We sailed in through the breakwater into one of the two small harbours in Port LaTour. We chose
the enclosed harbour, called a boat basin, for protection purposes even though the wharves were fixed and geared for larger fishing vessels. We had been in enclosed fishing ports many times and were comfortable there. The other small harbour is set up with floating docks for small cruising craft like us. However, we were concerned that the marina there may be closed and should we tie up we would be open to the fall weather winds. We also kept a sharp eye to the forecasts. We knew the bad weather that was brewing offshore would cause nasty coastal upheavals for a couple of days and it was best to be tucked inside.
As you will note in the picture below, the entrance to this safe haven is very narrow. It is a really tight squeeze to navigate but just as we were attempting to enter, a young fisherman in his power skiff, true to Nova Scotian precept, saw us heading in came out of the enclosure, circled out in front of us and entered in between the large wharves to help guide us through the safest route in. Our depth sounder was reading a very low depth as we were entering on a low tide with a healthy breeze and a hefty chop building. We were thankful for the assistance and once we were tied up along the inner wharf wall we looked to find the fellow to thank him but he was no where to be found. We later found out that this is just tradition these local seafarers take on - just second nature - just something they all do to assist one another on the sea.
We tied to an inner wharf where there was space behind the rafting fishing trawlers. The tide here is a 10 -12 foot variance so long lines were required that were attached to the strong buttresses of the wharf. The lines must be arranged in such a way that they are able to move up and down with the tide so that the boat moves with the tide direction yet they must remain taught enough to keep the vessel secured to the wharf wall. As the tide rises and falls so does the vessel. Ample fender coverage must be applied so the boat will not scrape or be damaged as she moves up and down. The pictures below depict the boat at high tide at night and on a falling tide during the day.
Port LaTour supports an active fish plant, albeit quite tiny, it continues to remain functional in this small Nova Scotian coastal community, unlike many others we have been in or sailed by. There is a processing plant, an ice making plant, an ice distribution centre for fisher people and others, and a small fish store. Keith was given some absolutely delicious fresh fish fillets by one of the fishermen which he immediately battered and pan fried for us.
The weather remained dull, rainy and foggy for three days which kept us tied to the wharf for as long. We hiked along the beach looking for sea glass and any other piece of interest we could find. We wandered around the docks to see what the activities were and we decided to hike toward Barrington for a change of scenery. As we ambled down the very quiet road, enjoying the smell of the dampened firs, dwarfed in growth by the sea air and salt spray, a car pulled up beside us and asked if we needed a lift. Again, so typically a Nova Scotian gesture. The lovely couple who stopped were on their way to Barrington for a short run, to carry out some tasks on this rainy day, and were happy to give us a lift. Margaret and her partner were delightful. We chatted about things, they delivered us to the grocery store, took us to numerous sites to try to find items we were looking for; we even checked out the local Frenchy's together. They drove us back to the boat, helped unload our bags of treasure and waved goodbye as they drove away. In the gloomy eeriness of the surrounding fog, we felt warm, as we climbed back down the wharf ladder into our boat. We knew this kindness, we felt it all around us and we knew we were soon sadly leaving it behind.
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