The Cruising Guide to the Nova Scotia Coast

Updates from 2008 to January 2010

The current edition is dated April 2008, check the copyright date on page 2.

Alphabetical table of contents for Harbours

During a CCA cruise in 2007 Bill and Pamela Kellet aboard Jura, my publisher; Sandy Weld, and I discussed the possibility of having a table, which summarized the major features of harbours in this guide. Pam put her money where her mouth was and has produced such a table in two forms, one "Alpha" and the other sequential as if one was sailing from the USA and heading North East. This is obviously a work in progress that I will update. See the Alpha version as a PDF.

Diesel fuel

Mark Van Baalen in Ariane. First, a general statement about the difficulty of purchasing marine diesel fuel in Nova Scotia. The fishermen rely on supplies of dyed diesel fuel, which is available at many harbors. Visiting yachtsmen, however, are not allowed to purchase this fuel, except perhaps in an emergency. Instead, one needs to purchase clear or undyed fuel, which is not widely available. The answer to this conundrum is to open a "small commercial" account with Irving Oil, at their St. John headquarters. Telephone 866-465-7228. Armed with an account number, one calls the dispatcher in Halifax, who arranges for an Irving truck to meet the boat at a designated harbor at an agreed upon time to deliver undyed fuel. Same day service is sometimes possible, but it is better to call a day ahead. This method works just fine. (Ed. Diesel fuel is now widely available on the South Shore and the Bras d'Ors, not in remote areas such as the Eastern Shore)

Yarmouth - page 29

2009 - C. Westropp in Wind Free. Ferry service to Yarmouth from Maine is at a cross roads as the Nova Scotia Government has stopped subsidizing the Cat. Unless a new operator can be found there will be no Ferry service to Yarmouth this summer.

Westport - page 35

2009 - Mark Van Baalen in Ariane We noted an active fish farm in the harbour, while most of the larger fishing boats were tied up, some of which appeared not to have moved recently. There are several large yellow "marshmallow"-mooring mooring floats in the anchoring area between the fish farm and the piers. You need a very long pennant to thread through the big steel ring in the top of the float and then cleat down. There was no fee, and nobody seemed to pay any attention to us. No other cruising boats were in the harbour.

Stoddart Cove - page 44

2009 - We found the protection good here in strong east winds veering south, so even thought the harbour doesn't look like much, it served us well. We anchored in 22 feet at high tide. Bottom type is unknown as the anchor came up clean. The Stoddart Island light has been decommissioned, but the structure is still there. There is a new house that has been built on Stoddart Island, that otherwise appears uninhabited. The only navigational mark for the cove now is the yellow and black buoy "NF" at the entrance. This buoy appears to be yellow and red, but this may be on account of red reflective tape pasted over the black portion of the buoy. Note: in the County museum in Yarmouth we looked at an old French map of the coast, on which Stoddart Island was shown as Love Island.

Negro Island Harbour - page 50

2009 - Peter Worrell onboard Patience. We found new buoyage but easy of entrance on a midnight clear. Good holding, but we did find that the bar between the islands had been breached such that the tide would flow through on a super high or storm tide. Did not bother us. Beautiful clear water, huge sheep ashore. (Ed. Beware of the power cable that splits this anchorage)

Shelburne - page 51

2009 - We spent only one night here and did not go ashore. However, we received a visit in the morning by a police boat, and were boarded for a courtesy inspection. The RCMP officer told us that the government is stepping up surveillance and enforcement along the coast due to drug traffic. He took pains to explain who he was, what he was doing, and asked for our assistance in reporting anything out of the ordinary. Later in our cruise we saw this same officer, who gave us a friendly wave. We did not visit the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club on this cruise, but they are still active, tel. 902-875-4757, http://www.shelburneharbouryachtclub.com/.

Port Mouton - page 58

2009 - We visited this harbour twice on our cruise, on account of its convenient location and attractive nature. There is a large and active fish farm off Spectacle Island. Anchoring off the sand beach is pleasant and popular. The beach is divided into two anchoring areas by Carter Island. East of Carter Island, the bottom is mud. West of Carter Island the bottom is sand. This beach is popular with locals, who find lag deposits of sand dollars in the swash zone. Chart 4240 shows a bell buoy off Mouton Head, which was gone as of August 2008. However, the RW whistle 3 miles northeast appears to be a substitute.

Lunenburg - page 64

2009 - There are numerous rental moorings at C$15 per night, payable at the Yacht Shop on Montague St. just beyond the Foodland Market. This is a small supermarket. A larger one lies at the west end of town, within walking distance (15-20 minutes). However, a taxi to that market, which is also adjacent to the liquor store and laundromat, costs only C$5. Heavy maintenance for the boat is available at the Lunenburg Foundry, several locations in town, tel. 902-634-8827. http://www.lunenburgfoundry.com/. In town, the Dockside Restaurant has four rooms on the second floor, with harbour view, from C$75 per night, a pretty good deal. Finally, one of the architectural features of Lunenburg is known as the Lunenburg Bump, sort of a dormer on houses of a certain vintage.

Peggy's Cove - page 80

2009 - Jean Duquesne in Vagrant. Although nice to read, the description of the entrance of Glide in 1953 is somewhat outdated. Yes indeed it is narrow, but quite frankly there is no need, with modern instrumentation, to have been scouting the place from ashore as a prerequisite to enter. Coming from the east, rounding Peggy's Cove head close to the shore (leaving Halibut Rock to port) and then gently following the shore on your right hand side (with a good eye around and on the depth sounder) will naturally lead you to discover the entrance: turn right and stay well in the middle.

But pay attention while inside: a few fishing vessels seem to be tied up here permanently (probably part of the tourist attraction) and they have managed to get some ropes ashore crossing the whole basin altogether. A sharp turn is required to tie up to the main wharf, in very good condition, or alongside a fishing boat. (Ed. Thank you, Jean for this, depending on the fishing season it can get quite busy. Frankly the cove and lighthouse are over run by tourists in the summer and it is not a place I would bother to visit by boat)

Little Harbour - not in the guide - position 44°42.5'N x 62°50.5'W

2009 - Jean Duquesne in Vagrant Another "Little Harbour" not to be confused of course either with the one mentioned on page 55 or with the other one in Lake Bras d'Or (page 163). A small but interesting spot between Jeddore and Ship Harbour, located on the east side of Clam Bay.

Entering Clam Bay between Long Island and Porter Island, you have to locate the red buoy 'S6' off the ledge extending on the north west of Porter Island. From there, steer NE towards green buoy 'YS9': there is not much water in this stretch, but staying well in the middle we never recorded less than 2,5 m. At the green 'YS9' buoy, turn left towards the harbour, there are a few wharves to tie to, but no real anchorage since the place is so narrow that you would probable block the passage. No services but a very friendly local fishing community. See picture.

Owl's Head Harbour - page 102

2008 - Dr. Rod Fraser in Hardtack. In a strong Easterly wind he anchored in the lee of Cable Island between an aquaculture facility and the shore and spent a comfortable night.

Spry Harbour - page 110

2008 - Peter Worrell. Onboard Patience. We found a good anchorage in the fog which after it lifted; we realized we could have fit the entire CCA fleet in there! Big enough anchorage so that with a SE wind we experienced a bit of chop. When we departed in the morning we took the inside passage to the east with no issues.

Sheet Harbour - page 113

2008 - Jim Hawkins. We tied to the downstream end of the wharf in the east channel with 12 feet at low tide. It is in need of repair, but frankly any wharf that still has serviceable ladders is a good wharf as far as we are concerned and this one does, plus a concrete deck. No services are located here. This is a private wharf and we asked around for the owner to seek permission. One man who came down to see our boat called the owner and we got permission over the phone. Later he came to the boat to tend the small docks (see below), which he also owns. He was very nice.

The sunken ship is marked with a lighted green buoy. It has three feet over it at low tide. Small floats mark the ends of the wreck. A small floating dock with small finger piers lay behind it next to the wharf with a few local boats tied on. The floating dock and the end of the wreck lay just to port of us. Unbelievably, there is another rusting hulk tied to the face of the dock. It was towed here from Dartmouth two months ago we were told. It is owned by the heritage group that reconditioned the Caledonia. In fact this ship was the one that towed the Caledonia from England. They are intending to re-hab this one too and make it into a cruise ship! We later learned that the Caledonia is in receivership. So who knows?! The wharf owner and two others bought the wharf in '97 from the government. They rented it out to fishermen as the fishery was dying, then to oceanographers searching for oil and gas, now to the heritage group. The Native Americans have a like-new dock on the town side of the west channel. It has a crane and a small fish plant and cold storage unit for the native fishermen and others. It has water, electric, and ice in season, and diesel on the wharf (!). It is a long wharf and sits adjacent to a town park. Several local boats were tied to it. All we talked to conformed to the local reputation of being very friendly. They said sailboats tie up there all summer long. A strong west wind could pin a boat to the dock. We motored down to it to get water. One of the fishermen got the key from the native owned convenience store across the street from the wharf and got out their hose with town water for us.

Jim Hawkins. Horsehead Harbor: No aquaculture present, four moorings, but room for a couple of boats to anchor between the moorings and the spit.

Beaver Harbour - page 115

2008 - Jim Hawkins. Horsehead Harbor: No aquaculture present, four moorings, but room for a couple of boats to anchor between the moorings and the spit.

Whitehead Harbour - page 133

2008 - Peter Worrell in Patience. We found great protection from any breeze and had no difficulty getting up into the Northeast Arm where we found great holding and beautiful surroundings. Many abandoned mussel cultivation strings were evident, but they were no problem to navigation as the floats were large (navy blue). Local fishermen said that they might try to re-organize them again in the following year. Marshall Cove has a good gov't wharf where there looked to be six to eight feet of water on the inside, and good protection, but other than that it looked a bit dreary.

Canso - page 142

2008 - Jim Hawkins. Canso Marina is small as noted. It has a number of finger docks ranging from 30 to 40 feet long. A 55 foot sailboat tied up at the 40 foot dock far in. A Tartan 41 tied next to us. The turning room is small for a larger boat. A couple of fishing boats and a number of small power boats seem to reside here. There is electric and water at the dock. There are good showers. The marina also doubles as an RV park. The breakwater side of the outermost finger dock is shoal and cannot be used by any deep draft boat. There is no sign to this effect and the marina manager, Mike, opines that the mud bottom is merely about 3-4 feet of silt which "should not really be a problem!" Other-wise, he has been quite helpful and friendly. He is a diver. Docking fee is a flat $22.60 all inclusive. Ice, fuel, a convenience store, and a pizza joint with beer are located in town less than a ˝ mile. An easy one hour walk is a motel with a restaurant. And a nice hiking trail starts just 5 minutes away. Our friends on Jubilee told us that some of the electric connections here were wired backward with polarity problems and that at least one of the thirty amp outlets did not work at all. We had no problem with the 15 amp outlet we used.

Canso Lock - page 142

2008 - Jim Evans in Nellie Lamb. Canso Lock operates 24 hours - call Lockmaster Canso on Ch 16. The lock walls are high so if it's windy it may be easier to simply hold the boat under power in the middle rather than tying up. Wind and sea tend to funnel into the Strait from the west, making it a rough and tumble into the canal although the last few yards are sheltered. Be prepared for a rough ride going west exiting the canal if the wind's westerly. Havre Boucher is a useful bolthole if it's rough.

Petit de Grat - page 148

2008 - Jim Hawkins. There is a new wharf in Petit de Grat that sits atop the breakwater. It has electric, no water. Water would be available at the marine center we were told. Depth is deep all around the wharf except for a spot on the outside toward the shore where a sign warns to stop due to rocks. Most of the old docks remain, in fair repair, and a new floating wharf is in place far in. However, it was completely filled with local pleasure craft that appear to stay there all summer. A convenience store across the bridge has ice and a good bakery. The marine center had one sailboat already on the hard and we were told that there are several others that usually haul there. The Samson Boat Yard runs the place and we hold it as a back-up in the unlikely event we cannot make Mahone Bay and have to turn tail and scurry back to Petit de Grat.

D'Escousse - page 150

2008 - Jim Hawkins. D'Escousse has a brand new clubhouse with great showers and laundry facilities. On the west side of the wharf a number of 25 foot finger piers are installed. They are all assigned to club members, but if empty can be used with permission of the club manager. The moorings are all private and used by the members when the wind goes into the NE and a sea rolls into the harbor so they have to be kept clear in case the wind changes and cannot be used by visitors. They said a visitor would go out to anchor if a NE comes up.

St Peters Canal - page 152

2008 - Peter Worrell in Patience. St. Peter's Canal - was curious from the point of view that it was unreasonably difficult to get a straight answer as to the height of the power lines crossing the inlet, as there have been some new wires added. We knew that in PATIENCE we were fine, but friends cruising with us needed about 80 feet. After questioning everyone we could find including the canal workers, we may have gotten the full story which was "the power company doesn't want us to tell people exactly how high they are because they are afraid people with tall rigs will come too close. We know that they will clear 100 feet". Okay.

St. Peter's Inlet - page 153

2009 - H. Anderson, Jr. aboard Annie B. There is a full service at the Lion's Club marina. Be certain to obtain their clear garbage bags for segregation of garbage.

Neil Harbour and New Haven - page 177

2008 - Dr. Rod Fraser in Hardtack. There is a new and enlarged "L' shaped breakwater that protects the harbour from any conditions. Inside the breakwater there is a new wharf. Hardtack lay alongside the North face, as the South face was full of fishing boats. Rod suggests that before 15 July the wharf will be very busy with the open lobster season and an alongside berth may be difficult. There was no water or diesel available on the wharf.

He found New Haven very busy with a smelly, noisy fish plant and with the improvements at Neil Hbr he would not recommend it.

St. Ann's Harbour - page 181

2009 - Jim Evans in Nellie Lamb. The entrance is well marked and straightforward, although there is a strong current and one should not attempt to pass the cable ferry. I stayed at the government wharf. A fisherman was happy to let me tie alongside inside the wharf, which was just as well as the outside was thronged with locals hauling in mackerel. If you head across the harbour to the west side of the bay, look out for the shoal, which extends a long way into the bay with a very small buoy marking its extremity. Fortunately it's mud bottom (at least where I went aground...) Ice and basic supplies are available at the campsite: turn right out of the harbour and look for the sign (Englishtown Ridge Campground) about a quarter of a mile along the road.

Ingonish - page 182

2009 - H.Anderson Jr. in Annie B The fish plant and pier hard to starboard from entrance in direction of the Keltic Lodge has been torn down, and new owner plans to build a house. Enough of bulkhead left to make fast for the night. If plan to walk to the Lodge, the road to right which looks like a shortcut is not passable, and beach too rocky

2009 - Jim Evans in Nellie Lamb. The buoys are surprisingly far up into the bay, almost up under the cliffs it seems, but once you spot the fairway buoy all is revealed and it is very straightforward and not really narrow. I tied to the remains of what is shown as a fish plant wharf in the cove on the northeast side but the plant has gone and the land was being cleared, presumably for a new home. The folks at the big new house with a large new sailboat at the dock across the cove were making a racket all the time I was there, so there are probably better spots. It's a tidy walk up to the shops: bakery straight ahead, gas station to the right and grocery and liquor store to the left up the hill. Unless you're a keen walker it's a long way to the beaches, Keltic Lodge etc.

Dingwall - page 184

2009 - H. Anderson Jr.in Maggie B. Hamilton Carter's large, steel ketch was visible at his dock, first one on the port hand. Annie B. lay at fish plant pier. Above and visible to the right is a neat and clean and quite recent convenience type store that has a limited menu and limited supplies. It's reported that the Markland Inn no longer serves meals; last year it was serving only to its guests, although intervention by Hamilton Carter opened the door for us.

Cape St. Lawrence/Cape North - page 184

2009 - Jim Evans in Nellie Lamb. I passed round the capes a mile or two off at night and couldn't see either light - I don't know whether they were out or I just didn't spot them. The only lights visible were streetlights at Bay St. Lawrence and a few house lights. The wind was fresh southerly and there were strong squalls coming down off the Highlands all the way round to Dingwall; it might have been wise to stand further out!

Cheticamp - page 188

2009 - H. Anderson Jr. in Annie B. Docked at a small marina - name not visible from the water but above and to the right is a café with blue trim and excellent food. Was not charged for docking. Diesel obtainable at the large Harbour Authority marina - filled with commercial fishing vessels at the end of the snow-crab season - which is first pier complex on entering the harbour. Phone for service 902.224.3009 harbour.athority@ns.aliantzinc.ca for service from office at head of piers

Port Hood - page 192

2009 - H.Anderson Jr. in Annie B. Docked alongside the bulkhead at the inner former fishing harbour cul-de-sac, which is occupied mostly by pleasure-work vessels belonging to members of the summer colony and the ferry from the mainland bringing daytime tourists. In the old days the islands were, similar to Labrador, sites of summer fishing camps whose catch was picked up by coastal steamers. When refrigerator trucks entered the picture, this mode of livelihood changed. As reported by others, in southerly breezes - as mild as under 10 knots - the swell enters even the cul-de-sac. Locals reported that the breakwater has been pierced enabling transit to the north out of Port Hood. We sighted three pairs of yellow buoys leading thereto, but without figures for depth did not attempt this.

Bayfield Wharf - page 195

2008- Jim Evans in Nellie Lamb. CAUTION a sand bar extends a long way south of Pomquet Island and it is important to identify the buoys and wharf before a close approach. The church spire in Bayfield village may prove a useful leading mark.

Anchorages and Berths
Pomquet Road is reported to offer good shelter in winds from south through north-west in two to three fathom, sand.

Merigomish - page 196

2008 - Jim Evans in Nellie Lamb

Directions
The entrance to Merigomish Harbour is possible even in strong northerly winds, as the shoals on the eastern side of the entrance break the waves for the turn in the channel.

From the fairway buoy FlR SA2; a course of 169°T will bring you past FlR SA6 and within sight of the channel buoys past the narrows at Savage Point. Betty Point can be shaved very close; the water is deep right up to the point. The current flows strongly through here at half flood and ebb, but is nothing that will cause problems to a boat with a good auxiliary.

Local boats usually follow the narrow and unmarked channel up to Blackhall Gut, a perfectly protected hurricane hole, but even they sometimes find themselves on the mud. The channel is accurately shown on the chart - I have negotiated it several times by pre-plotting and following the GPS.

There is excellent anchorage in behind Colquhoun Point outside the harbour in westerly conditions - I have ridden out a 25 knot S-Westerly in comfort here - in 2-3 fathom sand bottom. In fine weather you can anchor in close enough to swim ashore to the lovely sand beach - but watch for the tide. It might go out while you're having fun and leave you aground. I know.

2008 - David Hartman anchored in the lee of Roy Island in a light SW'ly and found it comfortable.

Pictou - page 197

2008 - Jim Evans in Nellie Lamb.

Directions
The channel is marked for quite large vessels and is easy to enter at any state of tide, day or night.

Anchorage and Berths
The town marina is well equipped and right in the town (look for the masts of the Hector - see photo above), but the floats near the entrance tend to be exposed in a southeasterly. The Pictou Marina at Campbell Point, home to the Pictou Yacht Club, has a travelift of sorts, gas and diesel and repair facilities, but is a longish hike from town. The Yacht Club bar is open to visitors and they are a very friendly crowd - club night is Friday. There is a reasonable anchorage just off the Yacht Club in westerly conditions - right on top of the start line, so make sure it's not race night! (David Hartman rode out 40 knots SW'ly here with no problems for 24 hours.) There is a narrow channel east of Lighthouse Beach that is sometimes used as an anchorage by local boats.

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