Northumberland Strait - a cruisers paradise

Posted February 10th, 2008 by Aloha27

Guide/Book Page

Northumberland Strait - a cruisers paradise

46.006501 -63.319702 ca

Destination: Northumberland Strait By Steve Abbey

Every year, more and more cruisers are discovering the Northumberland Strait's warm weather, prevailing westerly/southwesterly light to moderate breezes, virtual absence of fog, breathtaking sunsets and "the warmest salt water north of Virginia”, making for excellent swimming.Although a short chop may build after a period of consistent winds, wave heights in the Strait are generally less than a metre.

The Gulf of St. Lawrence sailing directions is an excellent reference for currents and tidal effects.The Strait bottom nearly everywhere consists of mud or coarsely packed sand and provides good holding while at anchor. Harbours and marinas are an easy day-sail apart, usually about 30 to 40 nautical miles in distance, making for a relaxing vacation experience. Hazards are few and those that do exist are well charted. Marinas (from east to west) on Nova Scotia's north shore are located at Ballantyne's Cove, Pictou (2), New Glasgow, Barrachois Harbour and Pugwash.

On Prince Edward Island, marina facilities are located at Souris, Montague, Murray River, Charlottetown (2), Summerside and West Point, while New Brunswick marinas are located at Pointe-du-Chene, Shediac, Cap-de-Cogagne, Bouctouche, Richibucto and Miramichi. Excellent waypoint and marina information is available on-line at the Barrachois Harbour Yacht Club website, www.angelfire.com/ns/BarrachoisYachtClub and additional cruising info may be found on the Northumberland Strait Yachting Association website at www.NStYA.com Snug anchorage may be found in Merigomish Harbour, Caribou Harbour, Brule Bay, Tatamagouche Bay and Baie Verte in addition to five hefty moorings (yellow buoys)located just northeast of Malagash Point, in addition to two about 1 mile west-southwest of Chambers' Point (UD4) (FlR) in Barrachois Harbour, maintained by the Barrachois Harbour Yacht Club, while the Pictou Yacht Club maintains a mooring in Blackhall Gut in Merigomish Harbour for the use of pleasure boaters. Having a tender greatly increases the possibilities of gunkholing coastal creeks and estuaries while at anchor.

The numerous fishing wharves along the Strait are generally friendly and accommodating to pleasure boaters in addition to being an excellent source of local area information and attractions. Festivals and events abound during the summer in the region, highlighted by the not-to-be-missed Festival of Lights in Charlottetown with Canada Day fireworks in Charlottetown Harbour on July 1st, in addition to a series of concerts on the waterfront.

In conjunction with Canada Day, for those who like to mix it up, BHYC hosts the annual 30-nautical-mile BHYC to Charlottetown race on July 1^stand Charlottetown Race Week is certainly the ticket later in the summer.

2006 saw the inauguration of an annual event, hosted by the Pictou Yacht Club, the Trueman "Trap" Stright Memorial Race weekend in August, which consists of two NStYA-sanctioned events, the 30-mile race around Pictou Island and the next day the 20-mile Gull Rock race. Plans always include a social gathering on Saturday evening, with time and place to be announced. More information may be obtained at the Pictou Yacht Club website, www.pictouyachtclub.com, as details are finalized. While in Pictou, cruisers may want to visit the Hector Exhibit Centre and tour the replica tall ship Hector as well as other displays commemorating the arrival of Scottish immigrants to Nova Scotia's Pictou County. Every year, the town holds a re-enactment of the landing complete with costumes of the period. Lobster festivals in Shediac, NB and Pictou, NS in early July are always very popular and marina reservations are encouraged well in advance of arriving

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Best time to visit Nova Scotia

On February 11th, 2008 Kim says:

Nice article Steve! I always love hearing your local knowledge about cruising in eastern Canada.

When would you say is the best time of year up for sailing in Northumberland Strait?

Best time of year to cruise the Northumberland Strait

On February 12th, 2008 Aloha27 says:

Thank You for the compliment Kim!

The past couple of years has been downright brrrr in May and June. We usually plan our vacations starting the middle of July and have in past years cruised right through September, hauling out in the middle of October. You can almost bet there'll be a three-or-four day episode of rain and a gale or two the first two weeks of August, but generally light-to-moderate southwesterlies are the rule.

Steve, Patti and Grace (Ship's Cat)

s/v "Ever After"

Barrachois Harbour (Tatamagouche)

Nova Scotia

"It's better to be ashore wishing you were at sea, than at sea wishing you were ashore." (The former is generally inspired by longing, the latter by panic.)

Thanks for the cruising guide

On July 9th, 2008 gerrard says:

Thanks for recommending all these wonderful places, when it comes to choosing to best cruise sometimes it gets impossible for us to make that choice and we become dependent on recommendations. Cruises are meant to be wonderful by definition, this would explain why we need directions. This summer I am booked for Mediterranean cruises and I am looking forward to see what they got to offer.

Malagash Wharf

On July 30th, 2008 Sailor (anonymous) says:

What's the form there now at Malagash? Can one still get in on an approach more-or-less from the East. I drove by last week-end and noticed that the channel marker buoys are no longer in situ. Would we be OK with four foot draft on a low tide going in?

Bruce Ramsay. Tepukei, Contessa 26.

Malagash Wharf

On July 30th, 2008 Aloha27 (not verified) says:

Hi Bruce!

There are not a great many vessels at Malagash Wharf. I hope you're referring to the channel on the way in to BHYC and Sunrise Shore Marina. Patti and I know your vessel quite well, we draw a little more than you do (4' 4") and have never had a problem with mid-tide or better conditions, even at LWS. Check out the just updated sailing directions at:

http://www.angelfire.com/ns/BarrachoisYachtClub/directions.html

Hope to see you soon!

Steve, Patti and Grace (Ship's Cat)
BHYC

Malagash Wharf

On August 2nd, 2008 Sailor (anonymous) says:

Actually I WAS referring to Malagash wharf itself. Friends have lent us their cottage (country home really) for my daugther's wedding party in Se[tember. It's just a short hop from the wharf and I was thinking of taking the boat down there. I saw some sailboats in there a ciouple of years ago but there were then a few channel marker buoys. These are now gone.

Malagash Wharf

On August 2nd, 2008 Aloha27 says:

Hi Bruce!

Patti and I (and Grace, ship's cat) have sailed out of BHYC for more than a few years now and neither of us can remember buoys near Malagash. We put a few race marks on the Malagash side of the Bay, and DFO has placed a couple of traps to check out just what sealife is here, but that's about it. (We sailed home with you guys from Cape Breton in 2003, I believe)

Your draft of 4' on your Contessa SHOULD leave you clear at low tide, but we're not sure whether the wharf was dredged this year. A Parks 23' that normally lives over there draws 3' 8" and they're at BHYC this season.

Hope to see you this summer!

-Steve, Patti and Grace

s/v "Ever After"

BHYC

"It's better to be ashore wishing you were at sea, than at sea wishing you were ashore." (The former is generally inspired by longing, the latter by panic.)

Info on Malagsh for sailboats

On August 5th, 2008 Sailor (anonymous) says:

Thanks for that Aloha 27. I may just give it a miss but I'll phone the "harbourmaster" anyway and ask . . .

wbr

Sailing Directions to Barrachois Harbour

On July 30th, 2008 Sailor (anonymous) says:

Sailing Directions to Barrachois Harbour from http://www.angelfire.com/ns/BarrachoisYachtClub/directions.html

The western route to Barrachois Harbour Yacht Club and Sunrise Shore Marina is to come in via the west end of Amet, between the Island and Malagash Point.

Coordinates for Waugh Shoal UE2 (R) are N45° 50' 15" W063° 11' 13"

Your next waypoint will be the Tatamagouche Bay buoy UE6 (FlR)
at N45° 47' 73" W063° 13' 06" , distance 2.77 nM.

Then to Chambers Point can UD4 (QR)
at N45° 45' 16" W063° 14' 41" , distance 2.74 nM.

(Leave both of these reds to starboard when entering.)

If entering Amet Sound via the east end, leave Cape John UA2 (FlR)
N 44° 49' 25" W063° 07' 75" to starboard,

then 4.73 nm to Jollimore's Reef UD3 (QG)
at N45° 46' 27" W063° 13' 01"
and is to be left to port at all cost.

Then to Chambers Point can UD4 (QR)
at N45° 45' 16" W063° 14' 41".

First channel marker UD 4.2(FlR) is your next waypoint (1.03 nM in distance)
at N45° 44' 15" W063° 15' 34"
the channel is well-marked, but be sure to stay in the middle
until making your turn to port at private VQR at the turn... then slightly favour the RED cans!
Keep the last green at the turn on your stern while making for the small RED
buoy just outside the entrance to Sunrise Shore Marina.
Keep this buoy to STARBOARD on entrance, as it warns of rocks!

Some attention must be paid to the tide charts when entering or exiting the channel.
At Low Water Springs, the difference between
high and low water may be as much as 9'.

As there is less than 2' depth in the channel at LWS, make sure
that you time your entrance or exit at least 3 hrs from low or high.
However, the bottom is sand or soft mud, so your vessel shouldn't be damaged.
(Your pride, however, may be a different story.)

BHYC and Sunrise Shore Marina monitor VHF 68