Nova Scotia

The skipper's last update as we leave Belle Colombe in the hands of the East River Shipyard.

Lionel H: 26/08/26

We had the most splendid sailing conditions across the Laurentian Channel from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia. For much of it we were reaching at 9 knots, in sunshine.
We made such good progress that we changed our destination from Ingonish Harbour, which sounds and apparently looks Scottish and would have been an eighty mile passage, to a hundred mile run to the northern entry to the Bras D’Or Lakes. The benefit of stopping at Ingonish is that entry to Bras D’Or can be planned to meet a favourable tide. We covered our first 95 miles very quickly then the last 2 miles took two hours!

We wanted to sail in and were enjoying the steep following waves in the wind-on-tide conditions that we had been told at all costs to avoid. We finally conceded defeat at the narrowest part of the narrows where we were going backwards and we motored the last few hundred yards to an anchorage as it was getting dark. I would not have wanted to be going out into the waves. As it was, we stayed dry, just. The buoys were struggling to stay upright!

The Bras D’Or is an inland sea, three times the size of the Solent, with enough sounds, inlets, islands and skerries to cruise for a month. Its main settlement is Baddeck, where we saw dinghies, yachts on moorings and a small marina for the first time in months. We just missed regatta week. There is a fascinating museum to Alexander G Bell who spent much of his fortune here pioneering the first powered flight in Canada, which took off from the ice, and building hydrofoiling motorboats, achieving 70 MPH in 1919.

Little Harbour provided a spectacular anchorage in a large circular pool with a very narrow entrance. We had it to ourselves.

There was only a little bit of air draft anxiety going under some power cables in the main narrows, with little to spare.

After a rainy day alongside in St Peter’s we left through the canal which forms the SW entrance. Thick fog returned as we explored some fabulous remote anchorages. Going into Louse Harbour the first thing we saw was white water on rocks a boat’s length away, on both sides!

Dover Passage was a very narrow tickle where we saw Bald Eagles close up. We also saw black capped chickadee, belted kingfishers and many seals saw us. Where there are no eagles, there are ospreys.

Liscomb Lodge is at the highest navigable point of a beautiful river, with a jetty on a narrow corner where we made up to dine in the lodge.

A couple more lovely anchorages and swims took us to Halifax, in the rain. The pilot book says that the eastern entrance to Halifax is possible; but local knowledge is a distinct advantage. Without it, we drove onto a sandbank; but managed to extract ourselves and make it through the passage which carried less than 2 metres in places. The joys of a lifting keel!

Sunday lunch was taken at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and the night enjoyed in another ridiculously tight tickle at Rogues Roost. Then (in fog) to Chester, where we were well entertained ashore by David and Mary Creighton. David is a polymath who has sailed with many of the usual suspects in Cowes. Chester is a very charming and genteel holiday and sailing (and golfing) village. We really were back in civilisation.

When the fog lifts and the sun comes out Nova Scotia in August is hot and very beautiful. Imagine the most gorgeous coasts of Europe without the people. We saw very few other yachts about and we have not shared an anchorage since one time in West Greenland.

Unfortunately the motor has had too much exercise, with 500 hours logged over our 5,800 miles. Despite foggy and windless days we have been lucky to have had no storms.

The St Vaast cheese gave out in Chester; but the smoked meats did not. We had to leave a large saussison with the Creightons. I hope it doesn’t kill them.

The French wines have held up and a taste for rum was acquired in Canada. We are out of Sauternes and port; but I did unearth a bottle of Madeira and one of Marsala when mucking out the boat. I also found a bottle of Calvados which had evaded the Outhwaite bros!

Belle Colombe has served us well, covering the distance safely and comfortably. Nothing failed which Mark couldn’t fix

I am deeply grateful to all the crew, without whom this trip could not have happened. Mark and Tim have just spent two happy, hot days mucking the boat out and preparing it for the winter, when the temperature will fall to minus 30. We sent 12 boxes of wines and food ashore.

The boat comes out at East River shipyard tomorrow and we are on our way home