Updates to Nova Scotia Cruising Guide

Updates to Nova Scotia Cruising Guide

CCA Cruising Guide to Nova Scotia

Updates to 2022 Edition

April 2025

 

Page 4 Web links

  • The Government of Canada is notorious for changing URLs and leaving dead links behind. The link to CHS chart and publication dealers on page 4 no longer works but if you type “CHS chart dealers” into your favourite search engine it should take you to the right place. The other links in the Guide still appear to work but a key word search strategy may be a helpful alternative to typing the URL.

 

Page 4 Chart Dealers

  • CHS charts for Atlantic Canada are stocked at Maps & More, 1601 Lower Water Street, Halifax, NS B3J 3P6, 902-422-7106 info@mapsandmore.ca

Page 5 Buoyage

  • Experience indicates that the small inshore spar buoys shown on the charts are sometimes out of position, so small as to be invisible until you are right beside them, or not there at all. This seems to be particularly the case along the eastern Shore. Don’t let that dissuade you from exploring the smaller passages but don’t become complacent or over-reliant on the charted marks.

 

Page 10 Customs entry 

  • The ArriveCan app is now only used for arrivals by air, not arrivals by land or by sea. But you must still contact the Canada Border Security Agency (“CBSA”) promptly on arrival in Canada by calling 1-888-226-7277. Do not go ashore until you have been issued a report number.

 

  • With the ending of Covid restrictions, the original port of entry list has been reinstated as follows:

New Brunswick:

                Campobello: Head Harbour Wharf, Welshpool Wharf, 

                Deer Island:  Leonardville Wharf

                Grand Manan: North Head Wharf

                St. Andrews:  St. Andrews Town Wharf, 

                Saint John Harbour: Market Slip

                Saint John River:  Royal Kennebeccasis Yacht Club

Nova Scotia:

                Digby: Digby Marina, Digby Fisherman’s Wharf

Yarmouth: Killam Brothers Wharf, Yarmouth Marginal Wharf, Lobster Rock Wharf

                Shelburne: Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club

                Lockeport: White Gull Restaurant and Marina

Liverpool:  Brooklyn Marina

                Lunenburg: Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic 

Mahone Bay: Lunenburg Yacht Club (note that LYC is in Princes Inlet, Mahone Bay, not in Lunenburg Harbour)

St. Margaret’s Bay: Shining Waters Marina

Halifax: Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, Armdale Yacht Club, Halifax Waterfront Marina (Waterfront Development Corporation) Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Dartmouth Yacht Club, Bedford Basin Yacht Club

                Port Bickerton: Government Wharf

Canso: Canso Pier

St. Peters:  St. Peters Lion’s Club Marina

Sydney:  Sydney Marine Terminals

Louisbourg: Louisbourg Pier

 

Page 11 Covid-19 restrictions

  • Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.

 

Page 25 Head Harbour Campobello

  • Michael Moore, 2024, reported “This place has not changed much in 30 years. Leave the three green cans to port and proceed a short distance southwest. Two public wharves are to starboard and lobster cars and pile drivers to port. Raft to vessels on the wharves or tie to the lobster cars and pile drivers. It’s a busy place prior to July 1st end of lobster season and an extremely secure haven in bad weather.  There were eight   yachts when we were there, rafted in pairs on lobster boats or lobster cars. Cell phone reception improves as the tide rises. There are no shoreside amenities except spectacular shelter and very welcoming people. It’s a 2 km hike from the wharf to the east Quoddy Head Lighthouse but the last part of the trail is cut off at high water.

 

Page 50 Yarmouth

  • Michael Moore, 2024, says there is a 2-mile hike to Bunker Island. Head south on Water St. from the marina, past the shipyard on the right and sewage plant on the left following the signed “road trail”. Once past the plant, it is a pleasant beach-side walk. Keep right at the trail fork, at the gravel road out to Bunker Island. Either take that road or work your way along the beach then over the top of Bunker Island and out to Little Bunker Island to get a grand view of the town and Forchu, if there is no fog …

 

Page 71 Shelburne

  • Michael Moore, 2024, says that the anchorage by the yacht club was very bouncy in a strong southwester, so they moved two miles to Birchtown Bay and anchored at 43o 44.0N 65o 22.26W which provided a better lee. The approach took some care but the hazards were well marked. The depth was 6m at low water and bottom sticky mud. No facilities or landing options but many grey seals and loons.

 

Page 74: Lockeport Harbour, White Gull Restaurant and Marina

  • Michael Moore, 2024, found that the one remaining float at The White Gull restaurant was crowded with small boats but they spent a quiet night on the south side of the public wharf. 

  • Anchoring is not permitted in the breakwater enclosed harbour but Simon Curran says he anchored to the north of the harbour and gained protection from the harbour breakwater. The chart shows many shoals and rocks if you venture very far toward the shore in this area.

 

Page 76 Little Port L’Hebert

  • After a long period with no new reports, we received two about Little Port L’Hebert in 2023.

  • Sandy Andrews: As the weather forecast called for a 25kn SW’ly and having read the old guide we decided to check this out.  Entry was easy, if slightly nerve wracking, and the charts are accurate.  Protection from the SW was excellent as was the holding (sand over heavy mud) and the scenery.  Unfortunately, there was a groundswell from the east which, despite the reefs and rocks outside, created a level of surge which was unpleasant.  Had we drawn less, say 4 1/2 ft, we might have been able to tuck closer into the southerly beach and gotten out of the worst of the surge.

  • Angus & Bridget Handasyde Dick, s/v Swaraj:  We anchored in Petite Port L’Hebert last night. Wind SW 10kts and swell was from S. Very sheltered. We anchored just inside the entrance and there was a bit of popple. Ideally we would have been further in but there were two yachts already in situ, both anchored on rope. It was clear the depths per Navionics was pessimistic and the cove is deeper than indicated. Holding was on shingle as we could hear the chain grumbling occasionally.

 

Page 77 Port L’Hebert

  • Sandy Andrews, 2023: Entry following the buoyed channel was easy. It does involve a tight turn at Lighthouse Point as the channel is narrow there.  We never saw less that 15 ft on the fathometer.  The government wharf has very recently been rebuilt and enlarged compared to what was on our chart.  It did look feasible to tie up to the long outer face, but it was quite exposed and would have involved frequent complicated docking line adjustments to cope with the changing tide directions and wind. Instead, we gingerly entered, took a sharp right and tied up alongside one of the handful of idle lobster boats in 13 ft. of water.  Here we comfortably rode out a SW blow.  Looking out into the river, significant wind against tide action was apparent so I imagine that the Guide’s warning about breaking waves at the river entrance is accurate.  There is nothing nearby that we found in the ways of stores and such. Walking (when the rain stopped) on the local roads was pleasant until the mosquitos became unbearable. 

 

Page 81 Port Medway

  • Michael and Hannah Moore 2024: There are two dubious moorings in the southernmost arm of anchorable bottom to the west of the wharf. Given our 55’ LOA we found good mud holding in the next option north at 44 07.945N and 64 37.956W, although there was significant tidal flow with boat sitting beam on to wind at times. In hindsight we probably should have squeezed in to the area where the moorings are, as there is probably less tidal action there. On departure we hauled up a taut pair of 1/2” lines anchored off on both of our beams to the bottom. We were able to get anchor into chocks and drop the lines. A person on the wharf had told us of an old aquaculture operation in that area.

  • We landed our dinghy at the wharf. At the inside corner of the L there was 3m at low water. The northern outer face of the wharf has heavy tires all along it, so with fender boards it might be in a sufficient lee in a wind from SW or more south. That face is at least 150’ long. Inside the wharf the turning space would be limited for our size without better knowledge of the soundings, unless the inside of the L was open. The timber lattice would need fender boards there too. Note that there is a rock pile in the middle of the entrance to the inside of the wharf (see single headed arrow in chartlet, and photo above), so keep very close to the west end of the wharf on entry. Lobster boats come and go, and some live there. In a blow, inside of the wharf would be optimal for sure if you can fit.

  • Ashore: Seely Hall (old building restored & cemetery – now for community functions), Sea Port Gifts, the Carroll Baker Mem’ries Center (in the old Baptist Church) and Rosefinch Mercantile and Tea Room are all close to the wharf on Port Medway Rd. Carroll Baker was a late 20th Century Canadian Country singer of note, from Port Medway. Rosefinch were very obliging, selling us dinner to go before we took a hike, storing it in their fridge till we were ready to go out to the boat, by which time they had inserted a card and some gifts into our package to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, which we had mentioned earlier. There are interesting side streets off the north side of that road whose ends give access to, and grand views of the Medway River to the west of the wharf.

 

Page 84-86 Lahave Islands: False Lahave, Dublin Bay and Folly Channel

  •  The buoyage has been changed in this area and the old paper charts and even the new electronic charts may not accurately reflect the current situation. The changes are:

    • several new buoys in the narrow passage between False Lahave and Dublin Bay

    • new buoys to that clearly mark the channel through Dublin Bay 

    • new north cardinal buoys at each end of Folly Channel (pass on the north side of both).

  • Update from Sandy Andrews, 2022: We poked into Crooked Channel hoping to find a nice place to drop the hook because it looked so beautiful on the chart.  Once in we discovered that the channels and buoys bore no resemblance to what was on the chart.  It was high tide which made it hard to visually figure out what was what (but probably kept us from grounding as we explored) so we exited and went around to Moser Island.

 

We anchored on the north shore of Moser Island about halfway along in 20 feet of water.  No surge, great heavy mud bottom and lovely scenery.  Wonderful quiet and bugless night.  I think this anchorage is deserving of a more favorable review than currently in the guide.  But maybe my opinion was prejudiced by its being the only evening in weeks without rain, fog or clouds!

 

We also went the short distance up-river up to Lahave Bakery. The Guide should make it clear that the dock and moorings are available for overnight rental.  There was plenty of water at the dock for our nearly 7 ft draft and the frozen scallop pie we bought for later consumption was fantastic!

 

Page 89 Lunenburg

  • Zwicker Wharf is now managed by the renamed Build Nova Scotia Lunenburg under the name Lunenburg Waterfront Marina. Contact them at lunenburgmarina@buildns.ca. The phone number is unchanged at 902-521-3012. The website is https://buildns.ca/visit/lunenburg/marina/ Toilets and showers are available at the head of the pier and water and power is supplied to the dock.

  • The old Lunenburg marine railway operation has been brought back to life by the owners of East River Shipyard (page 105) as Lunenburg Shipyard Ltd www.lunenburgshipyard.com phone 902-930-2155. They have a travel lift to haul small and medium sized boats, marine railways with capacity to 600 tons or more, and full service and repair capacity for any sized vessel.

  • Lunenburg Shipyard has also taken over the old foundry property at the head of the harbour. A multi-year redevelopment program is in the works that has started with new floating docks and fuel pumps, filling a major gap in Lunenburg yachting services. Call ahead to 902-930-2155.

 

Page 94 Mahone Islands Conservation Association

  • In an effort to control the proliferation of private moorings that encumber some favorite coves, MICA has partnered with the Municipality of Lunenburg to lay six public moorings for day use at Covey and Backman’s islands (pg 98), Bella Island (pg 100) and Mason’s Island (pg 100). Go to  https://mahoneislands.ns.ca/about-us/mica-challenges/ for more detail about this program.

 

Page 98 Mahone Bay Town

  • The public wharf has been upgraded with substantial floats that can accommodate several sizeable yachts along its face and sides and another finger near the dinghy dock.

 

Page 118 Port Dover

  • Brett and Amanda Campbell (2023) report that they anchored in 10m north of Taylor Island, equidistant between what is called Moore Island on Navionics and an un-named island to the east at about 44029.07N 63051.8W. (Google Earth has different names for the small islands in this area.) Holding was good in mud. They walked around Taylor Island, enjoying the views and a swim in the small pond.

  • The Campbells also anchored in 11m at 44029.9N 63052.6W off the southwest point of Privateer Island and to the east of the mooring balls. This is the area called Dover Soi on the charts. It’s an easy dinghy ride from there to the dock at Shaw’s Landing Restaurant and there is a convenience store, outdoor food truck and ice cream stand about 750m down the road to the left.

 

Page 118 Smelt Cove and Dan Blain’s Cove

  • Update from Wilson Fitt: In the summer of 2022, the closely spaced red and green pair of buoys showing the way into the channel extending up east side of Privateer Island were in place, but the others were missing. The way in was still quite straightforward but caution and an attentive watch are required. Stay close to the east shore of Privateer Island (west side of the channel). The mid channel rock shown on the Guide chartlet between the northeastern shore of Privateer Island and the point of the mainland is covered at half tide but very real. The channel leading around the corner to Dan Blain’s Cove is narrow but deep. 

 

Page 121 Rogues Roost

  • The bottom in the northern basin of the Roost appears to be hard, fissured rock, much like the surrounding shoreline, and several people report having their anchors rattle over the bottom before fetching up hard in a crack between the rocks. They had very difficult times recovering the anchors and suggest that a trip line would be a prudent precaution. The bottom in the southern basin is mud, and there has been no reported difficulty with anchor retrieval.

 

Page 131 Halifax Waterfront Marina

 

Page 150 Gerard Passage

  • Update from Wilson Fitt 2024: It was foggy and cold at Shelter Cove so we carried on a few miles to Gerard passage and anchored along the Gerard Island shore close to where the island is almost divided in two by a shallow bay. A dinghy ride into that bay brings you to a short trail that leads to the Bawleen (page 152). Small kayaks could be dragged over this portage for exploration in the Bawleen.

  • Michael and Hannah Moore, 2024: “The minimum depth between the eastern tip of Long Island and the rock pile north of Gerard Island was 5m at low water. We anchored in the bay to the west of Dutchtown Point in 25 feet at low water with a rock and mud bottom. There was lots of space – just two moorings in shallow water close to shore. This is a beautiful fully enclosed anchorage. The houses and road noise are not that intrusive. We also looked at Spry Harbour northeast of Dutchtown Point but it was much more open with noise from construction of a new wharf and associated road. 

 

Page 159 Softwood Passage

  • Wilson Fitt 2024: The three spar buoys marking the western end of Softwood Passage (XP14, SX8 and XS9) were all missing in July 2024 making the approach to this narrow rocky channel somewhat nerve wracking. 

 

Page 166 Liscomb

  • Updates from Wilson Fitt, 2022 & 2024: Very strong afternoon southwesterly gusts can be experienced in the mouth and lower reaches of the Liscomb River even when the wind outside is a relatively moderate. 

  • Although Liscombe Lodge is still a welcome and very well protected stopping place, the floating docks and other waterfront facilities were still in very poor condition in 2024 and the young mad tending the docks was very inexperienced. The Lodge phone number is 1-800-665-6343. The food in the restaurant I was still decent.

  • There is good hiking on trails that go upstream along the riverbank across the highway.

 

Page 168 Spanish Ship Bay

  • Update from Wilson Fitt, 2022: The buoys on the way in are further east than shown on the Navionics chart. As stated in the Guide, leave them to port when entering. The bottom in the southwestern portion provides excellent holding in heavy mud.

 

Page 170 Gegogan (Jegogan)

  • Update from Sandy Andrews: As of last June [2022] all the buoys marking the channel into this harbor were in place and made entry quite easy.  Depths were as advertised on the chart.  We anchored right on top of what I recall was the only sounding centered in the deep-water area in the harbor (north of Rae Island and west of the camp) - I recall it being 3 meters but it may have been more. The areas of deep water are relatively small so there is not a lot of room to maneuver.  This anchorage is completely protected - there wasn't a ripple of surge.   The land surrounding the harbor is low so I suspect it can be quite windy here but the fetches are all short. Our anchor came up encased in heavy mud (and of course our wash-down hose chose that moment to burst), so the holding is great.  It was foggy and cold when we exited the coast, but completely clear and sunny inside.  As the guide says, there is only one camp visible along the entire woody shore, so the anchorage has an isolated, close to nature feeling.  I was very enthused about this anchorage.

 

Page 175 Mount Misery Cove

  • Hail the cable ferry on VHF Ch 16 to confirm crossing intentions. It moves quickly.

  • There were no signs of aquaculture operations around the entrance to Mount Misery Cove in 2024.

 

Page 177 Weber Cove

  • John van-Schalkwyk, 2024, warns against trying to enter Weber Cove because it’s a rock garden. Anchor off the entrance instead.

 

Page 177 Charlos Cove

  • Update from Paul Coates, 2022: There is six feet at the end face of the Charlos Cove public wharf. The wharf is in reasonable condition. There are no services of any type at the wharf but the Seawind Landing Inn is still there and cranking out good food. Locals advised the wharf in Larry’s River is bigger and better maintained.

 

Page 180 Port Howe, Northeast Arm

  • Wilson Fitt spent a comfortable night in the Northeast Arm in 2024 without experiencing the rhythmic rolling that troubled Charles Westropp and Jim Evans. He anchored in about 18 feet where the Arm opens into a small cove, just beyond the very large standing rock on the starboard side. Open water is visible a mile and a half or so to the southeast so it’s entirely possible that a surge could work up into the anchorage if it’s rough offshore. 

 

Page 182 Louse Harbour

  • Update from Wilson Fitt 2022 & 2024: The shore on the north (starboard when entering) side of the Louse Harbour entrance is a conspicuous white gravel beach with a green meadow behind, conspicuous compared to the surrounding shoreline. The crowd sourced soundings on Navionics provide a useful guide when entering. 

  • Michael and Hannah Moore 2024: When entering, leave the visible ledges to port and the small island with trees to starboard. Beware of the ledge off the northern shore to starboard that is covered at high water but still visible by the weeds on the surface. When we were leaving at low water, we were surprised to see how far out it extends. 

  • WF: Heading south to the anchorage shown on the chartlet in the Guide, you will cross over a very deep area that is not shown on modern CHS or Navionics charts, although it was shown on the old Admiralty charts. Keep going south and anchor when the depth moderates again, before the rocky patch that was home for many seals in 2022. 

  • The Moores: The Guide refers to a substantial freshwater stream with a path next to it going up to a pond. We landed at the mouth of a stream by a collapsed building and its newish replacement and a LOT of trash. The only thing remotely like a path was overgrown and blocked by many fallen trees. Perhaps future visitors can clarify if this path exists and where it starts. 

  • Charles Westropp, 2022, confirmed by Wilson Fitt 2024: “Contrary to the many cautions in the Guide about the narrow channel that leads to the northern anchorage, I entered here twice during 2022 without difficulty. There is a significant ledge that runs from the nameless island on the east side of the channel taking up about half of its width. The shore on the western side of the channel is steep-to and, by favouring it, I carried 12 feet all the way in at mean low water. Tuck in by the cliffs that provide good shelter from the south and west and anchor in about 18 feet with good holding. It is a delightful and private spot.”

 

Page 184 Little Dover Run

  • Updates from Wilson Fitt, 2022 & 2024: The buoys through Little Dover Run seem to change or be out of place much of the time. During August of 2022, red spar “PS6” and north cardinal “PS” at the western entrance were barely afloat and nearly invisible at half tide. At the eastern entrance, “PP4” was missing and buoys “PP6” and “PP7” were very close together. In 2024, those buoys were in place, but others were missing or so low in the water as to be nearly invisible.

 

Page 186 Glasgow Harbour

  • Update from Sandy Andrews, 2022: We decided to check this anchorage out but did not stay.  It was blowing 15kn from the SW when we entered the Andrew Passage from the west but somehow this breeze was accelerated in Glasgow Harbour to 25kn or so. While the water was calm, that was more wind than we wanted!  Additionally, the shores of the harbor are now dominated by a number of very large wind turbines which are both visually and aurally unappealing.  So off to Canso we went.

 

Page 190 Guysborough

  • Update from Wilson Fitt, 2022: The tower beacon referred to in the second paragraph is white and red, not just white. Buoy “CQ4” is very close to the western (mainland) shoreline, appearing to be almost on the beach. Guysborough Marina was operating in 2022 with showers, ice and fuel available, but unfortunately the pub, the bakery and most other retail operations were permanently closed. A pleasant little craft market was operating in the building by the marina on Saturdays.

 

Page 191 Port Hawksbury

  • Wilson Fitt 2024: The Yacht Club floating docks and shoreside facilities are in excellent condition and the staff are friendly and helpful. Space can be made available at the adjacent fixed wharf for boats that are too big for the floats. It is a long, steep walk up the hill from the marina to the business district. 

 

Page 192 Lennox Passage

  • The bridge across Lennox passage has 20 feet clearance when closed. It was inoperable due to mechanical issues for the first part of the summer of 2024 but had been fixed again by mid August. It might be wise to check by phone 902-345-2681 to confirm that it is operating before getting too far into the Passage.

 

Page 203 Cape George Harbour

  • Update from Wilson Fitt, 2022: The cove behind the sandbar (“Gretchen McCurdy’s Cove”) has about 10 feet of water going in but more like 18-20 feet once inside. Setting an anchor with reasonable scope in the centre will have you swinging very close to the shore at the edges. It’s a lovely spot though.

 

Page 204 Eskasoni

  • Update from Wilson Fitt, 2022: The anchorage south of Goat Island is delightful, just like being in an inland lake. If you can find one in advance, it would be polite to fly a Mi'kmaq Nation courtesy flag at the starboard spreader.

  • Michael and Hannah Moore, 2024, recommended West Eskasoni Harbour between Big Island and McPhee Island as a lovely and isolated spot.

 

Page 214 The Boom

  • Michael and Hannah Moore 2024: Cassels Cove (north of Boom Island) is a beautiful and peaceful anchorage except for the biting flies. A track one third of the way from the little island to the northern shore had 5m of water, but it is shallower half-way between the small island and the northern shore. We anchored in 5.6m at 45o55.075N 60o59.762 W.

 

 

Page 218 St. Patricks Channel

 

Page 219 Little Narrows

  • Michael and Hannah Moore 2024: The first little bay northeast of the Little Narrows cable ferry is a good anchorage, although open to the east. There is some noise from the cable ferry when it’s operating (ongoing during day, but quiet at night). There is a picnic table on the shore where you can land, with a short trail to the road by the ferry landing. The church has an extensive wooded property with peaceful trails among and between two graveyards. Also, walk about a mile up Route 223 to the junction with Rt 105 (Trans-Canada Highway), cross 105, and leaving the power lines on your right take the Lewis Mountain Rd trail up along a beautiful stream. It is a 12 km trail – but good for however far you care to go. 

Page 220 Whycocomagh

  • Michael and Hannah Moore 2024: The wharf is in reasonable shape and docking on the outer face with fender boards is a possibility. Local boats use the inside berths. Anchoring off the wharf was easy. The Waterfront Center has a small dinghy dock although there was no evidence of a local sailing scene. The hikes in the Provincial Park, a quarter mile east along highway from the wharf, are well worth doing. They are steep and rocky in places but we did the outer perimeter of the trails in 2.5 hours taking our time. Great views south and east. Biggest drawback is noise from Highway 105, which is the primary trucking route to Sydney. There is a food market, general store, pharmacy and building supply store about  a half ½ mile west from wharf.

 

Page 220 Baddeck: 

  • The Baddeck Community Wharf Dockmaster is Denise Mulley. Her office number is 902-295-1389 and her cell is 902-295-0261.

 

Page 225 Great Bras d’Or

  • The gypsum mine at Little Narrows in St. Patricks Channel (page 218) is planning to start production again in 2025 so, after a pause of several years, ore carriers will once more be passing through Great Bras d’Or. Take every precaution to stay out of their way as they pass through the narrows at the northern end of great Bras d’Or and under the Seal Island bridge.

 

Page 236 Ingonish

  • Michael and Hannah Moore, 2024, anchored north of the harbour entrance and west of the beach as recommended in the Guide but were advised by a local person that there has been recent shoaling in that area. 

  • Wilson Fitt, 2024, tied up at the substantial wharf in the southwestern corner of the harbour. It was in good condition with at least 10 feet of water at the face (although perhaps shallower at the far western end) and only one local boat alongside. The shore side of the wharf is a large dirt parking area along the side of the main highway (Cabot Trail). A substantial vacation housing project was under construction at the far end of the site with earth moving equipment at work, so it was dusty and noisy. There was a sign on the wharf saying “Ingonish Landing” with overnight docking rates but no phone number or function website (still the case in spring 2025). No-one came by to ask for anything. The facilities at the base of Cape Smokey ski hill are nearby but there are no services at the wharf.

  • The public wharf that is just inside the harbour to the south of the entrance might have room for a visitor to tie up beside the local fishing fleet but there are no nearby services.

 

Page 237 Dingwall

  • Wilson Fitt, 2024: The entrance directions and cautions still apply. The public wharf to starboard in the first basin had a large transient power yacht alongside when we were there, so it appears that there is room for visitors who want to tie up. Despite the presence of a few mooring balls, there was lots of room to anchor in the well protected inner basin. The Guide and other sources mention a fee for anchoring, but no-one showed the slightest interest in our presence let alone came by to collect a fee. 

 

CCA CRUISING GUIDES – CRITERIA FOR HARBOUR SUBMISSIONS & UPDATES

February 2, 2020

HARBOR DESCRIPTIONS – WHAT EDITORS WANT

  • OVERVIEW of harbour -- the key factor(s) that make it worthy of consideration
  • LAT/LON and local chart number
  • APPROACH to harbour identifying buoys, landmarks, ranges, any dangers that could help make a safe entry in limited visibility
  • ANCHORING/DOCKING options with details, including depths (at MLW). If a harbourmaster is in charge, please provide details and contact info. Also, the degree of protection from wind and wave action
  • FOR THE BOAT – describe facilities including water, fuel, electrical hookups
  • FOR THE CREW – showers, laundry, groceries, restaurants, museums, car rentals, taxis, etc.  Plus, nearby places of interest to visit, such as hikes or natural phenomena
  • ADVICE – any special recommendations – for or against
  • HISTORY – local stories and history of significance
  • ALTERNATIVE ANCHORAGE(S) NEARBY (if appropriate)
  • UPDATES – anything that corrects info in the current edition of the guide.
  • SKETCH CHARTS (carefully drawn with as much detail as possible) for areas where existing charts do not exist or accurately portray the harbour’s characteristics
  • PHOTOS that:
    1. Provide useful perspective of features not obvious from existing charts, such as the location of docks or the best place to anchor
    2. Are beautiful shots that make the area and your boat look appealing

We realize that’s a lot of detail. For many harbors, only some of these factors will apply.

CCA CRUISING GUIDES – CRITERIA FOR PHOTOGRAPHY

QUALITY

  • High-resolution images at 300 dpi with a minimum frame dimension of 4 x 4 inches – larger sizes preferred
  • Unadjusted/retouched images in JPEG, TIFF, or RAW file types. Others may be possible 
  • The relationship between digital image pixels and maximum print size is as follows: 600 x 900 pixels = 2 x 3 inches; 1200 x 1800 pixels = 4 x 6 inches; 2400 x 3000 pixels = 8 x 10 inches. The more pixels a photo has, the better the clarity will be when printed.
  • If an Apple user, please be certain files are JPEGs or TIFFs that are Windows and PC compatible

SUBJECT MATTER

  • Harbor/village shots that help readers understand “the lay of the land” and water
    • Approach and entrance with important identifying marks, rocks, unusual land features or lighthouses
    • Dockage or wharves where available
    • Where to land to get ashore
    • Town or waterfront area (harbormaster’s office, fuel depot, shops, etc.)
    • Anchoring area(s) with protection from seas and winds
    • Overview shots from a high hill or drone are particularly welcome
  • Beauty shots that add to the allure of area or province depicted, all well-lit (ideally with sunrise or sunset colors)
    • Sailboats under sail or anchored in especially beautiful settings*
    • Ditto for power cruising boats.
    • Wildlife shots, including whales, seals, seabirds, etc.
    • Shoreside flora and fauna
    • Interesting people when there is a story to be told
    • Icebergs (for Newfoundland and Labrador)

       *    These shots will be considered for covers and will need to be 8 x 10 inches at 300 dpi or larger

CREDITS

  • All photos will be credited to the photographer owning the copyright
  • Photos submitted must be your own, or you must obtain the photographer’s written permission.

DELIVERY

  • Via email to the respective editor for individual files or guides@cruisingclub.org
  • Upload multiple photo files to Dropbox using a public guide specific link such as:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/mXPmIwQaHNKwPvEfsMRQ?oref=e

NOTE ABOUT VIDEOGRAPHY: Video files may also be welcome under certain conditions. Please contact the CCANP Publisher at guides@cruisingclub.org

Call for Updates

Mariners: You are our greatest resource. If you are sailing these waters, you are in the best position to share timely updates based on your observations. Please send your updates to this guide to guides@cruisingclub.org.

Thank you!