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Nova Scotia im Winter
- christinerex7
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Now that we’ve securely moored Aegir at Alderney Marina in Dartmouth, Halifax, and finished up a few outdoor tasks in glorious autumn weather, we’re spending two months in Europe.
One of our favorite things is getting together with friends and family in different places. Art, culture, and local cuisine are just as much a part of the plan as our first attempts at cooking—you never know...
In early January, we return to the boat with all our gear and slowly work through our to-do list. Port officer John van-Schalkwyk from the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) provides us with a valuable contact to have an important repair done on the broken bracket of our jib boom. Our weekly schedule includes regular workouts at a fitness center. Moreover, we incorporate cultural activities into our winter weeks and maintain our social connections here in Halifax.
At the end of January, a cold snap combined with snow brings joy. All the heaters are working, and our generator helps us get through the occasional power outage. Wearing the right outdoor gear, it’s fun to be active outside despite the cold. A visit to the sauna at Lake Banook, followed by a dip in the lake—thanks to the ice hole we’ve prepared—is the perfect way to cap off the winter.
With a rental car, we drive to the nearby Wentworth ski resort, which is small but charming. There, we’ll get to use our skis at least once. The few turns through the forest, adorned with ice crystals, are a delight. Afterward, we explore St. Margaret’s Bay and wrap up the trip with a winter hike at Pot Lake. The car also comes in handy for running important errands so we can tackle the next leg of our journey with ease.
Unfortunately, we’re feeling the limitations of the Canadian (and German) healthcare systems. Basically, we’re not getting the care we need. Gregor can’t get an appointment anytime soon for a minor skin procedure. So he’s flying to Switzerland on short notice for a week to see his former dermatologist. As for myself, Christine, I’m working on the boat projects and am happy to accept various invitations. Everyone is warm, welcoming, and friendly, so it’s easy for me to join in conversations (my English could be better), and I feel very comfortable here.
At the beginning of March, we make a detour to visit Robert Müller, the Trans-Ocean (TO) base manager for Nova Scotia, and his partner Heidi Fischer in Cleveland, Nova Scotia. Needless to say, our time together is filled with conversations about sailing and sailboats—all while enjoying a wonderful cheese fondue. Even in winter, we really enjoy this landscape of islands and bays. We trudge through the winter on snowshoes, as it slowly gives way to spring.
Completely out of the blue, Christine finds herself dog-sitting. Our neighbors on the boat—Moira and Jeannot—have a new puppy named “Loki” on board, which means they can leave the boat without the dog every now and then. Christine enjoys having the dog visit on board.
In and around the marina, we make some very nice Canadian friends who greatly enrich our winter stay. Like so often, we experience openness, friendliness, and an impressive willingness to help. They include us in their social circles; we eat together, attend concerts, and are thrilled by the music scene in the bars. Enjoying music and dancing across generations is simply part of the experience here. An invitation to a “regulars’ table” hosted by the German Canadian Association of Nova Scotia (www.nsgca.org) is gladly accepted, and so we meet people from Essen and Bochum with their fascinating migration stories.
TO members Antje and Stefan arrive at the marina in February aboard the heavily iced-up SY Tinjac. They’re coming down from Newfoundland. So the TO meets up in the far north, and for a change we enjoy some good old German banter on board! As always, additional boat work awaits us, such as fixing a leak in the gray water line that’s very hard to reach. While we can solve some of the new problems right away, we’ll take others with us on the rest of our journey.
The conclusion of this year’s winter anchorage is: we are happy with the location, the city has excellent infrastructure, and we’ve met wonderful people. We found the time to be very laid-back, yet full of new impressions and varied experiences. In mid-March, we’ll leave our winter base, refill our tanks, and continue our fourth year of sailing back toward the north. You’re also welcome to follow our journey directly using the “Find Pinguins” app (https://findpenguins.com/4cyqtdzv5lavj) .
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