Bras d'Or Lake

Just before 8 a.m. this morning, Enis and Peter left the anchorage at Port Howe, traveling east through the Dover Island passage, surrounded by fog. Although I did hear the anchor being raised, my sleep was hardly disturbed, and I woke up around 9:30. The wind was under 10 knots, so we were forced to motor. 

In the late morning, the fog cleared and we were blessed with bright sunshine and blue skies. Before 2 p.m., we had transited through St. Peter's Lock and pass the swing bridge that opened for us to see the enormous, wide open lake appear the bow. The estuarine body of water in the center of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia has a surface area of 1099 square kilometers, and three arms stretch out to the northeast. The irregular shape of the coastline creates hundreds of places to anchor. Most of the shoreline is undeveloped.

Jerome Point Lighthouse near the lock

Enis on the bow as we approach the lock

The lock opening

The Mi'kmaqs have lived on Cape Breton for at least 4000 years. A French trading post in 1650, but the island has always been sparsely settled. One part-time resident of note was Alexander Graham Bell, who built an estate in the late 19th century, where he established a research laboratory, and he used the lake to test man-carrying kites, airplanes and hydrofoil boats.

The inflowing fresh water from several rivers makes the brackish water a very productive natural habitat, and UNESCO has designated it a biosphere reserve. 

Sign after passing through the lock

The wind picked up once we were on the lake, and by 3 p.m. we had killed the engine and were sailing in 15-20 knots of SSW wind with three reefs in the main and the staysail, averaging about 8 knots. Peter used the conditions to measure the prop shaft alignment with the engine. He thought he would find that the hull is flexing as the water pressure changes and therefore changing the alignment at hull speed, but he was able to eliminate the possibility of the hull flexing being the cause of the shaking we experience when the engine is at 2000 rpms. 

Sailing on Bras d'Or Lake

We are anchored near Peter's Point on the northwestern side of the lake. The horse flies are annoying but they are slow and easy to kill. Peter and I are getting ready to go out on the paddle board and then shower on the stern. Luckily, I did three loads of washing while we were underway, so our towels as well as some clothing are clean, and the laundry basket is empty.