Shelburne to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in very thick fog. We awoke to heavy fog and an east wind, meaning the seas would be at least somewhat heavy. Since John and Sue Dietrich had spent the night with us on the boat, they had a car with them and needed to get back to Halifax by later in the morning. It was decided that John, Sue and Cari would drive the 1 hour to Yarmouth, our next and last port in Nova Scotia, and I would take the boat around the 85 mile trip by sea to Yarmouth. Cari would be dropped off in Yarmouth and do some laundry while waiting for me to get there with the boat. The plan worked well.

Traveling in thick fog from Shelburne to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Running in heavy seas and thick fog to Yarmouth. The swells were about 4-6 footers but spread out between the crests. On top of the swells were 1-2+ foot waves and currents producing a lot of chop.

I headed west southwest along the NS coast from Shelburne to the southwestern most tip of Nova Scotia where I rounded Cape Sable Island and headed north toward Tusket Islands, on the east side of the Seal and Mud Islands. Once north of Mud Island I turned west and then north toward the mouth of Yarmouth Harbor, a 4 mile narrow inlet with the town of Yarmouth at the head of the long narrow bay. The tidal flow and currents mixed with the wind-made waves produced quite a ride for about an hour (going at 25-26 mph) until I entered the outer Yarmouth harbor. Doing all of this in a fog that offered less than a quarter mile visibility made it more challenging. But using the radar, detailed GPS mapping and depth finder made an impossible task reasonable and very doable. I take my hat off to all those seamen who for centuries navigated these, or any such waters, with only the wind, a somewhat accurate at best chart and a compass.

Upon entering the Yarmouth Harbor, after continuing north for a couple of miles in the narrow passage you come to Bug Island Light, an imposing light on top of a very large round footing at the end of a long breakwater. When it began to appear and loom up before me in the pea soup thick fog I really had no idea what it was for an uncomfortable few seconds!

Finally at dock in Yarmouth. A very welcome end to an 80-some mile solo adventure in the fog and open ocean.

The tide rises and falls some 14 feet or more here in Yarmouth, NS. As the tide dropped later in the day the marina and docks took on a whole different look.

Yarmouth low tide.

Looking up toward ground level from the boat as the tide drops.

As the tide drops the dock’s ramp changes almost to the dock’s ladder.

A commercial boat next to us on a floating dock and a water feature in between.

Looking down the ramp toward the iboats.com boat at low tide in Yarmouth, NS.