We left Grand Manan early in the morning and zipped across the calm bay into the Passamaquoddy Bay, the lower edge of which is the US but most of the rest is still Canadian waters. We were headed to the New Brunswick town of St. Andrews, I was able to download NOAA charts of the region, including just enough of the Bay that we were cruising. First realization is that the southernmost passage into the bay through the Lubec Narrows would not allow Pratique under the FDR Memorial Bridge, which has 47' clearance albeit at high tide. So we sailed north and looked at going through the Letete Passage. Even though the seas were calm, currents in the passage can run to 8kts and there are obstacles and a frequently running ferry. I though twice, then a third time, and decided that since I had never been through there before it wasn't such a great idea. So that left only one other choice: Round the north tip of Campobello Island then sail south down the Head Harbor Passage, then turning northwest passing between Eastport Maine and Deer Island, Canada and into the Passamaquoddy Bay. Good choice!!:
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| Passing the East Quoddy Head Lighthouse |
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| Kayakers under the morning haze |
When you turn from SSW to NNW and into the Western Passage it is easy to see how strong, converging currents create the famous whirlpool called the "Old Sow." We were passing through at high tide so were not going to see (avoid) the whirlpool at its strongest. But to our surprise there was enough of the whirlpool to give our keel a good jolt or two!
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| The "Old Sow," not so quiet even at high tide |
With no wind, contrast the glass-like areas that have no current with the immediately adjacent frothing and bubbling within a strong local current:
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| Tiny "mini-piglets" within the otherwise glass surface |
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Churning within a local current
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Continuing north into Passamaquoddy Bay, we were visited by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police! We were politely boarded, and asked to see our papers. Good thing we cleared in at Grand Manan two days prior!
St. Andrews is a beautiful resort town along the north shore of Passamaquoddy Bay. The harbor was easy to enter and moorings were plentiful!
On Grand Manan we had experienced the range of tides for which the Bay of Fundy is famous. But the tidal range at St. Andrews was more impressive, especially since that night it was a true Supermoon (or "perigee-syzygy"), when the full moon is at its closest to the earth.
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| How low can you go? |
Some shots in and around St. Andrews:
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| Downtown |
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| The Algonquin Hotel |
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| St. Andrews Blockhouse and Battery |
Next we visited Eastport, Maine where we cleared back in to the US. No lack of tides there, either:
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| LOW |
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| HIGH |
We hung out with the folks at the Eastport Lobster and Fish House, just next to the Deer Island Ferry Terminal. A fun place, and once again, lobsters were plentiful!!
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| Daybreak |
Next day we sailed by FDR's Campobello retreat, then caught a glimpse of the Lubec Bridge, still too low for Pratique to pass under.
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| Campobello |
Time to start heading home! On the way out of the bay we were treated to a few whales saying their goodbyes! Listen carefully and you can hear their breaths:
