clean or handle lines. However, she is a good listener.
View 2013 Tennessee River Cruise in a larger map
Above is the general map of the Tenn. River and markers at 1/2 and completion of the cruise. I plan to post a more detailed map of the adventure as it unfolds. I anticipate 3-4 weeks on the water enjoying the autumn colors.
Unfortunately, this may be my appearance after the cruise with that "bottle of rum".
So come along for the ride and we might make some waves.
Happy sailing,
Adm. Denise, Capt Barry, deckhands Bailey and Bella
There comes a time in all stories where dogs fit in perfectly. Now is the time for the story of the "Boat Dogs". Now, most people equate boats with cats, parrots, mice etc. But in our world dogs rule. We do have a parrot on board but that is another story.
Bella, as pictured above has a way with pics. She just seem to like the camera. Quite like her mistress, Denise. While this picture is not aboard 0 Regrets it does express her personality. Just an adventurous girl!
Bailey, as pictured above, is happy with her ball. She will retrieve the ball till she would drown. She is learning to climb the swim ladder to the boat and someday will enter the transom.
Now this is the temp captain. Bella seems to love riding in the Captain's chair during the cruise. She is a bit nervous until in the chair. I do wish she could stand a watch while I could take a nap.
Now, this is team swimming. Bailey has a piece of wood in her mouth, she will retrieve anything. I am trying to teach her to retrieve a beer. The life guard is Adm. Denise. Swimming with the girls is a challenge.
The above picture is their typical cruising position. They are on the fly bridge just relaxing while the Captain is working at the helm. They do prefer Buffet on the sounds.
Now this is a curious dog. Bella is on foredeck peeking into the cabin from the forward window hatch. At times we have seen Bailey enter from this window to the galley in search of food.
While the above pic is on the earth, it remains one of my favorites. After all, all my best girls are in the picture. Happy times on board or on the beach. My girls make cruising complete.
Happy sailing,
Capt. Barry along with Adm. Denise and deckhands Bella and Bailey.
We chose the 4th of July to extend the Tennessee River Cruise a bit. We planned to moor at Paris Tennessee State Park Marina and attend Meo Mios Restaurant. Alas, just a bit lazy.
Our first anchorage is new to us, Turkey Bay. It seems that Turkey Bay is the site of the Land Between the Lake ATV trail. We did manage to anchor at mouth of bay in a little inlet to escape most of the wind. The holding was good as was the fishing. A restful afternoon and evening was had by all, especially the Adm. Denise as evident in following wanton exhibition.
She does have a way with wine and feet. Just saying....
As Turkey Bay is only 3 hr. ride (3 hr. tour, 3 hr tour) from home port of Green Turtle Bay Marina, we had time to "relax", swim and just chill on first day of the 4th. cruise. Of course one must buy a 5th. (like 5 liter box of wine) in order to be festive on the 4th.
Of course the article would not be complete without our flag at sunset. Like so many veterans, we appreciate the flag and all those who have thanked us for our service. I can truthfully say, "you are welcome".
Sorry for grainy photo but I had to zoom in to capture the fleet escape of the Coasties after they cruised our anchorage. This is where some of those homeland security dollars are found. I think the Coasties aboard were having a good cruise.
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The Paris Landing Marina is a welcome and friendly stop if cruising for the day or weekend. The staff is friendly but can be a bit over worked on weekends. We are accustomed to mooring ourselves, as the staff rarely seem to be dockside. Calling on the VHF is also unreliable, but the transient docks are large and have the utilities. Beware, as of this writing the last 3 pedestal on the transient dock are not functional. They are "working" on them, at the state of Tennessee pace. We do recommend the lodge for breakfast and Meo Mios's for a good evening of food, adult beverages and good music. Just call a cab, about $10 per couple each way(plus tip) and they will pick up and deliver you back to your boat. The marina does not have a vehicle you can borrower. The ranger will take you to the lodge but it is only a 1 mile walk.
Before departing Paris Landing, the old Captain decided to replace a fuel filter as the engine was sputtering a bit upon arrival. Alas, the work grew as air was "filtered" into the line and after a helpful new friend was found, we managed to bleed the line and start the engine. I need to remember to do these tasks in our Home Port, not while anchored or on a holiday weekend. Lessons, Lessons Learned!
http://goo.gl/maps/RPT5t
See above map of Turkey Bay.
Then the weather changed. We enjoyed a good afternoon swimming, along with Bailey our Boykin Spaniel deckhand. The decision was made to return to Turkey Bay due to the 1/2 distance to home port and good holding. Right! We did enjoy the anchorage and experienced a good afternoon, Kentucky thunderstorm.
Bella above on a dryer and happier day. She did wear her "Thunder Shirt" but alas garments can only accomplish so much. Bella hid in the tub of the aft cabin, she does know here emergency drills. The wind and rain continued then we were rewarded with a wonderful rainbow.
I must give Denise credit for this picture. Of course the Captain was busy maintaining calm amongst the crew and holding anchorage during the blow. I am sure I saw the pot of gold among the trees near shore.
The cruise will continue to home port, Green Turtle Bay sometime today. I must get the Admiral back to work!
Happy sailing,
Capt. Barry, Adm. Denise, Bell and Bailey, deckhands.
