June 3: Departed Pirate Harbour Wharf at approximately 11; 30 am in strong NW Breeze (25-30 knots). Opted to head to Eddy Point under jib alone with mainsail reefed and furled. ‘Kiss handled very well running down wind. I was a bit leary of the jib as it was flogging quite a bit and was concerned of the fabric tearing from the luff wire. Tightened jib to stop the flogging and the ‘Kiss quickly came to a plane. GPS read an average of 6.7 knots and reached a high of 8.7 knots when surfing. Am convinced that the entire forepeak section was completely out of the water when riding the crest of a wave. This was a bit nerve-wracking at first but when my nerves settled, the surfing became exhileraating. I looked behind me twice and the water was menacing white with foam. As I came to the crux of where the Strait of Canso and Inhabitants Bay meet, the wave action became confused and high giving 4-6 foot waves. After reaching Eddy Point Light, I furled the jib and raised the reefed main with little difficulty. Beam reached 3.4 nm to Rabbit Island hoping for shelter from high wind and waves. ‘Kiss behaved better than expected in such conditions though I had to keep a sharp eye on the waves as I feared they could cause a capsize. Pointed the bow into the higher waves, some of which broke over the bow. The washboard on the deck returned a lot of water to the sea and little spray was taken on considering the circumstances.

Gusty wind on approach to Rabbit Island’s south side. After getting into the lee of Rabbit Island I beached Celtic Kiss and hung my wet clothes in the rigging to facilitate drying. Feeling exuberant I celebrated my heavy air accomplishment with a bottle of Moosehead Beer and a banana. I also walked the beaches of Rabbit Island and discovered 2 brackish coloured lakes previously unknown to me. I also discovered a fine cove on the Lennox Passage side of the island that looks suitable for camping. After contemplating a passage to Pirate Harbour, I opted to get out into the bay to take advantage of a wind I THOUGHT would soon diminish making my beat to Pirate Harbour easier. After departing Rabbit Island, I realized that the wind did not diminish at all, yet ‘Kiss handled marvelously in heavy seas. Opted to head to Sand Point Wharf to call ahead and tell of my late arrival in Pirate Harbour some peple in Sandpoint who turned out to be distant relatives of mine.

Wind became very light to drifting conditions at Melford. Combo of paddling and catching an increasing Westerly wind allowed a relaxing sail into Pirate Harbour Wharf at 12:39 am.

Total Distance sailed 20.1 nm Yearly total: 29.47 nm

June 8: Departed Pirate Harbour in SE wind of 5-10 knots. Practiced steering by instrument only. Checked some waypoints en route Cape Porcupine. Saw a tug and barge go through Canso Lock en route to P.E.I. with load of sand. Beat back to Pirate Harbour and secured at 1800 hrs.
Daily Distance 13.1 nm
Distance to Date: 42.57 nm

posted November 08, 2003 08:57 AM            

When you were running, do you think you looked like this?
http://www.sailinganarchy.com/general/2003/Images/Antrim271_sml.jpg

(hope this works!)

I'm sure I looked like that. It was a surprisingly comfortable sail after my nerves calmed down. I remember looking behind me a few times and the water looked quite menacing like a serpent gritting it's teeth at me. I think that day was a true test for both 'Kiss and I. I was actually surfing passed the waves and it was a really cool feeling to see them break above deck level while was in a trough and for a while I was wondering if I was going too fast as I often plowed through the back of a wave.

I simply cannot say enough good things about the integrity of the CL 16. They're great for coastal cruising.

On the chart it looks to be one big lake but it's really 2 small lakes. What software are you using? I'd be quite interested to know.
The Inhabitants Bay area is excellent cruising ground for little boats like ours. On occasion you can see some of the big tankers in the anchorage waiting their turn to dock at either Statia Oil Terminal or at Cape Porcupine to offload Venezuelan Coal.

My grandfather used to take my father on camping trips there back in the '40's. It is really neat to see pics of my dad there when he was just a kid. IE: To know that my grandfather and father sat on the same rocks that I sit on in the eary 21st century gives me a real sense of inner peace. I want to go there in my grandfather's old wooden boat someday. Maybe next summer if all goes well.

I do not have a handheld VHF nor do I have a license but I plan to rectify that this winter. However I know all the guys on the Pilot boats and they keep me informed of what tanker traffic to expect. I share the same wharf as the Pilot boats and Line boats (the guys that actually tie up the ships). So when "KIss is not at the wharf they know that I'm out there.

Robert

About 200 yrs ago Pirate ships used to hide in there and wait to attack ships that were sailing up the strait. Hence the name.

It's not much to look at but it's an excellent Hurricane Hole as "Juan" can attest.