22 Sep 15

We had a long sleep and got up about 08:00. After showers and a few chores, we slipped the dock lines at 11:25, just at LW, and motored stately down the Yarmouth River. At the river mouth, we turned to course 346 T and motored on for another couple of hours, until the wind got up to NNW 10. At this point, we were about 20 miles from the entry to Grand Passage with 4 hours to go until HW slack, so we shut down the engine and sailed, even though we were beating all the way to the entry. The tidal current helped us along and at 16:30, while 2.0 N-m from the entry, we hove to for 40 minutes to wait for HW slack. While we were hove to, a falcon (may have been a gyre-falcon) landed on the deck, apparently tired out - it looked like a young one. While we were busy photographing and watching it, a Minke whale surfaced less than 40 m away. We jibed around and got underway again at 17:10, sailed up to the entry to Grand Passage at 18:00, then furled everything and motored into Westport, which is a fishing port, as well as the boyhood home of Joshua Slocum. The ferry that runs every few minutes between Brier Island (where Westport is located) and Freeport on Long Island is named “Spray”, after the boat in which Slocum sailed single-handed round the world, back at the turn of the last century. The ebb had already started to flow south at 1.0 kn, a bit early, evidently encouraged by the northerly wind. At 18:28, right at HW, we rafted up to “Hunterbuck”, which was rafted outside 2 other fishing boats; water depth 7.8 m, with at 4.6 m drop to LW. The harbour-master came round a few minutes later and collected CAN$25.00 and confirmed we would be alright for the night. Happy hour and dinner aboard.  

44-15.862’N, 066-20.909’W