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After four days spent on the amazing Magdalene Islands, we decided to sail to Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Ocean. Since the wind was light, we decided to go through the Cape North, which we had previously visited during our road trip along the Cabot Trail. We spent the first night at an anchorage near the Cape North – hurray, we reached Nova Scotia! The night passed under the lull of the swell, and the next morning we set off further south, crossing the border between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean. After a day of sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, we reached Ingonish Harbour, where we docked at an abandoned marina.

After repairing the furler, we decided to spend the day exploring the island, especially the part with the famous red cliffs. Once again our folding bicycles came in handy and we went on a bike ride around Cap aux Meules island. After a couple of villages, we went to the North Shore lighthouse, where began our Red Cliffs Velo-tour. The cliffs are red sandstone, a sedimentary rock made of quartz covered in iron oxide.  Wind, waves, and tides sculpt them into spectacular shapes. Enjoy!

Having enjoyed the misty charm of Havre-Aubert and having found out that there was no possibility of repairing a forestay’s halyard, the next day we decided to cross Baie de Plaisance and dock in the capital of the islands Cap-aux-Meules. We arrived at a wonderfully located marina and met the sympathetic marina manager Donald – he immediately took me to the marine supply store and we selected the wire we needed, then we crumped a loop on wire in a nearby workshop. Everything else fell on our shoulders. The most difficult thing was to insert and pass the wire through the mast, but here, too, one of the neighbouring sailors Andrew helped us by lending us his lead messenger. I climbed to the top of the mast a couple of times to pass the new wire into the mast, taking a bird’s eye view photo of the marina along the way. After disassembling the halyard winch we cleaned and lubricated it. Climbing the mast a couple more times (I love it!:), we finally assembled the winch, furling and halyard and set the jib. Done for the first time! Thanks, Donald and Andrew for your help!