July 13, 2006 - Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
We had two good days from Richibucto to Escuminac and then on to Shippagan.
Richibucto was fun, as the town was gearing up for their annual Scallop Festival and there was live music under a big tent on the wharf to entertain us after dinner. The dock is somewhat precarious but we tied many lines to steel posts to hold us in another blow. The local Irving station has a 500 yard pipe directly from their gas station to the marina. We took on close to 800 liters at the pump price (terrific deal if you are familiar with marina mark-ups).
We left Richibucto with some real tidal and river cross current action. Interesting, but we would not want to do that in a bad easterly blow.
When we reached Escuminac, we were welcomed by several locals. Very friendly and talkative. One of them took a liking to the boat and after many questions, zipped out in his truck to come back with a “coldpack” of freshly frozen lobster. His uncle owns the main processing plant. He also owns the biggest, most outlandish house on the peninsula but, in typical down home New Brunswick fashion, still has clothes line for drying laundry.
The weather at Escuminac was positively hot and humid; the thunderstorms avoided us but the rain and thunder still kept us up late into the night.
The ride to Shippagan the next morning was uneventful until we reached the near shore of the peninsula. The wind had picked up to 20+ knots from the east-north east. Trying to align the boat with what is known as the Shippagan Gully was a challenge. Our electronic charts had the markers quite off as silting had taken place. We made it, but it was an interesting 30 minutes.
The Shippagan marina is quiet but very windy. To date the pattern in the Northumberland Straight and the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence has been strong wind in early evenings, moderating until early morning and picking up again by noon. The directions keep changing frequently. Listening to the marine forecast every 6-8 hours keeps you on your toes as it keeps changing quite dramatically.
Andre and Olga on board m/v Mystic Bond
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| Visiting the Cunningham's at St. Peter's Marina in Cape Breton | Haulout at Samson Yard, Ile Madame, Cape Breton | Adding surface to our rudder at Samson Yard |
Finished product within a few hours of haulout |
Very interesting old lobster boat at Ballantyne's Cove, NS |
Olga piloting in the Northumberland Strait |
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Passing under the Confederation Bridge, PEI |
Docking at Escuminac, NB |
Richibucto Harbour, NB |
Shippagan Harbour, NB |
