Saturday, August 9, 2014

Lunenburg Nova Scotia

Historic Lunenburg harbor

Classic sail 
Lunenburg is a bit of a tourist town, but that is survival. It is a thriving waterfront town when a lot of other Canadian fishing towns declined with the fishing industry. Despite being a bit tourist oriented it is  a fascinating place to visit for anyone with an interest in schooners and other classic sailing craft. It is also homeport to the famous Bluenose II, perhaps the most famous schooner of all. The original Bluenose ended her days hauling cargo in the Caribbean and was wrecked on a reef near Ile a Vache Haiti. Number 2 was launched in 1963 when the Canadian s realized they had lost a national treasure.  It is currently finishing up a 2 year refit in Lunenburg. The Atlantic Fisheries Museum is well with a day to visit, including a visit to an old trawler and a schooner docked there and seeing firsthand the evolution of the fishing industry.
Lunenburg foundry is still in business and repaired my windlass even though it they have not made windlasses in 15 years. Also still turning out wooden blocks and other traditional rigging gear is A Dauphinee  and sons, who rebuilt all the blocks for the Bluenose refit.
Everything a sailboat may need after a passage is available here and all within walking distance. However there is no fuel available on the docks, it has to be carried from the service station in jugs. The anchorage is not as crowded as it looks, there is plenty of space outside of the moored boats. The bottom is very soft mud, so a lot of chain on the bottom is required to keep from dragging.
Next stop is Halifax for resupply and mail call.