We sailed out of Halifax yesterday with good wind, much of the way. Once we reached the mouth of Halifax Harbour, we sailed most of the rest of the way in thick fog. When you are coming into a new-to-you harbour, surrounded by rocks and shoals, and you can not see a boat length in any direction, it certainly increases your appreciation for GPS and RADAR.

We stopped along the way twice to try our luck with fishing, and ended up with a small pollack and a cod. The ocean bottom here is very rough and there is “fishy structure” everywhere. We stop when the sonar shows us dense schools of fish. In many, many places there are huge schools of mackerel and herring. We look for those schools that have bigger fish marks hovering underneath.

Between Halifax and Sambro there are rocky islets and shoals that extend offshore for several miles. Marking these is Sambro Light. With so many picturesque lighthouses around it is hard to pick a top ten, much less a “best” but this one certainly is in the running.

The fog just lowering on top of Sambro Light.

As we sit at anchor here, the surrounding landscape comes, and goes, as small changes in wind and temperature bring the fog in, and then push it back out again. The bay is surrounded by houses and small fish landing operations that seem mostly dedicated to lobster. If you ever meet a Nova Scotia lobster fisherman, be sure to treat him very nicely. No matter if he looks looks it or not, he is one tough hombre. Lobster season here is in the winter. That’s some seriously tough work.

In the cruising guides Sambro Bay does not get high marks for scenic beauty. But it ain’t too shabby looking!