August 28                                      Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Weather reports indicated we had a one day window of good weather before the onset of high winds from the hurricane off the coast of Newfoundland.  We left the dock at 7:15 AM for a long day of cruising.  Halifax was 100 nm from Goldboro and we hoped to be there before 6:00 PM.

Exiting the bay, we headed out into the Atlantic on a course that would avoid the many shoals indicated on the GPS and chart.   The waves initially were very choppy but lacked the violent turbulence of the previous day.  We could handle this.  As predicted from our weather reports, winds greatly decreased as we neared Halifax.  Our last three hours were on a glassy, calm sea.  It was wonderful to see at last the little white lighthouse welcoming us into Halifax Harbor.  It sits at the base of the famous citadel erected three centuries ago by the French as a fort.  

Halifax Harbor was the scene of the greatest man-made explosion ever until the advent of the nuclear bomb.  In 1917, two ships collided in the harbor.  One had a large cargo of explosives which was ignited by the sparks created from the scraping of metal on metal.  More than 4000 people died, many of them children, and more than 9000 were injured.  Help came from all over the world but the people of Massachusetts were particularly generous.  In gratitude, every year since 1917, Nova Scotia sends their largest evergreen tree to Boston for their city Christmas tree.  

We had been in contact with Joel at Halifax Waterfront for more than a week arranging for extended dockage.  We would leave on August 30 to fly to Texas.  The boat would remain in Halifax for our return on September 21.  Joel had reserved a great docking place for us.  We were in a wonderful position to observe the active waterfront scene.  It was a warm, beautiful evening and there were many people visiting the nearby sites, playground area, and souvenir shops.  The tall buildings of the city were only a block from us.  We were eager to explore Halifax.

Sitting on the bow, having a glass of wine, and observing the children playing on the large wave sculpture near the boat, we were called to the side by a couple who noticed our Texas flag on the maststaff.  They were from McKinney, Texas and were visiting Canada on their 40’ motorhome.  We invited them on board and found much to like about Carolyn and Larry Curfman.  They were dedicated travelers and had many great stories about their adventures.  We exchanged information and promised to meet again in Texas when all of us back in Texas.