Getting to Canada
"I dont wanna cross the ocean."
"Me neither. But I really wanna be back in Canada."
Three and a half months. Almost a third of a year. A full quarter. I Keep saying that its been wild, that we have learned so much, that everything has changed over and over again, and it continues to be true.
We have learned so much, and now I believe that we are entering the period where you know enough to begin realizing how much you actually don't know.
As of right now, I don't feel like we know much of anything, but maybe we're starting to learn.
Portland - April 17-20, 2026
Traveling this early in the season has had enormous benefits such as very few other tourists or boats to contend with. But one of the downsides is being too early for the tourist season and finding many businesses closed or working under reduced hours or services. We ended up spending only a morning in Portland. A beautiful port town, they have preserved a bit of the "old port" with sections of cobbled streets and some well-maintained buildings. When we arrived at the marina, their dinghy dock hadn't been set up for the season and we had to find another spot to park. Troublesome as there were signs on many docks with warnings of fines for unauthorized use and we didn't know where was safe to stay. Calling and visiting the harbormaster's office for guidance yielded no results so we decided to run our errands and go back to the boat lest risking a $500 fine. It was quite disappointing but we took it in stride. Generally we have enjoyed small towns more than big cities anyways, although both have their unique charms.
Back at the boat we planned out our next couple of days, eager to get going. Portland's anchorage was huge, offering little protection from wind and waves, and constant jostling by the wakes of incoming power boats. Not the most comfortable place.
Quahog Bay
The community app NoForeignLand put out their highest rated anchorages and marinas, and a few of them were in our path. Quahog Bay and Swans Island were top rated, with Quahog being the peaceful idyllic spot and Swans being charming and offering fresh lobster.
At Quahog it took us some time to anchor as the area seemed small and there were moorings everywhere. Finding spots to drop the hook in smaller anchorages is a skill we have yet to master. But we did find a spot (there were no other boats thank goodness) and spent two beautiful, quiet evenings there, fully protected from the elements. Jean mentioned that the surroundings remind him of the Canadian Shield with the low rocky hills and pine trees - very different from the deciduous trees of Connecticut. Many sunset pictures were taken and we rested easily and well there.
Burnt Coat Harbor (Swans Island)
A few stops later and we landed in Burnt Coat Harbor. Another tiny anchorage where we struggled to find a spot to drop the hook, although we seem to be getting better.
Incredibly well protected, we waited out the winds that came up when we were anchoring and remained for 2 nights, feeling the wind but with no swells at all. It was a windy but low stress night. An active fishing village, there were boats coming and going all the time, but they always were courteous and slowed down when passing us at anchor.
We spent a quiet day on board, making sure to put the dinghy in the water and attach the outboard so we would be ready to seek out lobster the next morning.
Morning came about and we jumped in the dinghy, motored over to the dock, and walked up the ramp noting the lobster crates in the water - presumably keeping them fresh and cold.
"Would you ladies know where we can buy some fresh lobster?" The two women were chatting away leaning against a piling. "Right here" one said, and led us back down the ramp to the lobster crates. We scooted around the edge of the dock "don't fall in" she warned, and she helped us pick out some 1lb lobsters, looking at several and using her trained eye to find us finding "good ones."
Lobsters in hand and us in tow she trekked up to the Atco Trailer, weighed them, tossed them in a bag, and rang it up on her register. She said they would stay fresh in the fridge (in the bag) until dinner and sent us on our way.
Walking down to the dinghy I suddenly felt like we had made it. THIS was why we were here. Local fare, small places with experiences you don't get in the city. Then we dinghied away, past the lobster hut and back to our boat, a 2 minute ride, feeling like it was all coming together.
That night, after sailing to Southwest Harbor in Somes Sound we prepared dinner. Jean made potato salad, I made fresh rolls, and we steamed the lobster, serving it with butter. As an Albertan I haven't had the pleasure of fresh Atlantic lobster. It is not overrated. It was sweet, soft, and finished much too soon. Next time we will get double.
Somes Sound
One spot I was incredibly excited for was Somes sound, eastern USA's fjord. Carved by a glacier moving through a river valley some 14000 years ago, the inlet is narrow and long, characterized by
deep water lined with mountains. Shallower with smaller mountains than the fjords of Norway, Somes Sound was re-classified to a fjard at some point, but is definitely lovely.
Living in Calgary with our incredible views and access to the Rocky Mountains has coloured my ideas of mountains and
stunning scenery. When I heard about the majesty of Somes I expected sharp reliefs and towering peaks rather than the gentle curves of the Appalachians. It was a good reminder to enjoy the beauty of places for their own charms rather than comparing them to other places. Somes is an old place, with the geography ancient in comparison to the western Rockies. The rolling scenery was gentle, peaceful, and lovely. I'm glad we visited.
Passage Planning
We decided to make the jump to Nova Scotia directly from Somes Sound. For the trip we sought outside help and Commander's Weather was recommended to us. The "technicians" look at forecasts and patterns, providing detailed forecasts for a particular location or trip. We purchased the pre-departure package, which included unlimited pre-trip phone calls to figure out our best weather window to leave, a detailed forecast for the journey, and the ability for them to monitor us and notify us if a changing forecast would affect us. It was invaluable. We began talking to them on Tuesday or Wednesday, hoping for a Friday departure. At first it looked like Friday wouldn't work out, but the forecast changed and it turned into a very favourable window to travel.
We had hoped to sail directly to Lunenberg, a 230 nautical mile trip (48 hrs), but were swayed by Chris at Commander's Weather into transiting to Yarmouth, NS instead, a 130nm (24hr) trip. We were informed that the weather windows at this time of year are short and a low was coming in on Sunday. If we weren't docked by 8am Sunday morning, we would be experiencing high winds and 8' seas.
Discretion is the better part of valor. We were headed for Yarmouth.
As we prepared Sea Fire and ourselves to leave, Jean went through our electrical systems, making sure all the connections were tight. Along the way he noticed a bracket holding our high output alternator - a 1/2" rod - was cracked. No clue how he spotted it. I call him Eagle Eyes Jean for a reason. We disassembled it and it was in 2 pieces. A quick phone call to the marina nearby (a 3 minute dinghy ride) confirmed a welder on site that could fix it today. We had the part over in an hour and picked it up 3 hours later, just before they closed at 3pm. Our first emergency repair and it was squared away in 5 hours flat. Nothing too shabby about that.
We raced back to Sea Fire, installed the bracket and alternator, put the dinghy away, hauled anchor, and took Sea fire over to Abel's Marina to pick up a mooring for the night (yes. Against all recommendations, we still picked up a mooring). The winds were forecast to be 20-30kts/hr overnight and we were concerned about the anchor dragging, so chose the mooring to feel a bit more secure.
The night passed with high winds but no issues with the mooring, and the next morning we were given the green light by Commanders Weather to travel on Friday, May 1 to Nova Scotia. The forecast we received from Commander's is included at the end of this post.
Passage to Nova Scotia
Offshore Passage - A long journey across a body of water where land is no longer visible and large weather patterns are a primary concern. Characterized by timed watches (one person sailing while the other(s) sleep), self sufficiency, and more complex navigation.
Friday morning we hauled anchor and departed for our first offshore passage on our own boat, the extreme nerves and stress calming down once we were underway. Doing the task is almost always less stressful than thinking about it. We motored out of Somes Sound and once clear of Southwest Harbor we put up the sails and headed towards Yarmouth.
Shortly thereafter we made up a watch schedule and began taking shifts as Sea Fire cruised into the Gulf of Maine at a quick (for us) 7kts/hr (11-12km/hr). The sun was shining and it was warm enough that we only needed a puffer jacket rather than the typical puffer layered underneath foul weather jacket. From what we understand, most people use their autopilot on passages (long trips) and even when day sailing. We both wanted more experience at the helm and the added bonus of saving battery power, so we helmed by hand most of the way. I'm prone to sea sickness and helming by hand is another way I keep it at bay - distraction.
Its nice to say the trip was largely uneventful. Night fell with a gorgeous sunset coupled with a moonrise, The full moon lit up the water and the boat, the swells (waves) were gentle and rolling, and the wind stayed at a perfect 10-20kts per hour. We changed the sails around a few times as the winds increased and decreased and shifted, and for once we were actively trying to slow our progress. We had left at 11am anticipating a 22hr trip with an average speed of 6kts. At 7kts/hr we were going to land in Yarmouth at 4am, and end up navigating an unknown port in the dark. Less than ideal. We kept our sails smaller than typical for the wind, and managed to slow down to 5-6kts/hour. When we first realized the predicament, we brought our mainsail down by 25%, switched our headsail for the smaller storm jib, and actually sped up. I am certain there are some physics at play there, but we didn't understand it and couldn't help but laugh.
At my 1am watch there were lobster boats in our vicinity and I found it quite comforting to have them around us while we were in the middle of nowhere. Although comforting, they were a bit of a nuisance. At 2am a boat with lights bright enough to trim your nose hairs started heading right for us. I adjusted course but it continually appeared to approach, so I hailed them on the VHF radio,
"Unknown vessel, unknown vessel, this is Sailing vessel Sea Fire, Sea Fire, Sea Fire, over"
No response. They kept getting closer. I could see the outline of the boat and the water on its bow.
"Fishing vessel, fishing vessel, this is sailing vessel Sea Fire, Sea Fire, Sea Fire, over"
...
"Go ahead Sea Fire"
"Good evening, just making sure you see us about to pass on your starboard side"
"I see you... Where you comin from?"
"Coming from Maine and headed to Yarmouth. Excited to be back home in Canada"
"Have a great trip"
No collision, but certainly a bit of drama.
Later on in the morning Jean ended up completely dodging a fishing boat that had cut in front of us.
Comforting, but a nuisance.
The red beacons of Yarmouth had been visible on the horizon since 2 or 3am and finally at 9 we were approaching the harbour. On the water everything is deceptively far away. Dodging lobster traps left and right, we entered the harbour, put our sails away, and motored the last 20 minutes to the dock.
En route we called customs to check in over the phone with no issues and continued to Killam Bros Marina, right in the core of Yarmouth. We had contacted them a few days prior and had been told they are not open yet for the season but we are welcome to tie up at the dock. Score. dock security and town access for free, first time for everything.
With no wind registering on the instruments the water was glass and Jean crept up to the dock like a pro (slow is pro). I stepped off (no jumping allowed), tied the lines, and in a jiff we were secured. We sat down in the cockpit in the sun, took off our hats and gloves, and just enjoyed the quiet. Jean wouldn't acknowledge my not-so-subtle mentions of celebratory prosecco (maybe because it was 10am), so I dropped it.
As we were sitting in the 12 degree sun, we noticed a man on a bicycle with a safety vest with a bike-cop look about him had stopped at the top of the dock and was staring at us. After a few long seconds I waved and he waved back and he headed down the dock towards us and I went to say hello. Not a cop but instead a local, Jean watched from the boat and joined when the conversation went beyond pleasantries and into chatting.
Randy introduced himself and asked about Sea Fire and our trip, praising the adventure and boat, as she is a fine vessel. Randy's a Yarmouthian who enjoys powerboats but he had a sailboat ONE TIME for a couple of years. You wouldn't believe it but I'll tell ya a true story and I'll try to make it a quick one, I'll do my best. One day Randy saw a sailboat at the harbour just like today and went over to say hello as he did with us. Off comes the skipper but he's a cagey sort. Shuffling back and forth and not meeting the eye, barely answering Randy's questions, and after a moment or so the skipper says real quiet, "you want to buy me boat?" Randy didn't think he heard it right so he asked the skipper to repeat himself. Again, the skipper doesn't look him in the eye, shuffles, and repeats, "you want to buy me boat?" Randy was not interested in a sailboat, him being a powerboat sort of man, but he bit anyways, "Believe me when I say that oi'm not interested, but just for curiosity sake, how much ya sellin er for?"
You won't believe me but I tell ya true. That man shuffled back and forth, didn't look Randy in the eye, and said in a low voice, "ten bucks".
Randy pulled cash out of his pocket, a tenner and a five, givin the man the ten. Skipper said, "I'm supposin you won't be needin a receipt."
"Oh no, I'll be wantin a receipt." And wouldn't you believe it, Randy still has that receipt hanging on his wall at home.
He sailed that boat for a few years but the wife wasn't a fan, so they sold it for a tidy profit and went back to enjoying powerboats.
And so began our week in Yarmouth, appropriately dubbed "the edge of everywhere". Our favourite by far of all the ports and harbours we have visited since boarding Sea Fire 4 months ago.
-Christine
Commander's Weather Forecast
Thank goodness we had multiple phone calls prior to receiving this.
To: Jean and Christine Charbonneu on SY “Sea Fire”
From: Commanders’ Weather Corp, tel 603-882-6789, info@commandersweather.comRoute: SW Harbor, ME to Yarmouth or Lunenburg, NS Depart: 1100edt Fri May 1, 2026
Prepared: 1010edt Fri May 1, 2026
Summary… As discussed over the phone, all is looking ripe to get going late morning/early afternoon today
1) Current SAT imagery shows variable clouds between SW Harbor and Yarmouth this morning
a) with conditions clearing over the central Gulf of Maine
2) Buoys offshore SW Harbor are observing a sea state of 3-4ft being driven by long SE swell with a period of 10-12sec.
a) Local observations indicate a gentle to moderate W-WSW breeze
b) Which is a very favorable angle to start your sail
3) Thru the day, a low over New Brunswick gradually shifts E while ridging moves in from the W
4) Allowing winds to acquire fresher speeds in the upper teens/20kts out of WSW this evening as back-half of exiting low interacts with ridge moving into the Gulf of Maine.
a) Conditions stabilize/clear thru the PM hours
b) Wind waves may have some chop to them this evening – but overall seas should be within the 3-4ft range.
5) At night ridge relays its axis overhead, killing any sort of wind overnight as the field starts veering to the N
a) Tonight, fresh WSW winds moderate as they veer W-NW before light NW-N winds come in early tomorrow morning.
b) Seas dropping down to 3ft or less – less of SE-ESE swell due to better protection and little to nil wind waves
6) Winds go light and variable come sunrise for your approach to Yarmouth
7) If looking to continue towards Lunenburg, you will have favorable conditions into the night
8) BUT you will be racing the next strong low lifting NE of Hatteras Sat night into Sun
a) As of now, I have you projected to get to Lunenburg around 0500edt Sun ahead of the low – projection is based on an average SOG of 5kts
9) Bypassing Yarmouth and moving to Lunenburg, light/variable winds start to breach out of the S as wind speeds build into the low teens thru Sat PM
a) You should start to feel the onset of building S’ly winds rounding Clark’s Harbor Sat afternoon
b) Max seas up to 5ft Sat afternoon since there is going to be more exposure to ESE swell
10) Moderate S’ly winds clock to the SW after passing Clark’s Harbor Sat evening
a) Chance for fresher winds as sea breeze develops
b) ESE swell diminishes, dropping max seas closer to 3-4ft moving up the coast
11) But as low ascends NE of Hatteras, SW-S winds back to the SE-ESE overnight for your approach to Lunenburg
12) I you do not make it to Lunenburg by 0800edt Sun, you are going to be impacted by strengthening E-NE winds post 0800edt as low of interest nears Nova Scotia
a) Wind speeds building into 20s late Sun AM/afternoon
b) As seas start to approach 8ft along the coast due to bulking wind waves and building ESE and S swells
13) Very strong/elevated conditions thru the day Sun as low issues moderate to heavy bands of showers/squalls and possible tstorms to Nova Scotia.
a) If stopping in Yarmouth, winds/seas remain elevated behind the low Mon
b) But you may be able to make hops up the coast starting Tue May 5 if the sea state is not all that elevated.
14) All in all, great window to get to Yarmouth and you may even reach Lunenburg ahead of low early Sunday morning.
15) We will looks for email containing your tracker link today and monitor your progression
Route…
1) Have you going direct to Yarmouth
2) But approaching a WP near 43 55n/66 30w (eta 0200edt Sat) you can make the decision to continue onward to Lunenburg.
3) Estimated positions are based on an average SOG of 5-6kts to Yarmouth
a) Dropped your SOG down to 5kts if continuing to Lunenburg to show you conditions if you are only able to achieve your lowest SOG.
Wind forecast
Time is EDT: wind directions are TRUE/speed in knots
Fri May 1
11: 260-280/ 6-12 depart
14: 250-280/ 7-13
17: incr 230-260/ 14-20, chc g25
20: 240-260/ 14-20, chc g25
23: bcmg 280-310/10-20
Weather… some variable clouds early afternoon but clearing thru PM
Seas 3-5ft, some wind waves and SE swell (10-12sec) – wind waves may acquire chop this evening but decr thru the night
Sat May 2 – strong low impacting Hatteras – low lifts NE towards Nova Scotia overnight
02: 290-320/ 7-14 - est near 43 55n/66 30w – turning to Clark’s Harbor or cont. to Yarmouth
05: 300-330/ 4-9 to lt/vrb - to Yarmouth
If cont.
08: 330-360/ <8 to lt/vrb - est near 43 27n/66w
11: bcmg 170-210/ 5-10 - off Clark’s Harbor
14: 190-220/ 7-13, g18-21 - near 43 25n/65 20w – up coast to Lunenburg
17: 190-220/ 7-13 g18-21 - off Lockeport
20: 180-210/ 5-10
23: 170-200/ 4-8 - off Liverpool
Weather… fair conditions into the afternoon – clouds build thru PM
Seas 3ft or less moving towards Clark’s Harbor AM – seas build into 3-5ft range to and E of Clark’s Harbor since you will be more exposed to ESE swell
Sun May 3 – strong low impacting Nova Scotia
02: 140-180/ <8
05: 100-120/ 5-12, chc g15-18 - near/to Lunenburg
08: incr bcmg 070-090/ 9-16, g20 – bands of shwrs as low approaches
11: 050-080/ 15-20, chc g30
14: 020-040/ 20-28, g30-40kts
20: bcmg 280-300/ 18-28, g35
Weather… cloudy, shwrs/squalls moving thru after sunrise around 0800edt – bands of moderate to heavy squalls/psbl tstorms late AM thru the remainder of the day – precip tapers off overnight as low exits
Seas 3-5ft early AM start to near 8ft after getting to Lunenburg – max seas continue to elevated getting to 10-15ft into afternoon, incr/rough/choppy wind waves and mixed ESE and S swells – seas down to 8-10ft overnight
Best Regards,
Sebastian Arroyo
You brave souls!