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Marinas & Airports
as the surrounding mountains are high, its warm, brackish waters a swimmer’s delight, and its swirling winds and quiet coves a sailor’s dream. Arguably, the most popular — and famous — anchorage on the lake is Maskell’s Harbour, where in 1922 the Cruising Club of America was founded, giving this destination some serious street
cred. Visitors are likely to share this special place with friendly locals, including resident American bald eagles.
Centrally nestled on the shores of the Bras d’Or Lake is the picturesque village of Baddeck, the largest community on the lake and a strategic destination for exploring inland, including the worldfamous Cabot Trail. Baddeck recently upgraded its main docking facility to accommodate large yachts with 240 feet of floating docks with 23-inch freeboard, power, water, WiFi and direct access by foot to explore the village, with its many shops, restaurants and the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Bell visited here in 1885, quickly falling in love with the surroundings as they reminded him of Scotland, his place of birth. Returning the following year, he bought land and began to build an estate he named Beinn Bhreagh (“beautiful mountain” in Gaelic), which became his family’s cherished vacation home.
Known as the beginning and end of the Cabot Trail, Baddeck is the baseline for exploration into the heart of the island. Leaving the village and heading north by car, visitors soon find themselves hugging the coastline again as they begin their ascent through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, where lush boreal-forested river canyons carve into the ancient plateau, edged by rust-colored cliffs. The Cabot Trail gives you a front-row seat to Nova Scotia’s highest mountains, dropping almost straight to the sea and bestowing Cape Breton Island with some of Canada’s most beautiful coastal scenery.
But there is much more to this area than the dramatic landscapes and endless Instagram-worthy photo ops. Some islands call for sarongs and swimsuits, while others for hiking boots and trekking
— Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)
PHOTOS COURTESY DESTINATION CAPE BRETON
MARINE FACILITIES
St. Peter's Marina
Floating docks, accommodating yachts up to 150 feet, max draft 10 feet, power, WiFi, water, fuel. st-peters-marina.com
Baddeck Waterfront
Floating docks, accommodating yachts up to 200 feet, max draft 15 feet, power, water, WiFi, fuel truck by appointment. baddeckwaterfront.ca
Ben Eoin Yacht Club & Marina
Floating docks, accommodating yachts up to 100 feet, max draft 9.5 feet, power, water, fuel. beneoinmarina.com
Northern Yacht Club – North Sydney
Accommodating yachts up to 200 feet, max draft 15 feet. northernyachtclub.ca
Port of Sydney & Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club
Floating docks, accommodating yachts up to 200 feet, max draft 24 feet, power, fuel truck by appointment, port of entry. sydneyport.ca/marina
Port Hawkesbury Pier & Strait Superport
Accommodating yachts up to 390 feet, max draft 16 feet, fuel truck by appointment, port of entry. straitsuperport.com/port-hawkesburypier
Dobson Yacht Club
Accommodating yachts up to 80 feet, max draft 14 feet, power, water, WiFi, fuel truck by appointment. www.dobsonyachtclub.com
AIRPORTS
Halifax Stanfield Int'l. Airport
8,800-foot runway, customs available. halifaxstanfield.ca
JA Douglas McCurdy Sydney (Regional) Airport
7,000-foot runway, customs available. sydneyairport.ca
Port Hawkesbury Allan J (Regional) Airport
5,000-foot runway, customs available. allanjairport.ca
