Heading For Lunenburg

Over the past few days, we took part in the intimate Sail Portsmouth (NH) festival. The event is organised entirely by volunteers, which creates a wonderful atmosphere from the very start. Everyone involved contributes out of genuine enthusiasm, and both the crew and the Oosterschelde received an exceptionally warm welcome.

On Monday afternoon, our guests for the voyage to Nova Scotia came aboard, and early Tuesday morning we set sail. Before departure, we made sure everything was fully prepared so we could hoist all sails immediately. Watching a traditional sailing ship leave the harbour under full sail is always a spectacular sight for those waving goodbye from the quay.

Unfortunately, a dense fog bank had other plans. We had barely cleared the harbour before we sailed straight into the fog. Visibility dropped to just a few hundred metres, and the Oosterschelde quickly disappeared from view. It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that the fog began to lift, revealing the coastline once again.

At the moment, we are sailing close-hauled under full sail, making our way towards Lunenburg. The weather forecast for the coming days is less favourable. Tomorrow we can still make good use of the current wind, but after that it is expected to shift and eventually blow directly on the nose. When that happens, we will have to start the engine and continue our journey to Nova Scotia under motor-sail.