M/V MAERIN

We crossed the Northumberland Strait again after leaving Charlottetown Thursday morning. We anticipated a bumpy ride with winds predicted to be 15-20 kts, but winds were mostly on our beam and sea conditions were not nearly as rough as we expected, and we had a rather pleasant cruise. We arrived in Pictou mid-afternoon, and hailed the marina for a slip assignment since we had called and made a reservation while en route. “What reservation?” was the reply, so we knew there was a problem. We ended up at a nearby wharf owned by Pictou Marine Terminals, and the dockmaster there found us a place to tie up. A bit exposed to the stiff SW breezes, but very reasonable.
Evidently, the municipal marina has a reputation for being… well, inept. That reputation was further reinforced later on. I had ordered some additional electronic charts for Nova Scotia from Maryland Nautical Supplies in Baltimore, and had them shipped to Pictou Marina, figuring they’d arrive in advance and be waiting for us. I called the marina to give them a heads up on the package, and make sure they were aware it was coming in advance of our arrival, and to hold it until we got there. I walked to the office after we tied up, anxious to pick up the charts. The same fellow who told us he knew nothing of our reservation advised me that he had returned the package earlier that afternoon, since they didn’t know the person it was sent to, nor did they know the shipper, so they decided it was a scam, and they should ship it back. Ugh…. missed it by about 3 hours. I was steamed. A number of phone calls to Fed Ex that evening, and more the following Friday morning and 2 more visits to the marina office (they now know my name, the boat name, and that I’m the mystery recipient of that scam package) and the word is that the package is to be re-delivered Monday. So we’ll spend a few extra (3) days in Pictou hoping that the delivery actually does happen Monday! Lessons learned!
We’ve met some very friendly folks, there was a lobster fisherman on the pier to help us tie up, and he returned Saturday morning to chat a bit, and offer his truck if we wanted to run any errands. We had already made our store run in a local cruiser’s car, she gave us the keys and said “the Sobey’s is just out of town on the main drag, can’t miss it- just put the keys under the mat when you’re done!” Pictou’s a small town, but interesting. The Grohlman Knife Co., makers of hand-crafted knives, is on the main street, along with the ever-present hockey rink! The curling club doubles as a craft market in the summer, and there are a number of interesting specialty shops in town, along with an interesting lobster hatchery. Lots of MacGregor’s, Mac-you name it. The Scottish influence is very evident! Very small-town and friendly. We walked most of the town, and we still have a couple of days to go! One observation, one needn’t be concerned about car traffic, all you need to do is get close to a cross walk or the curb, for that matter, and traffic stops. It’s embarrassing, we’re stopped by the corner to chat about something interesting we saw, and realize that traffic in both directions has stopped, and is waiting for us to cross the street. But we weren’t really planning to cross! It’s happened a number of times, and it’s very odd for us not being accustomed to it. We’ll probably be killed as we step in front of a car when we return to PA.
Today, Saturday was a maintenance day. Oil & filter changes and strainer cleaning.
No photos yet, we have only minimal internet service, so I’ll upload photos when I get the chance.