After a 7 hour sail down the Novia Scotia Coast in deep Atlantic swells, we were rewarded with our first view of Lunenburg Harbour.
Lunenburg is a quaint colorful town recognized as the best surviving example of a British planned colonial settlement in North America. It has been welcoming visitors since 1753.
While visiting Lunenburg, our eyes were open to the proud maritime history of this town. We are docked right in the center of town amidst 142 foot sailing yacht, Canova, 150 foot motor yacht, Catching Moments, Alvie, a traditional square top schooner whose goal it is to teach the traditional arts of sailing to a young crew of fourteen, and of course, Bluenose II, a reproduced 1921 racing schooner with an eighteen year undefeated career. In addition to these majestic boats, the harbor is chock full of old and new smaller boats that are as unique and colorful as the buildings in this town. Each boat has a story to tell, and each is incredibly interesting.
Although we don’t know all of the stories of all of the boats, we do know the stories of our friends, Cheri and Jon, and Hélène and Benoît. Both couples are headed to the Bahamas, and have happily traded in their very successful traditional lifestyles for a cruising lifestyle.
Cheri and Jon are young (not of retirement age). Cheri decided to take a sabbatical and work on a VLOG called Wide Eyed Adventures. Jon is also working on the VLOG while continuing to work his traditional job remotely. They plan to sail on African Queen IV for a year or more before heading back to Canada. They both grew up near Georgian Bay and are experts at boating and water sports.
Hélène and Benoît are both retired. They wanted to escape the routine of busy careers and caring for an oversized house, so that they could get to know each other better and enjoy a life in which everything would be new, take them out of their comfort zone and allow them to grow as people. They also wanted to create bonds with similarly-inclined people whom they wouldn’t otherwise meet. Their plan to go to the Bahamas and beyond began in 2019, motivated by their love of snorkeling and water.
And for us, this trip became a goal soon after we met, fifteen years ago. Dan has always loved sailing, exploring new places and meeting new people, but his busy career never allowed for more than short sailing experiences. Sandy loves the outdoors and the beauty of seeing nature from the water. Both like the physical and mental challenge of sailing. Together we wanted to experience the intensity of a relationship that cruising as a couple enables.
The moral of the story is that you can never go wrong by listening to your gut and following your dreams, wherever they take you.
After docking in Lunenburg, we capped off Tuesday with a delicious lobster roll at the Fish Shack and an early night. On Wednesday, we explored the town, did some maintenance and met our friends who caught up with us after Halifax, for a casual dinner and walk.
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