After leaving the Liscomb River on 19th June we made our way to Halifax via overnight anchorages at Beaver Harbour and Jeddore. We took a mooring out in the harbour at the Armdale Yacht Club situated in the Northwest Arm of Halifax Harbour. It is a beautiful spot reminiscent of Salcombe or Fowey, with many beautiful shoreside homes and an active leisure boating scene. Since our onward cruise will take us into the USA and it is necessary to have a visa to enter the country on a leisure craft, we spent much of our time there trying to expedite Des’ US visa application. His previous ten-year visa had expired in March but Covid-related delays at the US embassy in London meant he was unable to renew it before our departure for Canada in early May. The US Consulate in Halifax advised making a fresh application, but having devoted many hours to that task, it emerged that applications there are subject to the same delays as those in London. With an anticipated waiting time of several months, we found ourselves in a bit of a jam. After considering all the options, we felt we had no choice but to engage the services of a professional skipper to deliver the boat into the US. This will allow Des to take a ferry across the Gulf of Maine between Yarmouth in Nova Scotia and Bar Harbor in Maine, aboard which he can take advantage of the Visa Waiver Program. Consequently, we now have a deadline to meet the delivery skipper in Yarmouth.

We dropped the mooring at Armdale Yacht Club on Wednesday 29th June and headed out of the harbour and south around Chebucto Head, past the Sambro lighthouse and into St Margaret's Bay. Here we visited our friends Jim and Sue who offered us the use of their private mooring at the bottom of their garden. They have a beautiful home on the shore of Frenchman’s Bay, and it was a great pleasure to enjoy their excellent hospitality which kindly included the cruising necessities of a trip to the supermarket and use of their washer and drier. We said farewell early on 2nd July and headed out in thick fog and a strong SW headwind for our next hop into Mahone Bay. We rounded the Aspotogan Peninsula in the murk with a heavy sea running, making our way between the dark shapes of the islands and skerries. Once around we made course for an anchorage off Chester. Before arriving, Jim messaged to say that his and Sue’s long term friends Don and Jessica were aboard their boat in Chester back-harbour. They advised that our intended anchorage was somewhat congested and recommended we divert to an anchorage in the lee of Meisner's Island across from Chester. Soon after dropping the hook a squall came through delivering strong wind and very heavy rain together with rolls of thunder.

By evening the weather had cleared so we launched the dinghy, and in our wet weather gear and life jackets we motored the mile or so into Chester for supper. It is a charming village with clapboard houses set in pretty gardens. During the evening we received an invitation from Don and Jessica for brunch aboard their boat the next morning.  We had intended to leave Cantilena at anchor at Meisner’s Island and motor over in the dinghy but were surprised to get news that they had arranged a guest mooring for us nearby. After chatting for several hours over a delicious brunch we slipped the mooring and took up Don’s offer for him to lead us out of the back-harbour and through the islands to get us on our way to our planned anchorage for the night at Rous, Ernst and Gifford Islands. Don and Jessica waved their farewells before returning to Chester and we motored on to the beauty and quiet solitude of the small anchorage between the three islands. It was a warm evening, so we ate in the cockpit while watching ospreys and terns fishing. The following morning presented very good sailing conditions so after a short motor out from the peaceful islands we set full sail for the SW in bright sun and a sparkling sea. We had a very fast fetch and reefed as the wind strengthened and began to head us. Reefing presented a few problems as this was the first time we had shortened sail since the set-up at Baddeck. We motored the last few miles into Liverpool Bay and round into Brooklyn Marina against a strong headwind. The marina is rather rustic with good facilities and friendly people. We expect to sit out a few days of strong SW winds before continuing our journey to the SW.