We booked four tickets on the Eastern Star for the afternoon turn, and the time we had on that boat was priceless.

The Eastern Star in dock

The Eastern Star

The boat has some history and this is what the skipper told us (scribbled down in my notebook):

The boat, built in 1948, originates from Denmark. In its early days, it was mostly used for smuggling,  and also ran under three different names in three different countries.

Eventually the sailors were caught smuggling, and the boat was confiscated by the Halifax authorities in the 60s or 70s. The local authorities used it for a number of years until they auctioned it off.

The next owner had it for a few years until the boat suffered heavy damage in a storm. The insurance company paid for the storm damage, but not for the consequential damage (new flooring, etc.) He then went bankrupt and was forced to sell it.

The current owner bought it in the 90s.

My husband had sailed before and enjoyed getting his hands on the rope and wheel of the boat. The skipper and his crew woman got us involved (if we wanted to) and the whole ride was a lot of fun. The photo shows our son on the wheel.

helpers on board

We had picked an overcast afternoon, and we were glad to have brought extra clothing. There are extra blankets on board as well. Can you see the silver lining?

As we had boarded, we ended up sitting on the left side, which the skipper explained would be the low side going out. I had no idea what he really meant and just smiled. By the time, we were out on the ocean, I knew what low side meant. Similar to hanging on to dear life on a roller coaster ride. Well, not quite, but close enough. I had the time of my life!

As we were taking the bend and sailing back, we were advised to switch sides to sit on the high end. It had the advantage of having two free hands to take photos. On the way out, I had only used my hands to hold on and not slide through the railing. It was not quite like that, but it seemed this way at times. The flow of adrenaline was something else.

Nearing the shore, the skipper had to do his usual work and was able to tell us the boat’s story.

Eastern Star skipper

Lunenburg has a lot to offer and this is one place I would consider returning to. I might easily like new places, but I am very picky about the ones I would return to.

reaching the harbor

– Raise your sail one foot and you get ten feet of wind.-
(Chinese proverb)