Shelburne Nova Scotia

Left Lockeport under cloudy skies, but no fog!!  Had a good, strong NW wind to help push us towards Shelburne, however, worked against us when we turned north and made our way up the harbour to the village and the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club!  The wind stayed strong...20-25 knots...but the sun came out as we were tying up, so we had a lovely first day in Shelburne!! 

historic streetscape of Lockeport

Lockeport harbour and the White Gull Marina

walking the harbour beach

town founder's home; Johnathon Lockeport

piping plover

seagull catching and eating a crab!!  (not the first time we have seen this behaviour!)

Crescent beach at Lockeport

Shelburne is another picturesque and historic village on the southwest coast of Nova Scotia.  It is here that a number of loyalists emigrated from the United States in the mid 1700's.  A large number of free blacks also came here with a promise from the British government of land, however, the land was poor and not sustainable for farming, so a very large number of the black immigrants left and established the the town of Freetown, South Africa.  Before their departure, Shelburne was a very active village and one of the biggest on the shore at the time, rivalling Halifax as the biggest and busiest port in Nova Scotia!  Shelburne is well known for it's ship-building industry, making everything from dorys to tall ships here.  The waterside streets have all been restored to their original state, so are very enjoyable to walk down!  The town is frequently used as a movie location for historic films!  I have included a number of pictures so that you can get an idea of the town!

That night after having dinner at the yacht club with the members, we made our way to the Salty Dog to enjoy some live blues played by Manitoba Al and his band!  It was great!!!  So neat to have good music being played and supported by a small, out-of-the-way community!!  We have gotten really good 'vibes' from Shelburne!  Yet another community where we wondered if THIS is where we should retire??????  On our walk, we also were invited in to Forbes and Yola Christie's workshop where Forbes makes BEAUTIFUL wooden flutes!!  They are both lovely people who have moved here from the States and made their home here.  Forbes took us through his whole studio, explaining every step of the flute-making process....clearly a man who loves his work!!!  He has also inspired me to get my flute back out and have it cleaned and tuned when I get home!  Maybe if I am really good, I can have a wooden flute in the future!!  They also came by the boat the next day and we had another visit, and then, finally, they came by with some potatoes from the garden, some fresh-picked blackberries and some home-made hummus....Yola and I had been comparing the joys of home-made hummus and it's many varieties the day before!  It will be such a treat, as I cannot make it on the boat without a blender, and it really is so much better than the store-bought stuff!!!

Meanwhile during our stay here, George permanently installed the antenna for our weather system, and we have enjoyed more walks through the village.  Some of our favourite are the evening walks in the fog, where it is more wet under the trees than in the open spaces!!  The air is so wet, the leaves are just dripping!!  Since our arrival, it has essentially been rainy and foggy, with high winds and waves predicted tomorrow.

roughing it in the fog!

As a result of the inclement weather, we have stayed at Shelburne for longer than we anticipated, however, we don't want to 'rush' the next couple of days.  We are approaching Cape Sable, which is the most southwestern part of the province, and has been compared to Cape Horn in terms of getting around it and dealing with the wind and waves.  At this point, we are still planning on going around the coast and in to the Bay of Fundy, over to Grand Manan, and then finally to the Maine coast.  However we will also watch the weather carefully, and if a good two-day forecast comes where we feel we could make the Gulf of Maine crossing to Bar Harbour safely and comfortably, we may do that, as it will get us to Maine faster, therefore allowing us more time to 'gunk-hole' our way down the New England coast!

Meanwhile, here are some photos of the historic village of Shelburne!!!

Old Shipyard, now home of the Shelburne sailing school

the Salty Dog, where we enjoyed our Friday night concert

imagine all the wharves that once projected in to the harbour on this street!

Old store and warehouse of merchant George Cox

Dory building shed, now a museum

this boat states it is for 'Pirates only!' and the rest of us have to 'Keep Off!'

the old office of the Joseph McGill Shipbuilding and Transportation Co.

home of George Gracie, founder of Shelburne's first whaling co., now a bed and breakfast

And finally, because I am enjoying a fast internet here at the yacht club for the first time in ages, so having no problem downloading photos for you, here is about a minute and a half of sailing on the Wyvern III, with wind and without fog, for you to enjoy if you wish!!