Delivery to Newfoundland

I had chance to Help "The Very Famous" Bill Page deliver his 3 year old 38 foot West Coast Influenced Troller, "Serianna",  to Newfoundland so jumped at the chance.

I was to report to Cushing (pronounced "Cushion").  Maine at 0800 Wednesday the 29^th of June so Kathy gave me a ride down. When we got there breakfast was being finished up ashore. By the time everyone was ready to head to the boat it was pouring rain, but we made it.. Paula, the skipper's wife came out to organize the galley, I stayed aboard while Bill took Paula back ashore, then picked up Wilson and returned to the boat.

Bill and friends built the Serianna over about 14 years in several different locations. The hull was built by French and Webb in Belfast, ME, then it was trucked to Bill's house in Cushing, then late in the project it was moved up the road to a new building, then finally launched in Thomaston in 2013. It is an impeccably built vessel, many have compared the workmanship to the finest of models. It is hard to find a flaw anywhere. (hard but not impossible)

Our third crew for the trip, Wilson is an old friend of Bill's, from Chester,  Nova Scotia. Wilson built his own wooden 38 foot cutter and has sailed extensively in his boat and with others. In his boat he has not only been to the Caribbean but also Europe for a couple years. He is a member in good standing of the Cruising Club of America. That's Wilson at the helm.

Our task was to get the Serianna to Newfoundland as quickly as possible so Bill and Paula could cruise the South Coast this summer. The “quickly” is key because a week ago Bill and 2 other crew had to abort their first attempt East about 40 miles offshore due to an over-heated bearing in the drive train. This they fixed and now for our attempt. Sadly that aborted trip had shortened the summer season for the Pages.

After a brief, but thorough introduction to the vessel, from "head" to safety systems, (listed in order of importance) we got underway in thick fog from Pleasant Point Gut. Bill wanted to show Wilson some of our coast, but about all he was going to “see” today would have to be close up, so he got a tour of Port Clyde and “the Herring Gut”. Some tight in there, and I learned which side of the green can to pass next time. We had just done it on the Willie Dawes a couple weeks earlier but were on the wrong side of the can, but luckily had no grief!

After leaving Marshall Point we set the steadying sail, (You will notice that the previous image of the steadying sail was taken in clear weather in Lake Bras d'Or, Not at Marshall Point) which we carried most of the trip while underway, and started on our course which was as straight a line as we could make to Cape Sable,  Nova Scotia, right across the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. As we would be crossing the bay where it is quite wide we would be avoiding some of the stronger currents found further up the bay, but that doesn't mean there would be none. And despite the relatively light winds we were in for a rolly nite. Our track was as follows, 1300- cleared Mosquito Island, 1400- between Little and Large Green Islands (our last view of land until well up the Nova Scotia Coast), 1600- North of Matinicus and South of Seal Island.

At Midnite we were about halfway across the Bay of Fundy and rolling quite heavy. We were doing 3 hour watches, so in theory we had 6 hours to sleep, but it was pretty hard to stay in the upper bunk, and the first 12 to 18 hours of any trip, I always find it hard to sleep. After that I seem to fall into a routine so sleep comes easier.

At 12 noon we were passing South of Cape Sable and into calmer waters, now out of the washing machine type seas that plague the Bay of F. Our first sighting was the Buoy "J" off Brazil Rock, SE of Cape Sable. No one seems to know where the J comes from.

One option was to put into Shelbourne a few hours up the road, and rest for the nite, but Wilson felt as I did, that now that we were in the swing of things, and the weather looked good, we should continue on. Instead of going straight for Cape Breton we hugged the coast a mite just in case we decided to duck into Halifax.

We didn't stop. We did start
 to see some shoreline and
 passed several Novi Lobster
 Boats somewhat past Halifax.

We did decide that instead of making our proposed landfall of St Peters, Cape Breton in darkness, we would stop for the night before dark and decided on Dover Island. We chose Dover because it wasn't far in and out, and Wilson promised to show us the way thru Dover Island Passage, a narrow East-West pass behind Dover Island that is so small that there are no soundings on the chart.

                                                            Sunset at Dover Cove

We spent a very quiet night at anchor, absolutely no movement, and the Serianna is so heavy that she lays (or lies, I'm never quite sure), quite still. We were underway at 0600 on July 2^nd and as promised, Wilson guided us thru Dover Passage where we had had decent visibility, but as we left the close shores we were once again shrouded by fog. The fog was up and down on the way thru Canso, and by the time we reached St Peters Lock and Canal the air had cleared up. As we entered the cove Wilson set the Q flag signifying that we had not yet cleared customs.

Once alongside the canal wall, short of the locks, Capt Bill called Canada Customs, and as Bill and I had Nexus Trusted Traveler Cards, and Wilson was a citizen, they allowed our entry without a personal visit to the boat.
                                                                 Hoist the Maple Leaf!

 As soon as we had the word, we hoisted the Red Maple Leaf and proceeded thru the lock and canal and came around to St Peters Marina for Fuel.

We were greeted by the manager, Gerry, who with his helper, Noah, got us docked, and set Bill up with the fuel hose. Wilson headed for the showers and I borrowed Gerry's truck to go to town for fixings for a stew that Wilson had planned. As soon as I was back I also ran thru a shower, then Capt Bill treated us to an ice cream bar at the marina. Actually, Canada treated us to ice cream as for some reason the everyone had gotten free ice cream the day before, (Canada Day) and Gerry said he would just charge our cones to the day before when Canada was paying. Wow, the USA never bought me an ice cream before!
                                                    Serianna at St Peters Marina

As soon as our business was completed we shoved off and headed down St Peters Inlet to Lake Bras d'Or, across the lake, thru the bridge at Barre Narrows, passed Badeck and Alexander Bell's place and started down the Great Bras d'Or, the Northern channel that leads to the Laurentian Channel.

                                                  Bridge opening for us at Barre Narrows

We had been watching the weather forecasts, courtesy of the Queen, and had decided to make the 100 mile crossing to Newfoundland Sunday afternoon and night. This being Saturday, we headed into Big Harbor on the NorthWestern shore. Wilson explained that he had been to a CCA gathering here several years back, hosted by a fellow that owns much of the adjacent land. Then Wilson showed us the channel that leads right thru Big Harbor and up an old hand dug channel to a little tiny cove called “Surprise!” This is a tight cove and one might call ahead during the summer season as there is precious little anchoring room, maybe for three boats, but they better get along with each other as they will likely be tied to each other by morning.

                                                              Surprise Cove

                                     
                                       The yellow line was our trackline into Surprise Cove

Our plans for crossing the Lawrentian Channel were formed based on when we wanted to arrive. We wanted to get there as early as possible because the forecast was for strengthening West winds, we wanted to arrive in daylight, and we didn't want to arrive when the ferry boat was making its entrance. That narrowed our arrival window to between 5 and 6 AM, so allowing for some leeway we got underway from Surprise at just after noon. Since we had a bit of slack time Capt Bill tried out his new waffle iron, yum, surprisingly good! Nearly caught the boat afire twice!

We had a fair current down thru the Great Bras d'Or which at times was 3 extra knots. But the further from land we got, the rougher it was. The seas were coming from at least 2 different directions and building. Just before dark we decided that since we weere a little ahead of schedule that we would try and alleviate the boat's motion by “tacking”. By taking the seas at a different angle we hoped the off watch would get a little more sleep. Well..., not really the case, we were getting tossed around pretty good. When I tried to sleep in the upper bunk forward, I just held on for about an hour, but there was no way I could sleep, I would have been tossed out for sure. I decided to try the bench seat behind the galley table and did get some rest there.

At 0300 I was on watch and woke the skipper so he could be up when we made Port Aux Basque, Newfoundland. He allowed that we had planned to make our landfall at daybreak, (it was still dark) and that maybe we should slow down. I said, “oh, it will be light enough when we get in, but I'm not slowing down out here, “, we had a 6 foot quartering sea running, which we were only starting to see as it was getting light outside. I said “If we need to wait, we can do so after we get in behind the point that makes the beginning of the harbor” Agreed.

Port Aux Basque has a Vessel Traffic control system, curious as it is a pretty quiet little harbor, but I guess they want no vessels moving about while the big ferry to and from Cape Breton is entering. So as you approach the harbor you are supposed to check in at 12, 5, and 2 miles, so they can keep track. At each waypoint we were cleared and given the green light to make our approach.

                                650 foot Newfoundland Ferry!  Stay clear, they need the whole harbor

Well it was light enough when we rounded the point, glad to be in shelter, and we had beaten the ferry. We were a little short on sleep, but the stout little vessel had held up just fine. After some fussing with getting fenders and dock lines ready, steadying sail down, we made our approach to the government pier amongst the small fishing boats.

A steady stream of “lookers” came down to see what we were all about, I don't think they get that many visitors here. We checked out the local marine hardware store and the harbormaster's office , which had serviceable showers. Wilson had made plans to take the noon ferry back to Cape Breton to meet his wife, and they were going to visit an Uncle and some friends on there way back to Chester. We said our goodbyes and he headed off on foot for the ferry. A side note is that the ferry ride is about 6 ½ hours long, but foot passengers must board 2 ½ hours before departure time, then once the ferry has arrived, foot passengers are not allowed off for at least and hour, so the ip really takes 10 hours!

Wilson sent back word that the short distance to the ferry terminal is deceptive as there is no walking route, and when one does try and walk it is long and, his words, “not pedestrian friendly”.

That was good to know, because The Capt's wife Paula, and Cheryl Strohmeir, who was driving Paula up, and giving me a ride home would be arriving on the 1830 boat, so we decided to get a taxi over to meet them. We were a little late getting to the ferry, but due to the fact that foot passengers are imprisoned on the ferry for that extra hour, no one was held up.

Cheryl had volunteered to drive Paula to Newfoundland as she herself had never been there.  She may not have realized what she was getting herself into. She had done extensive of cruising with her late husband, Dan Strohmeir on their Concordia Yawl, "Malay" and is also a member of the Cruising Club of America.  Dan  raced his original Concordia Yawl, Malay (Hull #2) extensively and won the Bermuda Race in the 50s. 

We all got back to the boat, and had time to go and get something quick to eat, before Cheryl and I had to be back for the midnight ferry 2 ½ hours early. Quite a time.

Cheryl and I had had “recliners” for the trip across the Laurentian Channel. The recliners were almost impossilble to operate and were very slippery. Hard to sleep in that's for sure. The ferry trip was smooth as silk, amazing the difference between the motion of a 650 foot ferry boat as compared to a 38 fish boat! On the ferry we never felt a wave.

Once in North Sydney, we waited our hour, then caught the shuttle bus, which took us right by Cheryl's jeep, and way across the huge parking lot to the terminal, where we jumped out and made our way back across the lot to her Jeep. The ferry, being the sole means of large transport to Newfoundland, is really quite a system, many many tractor trailer trucks going each way, which adds to the extended boarding time no doubt.

Once in the Jeep, we hit the road running, as it is about an 11 ½ hour trip back to coastal Maine. The Canadian hyighways were good, and there was little traffic to slow us up. We crossed the border at Calais and had no trouble clearing in, then soon after were on Rte 9, “the Airline”, then down to Bucksport and down Rte. 1 to Camden.

A flying trip, and all pretty smooth. I made my first real trip on a full power vessel, saw a little new coast, made some new cruising friends, and happy to be home.

All the best to the Pages, and may their Newfoundland trip be smooth!