Breskell Blog
Outside, the boat was sailing well, pointing close to the wind. Time to go to bed. A last look around before climbing into my warm bunk for some needed sleep. I finished my daily routine check-up by a last look into the engine room. Oh my god….It’s full of water! The nightmare of any mariners: salted water pouring inside! Continue reading “Bad days: water in … stove out !”
Sunset was gorgeous tonight. A combination of colors and clouds, absolute beauty.
Northern latitude sailing is always beautiful. But cold. Really cold. Tonight, we cranked the wood stove. Continue reading “Tonight we cranked the wood stove..”
Before leaving early morning at the end of July, I called the port authority to get back my shot-gun. Continue reading “Our first iceberg”
St John is a quiet Canadian sea town in Newfoundland.
A narrow entrance protects the harbour.
Registering with the port authority, the first think they asked was :”Do you have any gun ?”.
Sure I have a gun. I am an American! Our constitutional rights protect us against terrorists, bad guys or anything else…
In socialist Canada, they seem alien to this notion of self-protection. Most of their houses are kept open. In this country, they left their guns when they got rid of their horses more than a century ago. We, Americans, left also the horses. But we kept our guns. In any case, they argue that when they travel to the US, they have hundred times more chances to be killed by some nice lunatic American gun lover than by any bearded certified terrorist. Canadian “alternative reality”? No need to spend time arguing.
They confiscated my gun! With a smile.
And I went to work up the mast.
An occasion to get a bird view of the harbour
Sailing is an impredictible adventure. You need wind. And our wind died at sunset. 
Iron sail is the sailor’s name for their trusted engine. Sadly, we <<iron sailed>> with our Perkins engine for the next day. Only during the last night we finally got some wind again. For the captain’s delight, a nice ride at an average of 7 knots. On a very flat ocean, we could feel Breskell sliding smoothly and flying easily over the waves. But again, just before sunrise, the wind died again, never to return. So, after over 40 hours of motoring, we decided to refuel. It was a necessity to reach safely St John in case the wind kept failing us like that …. Being close to shore we could stop any time.
Still we are having a great time. Temperature is much cooler now and the ambiance on board is great; so far, so good. Everyone enjoys the life at sea aboard Breskell. As sailors, we hope to have some fair wind again very soon.
Nantucket is close… A place to be seen by the community of the rich and famous.
Those who dream their life at sea but probably have never been out there for more than a few hours before returning to some hot showers and a nice meal. Still enough time to fill their Facebook accounts with pictures to share with friends in the next upscale marina.
Not a place for us ice wanderers.
Fuel was three times more expensive than in the Chesapeake. Docking? One day fare was more expensive than a month in the Chesapeake.
<<Fill up and get out of there as quickly as possible>> were was my captain’s orders. Whales and dolphins are better neighbors than multi millions dollars yachts. More friendly and less expensive also. The beauty of nature against the one built on money.
Up north we headed again…
Arming and provisioning Breskell for some serious ice sailing was done in a nice and quiet Chesapeake boatyard . Continue reading “Chesapeake: outfitting and provisionning Breskell”