PEISA News:

  Cruising in PEI

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 Courtesy of Canadian Yachting Magazine, July 2007 Issue 

 

Blue Water, Red Shores – Cruising PEI

 

By Jim Evans

 

Prince Edward Island may be Canada’s smallest province, but if you like golden

beaches, fresh lobster and mussels, Down East music and all the breeze you need

along green-topped red shores, this is the place for you.

The Northumberland Strait and East Coasts have most of the harbours suitable for keelboats, although there are some interesting destinations on the North Shore. The

West Coast offers little more than a nasty lee shore, although it is a pretty sail in good weather. Many places outside the major harbours, though, are best enjoyed by those whose boats draw less than six feet - and some are limited to those with much less!

Many sheltered areas have large mussel farms, but they don’t hinder navigation: they

are always in shallow water and help to indicate the safe channel.

 

Although PEI is Canada’s most densely populated Province it is still uncrowded -

except perhaps in Charlottetown or up north in Anne of Green Gables country on a summer afternoon. Big stores are limited to Charlottetown and Summerside, but you should be able to find most things in the smaller places. Charlottetown has regular

flights to major centres (direct to Montreal, Toronto and Halifax); the Island can also

be reached by ferry from Caribou and by the world’s longest bridge over seasonally-frozen water, the Confederation Bridge. There isn’t any public transit except in Charlottetown, though, so a car rental or organised bus tour is needed for a land tour

of the Island. All of Prince Edward Island’s libraries have broadband Internet access

and will let you use a terminal if you need to check e-mail or whatever. And bring your bikes: the Island’s Confederation Trail is a marvellously scenic rails-to-trails biking and hiking trail that runs from tip to tip.

 

The Northumberland Strait offers the warmest waters, and is narrow enough that one

is nearly always in sight of both PEI and the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick shores. Halfway along sits Charlottetown, the Island’s main hub. With two marinas (the Yacht Club and Peake’s Quay), a host of restaurants and pubs, the Confederation Centre of

the Arts and a broad expanse of sheltered water that sees regular club racing, this is the starting point for many sailors’ Island cruise. Out through broad Hillsborough Bay and another 15 miles to the west lies the little village of Victoria, “prettiest village in PEI”, where yachts tie to the old wharf (and often sit harmlessly on the soft mud bottom at

low tide). There’s a restaurant with fresh lobster right on the wharf.

 

Summerside, a further 20 miles west, is the Island’s second largest town. If you need a break on the way, the old ferry harbour at Borden lies right under the shadow of the

13km Confederation Bridge but doesn’t have any facilities. The Silver Fox Yacht and Curling Club in Summerside (they know how to make the most of a facility here) will welcome you with its full-service marina, restaurant and with free entertainment and

shops nearby at Spinnakers Landing. The town is a convenient place to provision.

 

On the southwest tip of PEI lies West Point harbour – well-protected, with a few

floating docks, and a pleasant walk from the restaurant in the base of the black-and-white-striped lighthouse you can see from the dock.

 

From West Point it’s 60 miles - a good day’s sail with fair winds - north along red

cliffs, around North Cape with its spinning windmills and south again to Northport on

the north shore. There are a few harbours

on the way, but unless you have a stout heart and minimum draft they can’t be recommended. Northport is approached through a shoaling river entrance between

sand dunes, a spectacular approach and made even more exciting on a strong ebb tide. The tide can run over four knots here, and if the wind’s coming in off the Gulf can raise

a dangerous sea in heavy conditions. Pick a flood tide if you can. Once inside, though, there’s a marina, restaurants and stores – or you can anchor out in delightful peace in Cascumpeque Bay. Make the most of a good rest here, as except in very good

conditions and with the latest information you may have to sail non-stop to Souris.

It’s a little over a hundred miles, so be prepared for an overnight sail.

 

Off to the eastward then, along a low shore of seemingly endless dunes to Malpeque

Bay, famous for its oysters, and Rustico in New London Bay. These entrances needs care, and preferably local knowledge in anything but perfect conditions, but Rustico is charming. It’s very much a fisherman’s harbour, so don’t expect luxury! In many of

these smaller harbours you will have to lie alongside a fishing boat. They won’t mind as long as you don’t mind being woken very early in the morning - and as long as you

take your own lines in to the shore as they do, so they can leave simply by letting off

one line for a moment without having to re-tie everything. It goes without saying that

big fenders are a must. Island lobster boats don’t have much in the way of cleats - typically just a ring on the bows, a recessed cleat on the quarter, and a loop of line or

a hole in a deck knee under the side deck. If you’re coming alongside a lobster boat short-handed it helps to have a short line made fast amidships so you can jump aboard

the other boat and get your boat under control by tying to this deck knee quickly while you run your lines ashore. An old fisherman gave me this tip and it‘s a good one. You

are unlikely to be asked to pay in these little places.

 

The entrance to St. Peter’s Bay is also difficult, but once inside the wide expanse of

the bay is navigable to close to the village.

 

The harbours at Naufrage (beware of a harbour named “shipwreck!) and North Lake

are both blocked by low bridges – even lobster boats have to lower their antennas!.

 

More electricity-generating windmills lie inshore from the coast between here and East Point, where the “meeting of the tides” can raise a choppy sea. From this bold point it’s usually an easy run along some of the most deserted but best beaches on PEI to Souris. As with most of PEI, it’s hard to believe that this is Canada’s most densely populated province. Point of departure for the ferry to the Magdalen Islands, and a major fishing port, Souris looks a bit industrial but has an excellent new full-service marina plus good facilities for repair or haulout. Several big yachts lay up for the winter here. This is a

good place to take off for the Magdalens, Nova Scotia or perhaps Newfoundland.

 

A few miles south is one of my favourite spots, Fortune. Creep in over the bar into a tiny fishing harbour where you can tie up and walk up to the four-diamond Inn at Bay Fortune restaurant, or follow the winding river up to the head of navigation. It’s peaceful and green.

 

South again, into Annandale with its tall range lights, perhaps, or on to the “Three

Rivers”. All three are easily navigated, with the Cardigan River offering a choice of restaurants at its head, the Brudenell River a marina resort with a world-class golf

course, and the Montague River with a full-service marina and the biggest shopping

centre east of Charlottetown. At the mouth of the rivers lies the town of Georgetown, once the Island capital and now a sleepy place except for its shipyard (you might see

a giant tug being tested) and lumbering business. Watch out for giant barges laden with trees or gravel (the Island has to import all its gravel, believe it or not), and towed a

long way behind their tug.

 

On the southeast tip of the Island lies Murray Harbour, a cruising area in miniature with three rivers, four harbours but only two villages. The main one is Murray Harbour,

where the Bowdridge Landing Marina offers dockage and showers. There’s an

excellent garage across the road which can advise on engine problems – and even completely remachine an engine at its machine shop business. The Community Centre

up the hill, just past the store and Post Office, has ceilidhs on alternate Friday evenings.

 

Heading west again now, the ferry terminal at Wood Islands offers shelter overnight

and seafood at Crabby’s takeout. Further west, perhaps with the scent of potato blossoms blowing off the land, the Pinette River is a challenging piloting exercise up to

the road bridge, where you could tie to a fishing boat and walk up the road to place a

bet on the trotters at Pinette Raceway. Or, if you’re not in the mood, it’s next stop Charlottetown again for the completion of your circumnavigation of the Island. No

doubt you’ll have been out in some wind by now and been shaken around a bit – the

wind in the Gulf is rarely calm, and the Strait often raises a short chop. But you’ll have experienced only moderate tides; except in the inlets the flows are rarely strong, and

tidal ranges are less than eight feet maximum and less in most places. It’s about 300

miles around the Island – more if you poke into all the spots I’ve suggested, of course. You’ll have seen eagles and ospreys, gannets and terns, seals (they’re common in the

East coast rivers) and possibly whales and tuna (these speedsters are often seen off the North shore), tied up in quiet harbours, enjoyed golden sands and sun, perhaps

sampled some city nightlife or some rustic entertainment and certainly some seafood straight from clear, cool water. Above all you will have met some of the friendliest folk around in a trim, lovely and slow-paced Island with a character all its own.

 

 

How to get to PEI:

 

By boat:

From Newfoundland direct, perhaps via the Magdalen Islands, or via the Bras d’Or Lakes and Strait of Canso

From Nova Scotia via the Strait of Canso or North Cape

From New Brunswick via the Northumberland Strait

From Quebec via the St. Lawrence River and/or the Magdalen Islands

From Ontario via the Saint Lawrence River

 

By plane:

Air Canada direct from Toronto (1 daily), Montreal (twice daily) and Halifax (4 times daily) to Charlottetown

Westjet direct from Toronto (daily) and Montreal (Tuesday and Thursday)

Sunwing direct from Toronto Monday and Thursday.

From Boston – Delta plans to introduce daily direct flights this summer

 

By road: via the Confederation Bridge (toll payable on leaving the Island) from Cape Tormentine NB

Via Northumberland Ferries (toll payable on leaving the Island) from Caribou NB

 

By rail: VIA Rail from Quebec to Moncton NB

 

Things to do if you can’t bring your boat but want to get on the water:

 

Perhaps the best might be to take a CYA course with PEI’s only CYA-certified sailing school for adults on one of Wave Skills’ keelboats. Ellen

 

Confederation Bridge – courtesy

Barque Picton Castle, Lunenburg NS

 

Macphail, Wave Skills’ lead instructor, has over 20 years and 10,000 miles sailing experience and says the school offers a wide range of training opportunities ranging from charter lessons to VHF and survival courses and “cruise and learn” weekend cruises. See www.waveskills.ca for details.

 

Although there are no bare-boat charter fleets in the Island, there are a few crewed charter opportunities. The 36’ sloop Saga sails out of Charlottetown Yacht Club on day sails or the cruise of your choice – see www.virtuo.com/sagasail.

 

Cardigan Sailing Charters offers a day cruise on a 30’ wooden sloop – with a

lobster dinner after! Phone (902) 583-2020

 

If your taste runs more to motorboats there are several opportunities to take a trip on

a lobster boat or converted lobster boat for a scenic, seal-watching or

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