After weeks of preparation, the day finally arrived. On 2 June, we launched Isola Naida at East River Shipyard on Nova Scotia’s South Shore.
Just before launch, we had repacked the stuffing box, and there had been some confusion over the appropriate packing size. We spent some time in the travel lift slings monitoring the stuffing box to ensure the new packing was working correctly and that water ingress into the bilge remained within acceptable limits. With everything looking satisfactory, we started the engine and motored over to a berth on the docks, where we spent the next few days preparing for the voyage to Dartmouth Yacht Club.
Our route would take us from East River Shipyard along Nova Scotia’s South Shore, past Peggy’s Cove, Lower Prospect, Sambro Harbour, and Halifax Harbour before arriving at Dartmouth Yacht Club.
Sailing Upwind Along Nova Scotia’s South Shore
We departed East River Shipyard on 6 June shortly after 0600.
In the days leading up to the voyage, D’Arcy spent a great deal of time aboard preparing the boat: completing outstanding projects, filling the freshwater tanks to provide ballast, preparing a jerry can of fresh diesel fuel, hoisting the dinghy outboard aboard, and securing the dinghy on the cabin top. With all sails rigged and ready, we were finally prepared to get underway.
Winds were light as we left the dock with five souls aboard. Noelle had reached out to several friends from work with sailing experience, and we were grateful to have the extra hands on deck.
As we approached Blandford and Little Tancook Island, we hoisted sail and shut down the engine. For the first time this year, Isola Naida was sailing.
Having watched the forecasts closely for several days, we expected to spend most of the passage sailing upwind. The winds were forecast to be easterly in the morning before shifting southeast later in the day. It was a wind shift that never arrived.
As a full-keel ketch measuring only 11.5 feet at the beam, Isola Naida points remarkably well for a large, heavy-displacement cruising boat. In calm sea states, she can sail as close as 30 degrees off the apparent wind before beginning to luff. She performs best between 45 and 60 degrees off the wind under white sails. In larger seas, however, especially when sailing close-hauled into the waves, her speed over ground can suffer considerably.
Throughout the day we experienced winds of 15 to 19 knots and seas of 1 to 1.5 metres. The boat handled beautifully under sail, driving steadily through the waves with a comfortable heel. At times we approached seven knots over ground.
Despite the boat’s performance, progress eastward remained frustratingly slow. By noon we had still not crossed the entrance to St. Margaret’s Bay. We finally passed Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse around 1330 and, by 1630, were still only offshore of Lower Prospect.
Realizing that we would not reach Halifax Harbour—let alone Dartmouth Yacht Club—before dark, we decided to seek shelter for the night and get our guests ashore. The nearest practical destination was the Lower Prospect Government Dock.
We started the engine, turned northeast, and began motoring toward the harbour.
Approximately five minutes later, the engine began to bog down before sputtering out completely. Attempts to restart it resulted in the engine running briefly before dying again.
With the vessel disabled, a relatively inexperienced crew aboard, and the entrance to Lower Prospect ahead of us, D’Arcy made the decision to transmit a PAN-PAN call on VHF Channel 16 requesting assistance to the nearest safe harbour.
The call was answered by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Halifax. After collecting our position and vessel information, JRCC coordinated with Halifax Harbour Traffic Services and issued a request for assistance to nearby vessels.
When no nearby vessels responded, the Canadian Coast Guard dispatched CCGS Mira Bay from Sambro Harbour to assist.
Within an hour, Mira Bay was on scene and passed a towing bridle to the foredeck. Once secured, they began towing us toward Sambro Harbour.
After passing Isle of Man and Bald Rock, the crew of Mira Bay brought us alongside and passed over a stern line and two spring lines. With the assistance of two local fishermen waiting on the wharf, we were secured alongside the Sambro Public Wharf shortly after 2100 and finally able to get our crew ashore for the night.
Diagnosing a Diesel Bug Fuel Problem
The following morning, D’Arcy caught a ride with Courtney, one of the mechanics from East River Shipyard, back to retrieve the Jeep we had left behind before departure. Courtney then accompanied him back to Sambro Harbour to investigate the engine problem.
On the way out of the yard, they recruited Matt, another mechanic from East River Shipyard, to help with the diagnosis.
It did not take long to identify the culprit: diesel bug contamination in the fuel system.
Diesel bug is a microbial contamination that grows at the interface between water and diesel fuel. When disturbed, it can clog fuel filters and restrict fuel flow to the engine.
Fortunately, the fuel filters had done their job and prevented the contamination from reaching the engine itself. Unfortunately, in doing so, they had become clogged and were no longer allowing sufficient fuel flow.
The previous day’s heavy sailing had stirred up sediment and microbial growth that had likely been sitting undisturbed in the tank for years. Without opening the tank and inspecting it directly, there would have been little indication that a problem existed.
Matt and Courtney also helped fine-tune the stuffing box. After several days in the water, the new packing had absorbed moisture and expanded slightly, requiring adjustment to maintain the proper drip rate.
The Final Passage to Dartmouth Yacht Club
Having identified the issue and feeling reasonably prepared to deal with it should it occur again, D’Arcy recruited Jeff, former Commodore of Armdale Yacht Club and skipper of the first boat he raced aboard after completing the Adult Keelboat Sailing Program.
The pair departed for Sambro Harbour on the morning of 9 June after positioning vehicles at Dartmouth Yacht Club. D’Arcy forgot his phone in the Jeep in Sambro so there are no photos for this leg of the trip.
Conditions were far more favourable than they had been three days earlier. Although only a few knots of wind were blowing at the wharf, there was enough breeze to hoist the mainsail and partially unfurl the jib before casting off.
We sailed on a beam reach around Bull Point before hardening up onto a close-hauled course. The wind increased as we approached the mouth of the harbour and rounded Inner Sambro Island. Isola Naida settled comfortably onto her lines in roughly 20 knots of breeze before we eased sheets and began the downwind leg toward Chebucto Head.
After rounding Chebucto Head, the wind gradually faded. By the time we were abeam of Bear Cove, we were nearly adrift, making barely more than a knot toward Halifax Harbour.
As we approached McNabs Island, a black RHIB carrying four individuals dressed head-to-toe in black tactical gear came racing up behind us.
The approaching vessel turned out to be an RCMP patrol craft.
Concerned that we might be in distress, they came alongside to check on us. After assuring them that we were simply enjoying a leisurely sail and required no assistance, they continued on their way into the harbour.
The breeze returned as we approached the mouth of the Northwest Arm, allowing us to maintain roughly four knots all the way from the north end of McNabs Island to the MacKay Bridge.
As we entered Bedford Basin, temperatures climbed above 25°C and the wind once again disappeared. We drifted slowly toward Navy Island and contacted the Dartmouth Yacht Club fuel dock on Channel 68. They assigned us a temporary slip near the opening of the breakwater.
As we rounded Navy Island, we decided it would be prudent to start the engine and make our final approach under power. Winds around the club were barely reaching one knot, and we had little desire to drift among moorings, shorelines, and rocks.
Then the engine sputtered out once again.
A quick assessment of the situation revealed that we still had roughly three knots of speed over ground and approximately 300 metres to go. With the mainsail hoisted and just enough breeze to maintain steerage, we concluded that we could probably drift all the way into the slip.
And drift we did.
Maintaining just enough headway for the rudder to remain effective, we glided toward the dock and tossed lines to the waiting yard manager. The boat was secured moments before contacting the docks ahead of us.
With that, our delivery voyage was complete and Isola Naida had finally arrived at Dartmouth Yacht Club.
We packed up our gear and headed back toward the gates before making the drive to Sambro to retrieve the Jeep and return it to Halifax.
Now that Isola Naida is in the city, we will be able to spend considerably more time aboard this summer and continue the work required to return her to full operational condition.
We are looking forward to receiving our mooring assignment and exploring Bedford Basin, Halifax Harbour, and the Northwest Arm throughout the season. Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Facebook, and check back for more updates as the summer sailing season continues.
