1984 and another sabbatical. After launching the newly built 36 foot 18000# HEJIRA, I am preparing a deep-sea adventure. My launch was in Charleston, SC near end of April. Outfitting and rigging took most of May. I did her sea trials by taking her off-shore to Cape Fear, entering the river channel going up the Cape Fear, Snow’s Cut, ICW to Wilmington’s Masonboro Boat Yard to load provisions and water and last minute adjustments. Met my crew on the dock at Seapath Marina, Wrightsville on June 1 overnight and a last dinner out. Departure, early afternoon June 2, 1984 being given a sailing escort by Pell Kennedy’s ‘Dare’ who ‘flashed’ us and shot rounds of water ballons.

The cruise is two parts: To Bermuda, 670 miles right out at 115 degrees true. After a 6 day sail we entered St. George’s harbor from the east side and cleared customs on Ordnance Island on June 8, 1984. Left Ordnance Island to anchor in St. George’s harbor.

A very nice stay before weighing anchor on June 19 to motor alongside the wharf at Dowling Marine to do provisioning for 850 nautical miles to Halifax, NS. We were clear through Town Cut by 4:30 pm local time and heading 004 degrees true for Halifax.

This is not a sailing diary, however it is worthy to note as we approached the contrary seas where the Gulf Stream east bound is ‘rubbing shoulders’ with the west bound COLD water Labrador current (the regions described in Rudyard Kipling’s “Captains Courageous”) we found ourselves in ‘typical’ North Atlantic weather and seas. Moderate to high winds, high sloping seas , cold and foggy. Be sure to scroll down past the photo break below the Bermuda photos to see the remainder as helmsman (Judy Kim) harnessed to the boat, full foul weather gear, and woolen mittens and balaclava mask steers down a wave face with the peak looming behind her shoulders.

On June 26, we past Chebucto Head abeam left to the south (landfall) at 0930, June 26. Sailing up the Northwest Arm of Halifax we were offered a berth at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron (arranged by Canadian Coast Guard) at 11 a.m. on June 26. It was something of an event, us being first vessel into Halifax since the tragic loss of the Marques, 300 ton, 120 foot barkentine school ship which lost 9 of her crew of 27 in a severe storm on the same track from Bermuda that we had just sailed only 2 weeks before us.

The rest of this cruise found in photos below (we made good) was a sail further to the northeast, Cape Breton through the Bras D’Or onward to the St Lawrence Bay harbor of Sydney, NS with Ice floats and fog extant, limiting my plan for a land-fall somewhere in Newfoundland even though it was summer.

The return trip home was a delight of grand sailing and sights down the Atlantic shores of Nova Scotia, Maine, the Capes, Long Island sound, New York City, Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, and the home last leg down the NC part of the ICW.

Photos are from slides I shot with my Ricoh 500G (two of them, a spare). The slides were scanned and edited in Lightroom. And yes, one of the Ricohs did not make it.

The following photo block documents the preparation and departure of the first leg: Charleston, Wrightsville, and to Bermuda.

Then follow the photo block immediately below that to see the northern route to Halifax, NS