After the last engine hiccup was behind us, and showed no signs of making a comeback, it was smooth sailing. We got some great winds that Friday night and an unforgettable display of northern lights. It was a first for me, and when I saw the iridescent curtain of hazy light I was astounded. Standing there, staring with my mouth wide open I was grateful Randy pulled me out of sleep to see it. With that and the next few great sailing days that followed, I began to forget all about the horrible shake down from days prior. All was right with the world again. My friend Melissa says that sailing is much like raising children. You relish the best and endure the worst of what the experience has to offer, often at the same time. When things are going great, you marvel at the beauty and the magic of it, and when the going gets tough it is overwhelming and scary. But you grow through it all, learning about yourself and your surroundings and take the good with the bad, as it all becomes worth the effort in the end.
We continued to press forward running before favourable winds, with the sails wing on wing at one point. This, according to seasoned sailors, is the epitome of sailing. You get the most out of your sails, the boat runs balanced, and let's face it, it looks damn cool.
Then just before we slowed our pace and entered Shédiac Bay, where lied our next port of call, we spotted Humpback whales off the starboard side. They surfaced in the distance spewing hissing cascades of water that we heard even before they materialized. It was another beautifully choreographed ballet of giants. Again we watched in awe and anticipation of the next appearance, until they disappeared for good. And that, we felt, was the perfect way to crown this leg of our journey. Next came Shédiac and another parting.
Shédiac, NB sits at the southwest edge of Shédiac Bay and at the very tip of Chéne Bank, just a few miles outside of Moncton. Since we couldn't make it to Halifax before Monday, we had to stop somewhere along the way, in proximity to it, so that Randy and Brittany could get back to Toronto, and Gabe could get to work. Shédiac was the place to go. One of Gabe's new coworkers lives in Moncton and was able to pick up the crew Monday morning to take them to the Halifax airport. Britt and Randy went home, and Gabe started his first week as an aeronautical engineer for the maintenance crew at the airport. Perfect. But what about me? I was stuck in Shédiac.
We continued to press forward running before favourable winds, with the sails wing on wing at one point. This, according to seasoned sailors, is the epitome of sailing. You get the most out of your sails, the boat runs balanced, and let's face it, it looks damn cool.
Then just before we slowed our pace and entered Shédiac Bay, where lied our next port of call, we spotted Humpback whales off the starboard side. They surfaced in the distance spewing hissing cascades of water that we heard even before they materialized. It was another beautifully choreographed ballet of giants. Again we watched in awe and anticipation of the next appearance, until they disappeared for good. And that, we felt, was the perfect way to crown this leg of our journey. Next came Shédiac and another parting.
Shédiac, NB sits at the southwest edge of Shédiac Bay and at the very tip of Chéne Bank, just a few miles outside of Moncton. Since we couldn't make it to Halifax before Monday, we had to stop somewhere along the way, in proximity to it, so that Randy and Brittany could get back to Toronto, and Gabe could get to work. Shédiac was the place to go. One of Gabe's new coworkers lives in Moncton and was able to pick up the crew Monday morning to take them to the Halifax airport. Britt and Randy went home, and Gabe started his first week as an aeronautical engineer for the maintenance crew at the airport. Perfect. But what about me? I was stuck in Shédiac.
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