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Fearing and Lusty in Lunenburg
Day Five - Tuesday
Lunenburg - Halifax

Day Five found us at the Grand Banker for steak and eggs for breakie, washed down with cigarettes and coffee. Yes, we both know better, so please, don't write.

We emerged from the restaurant to the cacophony of ship's horns in the harbour greeting the Bluenose II as she steamed into her home port. It was a touching site, and I say this with no cynicism. I can remember a family trip out to Lunenburg as a child to view the Bluenose II under construction. Eghads! I'm dating myself.

A brief moment to take a photo for a charming tourist couple from Calgary and to wipe a tear from the eye and we were off to Jo's.

The sun was (basically) shining but there was a fair breeze this day and the boat was somewhat more crowded.

First dive, back at the Saguenay. This time Jo took us down after a briefing on the animals that we would see below. Our job was to identify several vertebrates and invertebrates. We followed Jo around the upper portions of the superstructure checking out nudibranches, anemones, urchins (Twist! You back?!?) and the like. By this, our third dive on the Sag, we found that the pronounced list of the ship to the starboard was less disorienting, it does take a little while to get used to the effect. I have memories of being on board the Sag or the Skeena (the Skeena is one of the Sag's sister ships and virtually identical) while the ship headed into a high speed turn, heeled over much as as she is on the bottom. These ships were very fast - they could top out at about 30 knots. That's 30 knots on a very narrow piece o'metal - it was exhilarating. I didn't appreciate that this particular piece of metal's job was to kill other people while they cruised below in their submarine - for me it was just good clean fun.

Topside, we all learned an ugly lesson about the Sensitive Singer Songwriter Stomach. Yes, folks, Stephen's breakfast returned as steak tartar. Sorry, no photo evidence available.

Next dive, our navigation dive. The Sea Dog motored over to East Point Ledge to allow us to perform this task in shallow water. While we were following our compasses in 8m of water the rest of the divers took the opportunity to swim with the seals. All reported the experience to an enjoyable one - a shame for us but time did not permit us to enjoy the games, next time. Post dive, one of the dive masters aboard dove in and retrieved a dead seal which we then towed out to deeper water - a pretty gruesome sight. The seal, along with another over-the-side contribution from everybody's favourite singer/songwriter, made valuable, if unsightly, additions to the local food chain.

SF prepares to descend off East Point Ledge.

It's hard to look pretty with a mask and regulator in the way...Your humble author makes ready to descend.

Our final dive was back at the Saguenay where we practiced wreck diving skills and mostly hung around up near the stacks and the communications tower. As the cliche goes - All to soon we bid the DDH 206 au revoir and headed topside to collect our advanced certificates over a beer with James and Jo and a few of the other divers. A hearty 'Thank You" to holidaying instructor 'Diver Dan' Rabinovitch who had a hard time believing that your heroes had only about 30 dives under their respective weight belts. He told us that we dived like guys with a hundred or more trips below. And, no, he wasn't trying to suck up - he had no idea about my fame in the titrator world nor could he hum a Fearing tune.

James took this photo of me greeting my father at 20 odd meters. The slate says 'Hi, Dad!'

Au revoir as well to George and Lisa and family and the good folks of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival. Personally, I hope that the festival folks don't wait another 9 years to book Stephen. As it stands, my family and I are making tentative plans to head east for part of summer 2002 - my daughter will be just old enough to take a crack at an intro to scuba for kids course. Ka-ching! Time to wipe the oxidation off the old gold card, once the kids get into this sport I'll be too poor to dive myself. Better enjoy it while I can.

Off to Halifax for a night on the town! I had booked us into the Halliburton Inn in the city centre. This hotel, which comprises three or four converted row houses, has got the major cutes and puts on a "Purdy good breakfast, Pa". We lugged our still wet neoprene up 3 flights of stairs in an effort to get the suits a little dryer over night. Then we cleaned ourselves up and headed through the rain to join Scott and Jennyfer at 'Maple'. This restaurant is worth flying the unfriendly skies to visit. Yep, a bit expensive but worth every shekel. To quote Tom Waits we 'wined, dined, sipped and sucked' to our heart's content.

More goodbyes and we were off to bed. I had turned my ankle on the wet cobblestones earlier in the evening and Stephen graciously got me some ice and bound up the foot before heading off to his pallet. Thanks, buddy!

Lunenburg Day 6