LL Series of Pilots

Off Campobello Island, the Eastport pilot boat North Sea waited to retrieve the pilot as we headed for sea.  It was April 26, 0540…  This first pilot had been a walk-on before we left Eastport.

April 27 at 0530, Portland pilot boat Spring Point came to meet us as we approached. 

At 0538, the pilot stepped aboard.

At 1753, the same boat followed us out to retrieve the pilot as we headed into the Gulf of Maine.

On April 29 at 0551 Halifax pilot boat Captain E. T. Rogers met us outside the harbor. 

Transfer was accomplished safely.

Port of registry listed on this pilot boat is Saint John.

At 1842, the same pilot boat followed us  to retrieve the pilot when we were safely out to sea.

The next pilot was April 30 at 1340 off Canso NS, landed from Strait Falcon.

Registry here is given as Halifax.

This pilot would get us safely through the Canso lock.

May 1 at 0529 I almost missed the pilot off Charlottetown, since they appeared not to be on AIS.

Pilot boat JRG was at the dock when we arrived.

Serious winds delayed our departure from Charlottetown, and when we did depart, a walk-on pilot took us as far up as

just past the Confederation Bridge, when pilot boat Bridge Lady

retrieved that pilot.  Waterway there is the Abegweit Passage of the Northumberland Strait.

 

I missed the next pilot pickup on May 4 at 0’darkest off Les Escoumins, but caught the moment half a day later where pilots exchanged places just before Quebec City.

The fresh pilot stepped aboard on May 4 at 1221, and 

moments later the overnight pilot stepped off and 

Ocean Guide sped him ashore.

Just downstream of Montreal on May 5 at 0754, I caught the next exchange . . .  Ocean Maisoneuve II did the delivery and pick up.

Note the muddy water, ie, strong currents, and absence of green on the trees.

Ocean Maisonneuve II has an unusual orange fender built into its hull.

Exchange complete, she speeds off.  Notice Montreal upper right in the distance.

Several other exchanges happened in the SLSW locks, but as we approached Lake Ontario at Cape Vincent, we exchanged pilots one last time before Toronto . . .

 

 

with the quite new Seaway V doing the honors.

All photos, any errors, WVD, who loses sleep to get photos like these.

Maybe someone can help me with details:  is the series made up of Laurentian pilots, District 1 US river/lakes pilots, and then port-specific docking pilots?  Any others?

LL Eastport to Portland

You’ll understand if I say this is a wicked quick post.  Bear with me.  At the appointed hour, albeit Campobello time rather than Eastport time, we cast off and made for sea.

Once away from town, the pilot departed, back for the Eastport station aboard North Sea.

We rounded the light off the top of Campobello as a fishing boat worked the same area.  I wonder what the catch was. 

Making our way SW out of the Bay of Funky Funky Fundy (yes, that was an autocorrect 2X!) and into the Gulf of Maine, we passed Storm Rider.  Note the crewman looking our way between the house and the curtain on the stern deck. Yes, this song came to mind.

At daybreak this morning we took on a Portland pilot from Spring Point.

Ram Island Ledge Light, I presume.

I’ve lots of other lighthouse photos, but as we made fast, we were alongside the Portland McAllister fleet:  l to r, Roderick, Nancy, and Andrew. 

Heading into town for some supplies, I had to photograph this sign.

All photos, wicked fast, any errors because I’m too wicked fast, WVD.