After I uploaded yesterday’s page, the fog, which we first encountered in Peggy’s Cove, arrived at Hubbards. It was so thick that we could only see the first few rows of campsites from our trailer. Early in the morning the rains came… remnants of the storm that saturated New York and Boston yesterday. The way it was raining, I thought we might have our first wash out of the trip. However, the weather cooperated and all we had was clouds with the sun trying to peek out occasionally.
I know I keep talking about the weather, but as Mark Twain said, “you can talk about the weather, but there is nothing you can do about it.” However, it seems to be one of the major topics of conversation that comes up when you talk to the locals. We are told that the last three summers were cooler and rainier than usual. The summers come later and end later. According to some, this has had a negative effect on the tourist business which is a significant part of the economy. We have seen evidence of this in the campgrounds that are half full and the tourist venues that are lacking crowds.
Our plan for today was to go to Shelburne, a historic port about 95 miles south of Hubbards. Over the past week there has been a tall ships festival along the south coast of Nova Scotia. The largest gathering was in Halifax, while we were on the other side of the peninsula. The ships then traveled to Lunenburg and then to Shelburne. Unfortunately, as the ships sailed along the south shore, the number visiting the towns dropped to the point where there were only four ships at the wharf. Of course, that information was not in the literature we had. Another reason to go was Founders Day celebration which started today. What we found was that the celebration starts tonight. At any rate, we did not feel it was a lost day.
Our first stop was at the wharf to see the tall ships. All four ships are sail training ships, one from the UK, another from Bermuda and two from Maine. At 196 feet, the biggest vessel was the Prince William (UK). Although built to modern standards in 2001, it is rigged as an 18th Century Brig. The Spirit of Bermuda is a Bermudan Sloop, built in 2006 and is 118 feet in length. The schooner, Roseway, is a Grand Banks Fishing Schooner, built in 1925. At one time in its career, it was operated as a harbor pilot boat in Boston. The last tall ship was the Bowdoin, an 88 foot Grand Banks Knockabout schooner. It was built by the explorer Donald B. MacMillan in 1921 and made numerous exploratory trips to Greenland and the Arctic. While we had hoped to see more tall ships, it was still an interesting visit, especially within the context of a historic town with a maritime tradition.
Shelburne, like several other towns in Nova Scotia, was established in 1783 by Loyalists fleeing the newly independent United States. The town grew up around fishing and shipbuilding. Dock Street, which runs along the waterfront, has some of the oldest wooden buildings in Canada.
The day ended as it began, with a thick overcast and wisps of fog.
