July 26 — Day 19 — The Cow Yard to Cutler — 21 NM

 

Well the cruising guides report that the water in The Yard is  “reportedly” shallower than the charted 20 feet. The guides were correct.  Though anchored within the 20 feet line we found that at low we had only eight feet, seven for a moment when we floated over some sort of object at the bottom and the depth alarm went off. Well ILENE draws only 5’ 10”, and the low at our home mooring is 6’ 5” at the lowest lows, so we were all right. But I feared that in raising our anchor, going to the spot over which the anchor was resting, we would get into still shallower water. Plus we were fogged in again. So we waited until 2 pm to leave for the four hour passage to Cutler, during which enough tide came it to safely float our boat. We were near the grey house in The Yard, and when the fog gave way we saw one other house in there. 

I gave our water maker another go and got an error message that the manual told me meant I should “bleed” the Clark Pump. The manual shows me that pump but while I have bled air from the Diesel’s raw water cooling system and it’s fuel system, I have no idea what to disconnect, how to pump, or how to know when the bleeding is accomplished. So I sent an email to Bryan at Headsync, asking for a bit of know how. Fortunately we do not need the water maker to work, but it is nice to have everything in order.

Looking out of The Yard while exiting - a sunny day. With white lobster pots littering the channel.

Once out at sea, the fog was back, visibility of almost a quarter mile, so not deadly, but it dampens the enjoyment. We sailed for the first half after which our boat speed dropped to less than four knots and we motored the rest of the way. 

I’ve gotten texts via InReach from Jim and Wijnanda on “Anodyne”. They are on the passage from the north end of Nova Scotia to Newfoundland and making only four knots in light winds. We, alas, do not have the patience for that.

Little River Light, on Little River Island, shelters the port.

As in The Cow Yard, we did not go ashore in Cutler. It is a pretty village of Cape Cod style homes set on a hill rising from the north side of the crevice port. It suggested to me a backdrop for Roger’s and Hammerstein’s “Carousel”. The houses  are presumably the homes of the lobstermen whose boats fill most of the inner harbor.

The water here was wide and 32 feet deep at high tide, when we arrived. There was plenty of room outside the moored lobster boats to anchor with 90 feet of snubbed chain. Cutler has a town center, somewhere, but the only business in this village is one selling live lobsters.  

Alfie looking in with the town behind her.

Sunset:

The first lobster boat departed at 4 a.m,, it’s powerful engine softly purring and making no wake.