Cruising the Maine Coast and Beyond: A Journey to Canada

Preparing for the North: Ice Pilots Join Vanguard

My crewmate Valeriy leaves today to return to his family in Moldova. We say hello to our Ice Pilots, Nick and Estella, who are joining us for the journey north. This is not least to compensate for my complete naivety about what lies ahead. Departing Naval Yachts in Antalya, Vanguard was anything but seaworthy; it was, frankly, quite a dangerous undertaking. A crew of five hugged the coast and limped to Didum, which is 250 miles west.

After two months of work in Didum, we saw significant improvements in critical systems. We set off with four crew members for Palma de Mallorca. Three months in Palma also brought about similar enhancements. Now, two crew members, including myself, are stretching her sea legs on an extended cruise around the Balearics. After being shipped to Fort Lauderdale, Vanguard received another six months of regular attention. Two of us then brought her 1,900 miles north, including stops, storms, and frequent passengers along the way.

Vanguard has become a reliable and predictable piece of machinery, perfect for hosting visiting friends and family in one of the great, though often overlooked, cruising grounds on the continental East Coast. So far, so good, but the real test starts next week. We go north, hence the need for Ice Pilots, Nick and Estella.

Anchorages and Anchoring: Finding Our Spots

Details of the above will be covered in a later blog post, but in the meantime, what has gone well? For some reason, we've discovered many out-of-the-way moorings. Our preference has been to anchor rather than use marinas. It's both more private and much cheaper! A big anchor helps in exposed areas, such as outside the breakwater in Provincetown or between rocks at the entrance to Port Clyde.

Anchorages with moderate swell are manageable as she weathervanes, having much more water than air resistance. We can set our rudders to bias her heading in the tide. A shallow draft is also handy when squeezing into sheltered spots with big tidal ranges. Our large Rocna anchor, once set, has never dragged, as recently observed in Darien, Cape Cod.

We have explored many locations, including Provincetown, Groton, Biddeford, Portland, Rockland, Rockport, Belfast, Bar Harbor, and several unnamed anchorages.

Fast Charging: 86kW in Just 20 Minutes

Anchoring means self-sufficiency, and our biggest consumer is power for the batteries. When we first started in Turkey, we charged at 10kW. Our batteries are 120 kWh, with about 40 kWh consumed each day. That is a lot of engine hours charging at light load, which is not ideal. Therefore, we worked on the drives and their reliability.

We collaborated with Praxis Automation to push the envelope in terms of power absorption and control. After two months, we are now in a good place. This morning, we charged at 86kW using two engines at 1,600 RPM and 70% load. A day of consumption was replaced with just 20 minutes of running. As the engine loaded up, the exhaust was no longer visible, and we enjoyed a warm engine room for the day's laundry.

Along the way, we monitored vibration, engine parameters, temperatures at breakers, distribution lines, batteries, and the generators themselves, plus the relative load balance between each line phase. This was enough to build confidence that all was in order.

42kW per engine is a high electrical load, and not everything went smoothly. When your neck is on the line, it's better to confirm than assume reliability. We flushed out a problem with a motor isolator that was closed incorrectly. The contractors were not fully home, resulting in hot spots. At 10kW, it was of little consequence, but at 45kW, we quickly discovered the issue through a combination of unbalanced inverter phase temperatures and a distinctive smell.

The offending breaker was stripped out and rebuilt, fuses replaced, and knife plates polished for a smooth closure and better contact. And we're back in business! After 20 minutes of charging, one cup of tea, and a warm engine room in a cold climate—great!

How We View the Sea: A Shift in Perspective

As we travel north, there is a noticeable shift in how the general public views their access to the sea. Miami and Fort Lauderdale are playgrounds. Be it a big tuna boat, a multi-engine T-Top, or simple bling, the sea is a place where they go fast, get back fast, and enjoy another margarita.

In contrast, New England, especially Maine, remains a playground but seems more integrated into daily life. The communities are commercial, with many yachts and historic boats, lobster pots, and fishermen. Towns wrap around their harbors. One community seems to "go to the sea," while the other is "of the sea."

Anchorages awaken at 3:00 or 4:00 AM as the first lobster boats make their fast run for freedom. Tour boats arrive in the anchorages by 10:00 AM, and a sailboat or rowing skiff is never far away. In Portland, we moored on the Pilot's berth at Journey's End shipyard. Now in Halifax, we look at a WWII Corvette with the Atlantic Museum on our starboard side.

It's a life I've become attuned to, authored by the sun and the tides, metered by the weather and the routines of daily life. Most times, there is not a watch or cell phone in sight. I might live longer this way.

Canada: A Warm Welcome in Halifax

Sailing blind through two days of thick fog across the Bay of Fundy, we eventually reached Halifax, Nova Scotia. For Halifax and every Canadian I have encountered, it is a wonderful place with wonderful people. The weather? Well, "meh," but they know how to compensate. Anyone cruising north is welcome; the customs process is a breeze and super helpful.

Our berth in town costs US$200 per night for a 24-meter yacht! There is plenty to see and do among the big ships coming in and out all day.

Moored at Frontage Wharf, downtown Halifax, directly behind the stage for a Mexican dance festival!

Journey's End Shipyard: A Commitment to Service

Secondly, let’s talk about Journey's End shipyard in Rockland, ME. We called in for a routine 500-hour engine service and associated fix-it jobs, best done when stationary. The dipstick tube on one engine snapped off. Without hesitation, they ordered a new one that we collected on our return from Belfast.

They even sent the crew out on a national holiday weekend (July 4th) to change it, as I did not have an extractor of the correct size, and my other attempts had failed miserably. It's not during easy times that we see the value of integrity; it's when times get harder.

Journey's End shipyard, Rockland, going above and beyond to get us back to sea on time.

Preparing for the Next Leg of Our Journey

That’s enough for today. The plan for this weekend is to acquire cold-weather gear, resupply our nonexistent stores, and finalize our sailing plan for Nova Scotia and the west coast of Newfoundland before reaching the Labrador Sea. That all starts on Monday!

Regards to all,

Chris Leigh-Jones