Page 13 - Chiasson from Cheticamp: Working on Coastal Vessels

ISSUE : Issue 65

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1994/1/1

We were tied up at Margar? ee Harbour for two weeks, unable to get out. And here were all these lit? tle coasters going down-- you could see them. And the captain pretty near went foolish, because naturally, it was his own boat and he was losing a lot of money. His freight was in Halifax. So we had cement drums (on board). We used to take the full ones down and the empty ones back. So while we were in Margaree, we filled all the foredeck with empty drums. And then we filled them up with salt water. To put the boat down by the heads so there'd be less draft. So we got an easterly--strong southeast or easterly wind--the current swept the chan? nel again. It used to fill up (with sand) with westerly. (And then the easterly wind....) Would clear it up. So this Sun? day morning it was after the easterly, we decided we'd go. And she touched (bottom) 3 or 4 times, (but) we made it right out. That was just before Christmas. Ah, geez, we laughed. The captain said, he said, "I'll never come back into this port again," he said, "even if there was 50 feet of water and no bottom!" We arrived at Halifax I think it was about only 2 or 3 days before Christmas. The Above: Rare photo of the first Reo. Crew dressed for going ashore; probably 1920's. Rt: Coastal vessel Kin- burn, which was wrecked behind Cheticamp Island. shed was loaded with freight. We left with the two holds full of cargo. A deckload. We had a spare room for the second engi? neer, (but) we didn't carry a second engi? neer. We used to fill that up with freight, like bags of sugar. The captain's room was fairly big. He had freight. Some in the forecastle where we used to stay. We had a dory for a lifeboat--that was filled. And the top of the (wheel)house. Honest to goodness. Today you wouldn't get away with that. (On the top of the wheelhouse....) Empty barrels, like mackerel barrels, and laths --we used to fill that up on top. Even sometimes he'd put cabbages in the lifeboat. They had 3 coastal boats at the end of it. They (each) had their own dock in Halifax. Here's a sampling of Village Fair events: Baddeck: • Coca-Cola Cabot Trail Relay Race (May 28-29) • Children's Festival (May 30-June 24) • Victoria County Hospice Society Annual Bake Sale (June 10) • Centre Bras d'Or Festival of the Arts (July 15-Aug 20) • Shriners' Field of Dreams Fiddle & Folk Festival (July 30) • Regatta (Aug 7-14) • Cabot Trail Bicycle Tour (Sep 3-5) • Creative Living & Crafts (Sep 9) • Handcraft Festival (Sep 22-24) BeUe Cote Days (July 29-30) Big Pond Concert (July 10-17) Broad Cove Concert (July 24) Cape North Annual Craft Festival (Oct 8-9) Cheticamp: Le Festival de I'Escaoutte (July 29-31) Dominion Seaside Daze (July 22-23) Glendale Ceilidh Days (July 8-10) lona: • Traditional Codfish Suppers (July 16 & Aug 20) • Highland Village Day (Aug 6) • Pioneer Day (Aug 20) Janvrin's Island Fest '94 (Aug 19-21) Judique on the Floor Days (July 8-10) Louisbourg: • Summer Festival (July 16-24) • Feast of St. Louis (Aug 21) • 2nd Annual Crab Festival (Aug 27) • S&L; Railway Reunion • 20th Anniversary (Sep 11) Louisdale Lions Annual Extravaganza Draw (July 2) Mabou Ceilidh (June 30-July 3) Margaree Valley Margaree Country Swingers' Margaree Fall Classic (Oct 15-16) Marion Bridge: • Mira Gala (June 30-July 10) • Marion Bridge Fair (Sep 10) New Haven: • Canada Day Festival (July 1) • Linger-by-the- Sea Festival (Aug 20-21) New Waterford Coal Dust Days (July 16-24) North Sydney Cape Breton County Exhibition (Aug 16-21) Port Hood Chestico Days (July 27-31) Ross Ferry Firemen's Famous Pork Barbecue (Aug 13) St. Ann's: • Seth Annual Nova Scotia Mod tAug 11-14) • Festival of Scottish Fiddling (Aug 20-21) Sydney: • Action Week (July 30-Aug 6) • Atlantic Canadian Bathtub Racing Championship (Sep 19-24) Victoria County: '1994 Victoria Co. Winter Games (Jan 21- Feb 6) '1994 Victoria Co. Cycling Festival (Aug 6-Oct 10) Whycocomagh Summer Festival (July 10-17) Meet Ngw Friends at the Fair The Village Fair events are your chance to meet and greet new friends in our picturesque towns and villages. They're happening all over Cape Breton this summer. Don't miss out on a chance to make new aquaintances and enjoy special times in Nova Scotia. Call the toll-free number below to fmd out more. 1-800-565-0000 Operator *15 Come to Sea f

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