Blog 1 – From New York City to Liverpool, Nova Scotia
After almost two weeks exploring the bright lights of New York City, Bluejay was ready to cast her lines and set sail on her biggest adventure of the year—a six-week expedition up the Eastern Seaboard, onward to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and, ultimately, Scotland. As I sit here in the nav station, listening to the sound of the fog horn and the clanking of pans as the morning’s porridge is being so lovingly prepared, I have time to reflect on the past ten days since waving goodbye to the impressive Manhattan skyline.
Day one saw the arrival of our eclectic crew – a mix of American, French, Swiss, Canadian, Australian, Brazilian and British. I have always loved to have a crew of mixed backgrounds onboard. Not only can we learn more about different cultures and ways of life, but, most importantly, it keeps the galley alive with recipes from around the world. After starting with introductions, both to the boat and each other, we were ready to slip lines and meander up the East River towards Long Island Sound. Although we could not sail due to our confined waters and immense traffic, we enjoyed what felt like a riverboat cruise through the boroughs of New York. The sun shone in a bright blue sky as we picked out famous landmarks – the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building, to name a few. We ended our day by dropping anchor in Oyster Bay, a mere 35nm from the city, where the evening chefs became acquainted with the galley.
We made the most of the open water and light breeze. The next few days saw us raising sails, tacking, gybing and practising MOB drills as we made our way up Long Island Sound, stopping at Jefferson Harbour and Montauk for a well-deserved rest each evening. As we watched the luminous orange sunset from our cockpit in Fort Pond, Montauk, the evening’s discussion led to our route plan for the next week. With so much to explore in New England and a three-day crossing to Nova Scotia on the cards, we settled on Newport, Martha’s Vineyard, and two days in Nantucket before crossing over to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. After putting the charts, passage plan books, and weather apps to bed, we ended the evening with our onboard musician, Stewart, who sang and played his travel guitar. We enjoyed the Swiss chocolate kindly provided by Roland, our Swiss crewmate.
The following morning, we enjoyed the pleasant south-westerly wind, rigged with one reef in the main and a Yankee two headsail, giving us a chance to practise our downwind sailing. Taking turns helming, rigging preventers and gybing, we are slowly becoming a well-oiled machine, all in anticipation of our two-week offshore passage where all we will have is each other and our trusty Bluejay to keep us safe. That evening, we arrived in Newport, Rhode Island – the home of the infamous America’s Cup. We inflated the rib and headed ashore for beers, ice cream and showers – in that order for most. The small streets of Newport were lined with bars, restaurants, galleries, and charming souvenir shops, all of which we indulged after being afloat for four days.
Our exploration of New England continued the following day with a 45nm sail east towards Vineyard Sound and Martha’s Vineyard Haven Harbour. After deciding to dine onboard and explore the island over a lavish American breakfast in the morning, the crew hit the hay early. The following morning, our resident Canadian and early morning riser, Bill, woke the crew with the smell of hot coffee funnelling through the boat. It took little time ashore in Martha’s Vineyard to understand why it’s such a popular holiday spot for many Americans. With their air of a laidback yet wealthy vibe, the streets had one of our crew mates describing the island as “aggressively quaint”.
Keeping an eye on the weather for our crossing to Canada, we decided to make the leap across the Gulf of Maine to Nova Scotia on Saturday morning, giving us two days to explore Nantucket and prepare the boat. A short sail of 30nm saw us depart Martha’s Vineyard and head east towards Nantucket. Again, blessed with significant winds, we made good time and entered what seemed like a minefield of mooring buoys in Nantucket harbour, the only instruction from the harbour master being ‘head towards the boat basin and find G5 mooring buoy’. We had all eyes on deck, meticulously sieving through and reading the name of each buoy, all while keeping an eye out for the opulent and well-polished boats that surrounded us as we navigated the tiny channels. After finally tying up to the elusive G5 mooring buoy, we prepared for an evening ashore. At this point, those wearing finery, long trousers and a clean t-shirt opted for the harbour launch to pick them up; those less fortunate or, maybe caring less, opted for a primarily dry rib ride from myself. After some research by our newly designated social sec, Matt, we dined as a crew at the Brotherhood of Thieves restaurant. Unable to book a table for twelve people, we squished into the corner of the bar. After the waitress stopped apologising for the lack of space, we probably should have mentioned our usual dining quarters are a third of the size. As Friday rolled around, there were plans to explore all Nantucket had to offer, and it offers so much. Trips to the whaling museum, bike rides to Brant Point and Sankaty lighthouse, walks along the bluffs, relaxing on Cisco beach, perusing the many shops, and absorbing the history of this picturesque and unique island.
All well-rested and legs stretched, we had to leave G5 and Nantucket behind. After final provisioning and boat checks, we headed out of the harbour with Roger, our day’s navigator, guiding us out of the shallows around the island’s northeast and into the Gulf of Maine – bound for Canada! The winds were light, the sea was flat and the visibility perfect. However, these favourable conditions did not last long. The warm water of the Gulf Stream penetrating the cooler high latitudes often produces a blanket of fog, and this occasion was no exception. A mere 20nm into our 340nm voyage, visibility was less than one hundred metres off the bow. With radar on, fog horns at the ready and binoculars out, we sailed our way through the channel, hopping from buoy to buoy and through the TTS until we were able to get on our course, which we would hold for the next three days – 060°.
Blog 2 From Nantucket to Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
To be continued….
