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Allan Parry and Jim Fraser in Naomi W8328 .. ..  The Cabot Straits and the southern coast of Cape Breton are open-sea cruising zones exposed to swells, fog, and Atlantic Ocean weather conditions. I was uneasy about cruising this coast single-handed and asked Ralph Roberts if he knew anyone interested in joining me for the cruise. I was delighted when Allan Parry responded. Previously, I had read his logs of a cruise with Dick Harrington in Maine and a cruise he and his wife, Sue, had taken in Norway. His logs showed a desire to have an enjoyable time and a relaxed attitude to cruising which appealed to me. I have no desire to buck the weather or endure hardships on an epic cruise. |
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| Saturday--
June 09
Al and I set up our tents at Battery Point Provincial Park. The park overlooks St.Peters Bay and St.Peters Canal. There is a good boat launch by the canal where it opens into the Bras d’Or lakes. We stocked up with provisions at the grocery and liquor stores in St. Peters. Before supper we hiked to the remains of Fort Grenville, an 18th century British outpost, overlooking St. Peters Bay. After a campfire and supper we intended to try our luck fishing at the canal side with a mackerel jig the park warden gave us. A steady rain began though and we retired to our tents for the night. |
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| Sunday--June
10
We awoke to the patter of light rain on our tents. A blustery south-west wind brought fog from the Atlantic Ocean. Rather than heading to sea in this weather, we decided to sail through the Bras d’Or Lakes first. Even though the lakes are close to the ocean, weather conditions on the lakes are usually significantly milder than along the coast. This makes the lakes a popular destination for yacht owners from the eastern seaboard of North America. St.
Peters Inlet
is a twisty passage leading towards the open lake. Winds were
fluky
amongst the tree-covered hills. Sometimes we were becalmed in
lulls
and then a gust would hit from any direction. Before entering the
main body of the Bras d’Or Lakes, I wanted to stop at a cove in Cape
George
Harbour. I hadn’t been there for several years. The narrow
spit behind which we brought Naomi ashore sheltered us from foul
weather.
 We decided to stay here overnight since the weather continued to be unsettled with occasional rain showers approaching over the hills. During the afternoon, we followed gravel roads leading to the coast on the other side of Cape George and hiked along the shoreline back to our campsite. Towards evening the sky finally cleared and we ate supper beside our campfire. |
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| Monday--June
11
Under a clear sky and light wind we sailed from Cape George. No sooner had I passed Allan the tiller than the wind deserted us. A hot sun beat on us as we took turns at the oars. ..  Red Island in the distance became a destination to row towards until the wind re-appeared. Not even the slightest breeze came and eventually we arrived at Red Island under oar power. |
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| From a distance, the barren island appeared quiet and lifeless. Nearing Red Island, we found it was a nesting ground for cormorants and gulls. The cormorants huddled silently on top of their conical nests in tightly confined ghettos. However, the gulls were widespread over the island and they began to scream at our approach. We were tired and hot and had no inclination to move on until a breeze arrived. After rounding most of the island we found a section of beach with a brackish pond just behind it. There were few gull’s nests here. Nonetheless, gulls dove on us with the swish of their wings remaining loud in our ears. In a short time though, they became accustomed to our presence and calmed down. We set up our tents and relaxed on the beach; having resigned ourselves to staying here overnight. |