The wind was moderate and from the northwest, so it wasn't long before we were out beyond Ragged Point in the St. John River. The narrow gorge-like lower St. John River was to my port side and I was surprised when the decision was made to sail towards it.
At the entrance to this section, the St. John River narrows from being more than a mile wide to less than a couple of hundred yards. A quaint wooden lighthouse stands guard on the bank as if to warn you of the perils ahead.
There seemed few perils as we leisurely sailed and drifted down the river. After each turn in the river a decision was made to press on a little further and we passed motor cruisers pushing their way back up the river. Soon, the cliffs on either bank flattened out and the office blocks and church steeples of Saint John city centre could be made out along with the bulk of Saint John's pulp mill. In addition, and more concerning to me, the rocks that marked the start of the wild water of the Reversing Falls could clearly be seen.
The Reversing Falls is a mecca for visiting cruise ship tourists to Saint John. As a seemingly noisy protest of being forced to leave the relative tranquility of the St. John River, the river rushes down a series of rapids before entering the cold water of Saint John Harbour and the Bay of Fundy. As a final twist, at high tide in the Bay of Fundy (home to the highest tides in the World) the water makes a last gasp return back up the rapids and into the St. John River.
The crew and first mate turned my bow upstream and attempted the tacking maneuvers that would be necessary to make the journey back up to Grand Bay. After ten minutes we had not moved, with the current cancelling out any forward progress we would have made under normal conditions.
A decision had to be made quickly, and the decision was to sail close to the banks of the river and head further downstream to Saint John Power Boat Club. Nervously, we passed by the remnants of what was once an area of industrious ship building activity but now has largely been claimed back by nature.
The first mate and crew breathed a sigh of relief as we negotiated the shallows and turned into the cove where the Saint John Power Boat Club is located, bristling with its eclectic mix of boats of different types and sizes. The club has a much different feel to RKYC. Everywhere I could see work being carried out on various wooden hulled boats in a passionate attempt to bring them back to their former glory. My first mate hailed one of these workers, who was busy with a paint brush in his hand, and asked for the time of the next high tide. This high tide would provide the current to push the boat back up the river and away from the jaws of the Reversing Falls. The answer came back from the friendly worker that high tide was still more than four hours away.
With plenty of time on their hands, the first mate and crew retrieved the fishing tackle from deep in my cuddy and spent an hour casting lines out into the river. When they returned it was confirmed that there would be no fish supper tonight.
The crew and first mate then took an interest in the large steel hulled sailboat adjacent to our temporary mooring. I could tell that the boat was well traveled and from its accent originated from Eastern Europe. A man explained the work he had carried out on it to restore and improve the facilities on board. Within half an hour the man had started up a small motor boat and was attaching my bow line to its stern. I was going to get a tow up river.
For the next 20 minutes we were towed back up the St. John River and finally out past the lighthouse to the entrance of the expansive Grand Bay. The line was detached and the man jovially waved farewell. The crew raised the jib in the brisk northwesterly and I was free once more to sail in the waters I love. I could feel that the first mate and crew were enjoying the sailing in the wind and sunshine as we tacked up towards Ragged Point and I did my best to be as responsive as possible to their wishes.
But suddenly there was a loud crack and a jolt of pain ripped through my hull. One of the bolts securing the port chain plate which through the stays helps supports my short, but perfectly formed mast, had loosened and was jutting out of my hull. Luckily, we were close to Ragged Point and to a sailing direction that would put less pressure on my injured hull. Within half an hour we had limped back to RKYC and a smooth docking meant that I could rest, exhausted and sore after the day's adventures.
Temperature: 24C
Duration: 3.5 hours sailing (+ 2 hours moored at Saint John Power Boat Club)
Wind: Moderate
Length: 13 miles
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