August 1-5:  2015 Bras d'Or Lake

      Now today (Saturday) is what the guide books promised. Sunny and clear with a light breeze, we set off down thru the narrows toward the big lake. It is a winding channel thru the islands, much like the topography in Maine, Spruce lining the shores with hardwoods mixed in. Several sail vessels, sloops and cats were headed in our direction as this was the Denys Race Day. Nicholas Denys was an early settler to this region known for his never ending struggles to overcome obstacles. It seemed every time he set up a business that was starting to do well, he was driven off by some some French politician. Even though in the end he returned to France an old and broken man, he is still honored here for his fighting spirit.

      We motor-sailed across the big lake and gunk-holed way up into Crib-Work cove, then back out and around a couple points to Little Harbor, another pond -like cove, this one with an opening about 100 feet wide with beach on each side and a very narrow, but deep entrance channel. There were several yachts at anchor along the shores. We anchored in the middle in 30 feet of water and had no-one close by. A cove with an entrance ¼ the size of Pulpit Harbor, North Haven, but with room for the entire NY Yacht club to anchor with room to spare.

      Sunday morning we were underway at 0800 and heading back to St. Peters to participate in the Nicholas Denys Days Swim to save the Lighthouse. The swim is from the bridge end of the canal to the lock, then continue on to the beach at Battery Provincial Park. Proceeds are to benefit the rebuilding effort of the landmark lighthouse on the Jerome Point.

      At 1330 we were registered, #s 96 and 97 of over 120 swimmers, then bused from the park to the seawall at the Northern end of the Canal. Into the water and swim the 900 meters with a stop at the lock. We made the swim to the lock with ease, but I at least failed to realize that once at the lock, we would have to wait for all the participants to get into the lock, at which time they would close the doors, slowly let the water out, then open the other end and let us continue on. This treading water lasted at least one half hour, and I was cold, even with a shorty wet suit, and many had no wetsuit at all!

      Many of the participants were local, so it was like a big pool party, with lots of chatter and one group belting out a song written specifically for the swim, About swimming thru the lock, amid mackeral and squid, etc. They put on a good show. We didn't know what they were singing about at the time, but clearly they were enjoying themselves, and entertaining as well.

     Nicholas Deny would have been proud, as no-one dropped out, and when the lock doors opened there was a mad rush to the beach and to get out of that cold water. T-shirts were handed out and folks came back to life, the party continuing ashore. Fun time

       Back at the boat, we came into the marina, had showers and Kathy used the A #1 laundry facility equipped with 5 fast washers and at least as many dryers, that all worked. Best laundry of the trip!

      After comparing cruising notes with Jon and Ann from the sloop Volunteer of Old Lyme CT, we headed out to the Bras d'Or Lake Inn for fish and chips.

      Monday, we settled up with the marina, grabbed ice and a few groceries, then headed back out on the lake. This time we were headed for the Barra Narrows and thru the double bridge, Rail and Auto, and into Great Bras d'Or Lake, which I think is smaller, but whatever, then over to the Baddeck area.

      We pushed right on thru Baddeck proper and headed up past Red Head, where Alexander Graham Bell's summer estate is, and into Baddeck Bay and Herring Cove, for a quiet moonlit nite.

      Tuesday, heading into Baddeck today to see the town and visit the Bell Museum.

      The Museum was great, many exhibits and many artifacts of past Bell projects, including his participation in Canada's first airplane, experiments with hydro-foils, tetra-hedral kites, and even breeding sheep,  not to mention a little device called a telephone!  But how come we were never taught that Alexander Graham Bell was Canadian? We just took him as one of our own.

     After our museum tour, we packed in some grocerys and headed Willie Dawes up St Patrick's Channel to a secluded cove called Maclvers.  Pronounce that one. We had a quiet but windy night.

     Wednesday, Last day in the lake. We headed down the bay past Baddeck and back over to get a picture of A.G. Bell's Estate on Red Head, then made our turn for Barras Narrows. At the bridge the tender called us and asked if we could hold back as there was a sailboat coming the other way and only one side of the bascule bridge was opening. I said better one than none and let the other boat pass first. Turned out it was the “Coffee Break” which we had seen in Petit Rivier Est.

From there we made for the channel to St Peters for shopping, ice, fuel, propane, Showers, the normal routine in preparation of setting out down the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, where it is a little less developed and supplies are not so handy. We found about everything we couldn't live without and after listening to the locals perform some music on the Marina lawn, had a quiet nite at anchor.