Halifax is the capital city of Nova Scotia, the economic center of Atlantic Canada and home to Canada’s Atlantic naval fleet. The city has done a wonderful job in rejuvinating its waterfront while keeping the flavor of its commercial and maritime heritage intact. After a run south from the Liscomb River, we passed through Halifax Harbour and moored right downtown in front of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

Trip highlights from September 13th, 2016 follow. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps

Egg Island Position: -62 51.70, 44 40.12 The stubby light on windswept Egg Island. We initially were planning to make another stop along the way before reaching Halifax, but the forecast was for 30-knot winds over the next couple of days, so we decided to run straight through to Halifax today.

Devil’s Island Position: -63 27.19, 44 34.00 After numerous shipwrecks, a light on Devil’s Island was first lit in 1852. The current lighthouse replaced the first in 1877, but no longer is functioning and has fallen into disrepair.

HMCS Windsor Position: -63 31.64, 44 35.15 As we approached Halifax Harbour, we could hear Halifax Vessel Traffic conversing with “the submarine Windsor“. And there it was shortly after we turned into the harbour. The HMCS Windsor is a long-range hunter-killer class and can travel 12kts at the surface and 20+ kts under the water. It is 230.5 ft (70.26 m) long, with a 25.9 ft (7.5m) beam and an 18.1 ft (5.5m) draft. Unlike most US submarines that we’ve seen recently, the Windsor travelled alone, without a single escort vessel.

McNabs Island Position: -63 32.36, 44 36.14 Maugers Beach Lighthouse on McNabs Island at the entrance to Halifax Harbour. The beach also is known as “Hangman’s Beach” because the Royal Navy hung the bodies of executed mutineers there during the Napoleonic wars to warn to crews of ships entering the harbour that they should behave themselves in port. In 1851, Abraham Gesner used the light to test out the new fuel he had invented to replace whale oil: kerosene. McNabs Island contains a number of fortifications belonging to the 19th-century “Halifax Defense Complex” and is now a National Historic Site.

Refinery Position: -63 32.91, 44 37.09 The now-defunct Imperial Oil refinery at Dartmouth across the harbour from Halifax. The refinery opened in 1918, partly to meet the needs of World War I and supplied much of the fuel for the Allied convoys in World War II. At its peak, the refinery processed some 89,000 barrels per day. The facility closed temporarily in 2011 after suffering damage in an electrical storm and in 2013 the refinery was closed and the site converted to a marine storage terminal.

Port of Halifax Position: -63 32.91, 44 37.09 Container ship loading cranes at the Port of Halifax in the distance to our west as we near downtown Halifax.

Arctic Sunrise Position: -63 33.33, 44 37.83 Greenpeace icebreaker Arctic Sunrise moored at the Port of Halifax. In 1997, the ship was the first to circumnavigate James Ross Island in the Antarctic, after the over half-foot-thick ice shelf connecting the island to the Antarctic continent collapsed.

Georges Island Position: -63 33.77, 44 38.54 The Georges Island lighthouse is a prominent landmark in Halifax Harbour. The current lighthouse was built in 1917 to replace the original tower built in 1876 and was automated in 1972 and the light-keeper’s house still stands a few hundred feet to the north.

Museum Wharf South Position: -63 34.18, 44 38.85 Moored in our new temporary home at the Museum Wharf South. This is an excellent spot within walking distance of everything in downtown Halifax. Moored next to us is the HMCS Sackville, the last surviving World War II Flower-class corvette. The ship is on display at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Moored on our other side, but not visible, is the tugboat Theodore Too.

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Position: -63 34.18, 44 38.85 Our berth is right below the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. If you look closely in the museum windows, you can see the reflection of the tugboat Theodore Too, our neighbour to the north.

Halifax Waterfront Position: -63 34.18, 44 38.85 A boardwalk lined with cafes, restaurants and small shops runs the length of the Halifax waterfront. The city has done a wonderful job in rejuvinating its waterfront while keeping the flavor of its commercial heritage.

Fast Friends Position: -63 34.18, 44 38.85 Dirona and new friend Theodore Too. Theodore Tugboat is the title character of a Canadian children’s television series that aired from 1993 to 2001 depicting the adventures of the tugboat Theodore and his friends in the “Big Harbour”. The show originated and was set in Halifax, and the Big Harbour was based on Halifax Harbour. Theodore Too is a full-sized replica of Theodore Tugboat that does tours through Halifax Harbour in the summer.

Woodside I Position: -63 34.30, 44 39.00 The Woodside I, one of several ferries that run across Halifax Harbour between Halifax and Dartmouth. The vessels are a rather unusual oval shape, and have a ton of power. Check out that prop wash.

Salty’s Position: -63 34.33, 44 39.04 We had a delicious meal waterside at Salty’s in the Historic Properties with a pitcher of locally-brewed craft beer while watching the ferries come and go. The Historic Properties are restored Napoleon-era warehouses covering three blocks that now house shops and restaurants. Seven of the buildings are National Historic Sites.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise. On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps.