We made our getaway from Summerside under partly sunny skies, and calm seas, but the wind kicked up as the sun climbed behind thickening clouds, and as we turned east toward Confederation Bridge, the wind was up to 15 kts. Our course had the wind just on our starboard quarter, so we had a very smooth ride into Charlottetown. The bridge is quite impressive and loomed larger as we approached, towering over us as we slipped between the huge pilings. The bridge links Prince Edward Island with the mainland, and was a significant milestone in PEI’s history, bringing big changes in the island’s way of life.
We arrived at the Charlottetown Yacht club in the early afternoon, and enjoyed a bit of an explore before dinner. Molly was stoked with some pent-up energy and was ready for some swimming. The docks are floating concrete, so she was able to jump off without her feet sliding out from under her. She met a new friend, Tilley, an aussie from a sailboat on the pier. They hit it off, and spent some time tearing up and down the pier after each other while Sammy played enforcer.
We finished supper and headed back out for a walk, Charlottetown is a great place to walk, lots of interesting buildings, and lots of history. It’s the capital of the island province, and in addition, lays claim to being the birthplace of confederation although PEI didn’t join the Confederation until 1873. The first meetings to discuss Confederation took place in Charlottetown at Province House, and paved the way to more formal meetings where the agreements were actually drawn up. The meetings in Charlottetown were more parties than meetings, the story being told that before the delegates from the separate provinces could agree on terms, they had to get to know one another, and the balls, dinners, and champagne accomplished that objective. Province House was host to the festivities, and stands today as a national historic site and part of Parks Canada, now restored to it’s original splendor. A light show takes place at dusk and is a projection show similar to the one we saw in Quebec City, but on a smaller scale. Very impressive.
We decided to take in some of the local scene and had dinner out at Water Prince Corner Shop, a local seafood market that serves meals as well. It’s an eclectic sort of place, a small dining room that was clearly adapted from the existing space of the corner shop, with tables and seating crammed into every available spot in the small space. We were surprised when we were asked if we had reservations, but our timing was prescient as we were seated promptly at a table for two in front of the now-empty fish case. There was another fellow seated at a bar dividing the dining area and the kitchen, just adjacent to the waitress station. It was a unique experience, and the food was good, the bill was reasonable. They’re famous for their lobster, and ship everywhere, or serve it there, chilled, as is the Maritime way.
We’ll head out in the morning, bound for Pictou, NS. A 40-some mile cruise. We’ll likely have a bit of a bumpy ride as winds are predicted to be on our nose, but no significant change is predicted for the next few days. We’ve found that the predictions in this area are well, unpredictable. Several weather patterns converge here, so the weather is typically unsettled, as it has been the past few days.
