Bras D'Or Lake

Hi everyone,

After a couple of nights in St Peter's Marina we headed off to explore the Bras D'Or Lake.  The lake is the SW part of the overall Bras D'Or.  We overnighted at Morrison Head, Ross Pond, Little Harbour and Iona.  Technically Iona is in the Great Bras D'Or, the NE part, but this isn't a technical post!

Iona sunset

Most of the passages were in very light winds so we motored.  The exception was from Little Harbour to Iona where we had a great sail.  Here are our tracks...

Bras D'Or Lakes tracks

The Bras D'Or is amazing.  The water is over 20C, roughly 10C warmer than coastal waters.  Air temperature gets up to the mid-20s, occasionally higher.  Even when cloudy and rainy the air temperature is mild.  And much less fog too.  From thermals and full wet-weather gear we've changed down to shorts and T-shirts.  A nice change.

Fog burning-off at St Peter's Marina

St Peter's cafe

St Peter's ice cream

From St Peter's we zigzagged through the channel to West Bay.  Along the way we saw a bald eagle (visible in the photo below).  The scenery was spectacular.  As we turned west into West Bay a thunderstorm was brewing to windward.  We ducked into the anchorage at Morrison Head to avoid it.  The anchorage there is open to the N through E, and the bottom is shingle.  Okay for a brief stop but I wouldn't recommend it for overnight.

Bald Eagle

Sunset over Morrison Head

We stayed overnight at Morrison Head.  When the fog cleared in the morning we motored to Ross Pond to visit OCC Port Officers Louis & Rob.  They have a mooring freely available to OCC boats.  Ross Pond is a pretty place.  We got quite close to a bald eagle hidden in the trees before it took flight.

Approaching Ross Pond

Moored in Ross Pond

Exploring the pond

From Ross Pond we motored to Little Harbour.  It's not little but it offers excellent all-round protection.  A large bull seal visited Zen Again and we spotted a Racoon on a nearby beach.  We explored the anchorage in the dinghy but didn't see any more wildlife.  Australian OCC sv Leventeia arrived and we had a nice sundowner aboard their boat.

Approaching Little Harbour

Exploring Little Harbour

Zen Again and Leventeia in Little Harbour

From Little Harbour we had a great sail to Iona.  Along the way we passed an otter in the middle of the bay - just lying on his back 'basking'.  As we closed the strait we called Barra Strait Bridge on the VHF and they opened the bridge for us. 

Sailing to Iona

Approaching the bridge

Passing through the bridge

The Iona anchorage is just beyond the bridge, tucked around the corner to the W.  It's off a popular swimming beach.  There's a dinghy dock on the other side of the main jetty.  After a quiet night at anchor we dinghied ashore and walked 2km to the Highland Village Museum.  Good exercise.

Iona anchorage

Jetty from the anchorage

Dinghy dock

View over beach to the anchorage

The museum is well worth a visit.  It includes several authentic buildings saved from demolition and barged to the museum.  This includes the (now) hilltop church!  The museum and local community are working hard to restore the use of Gaelic in the area.  It was the dominant language here for over a century.

Museum entrance

Highland bothy

Log cabin

Making linen

Museum with a view

School

Church

At the end of our tour of the museum we asked where we could get lunch.  The only option was The Wheelhouse which was a 3-4 km walk and on the other side of the strait.  One of the ladies insisted on driving us there.  As we approached the bridge the road was closed so a yacht could pass.  It was sv Leventeia!  We said our goodbyes and thanks and raced to the bridge to take photos.

OCC sv Leventeia

From the bridge we walked to The Wheelhouse and had a good lunch with great local beer.

Lunch at The Wheelhouse

Colourful roadside flowers

Anchorage from the bridge

Iona sunset

In the Bras D'Or it's obvious why Nova Scotia is so named.  It really does look and feel like Scotland.  The lake-side escarpments also remind us of Lake George near Canberra, albeit with more water and firs/conifers instead of eucalypts.  It's a spectacular place.

Trust all's well where you are!