Sailing in Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, Bay of Fundy, Newfoundland and the St. Lawrence River

Atlantic Canada adjoins Maine: from Eastport on Passamaquoddy Bay it is only a few miles to Campobello and Deer Island in New Brunswick. To the north follow Nova Scotia, the Gulf of St. Lawrence with Prince Edward Island and the Îles de la Madeleine, Newfoundland and the St. Lawrence River. Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon off the south coast of Newfoundland belongs to France.

Which cruising grounds does Atlantic Canada have?

The South Shore of Nova Scotia with Lunenburg, Mahone Bay and Chester is the best known cruising ground: many islands, sheltered bays and anchorages. The Bras d'Or Lakes on Cape Breton are an inland sea with little tide, reached through the St. Peter's Canal and its lock; the Canso Canal with its lock and swing bridge links the Atlantic coast with the Northumberland Strait, where the water is warmest in summer. In Newfoundland yachts lie at the wharves of the outports, often between fishing boats, and in deep fjords on the south and west coasts. The Saguenay Fjord and the estuary of the St. Lawrence River are a marine protected area with whales.

When is the best time to go?

The season is short: from late June to early September, on the St. Lawrence River and in Newfoundland rather July and August. In June and July dense fog often lies over the Bay of Fundy, off Nova Scotia and along the south coast of Newfoundland, where warm air moves over the cold water of the Labrador Current. Off the northeast coast of Newfoundland icebergs drift in spring and early summer. Hurricane season runs from June to November: the remnants of tropical storms usually reach Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in August and September. Sailseer shows the marine forecasts and warnings of Environment and Climate Change Canada, plus the regional model HRDPS and the observations of the coastal stations.

What do I need to know about tides and currents?

In the Bay of Fundy the water rises twice a day by up to 16 m (Minas Basin), in Saint John by around 8 m. The current in the narrows between the islands of Passamaquoddy Bay and at the entrance to the Minas Basin reaches several knots; the Reversing Falls on the Saint John River can only be passed for a short time around slack water. On the St. Lawrence River the tide reaches beyond Québec City, above it the river current sets downstream. Sailseer calculates tides and currents from the global ocean model of Copernicus Marine; this does not replace the tide tables of the Canadian Hydrographic Service.

How do I clear in to Canada?

If you arrive from the USA, from Saint-Pierre or across the Atlantic, you report to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) immediately on arrival, at one of the reporting sites for pleasure craft (Telephone Reporting Sites), for example in Saint Andrews, Halifax, Lunenburg, Sydney, Charlottetown, Gaspé, Québec City or St. John's. Everyone stays on board until clearance. For Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon you clear in with French customs in Saint-Pierre or Miquelon. Sailseer lists the reporting sites in the formalities and marks them along the route.

Charts and navigation

The charts of the Canadian Hydrographic Service are mandatory on board and not freely available: Sailseer therefore shows no depths in Canada, only the aids to navigation from OpenSeaMap. The waterway used for planning follows the elevation model of NOAA and the fairways from OpenStreetMap. Traffic separation schemes lie in the Bay of Fundy and off Chedabucto Bay.