CRUISING GROUNDS
Canadian Maritimes offer secluded cruising By Lucy Chabot Reed As the nations of the world began to close down this spring, many captains and charter managers began looking for alternative cruising grounds closer to home. In the U.S., one spot that got some early attention was the Canadian Maritimes. Owners, captains and charter managers were planning itineraries and making calls until Canada closed its borders for the season. Still, those cruising grounds remain a viable option when borders reopen and non-essential travel resumes. Capt. Scott Ellison has taken the owners of M/Y Time For Us, a 122-foot (37m) Delta, to the area twice before on two different boats, and was set to return this past summer. “We loved the area,” he said. “It’s beautiful, and the people are really 64 FALL/WINTER 2020
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friendly. … It’s still a little bit of a frontier, not an automated system like in a lot of places we cruise.” But they didn’t make it this summer. “I’m always excited to head up that way so I suppose there was some disappointment, but I think in light of everything going on it was for the best,” he said. “We were able to stay busy with charters in New England, which wouldn’t have happened in Canada, so it worked out for us in the end,” he said. “We’ll be happy to head there next summer if the opportunity presents itself.” Capt. Ellison’s command and her owners are well suited for the region. Older owners who enjoy gazing at stunning scenery coupled with a midsize yacht that can travel anywhere means many fulfilling days and memorable experiences.
“You need an owner who appreciates solitude and the quiet of yachting,” he said. Clearing in was typically straightforward, he said. Once cleared in, the yacht is issued a CanPass number, which allows it to enter and depart areas freely. Chartering is an option, too. While perhaps not as convenient to pickup and drop-off points as the Med or Caribbean, U.S.-built boats can apply for a Coastal Cruising Waiver through the NAFTA agreement and carry charter guests. “We went the summer before last to Halifax, Lunenburg and around to Quebec City,” said Capt. Bud Stein of M/Y Aspen Alternative, a 164-foot (50m) Trinity charter vessel set to head north this summer. Its previous trip was with the owner. “There are a lot of different, interesting places to see. It’s a
nice cruising grounds and the people are friendly. It’s an unchartered route, not the milk run we usually do.” The distances between destinations can be long and the speed zones are strict in summer because of all the whale activity – “mostly under 9 knots,” Capt. Stein said – so that adds to the travel time. “It’s definitely not for a client who wants shore-based tours and shops,” he said. “You can’t find much of that once you get past Halifax … It’s for people who want to anchor in a nice cove, maybe do some camping, paddleboarding, exploring. Clients want to go to Newfoundland with the fjords to anchor and go hiking. It’s more Alaska-like, where people want to be off the beaten path.” Aspen Alternative’s charter manager, Neil Emmott of Superyacht Sales and Charter in Fort Lauderdale, said the
