Northern New England and Nova Scotia

[bduning]

We are planning a trip north from LI Sound to Nova Scotia. We have researched and read about several places but wanted to get recommendations from Sailnets sailors on both places to stop and routes (ie Cape Cod canal vs outside). This is being planned as a round trip leaving mid July returning end of August or September. Thanks ahead of time for your suggestions, insight, and advice.
Cheers

S/V Noka
36' Caroff Exploration Special
Easy Haddam, CT

[gc]

You will have to say a lot more about what kind of sailing you do and what kind of trip you want to make if you want relevant comments. I have made the trip from the south shore of LI to Maine many times over the years (probably over 20). A friend that loves spending time in isolated harbors far Down East, leaves the south shore, heads south to the Gulf Stream and then two nights later is in Northern Maine. We like the trip and the places in between, so we harbor hop north. Up through Buzzards Bay and the CC canal and so on. If this is your style then I can offer lots of comments, but if you are interested in spending most of your time in Nova Scotia, I would have a lot less to say.

[bduning]

Thanks GC. Here is a little more info.
We are not interested in taking the express north (Gulf Stream) but rather planning to primarily hop along the coast from LI Sound up to northern Maine, New Brunswick then Nova Scotia. We would rather anchor than take a slip and we enjoy out of the way anchorages. We also have two small children (2&6) on board so will be looking for points of interest for them along the way.
Look forward to your comments.
Cheers

[sailingdog]

Well, in Fall River, I'd recommend Battleship Cove, as a good point of interest. New Bedford has many points of interest, including their whaling museum.

Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket are definite spots to visit as well, especially if you plan on going around Cape Cod, rather than up the Cape Cod Canal.

Outer Boston Harbor has many islands that have Revolutionary and Civil War era buildings on them, and most of the islands are part of a National Park.

[bduning]

Thanks Saildog. We'll have to check those out.
Cheers

[c2cSailor]

Good day,

I live in Boston and will also be heading north starting July 14th on a friend’s 26’ Pearson- S/V Silver Sea. I was sailing in Martha's Vineyard last weekend. There is a place called Lake Tashmoo on the NW corner of the island with a nice protected cove. Kids can swim and there is a small beach on the left about 3 minutes motoring into the cove although don't remember if it's private. You can dinghy over to the public ramp, and walk just short of a mile into Martha's Vineyard itself. Ice cream, shops, a bus stop that takes visitors around the island. Great place, I have been there twice.

Cuttyhunk I will also agree with. Moorings get scare quick even at $35 so get in by 3pm on a weekend day. It will be worth the money if and when the harbor master even comes by to collect. There is also a fresh seafood boat that goes around and you can buy stuff from them. A girl on a golf cart comes down to the landing each weekend morning during the summer and sells muffins, cookies, coffee, ect. There is also a nice pizza joint on the island. There is a nice beach with a designated bonfire spot for cooking or roasting marsh-mellows and the kids can play along the shore. Cuttyhunk is very shallow around 8ft, but very well protected. It's my favorite place south of the Cape.

It isn't a long passage if you wanted to visit these places and still go through the canal. You can cut through Woods Hole which isn't as daunting as people make it out to be. I'd recommend motoring through and make sure you go through only with either a slack tide or fair current. At times it is possible the channel buoys are submerged due to current. The only other bad time is when you have opposing wind and current. It’s not unheard of to see 10ft standing waves through Woods Hole.

The CC Canal takes approx 2-3hrs motoring and isn’t a concern either with slack or fair current.

The Boston Harbor Islands are a beautiful place to overnight. There are island moorings that can be reserved and also a few places to anchor. An island mooring chart can be found here http://www.bostonharbor.com/moorindex.html. Georges island has a dock and is great for picknicking, walking through the Fort (bring a flashlight), or buying burgers and fries at the concession stand. This is one of the few islands that have onshore bathrooms. A link on the URL above takes you to the Boston Harbor Islands page for more info.

Salem Harbor may have town mooring available for overnighting. Not sure about anchorage spots. There is a place called Salem Willows that have food stands, cotton candy, a nice park to run around and play, as well as harbor tours.

I don’t know if we will cross paths during our travels, but enjoy your vacation.

Fair winds to you,
c2csailor

[Surfesq]

I would definitely echo what the New Englanders are saying. NE has the best sailing in the Country in my opinion. There is so much to see and do in Nova Scotia. If you have time, French Village Harbor in St. Margarets Bay is ridiculously beautiful. And as long as your are heading that way, you might consider Prince Edward Island. Another fantastic and beautiful destination.

[John_colpitts]

The best cruising areas in Nova Scotia are probably Mahone bay and the Bras D'Or lakes in Cape Breton (North-eastern NS). Mahone Bay is on the South coast, failry easy access once you are across the Gulf of Maine. They say there is an island for every day of the year in Mahone Bay, we haven't found that many yet. Lunenburg, a UN World Heritage Site is close by, it is a must-see. The Bras D'Ors are a coupel of days fomr Mahone Bay, if you want to go that far north make sure you spend a day or 2 in Halifax. PEI is nice, but again it is another long day sail (or maybe better) from the Bras D'Ors, however the water between PEI and NS/NB (Northumberland Straight) is much warmer than the Atlantic Ocean on the South shore of NS.

There is some interesting stuff to see in the Bay of Fundy, including the 30-45' tides, but be very aware of the 30-45' tides!! Saint John and Digby are worth a visit if you choose to go up the Bay.

Good Luck!

[Surfesq]

Yes, a bit of trivia about PEI: The reason the water is so warm is because the gulf stream distributes all that warm water from the south. It's also the site of the world record Big Eye Tuna catch. In fact, in the summer, you will see a lot of Japanese on the Island who are there not just for site seeing but to buy the Tuna for sushi! Have a great trip. I did a similar trip with my then 2 year old 3 summers ago and had a blast!

[sailingdog]

Also, be aware that the Bras D'Or lakes are now a no-discharge zone IIRC. Just recently made such this year. Needless to say they're doing some serious enforcement to kick the law off properly...

Another good stop is Tarpaulin Cove, on the SE side of one of the Elizabeth Islands—nashwena IIRC. It is a very nice place to stop and has good holding for anchors.