LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 89:
Friday, August 25, 2000 (continued)
Underway: bound for Drum Head
0830 With an excellent connection to PinOak, I transfer the email.
1000 Environment Canada's radio marine weather forecast issued for Fourchu and the Eastern Shore Nova Scotia: winds SW 10-15 kts veering to westerly 15 this afternoon, winds backing to SW 15 Saturday afternoon with gusts to 20 near the coast, fog patches lifting this afternoon, visibility poor in fog, little temperature change. The outlook for Sunday: light winds.
1020 A perfectly clear sky has become overcast and light wind has become SW 17-20 with heavy swells all on the nose. With sails now off and power at maximum continuous setting, the boat is making about 4 kts. I probably would have made better progress if I had taken the inside route at Cape Canso.
1500 The wind is westerly 18-20 kts (10-20 degrees off the port bow), the water surface is rough, and the boat is barely making 3 knots to weather.
1600 For drill I rig the storm trysail. Setting this sail is clumsy - in part because I have not practiced with it. It takes me a while to get it set up the way I want it. I discover that it is necessary to remove the see-through/canvas spray window that joins the dodger and bimini. This lets the trysail sheets occupy that area. I flatten the trysail in by snugging up the sheets; this keeps it full but the sail does not provide any noticeable help in moving the boat ahead. I slow the engine and put it in neutral to see what the sail will do on its own. In 20 kts of wind it does not do much, but this sail is for use in much stronger winds, so I wasn't expecting much. I try heaving to under the trysail. It works but more sail in this wind would work better. Hove to in 20 kts under the trysail the boat lies with her bow 60 degrees out of the wind, rolling gently in the seas, and she makes about 1-2 kts of leeway. I would like to see the bow about 30 degrees off the wind when the boat is hove to. She may well do that under the trysail in a stronger breeze. I will have to experiment with this sail under that
condition before I really know what to expect from it.
1809 At long last I am coming in under the lee of Goose Island. This has effectively reduced the size of the waves; as a result, the boat is picking up speed (4.5 - 5 kts! Yea!)
1900 I poke into Drum Head Harbour, have a look at the wharves, and decide against staying here. I motor over to the protected cove at Harbor Island, < NM to the south of Drum Head. Here I drop the anchor at the east end of the cove. When I back the boat down the anchor just drags; it does not even give a hint that it will hold. I haul it up. On it there is a ball of soft mud & eelgrass. With the
anchor dragging in the water to wash off the mud, I move the boat over to the west end of the cove by the shipwreck symbol on the chart (there is the remains here of what looks like a large steel boiler). Here I drop the anchor again. This time it holds even with the engine backing at full power.
1930 Lord's Prayer is anchored in 13 feet of water on the Spade 1400 anchor with 75 feet of chain road. Position: 45 08.370N 61 36.767W. Engine time: 2045.1. Fuel gauge: 24 gallons.
1954 Sunset. I shall depart this anchorage earlier tomorrow morning. There is a good stretch of the coast to the west of here that offers the option of an "inside" passage. That was not really the case today, other than at Cape Canso. I intend to take advantage of flatter water protected by a series of islands tomorrow. This will allow more expeditious travel as well as more interesting scenery.
END OF PART 89


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