My instinct is to extend my cruising grounds sequentially as I like to feel the sweep of changing geography as the coastline slides along. That means cruising the Bay of Fundy before Nova Scotia.
One of my goals for the summer is spending 2 – 3 weeks up in the Saint John River system inside the Reversing Falls. The plan has been to sail briskly for St. Andrews and use that as a base to wait for suitable weather for a week around Grand Manan Island and then head for Saint John. I plan to pick up a friend who is based there to accompany me across the heavy fogs and big ship traffic of the bay to Digby and Yarmouth.
I’m beginning to think though that, like a lot of plans hatched in principle and pre-conceptions, this may not be the best approach. The freshwater, inland environs of the rivers should be at its best in late summer when the water is warmest and the vegetation most lush. I would also rather be up in the inland rivers if we get a major hurricane than out along the coast of Nova Scotia. My neighbor who works for a major weather forecasting company thinks we are going to see a hurricane season to match the tornado season we just had.
Capping it off is Barbara’s schedule. The Saint John is her kind of cruising, no waves, warm, fresh water. Her schedule makes joining me in late summer or early fall a lot more practical so I think there is a new Plan A.
Plan A is now to cruise through Maine to Passamaquoddy Bay and Grand Mannan Island. I’ll then jump across the bay to Yarmouth and cruise the southern coast of Nova Scotia until sometime in August. Then Digby and back across the bay to Saint John.
Plan B is to head straight across to Yarmouth from either Portland or Bar Harbor. That would be a grand start for a cruise like this if I find the right crew. If the crew turns out to be someone who wants to see the whole coast of Maine, I’ll probably go with Plan A.
One of my goals for the summer is spending 2 – 3 weeks up in the Saint John River system inside the Reversing Falls. The plan has been to sail briskly for St. Andrews and use that as a base to wait for suitable weather for a week around Grand Manan Island and then head for Saint John. I plan to pick up a friend who is based there to accompany me across the heavy fogs and big ship traffic of the bay to Digby and Yarmouth.
I’m beginning to think though that, like a lot of plans hatched in principle and pre-conceptions, this may not be the best approach. The freshwater, inland environs of the rivers should be at its best in late summer when the water is warmest and the vegetation most lush. I would also rather be up in the inland rivers if we get a major hurricane than out along the coast of Nova Scotia. My neighbor who works for a major weather forecasting company thinks we are going to see a hurricane season to match the tornado season we just had.
Capping it off is Barbara’s schedule. The Saint John is her kind of cruising, no waves, warm, fresh water. Her schedule makes joining me in late summer or early fall a lot more practical so I think there is a new Plan A.
Plan A is now to cruise through Maine to Passamaquoddy Bay and Grand Mannan Island. I’ll then jump across the bay to Yarmouth and cruise the southern coast of Nova Scotia until sometime in August. Then Digby and back across the bay to Saint John.
Plan B is to head straight across to Yarmouth from either Portland or Bar Harbor. That would be a grand start for a cruise like this if I find the right crew. If the crew turns out to be someone who wants to see the whole coast of Maine, I’ll probably go with Plan A.
