Watching and waiting for Hurricane Earl
It is unusually hot here in this part of Nova Scotia (near Mahone Bay), for early September. Knowing that we’re going to be experiencing the eye of a hurricane before things cool down is not a great comfort, at least not when you own a boat. Some people are taking their boats out of the [...]
A picture out of time
The wooden gaff-rigged sloop was on its way from Lunenburg to Mahone Bay. But the cable used to raise the centerboard had broken. So the sailor ran her up on Bachman’s Beach, on Second Peninsula, hoping to fix her at low tide. The team of draft horses was in training, as usual, and was pulling [...]
Mahone Bay Regatta 2010
The Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival, formerly known as the Mahone Bay Wooden Boat Festival, isn’t happening this year, but a new group has come together to present the Mahone Bay Regatta on the same weekend. So if you’re used to making a trip to one of Nova Scotia’s most scenic towns at that point [...]
Concordia Crew’s Rescue a Tribute to Emergency Equipment and Procedures
We are all delighted to hear that the entire crew of 64 aboard the tall ship Concordia, part of Lunenburg-based Class Afloat program, have been rescued off the coast of Brazil. The high school and university age have certainly had an education in marine safety. The lesson should not be lost on other boaters, whether [...]
Chester Race Week Video
My husband just spotted this video about Chester Race Week. We sail but we don’t race, so this video gives me a feeling about what it’s like to be involved in this event. It’s Canada’s largest keelboat regatta!
Waiting for Hurricane Bill
“Batten down the hatches” – it’s an old expression from the days of “wooden boats and iron men” and describes perfectly what Nova Scotians are doing as Hurricane Bill approaches our shores. Memories of 2003′s Hurricane Juan, which hit Halifax hard, are fresh in our minds. There’s a sense of anticipation in the air, weighted [...]
Sailing a home built catamaran in Mahone Bay
My friend Søren just made a lovely video about sailing his catamaran in Mahone Bay. Music is by Drumlin, a local group of 4 very talented siblings from Bridgewater. Here it is:
Beautiful schooners under sail
Is there any boat more beautiful than a schooner? What is it about them that draws the eye? The Schooner Association met in Chester this weekend. We passed a few heading home on Sunday. Some photos, taken from our boat:
Tall Ships in Lunenburg
After their triumphant sailpast in the sun in Halifax, several tall ships came to Lunenburg for a mini version of the big event. The Unicorn, in this picture, takes teenaged girls on excursions of several weeks with an all-female crew for life-changing experiences. I heard its captain explain to some astonished men that no, in [...]
