How sailing can help with the ocean data collection
Another day of the passage under the sail along the Lake of Bras d’Or – the wind was coming stronger up to 20-25 knots, so we had to go on 2 reefs of the main sail and half-furled jib. The main reason for the folded jib – in one place it began to break at the seams and to maintain the sail from further rupture, we decided to half furle it. Our port of call was St. Peter’s – the last marina at the southern exit from the lake, connected to the ocean by the historical St. Peter’s Canal.
Our sailing escapade across Lake Bras d’Or was like a weather rollercoaster, minus the tropical storm ride – thank goodness! We were showered with rain, serenaded by a rainbow (the true divas of meteorology), toasted by the sun (well, at least the parts that didn’t get soaked), and given a good old-fashioned wind-whipping.
Navigating through the eye of a needle of the Barra Strate Bridges in the Grand Narrows (don’t worry, no sewing skills required), we finally arrived at Big Harbor. Or at least, that’s what we thought until we realized it was more like ‘Mini Harbour.’ It was so tiny that if you blinked, you’d sail right past it.
As the day transitioned into night, we found ourselves in splendid solitude. It was just us and the whispering winds, the gentle lapping of the water, and probably a few curious fish wondering why we humans do what we do. It was like our own private island, except without the room service or cabana boy. We embraced the tranquillity and enjoyed our night in the cozy confines of ‘Big Narbor’—because sometimes, you don’t need a grand harbour; a tiny bay can be just as epic.
Before proceeding with our journey, we made a deliberate stop to explore Baddeck Bay, the very waters where Alexander Graham Bell constructed and conducted trials on his groundbreaking hydrofoil boats. We decided to anchor there for the night, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the historical significance of the area.
As morning dawned, we undertook a CTD cast. With this valuable data, we resumed our voyage, continuing our expedition along the scenic Lake Bras d’Or.
