Hidden harbours: Yankee Cove to Louse Harbour

Dec 21, 2017

There will be no description here of services, facilities, shopping or even pubs, just place where you can find the kind of quiet and sense of isolation which is getting ever harder to locate. Way down Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore there is a stretch of untouched shoreline starting roughly at the hamlet of Whitehead and going on the town of Canso. Here you will find wilderness anchorages and some interesting inside passages between the rocky islands.

The first such anchorage is Yankee Harbour (also called Yankee Cove) found opposite Whitehead between Harbour Island and the mainland. There is a dinghy passage usable on the high tide into The Basin if exploring is your thing. At one time there was a small community here and some ruins can still be found in the bushes at the north end of the harbour. These days there is an aquaculture operation at the north end of the harbour which restricts the anchorage somewhat, but there is still plenty of room and you will not often have to share the space. The harbour is easy to enter although you need to pay close attention in thick weather. Refer to the charts and the Cruising Guide to the Nova Scotia Coast (Pilot Press) for details.

Continuing east past Port Howe, itself a fine anchorage in settled weather, you can take Dover Passage. This channel runs inside of Dover Island between Port Howe and Dover Bay and Louse Harbour. Although the entrance to Louse Harbour looks tortuous on the chart, it is not difficult in good visibility. Once inside there are several good anchorages and despite its name, Louse Harbour is one of the nicest and most isolated on the coast. A hike ashore affords some excellent views of the 8,000 hectare, Canso Coastal Barrens Wilderness Area.

This stretch of shoreline rewards exploring in clear weather. However, in thick fog or strong southerly winds and swell it is best to stand well offshore.

The area is well described in Cruising the Eastern Shore by Mike Cox, now unfortunately out of print. The Cruising Guide to the Nova Scotia Coast is available from Pilot Press and from The Binnacle in Halifax.

Photo Credits: Louse hbr, barrens (g. cairns); Passage (NS Tourism)