How we go to town

We go to town by crossing the outer part of Shelburne Harbour in our boat Chopper. I rarely accompany Greg on these trips. He seems happy enough to go on his own and I am happy enough to stay home. In winter I pretend it's useful for me to stay home and keep the house warm. I don't know what my excuse is in the summer.  He -- or we -- try to cross only on calm days. Rain is fine but wind is not. Sometimes the air is tranquil but the water carries a powerful force from some earlier storm out at sea. Sometimes the wind kicks up out of nowhere as we are crossing. It is a very big harbour, and we have learned to be respectful of it. 

Our harbour trip has three parts. First we pass along the western shore of the island to its northern end.  To do this we go from our dock to the Horseshoe, which is the northern arm of the cove. It takes about ten minutes. Along the way we may see seals at Indian Point, if their rocks are exposed in a lowish tide.  At the Horseshoe the cormorants lurk along the shore like a bunch of good-for-nothings.  Sometimes gulls follow along behind us in the mistaken impression that Chopper is actually a fishing boat and may have something to offer them.   

Then we cross the outer harbour between the island and Fort Point.  Here you can see all of McNutt's Island sitting on the edge of the outer harbour, with the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The currents from the eastern channel and the western channel converge in the lee of McNutt's Island, along with the tide ebbing or flowing out of the inner harbour. The water here can be curious and unpredictable, at least for us inexperienced sailors. 

Finally we pass the conspicuous boulder at Fort Point and enter Gunning Cove. You can just see the conspicuous boulder perched on its ledge, with McNutt's Island beyond it.  

There are two fisheries wharves in Gunning Cove. One is called Gunning Cove and the other is called Fort Point. We dock at Fort Point.  It takes about ten minutes from the time we turn into the cove until we dock.  We are always happy to reach the mainland safely.