Big News! Voila is FOR SALE!!

After much thought and deliberation we have decided to put our 1986 Hallberg Rassy 352 Voila!  up for sale. It is time for new adventures after 19 years. We are in the process of contacting a broker, so if you are interested, or know someone who is, you have a few days to contact us for pre- commission pricing. She is currently in the water in St. Peter’s Nova Scotia.

Contact us for more information, a 2026 survey, and a comprehensive list of improvements to the boat.

Alan Critchlow at     voilasadventures@gmail.com

                                    438-364-6636

Back in Nova Scotia

Aug. 6, 2026.  Back in Nova Scotia, anchored in another familiar anchorage in Dingwall. After 70 miles we were ready to drop anchor and have dinner. 

For to having to get the timing and tide right for the entrance to Bras D’Or Lake, we made an intermediate stop in Ingonish. It is a pretty spot with a huge harbour.

If you look carefully you will see ski hill trails. The entrance to this bay is twisty and shallow but once in there is lots of water.

We left the next day in pea soup fog. As we continued the wind picked up right on the nose (where was that in the forecast?!) by the time we reached the channel to the cut at Big Bras D’Or we were bouncing and rolling through wind against tide waves. Another boat was in front of us and they appeared to get through without incident so we kept going. Strangely enough, the water flattened out at the entrance with only 1 knot of current against us. Yay! The worst was over. Sorry no pictures. We still had 20 miles to go to our anchorage at Baddeck.

After a couple of days of pretty anchorages, we had a wonderful sail across the lake under spinnaker.

Aug. 12. We are now back in St. Peter’s Marina, doing a thorough cleaning of Voila. It is amazing how much “stuff” we have accumulated in 19 years. We are also completing some of the “someday” repairs like painting and fixing leaks.

Aug 16.  We took a break the other day to visit “Bluenose II” in Arichat with Christina and Ken. 

Headed back to Nova Scotia

July 29 2026   -Fortune NL

We had been in a foreign country so that meant our next destination would have to be a Canadian Port of Entry. The closest one to us was in Fortune, about 50 miles away. Not much sailing but we did spot a whale breaching way off in the distance. There is a shallow entrance, but once in there is plenty of room and the day were there, lots of dock space. Clearing in was a bit of a comedy but we ended up calling in to do the paperwork and then two customs officers arrived at the boat. No problems.

The next morning we began another 50 miles away run to Francois. We had to get used to the pronunciation… Fransway  Located at the top of a small fjord, 

Francois is one of the last occupied Newfoundland outports. With a population of just under 60 people, it only has access by boat. There is a regular ferry and apparently a helipad for emergencies. The town has built a wharf to accommodate up to 4 visiting yachts.

 There are hiking trails to the fabulous views. Locals get around town on foot or by 4 wheel drive.

The waterfall is fed by a freshwater lake at the top and serves as the village’s water supply.

After exploring the town, we were on our way west again. This time back to Ramea. An overnight stop

Aug 2. Culotte Cove

Our next anchorage was a gorgeous spot that we had all to ourselves.

Our final stop in Newfoundland and Labrador was the familiar Squid Hole. We chose it as protection for upcoming nasty weather. Unfortunately the bottom has a good deal of kelp in many places. Early the next morning the wind picked up and we began to drag anchor.  We managed to reset without too much drama but it makes me uneasy until the wind settles. We stayed for a few days, waiting for crossing weather.

Off to France

50 miles from Canada to France. A boring motor boat trip when there is no wind. Unfortunately we did not see any wildlife. Our destination was Miquelon to check in to the country.

 A small tight harbour, so we pulled into the first available slip. We could move later if necessary. Unfortunately the customs office was closed and we were unable to make our phones work for data. To check in by phone we had to be able to read a QR code. We were finally able to reach a real person in St. Peter who took us through the process verbally. While doing all this, Alan was spotted by friends we had met earlier in the summer. They were in St. Pierre and had visited Miquelon by ferry. Meeting up sounded like fun so we headed to St. Pierre the next day. 

I’m spite of a windless forecast we ended up motoring straight into 15 knot winds by the end of the 20 mile trip.  Fortunately, the harbour is well protected and the wind died upon entrance. We picked up a mooring with the help of our friends and relaxed. St Pierre has an interesting method of charging cruisers. The moorings and the dock space are both free. If you want to access services like power, water, laundry, showers etc there is a daily fee. 30 euros a day at the dock and 15 euros for moorings.

One of Alan’s favourite jobs was to get up early and head to a local bakery. I never knew what amazing pastries he would come home with. 

It was fun to get on the bikes and explore the island.

St. Pierre has a stable population of about 6,000 people. Most of these either work for the government or in the tourist trade. In spite of the lack of growth, we found quite a lot of new homes being built.

The local grocery store - Super U - is part of a French chain. Just like shopping in France with all of the French brands and store brands from overseas. The first time we were there we were escorted out. We didn’t realize that they closed everyday from 12 to 2. 

One of my favourite goodies from the bakery were the variety of quiches. On our last day Alan brought back 4 individual ones. They became our passage food for the next two days.

After much discussion, we decided that St. Perre was as far east as we wanted to go this summer. It was time to head back.

Ramea

 A lovely day headed east. A small island called Ramea was our destination. The weather looked nasty over the next couple of days so we were looking for a dock with protection from the elements. We were one of 5 sailboats tied up. By evening the wind had picked up and the rain had begun. By noon the next day the anemometer was clocking close to 40 knots and the rain was falling sideways. Everyone pretty much stayed aboard checking lines and staying dry. The next day the wind dropped to a manageable level and the sun came out. All of the other boats were on their way. We decided to stay put and explore the island for a day. It would give the seas time to settle. Up the hill there is a small grocery store stocked with dry goods and a laundry room and showers for cruisers. In an effort to attract tourists, the locals have constructed a boardwalk around the island. Alan managed to bicycle most of it and found lovely views of the island.

Later in the day, the car ferry arrived. The harbourmaster was telling us that some of the passengers diembarked and the were sprawled on the ground being sick. Glad we stayed put. However wise that was, it meant that the wind had blown itself out by the next day.

Grand Bruit

 Another sunny day and another sail / motor. This time we were headed to Grand Bruit. With the route planned out, we turned into the wind to take down the mainsail. With swell and rising wind it was a bouncy process. Next step was to roll up the genoa so we could work our way under motor through the rocks and islands. Well…. As we began the trip the engine began to overheat! Shut it off! Genoa back out about half way. Fortunately the wind direction allowed us to keep heading for the harbour. Entering the harbour, it was difficult to slow down. We argued about which wharf to use on opposite sides of the bay. To me, one looked decrepit and the other was sturdy but had “No Trespassing” signs on it. I chose the latter.

In fairness, I had no idea how old the sign was. I knew that the town had been resettled in 2010 so there were no permanent residents. The dock had a pile of new looking lobster traps on it. 

Our first thought was that the impeller had failed. Nope, slightly misshapen but functional. Alan then checked the raw water intake. Bingo! It was clogged with sea grass.

 

The town of Grand Bruit (Big Noise) was named after the waterfall in the middle of town.

Wandering through town we looked at the all of the houses in various states of disrepair. Most had not been touched for 16 years. Occasionally, residents would come and spend some time in the summer but there were no services. No water, electricity, cell service etc. Looking in the windows it was clear that many had just walked out and left it the way it was. It was eerie.

The church was finally beginning to fall down in the last couple of years.

The scenery was still beautiful and I could tell why the residents had loved the town like so many that had been resettled when the cod fishery had died. Just as we were leaving, we met the only person , Jonathan, in town. He was living with the help of solar panels and a backup generator. His father still had a permit for lobster fishing, so perhaps the traps were his.

Weather was dictating our progress and we wanted to be somewhere safe by the end of the day. Off to Ramea Island,

Rose Blanche

After a lovely sail / motor our next stop was Rose Blanche. This is the Newfoundland pronunciation Roche Blanche after the white rocks you see from the sea. This town is at the end of the road from Port aux Basques. After that, towns are have either been resettled or are accessible by ferry. Rose Blanche is a protected harbour, we tied to the Government Wharf.

It was importantly to remember how to tie up to allow for the tide, leaving plenty of slack so we don’t end up hanging from our mooring lines. The rates were reasonable at $25 a night and we paid an extra $10 for power as we were having issues with our freezer. 

Alan took his bike out for a ride up the path to the lighthouse. 

Alan….This lighthouse was in sad shape until the townspeople took on the project of restoring it. The only thing holding the structure up was the circular staircase to the light. A local group with help of government grants rebuilt it. They were able to reuse 70% of the original stone. The rest they quarried close by. It is made with two walls with sand to stabilize the building. 

The coal stove and the classic Sunday evening  table setting in the lighthouse. 

In the fishing museum a noted model ship builder works are exhibited. The Eaton’s catalogue was an important fixture in the outport’s life.

A view from high up, near the lighthouse of the harbour. Voila is in the centre. You can see the radar reflector if you squint.  

Above is the club house. I met three retired men, one was in the Navy, the other two were in the merchant marine on the lakes. They did not work locally, but sent their salaries home to their wives. They shared moose meat with me. 

0 dark hundred

 Friday July 10.  After charging up, and stocking up in Baddeck it was time to be on our way. The harbourmaster recommended that we leave at High Tide Sydney - 04:44 in order to catch the slack tide at the cut at Big Bras D’Or. Well we left on time.

Lack of wind meant that this was going to be a motorboat day. What we didn't expect was to have current against us for the whole trip. Up to 2 knots. That meant that we were about 30 minutes late for the cut. Fortunately due to the complete lack of wind, the 2 knots against us did not cause any issues other than slowing us down. After that 20 miles, we still had 40 more to go to get to Dingwall. All of our friends told us it was an easy entrance, but the chart said “do not enter without local knowledge” which made me a little nervous. Weather got wet and we appreciated the back drop we had made in the UK.

We arrived about 1800h and the entrance was pretty straightforward . After working our way past the fishing boats to a protected little hole in the back of the harbour we dropped anchor. A light supper and off to bed. 

After looking at the weather forecast we decided to head out the next morning. It looked like the best day.

Sunshine and wind! We sailed for a bit and then got impatient when the wind dropped to 5-7 so we switched on the motor. We should have known better. After half an hour the wind went back up and continued to increase. Most of the day we had a broad reach with winds 15 to 18 kts. 

Absolutely gorgeous. By 1800h we had dropped anchor in a lovely little spot called Squids Hole - about 1/2 a male from the town of Isle aux Morts. 

We made it to Newfoundland and Labrador!!

The next day was a rest day. 

On Monday we took the dinghy into town to explore a little. After we tied up we talked to a friendly local, who was cleaning his catch, if there was anywhere in town we could buy fish.”Nope” Would he sell us some of his catch? “Nope” “But I’ll give you some” He then proceeded to bag up about 3 lbs af cleaned cod fillets. He asked if they would get warm before we returned to the boat as we had planned to go for a walk and then offered to put them in his freezer so we could pick them up on the way back as he lived only a could of houses from the dock. Such kindness.

Definitely a small town with not much going on. Car access meant all services and shops were in Port aux Basques. Alan was disappointed that the museum was closed.

Dinner that evening with our FRESH cod.

Currently still in Squids Hole waiting out weather.

 

We are on our way.

It has been another month. Suffice it to say there has been more cold weather and some mechanical setbacks. Summer actually arrived about the first day of summer. Surprise ! Since then we have had lovely weather. Mostly sunny and a high between 18 and 29’C. The boat has been another challenge. The VHF radio stopped receiving intelligibly. Everyone kept telling us it was the antenna. So we worked on that for several days. We changed out the radio wiring. Neither helped. We finally called the manufacturer in California and within 30 seconds Alan was speaking to a technician. “It is broken, you can send it back and for a nominal charge it can be repaired” . The problem with that is two border crossings. Mutter mutter “international clients”  We decided to order a new one from Halifax which was delivered in a couple of days due to the Canada Day festivities. It works great. We have also had an issue with the anemometer. I think Alan went up the mast 5 times. It was also finally replaced and works well now. The electricity on Voila has been temperamental. But we are slowly solving that issue. Our new Starlink draws more power than expected. The freezer was being difficult but seems to be working now.

On to the fun stuff. We have chatted with a variety of cruisers, both local and international. Several boats that are also members of the Ocean Cruising Club. Canada Day was a fun family event at the marina.

In between chores we have taken a few short cruises. The bays around the lake are gorgeous. 

It has been fun showing a local couple some of the basics. It must be so much fun to be learning all of this for the first time and they are so enthusiastic.

We are currently in Baddeck on Cape Breton. Our plan is to head out at 04:30 tomorrow through the cut and all the way to Dingwall. From there, probably the following day, we will head to Ile aux Morts in Newfoundland.